Where are all my early birds trying to curb their caffeine addiction? I gotchu! As someone who is an early bird and not a fan of coffee, I need an alternative to my 5am mornings. So I came up with some energy shots for boosting of morning energy, focus and immunity.
There are many fruits and spices that provide energy boosting benefits and after some research I’ve created two different energy shots. An apple and ginseng berry shot that is good for boosting energy and focus. This one is nice and sweet with 3 types of berries and a touch of cinnamon.
The second energy shot recipe is a strawberry orange ginger shot. When taking inspiration from other energy shots, ginger came up often, but it actually is not one of the top energy boosting herbs, but actually provides immunity benefits, which of course never hurts. I added it because it is still beneficial and works well with the other energy boosting spice, cayenne and energy boosting fruits.
Whether you can handle the spice or prefer the sweet, these recipes will provide you with two amazing options. Now lets get into these energy shot recipes.
Equipment & Ingredients
To make these energy shots you will need these ingredients:
- Water
- Green Apples
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Ginseng Juice or Ginseng Extract
- Cinnamon
- Ginger Root
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Cayenne Pepper
As for the equipment, the list is much shorter! You will just need:
- Blender
- Fine Mesh Sieve
Top Energy Boosting Fruits
Apples – Apples are a good source of fiber, antioxidants that help battle stress, often the number one cause of energy reduction.
Strawberries – Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C as well as a specific antioxidant called phenols. These help the body create energy at a cellular level. Also the sweetness in strawberries provide an energy boost as well.
Oranges – We all know oranges are a great source of vitamin C, but what does that actually mean when it comes to energy? Vitamin C is a huge contributor to strengthening the immune system and relieving stress. Which in turn aids in preventing fatigue.
Berries – Berries such as blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries provide sources of vitamin C, flavonoid antioxidants, and natural sugars and fibers. As mentioned earlier, the vitamin C helps create energy and fight stress, while the natural sugars provides a form of quick energy.
Blending the Fruits and Spices
When making the Apple & Ginseng Berry energy shots, start by cutting your apples and adding to a blender with 1/2 cup water. Blend together until smooth. It will be thick like apple sauce, set aside in a mixing bowl.
To that same blender, now add the blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Then pour in the ginseng drink (or extract with water). I found this awesome ginseng drink for super cheap at a local Chinese ginseng, herbs and spices store. It includes some other energy boosters as well, but if you can’t find that feel free to substitute with the ginseng extract, which is much more potent.
Now add the cinnamon, then the blended apple back to the blender. Mix everything together until completely smooth.
For the Strawberry Orange Ginger energy shots, add the oranges, strawberries, sliced ginger root, cayenne and water all at once. This is if your blender is large enough. If you have a size like mine, you will have to blend twice, starting with the water, oranges and strawberries, then doing the excess strawberries, ginger root, cayenne and water.
Whether you are doing this once or twice, blend these ingredients until smooth. There will be a pulpy consistency because of the ginger root and oranges.
Health Benefits of Cinnamon & Ginseng
Cinnamon is loaded with health benefits such as:
It is loaded with antioxidants. It can reduce the risk of heart disease. It lowers blood sugar levels. It stabilizes your energy levels, helping prevent a crash due to fatigue, the primary benefit we are using this cinnamon in our energy shots today for.
Ginseng is something I never thought of being an energy boosting but it is actually one of the top herbs to do so. Some of its benefits are:
It has been shown to improve memory, behavior and mood, which is why it is beneficial in increasing focus during the day. It can reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. And one of the two most important benefits for this ginseng being added to today’s energy shots, it fights tiredness and increase energy levels through polysaccharides that lower stress and increase energy production in cells.
Health Benefits of Cayenne and Ginger
Cayenne has many health benefits like:
Cayenne can boost metabolism because one of its main ingredients is capsaicin, which stimulates blood flow. This ingredient is also what gives cayenne the necessary component to boost our energy, leading to more oxygen and nutrients being sent to the brain and muscles. in increase in flow. And it also lowers cortisol, aka stress.
Ginger is a known herb and spice for immunity, but it also has other benefits like:
The reason ginger is so popular for a morning shot is because it can fight sickness on any given day. It is a wellness herb that provides support to our digestion, balancing our metabolism and helps soothe a variety of immune system functions when they are upset. But while my goal is to provide a healthy morning shot for you all, I do want you to know that ginger is NOT too beneficial when it comes to energy boosting. This is why this energy shot contains some of the top 10 fruits for energy and cayenne. I found many recipes claiming that ginger provides that energizing benefit, but have yet to see it pop up through me own research.
Strain and Bottle Energy Shots
After blending the two mixtures that is most of the work in creating these energy shots!
Now you will use a mesh sieve and pour the shots through to remove any large seeds, pulp or skins from the fruit and herbs.
Add a last addition of 1 cup of water to the Apple & Ginseng mixture, while adding only 1/2 cup water to the Strawberry Orange & Ginger mixture. Stir these together until combined.
Now get your 2 ounce shot containers so that you store these energy shots for daily use with ease. I got these 2 ounce energy shot bottles from Amazon. I love that they came with the funnel, making the transfer process very easy.
These energy shot recipes should give you at least 10 bottles of each drink.
Close these energy shots up and refrigerate them to stay fresh. Because these are fresh fruits, I would make no more than this batch at a time. They will last you 3 weeks. Be sure to shake each before you take the energy shot in the morning, midday or evening. Whenever you need that boost!
I hope you enjoyed these recipes, let me know how this came out for you in the comments. 🙂
Energy Shot Recipes
Course: DrinksDifficulty: Medium20
servings20
minutesThese two energy shots provide different benefits with different mixes of fruits, spices and juice. The first Apple & Ginseng Berry Energy Shots provide energy and focus for the day. While the Strawberry Orange Ginger Shots provide immunity and energy. This recipe yields ~10 2-oz energy shots of each type.
Ingredients
- Apple & Ginseng Energy Shot
1 cup water
2 tart green apples, juiced or blended
1/3 cup raspberries, juiced or blended
1/3 cup blueberries, juiced or blended
1/3 cup blackberries, juiced or blended
1/4 cup ginseng drink or (1/2 teaspoon of ginseng extract + 1/4 cup more water)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Strawberry Orange Ginger Shots
1 1/2 cups water
2 oranges, juiced or blended
1/2 cup strawberries, diced then juiced or blended
2.5 ounces ginger root, juiced or blended
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup honey (optional)
Directions
- Apple Ginseng Energy Shots
- Start by cutting your apples and adding to a blender with 1/2 cup water. Blend together until smooth, it will be thick like apple sauce. Set aside in a mixing bowl.
- To that blender, now add the blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Then pour in the ginseng drink (or extract with water). Then add the cinnamon.
- Add the blended apple back into the blender. Mix everything together until completely smooth.
- Pour out into a mixing bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Stir with a spoon to help the juice flow through the strainer.
- Once strained, add a cup of water to the mixture, stirring together until combined.
- Get your shot glass containers and evenly distribute the berry energy shots into each. This should fill about 10-12 2 ounce containers.
- Strawberry Orange Ginger Energy Shots
- If your blender is large enough, add the oranges, strawberries, sliced ginger root, cayenne and 1 cup of water all at once. Blend together until completely combined
- If your blender is on the small size, start with the oranges, strawberries and 1/2 cup water, and once blended down, add the ginger, cayenne and rest of water.
- Once the mixture is complete, strain this through a mesh sieve into a large bowl, removing the pulp of the fruits and any excess seeds or ginger root skin.
- Then add another 1/2 cup water to the mixture along with honey if you would like. This recipe contains ginger and cayenne which will make these shots pretty spicy, but the honey helps balance that out if it is too much.
- Mix together until combined.
- Get your shot glass containers and evenly distribute the ginger energy shots into each. This should fill about 10-15 2 ounce containers.
Sources:
https://healthiersteps.com/9-incredible-benefits-of-cayenne-pepper/#:~:text=While%20some%20people%20turn%20to,to%20your%20brain%20and%20muscles.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginseng-benefits#fights-fatigue
https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/11/23868567/5-fruits-and-vegetables-for-natural-energy-top-choice-list
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8070799/best-fruits-for-more-energy/#:~:text=Oranges%20are%20a%20vitamin%20C,feelings%20of%20weakness%20and%20fatigue.
