Incorporating Other Smoothie Ingredients
As you get more skilled at making smoothies, youll likely want to make ingredient changes or additions based on the items you have on hand, your dietary restrictions and/or your personal preferences. Theres no wrong answer here. But here a few tips and guidelines that will help you as you experiment:
Best Blenders For Smoothies
OK, youve got all of your smoothie ingredients prepped and ready to go, now how are you going to blend them up?
The key here is powerful.
You want to use a blender capable of completely mixing up all of the ingredients until they are smooth and creamy.
Here is a list of the best blenders for making fruit smoothies:
- Nutribullet A wonderful personal-sized blender option. Make sure you use the larger cup in order to fit all of the ingredients without going over the max fill line.
- Ninja Blender is also another great option!
The Best Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Smoothies have become a favorite in our home! In fact, the kids called them yummy drinks!
I dont blame them, because its hard not to love fruits blended together to make a delicious drink!
Were always looking for new healthy smoothie recipes, and today I wanted to share with you one we recently came up with that has become a favorite. It has some of my fav fruits including strawberries, bananas, kiwi, blueberries and more!
Sometimes a smoothie is just the right thing for our appetite and its always so fun coming up with new yummy recipes for them. Theyre great as an after-school snack for kids, a special treat or even for breakfast.
Todays recipe has to be the familys new favorite, and we cannot wait to share it with you!
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How To Make The Best Banana Smoothie
My basic smoothie recipe calls for four simple ingredients:
Banana I use one banana to make one large or two smaller smoothies. For the best tasting smoothie, use a ripe banana. For the creamiest banana smoothie, use frozen banana slices. Ive shared how I freeze bananas for smoothies below.
Half an orange When I have oranges in the house, I love adding them to my morning smoothie. It adds extra vitamin C and tropical flavor. If you dont have oranges on hand, dont worry, you can substitute other fruits like mango, pineapple, and berries.
Plain or Greek yogurt I dont always add yogurt to my smoothies, but when I do have it in the fridge, adding a spoonful ensures a protein-packed and creamy smoothie. For a smoothie without yogurt, add a little extra fruit or include veggies like spinach or kale.
Water or milk To help the ingredients blend, I like adding a splash of liquid to the blender. For a smoothie without milk, use water. It still tastes amazing. For more creaminess add milk .
To make the smoothie, I add everything into a blender and then blend until smooth. For an icy cold smoothie, throw in a handful of ice or use frozen fruits.
We have more easy smoothie recipes! Try our 5-minute strawberry smoothie or this easy blueberry smoothie.
How To Make A Fruit Smoothie
This basic recipe will teach you How to Make ANY Fruit Smoothie using fresh and frozen ingredients! Once you learn this simple formula youll be able to mix it up with tropical fruits and berries, add in greens such as spinach or kale, and even make them vegan and dairy-free. And the best part? Only a few simple ingredients and less than 5 minutes are needed to make the best homemade smoothie!
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What Are Some Great Smoothie Recipes
Alright, now that youre fully versed on how to make a great smoothie, let me share with you some of our absolute favorite combos! Click on any image to jump over to that specific smoothie recipe.
Classic Simple Smoothies
These smoothies are a great place to start. No weird ingredients that you have to special order, just fresh, real food that you can find at any typical supermarket.
Wild Blueberry Lemon No Banana Smoothie
Expert Tips And Tricks
- Skip the bananas. An avocado can be substituted for a banana along with a tablespoon or two of sweetener.
- Go for the goat yogurt. If youre slightly lactose intolerant, goats milk yogurt is a wonderful alternative that tastes very similar to cows milk yogurt.
- Add and adjust. Start by adding a little bit of optional ingredients and then taste after each addition to make sure you still like the flavor!
- Sweeten it last. Youd be surprised how sweet fruit can be! Wait until the end to stir in any additional sweeteners.
- Pay attention to the blade. You want to add your softer ingredients closer to the blade and the harder ingredients further away from the blade for easier blending.
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Frozen Fruit Smoothie Recipe
Frozen fruit can always be found stocked in our freezer.
When that moment strikes and I have literally NOTHING else to make, a frozen fruit smoothie can always save the day.
It doesnt even matter what fresh or frozen fruits Im working with. They can ALL be turned into a creamy and delicious smoothie.
That is, if you have this basic formula on hand.
I would never leave you hanging, though. In addition to this simple guide, youll also find a few recipes you can start off with and then add in all of the nuts, seeds, milks, juices, yogurts, and protein powders your heart desires.
Because after you finish reading this post, youll never need me again. Well, at least not when it comes to making incredible frozen fruit smoothies!
Fruit Or Vegetable Options For Making Smoothies
Frozen fruit and vegetables are great for smoothies. They give the smoothies a frosty, milkshake-like texture that is pleasing to the kids and adults. Frozen fruit, especially big fruits like strawberries, can be tough to puree in a regular blender. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec, you might want to make your smoothies with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can add ice to make the smoothie frosty, but be aware that these smoothies tend to be a bit more watery.
Another alternative is just to make your smoothies in a food processor. Most food processors can crush the frozen fruit as well as a smoothie blender, it’s just not as easy to pour the smoothie out of a food processor.
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Are You Looking For Even More Smoothies No Worries Weve Got You Covered:
- Clementine Avocado Smoothie. If youve never added avocado to your smoothie before, you are missing out! The flavor is so mild, that you cant taste it, but the texture is dreamy, creamy smooth, and the healthy added fats help keep your fuller longer.
- Cold Buster Smoothie. When youre feeling under the weather and your throat is sore, this smoothie for colds is soothing and nourishing.
- Coffee Smoothie. Get a jolt of caffeine and your breakfast all in one cup! This is packed full of coffee flavor.
- Persimmon Smoothie. Packed full of autumnal flavor, this spiced smoothie is creamy and sweet!
- Spinach and Pear Smoothie. Bright green and fresh in flavor, this smoothie is a perfect light breakfast.
- Sweet Potato Smoothie. Sweet potato in a smoothie? YUP! It tastes like a delicious pie. Youll love it!
- Apple Smoothie. This smoothie is packed full of healthy spinach, but tastes like apple pie!
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. This pumpkin smoothie is perfect for the weather is still warm but your heart wants fall to show up.
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie. This smoothie is rich and dark, and it tastes decadent enough you could sip on it for dessert!
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie. All the flavors of your favorite sandwich in a tasty smoothie! Pick your favorite jelly to add to this peanut butter smoothie.
- Tart Cherry and Spinach Smoothies. We show serving this cherry smoothie as a light breakfast in a bowl, but you could easily pour it in a glass and sip away!
Should You Rest Your Smoothies
Letting a smoothie sit tends to make it less frothy, but some smoothies willseparate quickly. For example, almost every green smoothie separates into a layer of green juice atop a chunky greenmixture after a few minutes.
Others fare better from resting. Anything with a lot of light or frothyingredients, or a lot of air whipped up into them, applies.
If you’re in a rush, prepare the ingredients beforehand by chopping andmeasuring them. Start only when you’re ready to eat! You can store ingredientsor even storesmoothies overnight in the fridge, if you’re preparing for an earlymorning!
A thick smoothie can last in the fridge up to 24 hours while retaining itsflavor and texture. Thinner smoothies may separate before then. We prefer todrink immediately, though grabbing a drink prepared the night before is almostas good. To store a smoothie in the fridge, pour it into a tightly sealedcontainer such as a Mason jar. Unless you have a tight, screw-on lid for yourblender bottle, don’t botheryou’ll get better flavor and have an easiertime cleaning up if you store it in something else.
In a pinch, you can put plastic wrap over the top of a glass.
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Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens
- tip 1You can use other flavored yogurts such as banana cream pie, mixed berry or key lime pie for a flavor change in our strawberry smoothie.
- tip 2For an added touch, leave the green leaves on the reserved strawberries. Make a small cut on the side of the strawberry and slide it on the rim of the glass of your Fresh Strawberry Smoothie.
- tip 3Flavorful fresh mint pairs nicely with strawberries. For a strawberry smoothie festive garnish, top with small fresh mint leaves. Or if mint leaves are larger, stack them, then roll up like a cigar and thinly slice crosswise.
How To Make A Smoothie
When it comes to making a smoothie, dont overthink it. The best ones are often made from improvising with what you have on hand. Toss in your slightly browned banana, sprinkle in a handful of spinach thats about to go bad, or use up that half can of coconut milk. Just a little bit of each can go far in a delicious blended drink.
While theres no right or wrong way to make a smoothie, heres a few tips to for making a healthy, well-rounded smoothie.
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Banana Strawberry Soy Smoothie
Satisfy your sweet tooth and boost your protein intake with this fruit soy smoothie. Soy is a natural source of high quality protein and healthy fats, and there is some evidence that it may even
- 1/2 cup plain regular or nondairy yogurt
- 1 cup regular or nondairy milk
Blend together until smooth. If youre looking for a thicker consistency, add a few ice cubes before blending.
How To Freeze Fruit For Smoothies
To make smoothies even easier, freeze fresh fruit into portions. You can even prepare smoothie packs and freeze them for a grab-and-blend smoothie option.
To freeze fruit for smoothies, rinse and chop fresh fruit into small pieces. Pat them dry then arrange, in one layer, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Slide the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until hard .
When the fruit is hard, divide it between freezer-safe bags and keep it in the freezer for your next smoothie.
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How To Make The Best Blueberry Smoothie
Our basic smoothie recipe calls for four simple ingredients:
Frozen blueberries For the best blueberry smoothie, use frozen blueberries! Frozen berries make the smoothie extra creamy. I especially love the frozen wild blueberries found in the freezer section of most grocery stores.
Can I use fresh blueberries? Yes, of course. Frozen blueberries blend into a creamier smoothie, but fresh berries will still work. You might find that the smoothie thickens as it sits a bit more than usual with fresh berries since they naturally have pectin, which is a thickener. Freezing can reduce the natural jelling effect of pectin, which is why this does not happen as often when the smoothie is made with frozen blueberries.
Banana I use one banana to make one large or two smaller smoothies. For the best tasting smoothie, use a ripe banana. For the creamiest smoothie, use frozen banana slices .
Half an orange When I have oranges in the house, I love adding them to my morning smoothie. It adds extra vitamin C and tropical flavor. If you dont have oranges on hand, dont worry, you can substitute other fruits like mango, pineapple or more berries.
Milk To help the ingredients blend, I like adding some liquid to the blender. For a smoothie without milk, use water. It still tastes amazing. For more creaminess use milk .
To make the smoothie, I add everything into a blender, and then blend until smooth. For an icy cold smoothie, throw in a handful of ice or use frozen fruits.
Why You Should Make This Blueberry Smoothie
Ive made a version of this easy blueberry smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Frozen blueberries are a must when making it .
Here are a few more reasons we love it:
- You need less than 5 minutes to make it.
- You can use frozen fruit. In fact, I prefer frozen blueberries when making this smoothie.
- This smoothie is perfect for breakfast or a snack.
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Whats The Best Liquid For Making Smoothies
We like to use milk of choice. If youre a fan of coconut milk, use it. Like cows milk? Go for it. A fan of almond milk? Cool. Use whatever milk you like in your smoothiesyou cant go wrong. I just recommend you stick to unsweetened and unflavored versions. That gives you the most control over the smoothie.
S To Make A Perfect Fruit Smoothie
No matter what kind of fruit smoothie recipe you are making, you can follow these steps.
Now that you have a great idea of making any fruit smoothie let’s look at how to make some of the most popular fruit smoothies.
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Berry Mint Yogurt Smoothie
You are going to love the flavors in this Berry Mint Yogurt Smoothie. We’re switching from eating high-sugar fruit yogurt to blending plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit in a delicious and healthy berry smoothie.
Have you seen the grams of sugar in a typical fruit yogurt? I’m referring to one of the most popular brands that I always bought for my kids, and then wondered why they were bouncing off the walls. Six ounces of vanilla yogurt from one brand has 28 grams of sugar! That’s twice the sugar in a cup of Fruit Loops!
If you know me, you know I do eat sugar. I will have a bite or two of dessert, but if I can cut back in certain areas, I’m going to. And this is one that’s a no-brainer for me, especially when I can still enjoy that sweet fruit flavor in this decadent berry mint yogurt smoothie.
In addition to the benefits of the fruit and yogurt, this berry smoothie also has a half cup of green tea. In an article on WebMD, Christopher Ochner, a research scientist in the field of nutrition, says green tea is the healthiest thing he can think of to drink.
That’s a pretty great endorsement for the benefits of this popular beverage. Now you can get all those benefits and more with this delicious and easy-to-make smoothie.
How To Make A Smoothie Without A Blender
If you want to make a smoothie without a blender, there are a couple of other options. In a pinch, you can make a smoothie a food processor, but be ready for some more clean up. Your food processor might not be made to lock in liquids, so there could be some leaks. Plus, its got several pieces, including a removable blade, which will need individual cleaning.
For making an individual smoothie, you can use an immersion blendera handheld version of a blender, which can come at a lower price. Simply dip the immersion blender into an unbreakable cup or bowl containing your ingredients and turn it on to mix. A good quality one will break up your ice just as well as a standard blender will. Plus, immersion blenders dont take up much space and tend to be easy to clean.
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