Your best smoothie recipes please!
August 21, 2015 10:30 AM   Subscribe

I have recently (re-)discovered smoothies. I'd never really gotten into them before, but recently my appreciation levels have been cranked up a notch and I've been trying to have at least one a day, usually for breakfast. However, I'm worried my current goto frozen strawberry-peach smoothie (with almond milk and yogurt) will get old quickly, and I need to mix it up.

I definitely prefer sweet over less-sweet. I'm not opposed to adding green, as long as I can't really taste it. I'm not interested in adding protein powder or such for the sake of adding protein, right now the smoothies are appealing to me because they're mostly fruit with a lower calorie count. Consistency wise, I definitely prefer them thicker than runny -- the closer they are in consistency to ice cream the easier my brain can be fooled into thinking it's a treat and not food!

Any recipe suggestions? Assume I have a solid blender, a freezer full of frozen fruit, yogurt, almond milk, and easy access to a large supermarket for everything else.
posted by cgg to Food & Drink (24 answers total) 57 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm fond of bananas, but one of the things I picked up from the Runner's World cookbook is added raw rolled oats and flax seed to my smoothies. It gives more protein and fiber, so is a better basis for a day's work.
posted by suelac at 10:35 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


200 g Greek yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
2-3 strawberries
~28 g frozen blueberries
Water to desired consistency

You might find this a little tart (I like tart!) but that can be modulated with honey or more fruit. Without water it's a very thick almost soft serve consistency that I sometimes eat with a spoon.
posted by telegraph at 10:35 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Right now my favorite is 1 banana, 6 strawberries, a handful of frozen cranberries, pineapple juice, and a few spoonfuls of yogurt.
posted by gatorae at 10:36 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


My usual recipe is half a frozen banana, a small handful of other random fruit (either frozen or not), about a cup of milk, a small handful of raw spinach, a teaspoon or so of almond butter (could be skipped), and half a date (for sweetness). A sprinkle of cinnamon is also fun.
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:38 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


My smoothies are quite simple - just fruit and milk - I like them on the sweet side, too:

Put in a blender or container for immersion blender:
1 ripe (or slightly over-ripe) banana
Fruit! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or other fruit like mango, peach, etc. Depends on what you have and what combinations you like. BUT you need at least some frozen fruit to make the smoothie cold and give it the right texture.
Add milk, almond milk, or soy milk (about 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how liquid you want it)
Optional: add some kelp powder, spirulina, or other super healthy add-on (this won't affect the taste much, but it WILL change the color).

Blend thoroughly and enjoy!
posted by jlhopes at 10:55 AM on August 21, 2015


Overripe banana, plain yoghurt, soy milk, optional ice cubes. Soy milk needs to be the whole-bean kind that tastes nutty, not the soy protein isolate kind that tastes like paint.
posted by flabdablet at 11:03 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


If you're looking for something that's closer to a treat than food, my favorite is one-half to a half a sliced frozen banana (depending on how big the banana is); a tablespoon of peanut butter; about a cup of soy milk; around one and a half teaspoons of honey; and an ice cube or two.
posted by holborne at 11:04 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Any smoothie that's already good can be made different and still good with a handful of rolled oats. As well or instead, a dessertspoon of raw psyllium husk in your smoothie will add a subtle cereal flavour and do amusing things to your poo.
posted by flabdablet at 11:06 AM on August 21, 2015


This is more of a treat, too, but here's a chocolate morning power drink:

2 ripe bananas
2 cups almond milk
1tbsp cacao
1tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1tbsp almond butter
1 handful of raw cashews

Adding something like red reishi powder works well in this one.
posted by Miss T.Horn at 11:11 AM on August 21, 2015 [2 favorites]


Going along with the treat smoothies, try:
1.5 frozen bananas (2 if they're teeny, 1 if they're giant)
2 tbs peanut butter
1-2 tsp cocoa powder
maple syrup to taste (if your bananas are very ripe, you can omit, otherwise you might need up to a teaspoon)
Enough almond milk to cover the rest of the ingredients (approx 1 cup)

I also really like to make strawberry "milkshakes" by pouring frozen strawberries into a blender, adding a tsp or so of maple syrup or sugar, and adding just enough almond milk to get it to blend.
posted by snaw at 11:30 AM on August 21, 2015


1.5 cups well-chopped kale
1 frozen banana
1 stick celery
1.5 cups apple cider
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
3 ice cubes

Optional: Add a handful of frozen mango and some flax seed.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:30 AM on August 21, 2015


My two favorite smoothie recipes:

Peanut Butter Banana
2 Bananas
about 2 cups of ice (less if you like)
a splash of vanilla
about 1/2 a cup of milk
3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter
blend

You COULD also add a handful or two of chocolate chips for a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie

Whipped Cream Vodka Strawberry
loosely fill your blender with frozen strawberries
pour in Whipped Cream Vodka (linked is our preferred brand because it's cheap and absurdly delicious)
a splash of vanilla
about 1/4 cup of milk

This is a perfect summer smoothie. Like, when I wasn't pregnant, I would have this every night.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 11:46 AM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Chunks of frozen mango (Trader Joe's)
Chunks of ripened banana
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Vanilla Soy Milk (if you're worried about sugar or too much soy milk, do half vanilla soy milk and half unsweetened coconut milk or just plain cow's milk)

My son has been going crazy for some version of the above practically daily for many months now.
posted by JenMarie at 11:47 AM on August 21, 2015


One I like quite a bit:

Half a small cucumber
Half an apple
A tbsp or so of lime juice
A tsp or so of ground ginger
However much spinach you feel like jamming in there

Whatever seeds, chopped nuts, etc you feel like

A cup(? Less? More?) of water, or (and this is true of a lot of smoothies) you can probably use coconut water instead of just water water.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:00 PM on August 21, 2015


Another:

A banana
A big spoonful of Greek yogurt
A quarter cup (maybe less) rolled oats
However much you like of your flaxseed, chia seeds, etc.
A cup, maybe a cup and a half of coffee (cold-brew works best)
Several ice cubes
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:07 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


You might like to try what I call my lurid purple breakfast drink. It's a banana (riper the sweeter), a handful of frozen blueberries, half a pint of milk and a small handful of oats. It's cheap, sweet and simple. It's also lurid purple.
posted by Ted Maul at 12:09 PM on August 21, 2015


Lots of awesome options here. My go-to breakfast is:

Coconut Milk
Spinach
Flax Seed
Mango
Banana
Peanut Butter

Comes out a nice green smoothie but you really only taste banana and peanut butter.
posted by jlweber at 12:49 PM on August 21, 2015


Another green smoothie fan here. My summer morning drink usually includes:

--one banana, either frozen or not
--a scoop of green tea protein powder (available online)
--about 1/4 to 1/3 cup frozen mango
--the same amount of frozen pineapple
--rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and ground flaxseed (maybe about a tablespoon each? I just eyeball it)
--at least 1/3 to 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, though vanilla could work too
--a couple of handfuls (at least) of kale or spinach (I'll use more spinach than that simply because it plays well with other flavors more easily than kale does)
--enough vanilla almond milk to cover 1/3 to 1/2 of the other ingredients
posted by chicainthecity at 2:00 PM on August 21, 2015


Half an apple
Handful of cashews (soaked is better)
2 dates
Dash of cinnamon, tsp or so of vanilla extract
Water, ice cubes

Handful of cashews
One banana (also works well with an equivalent amount of frozen cherries)
Coffee
Cocoa nibs
Ice
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:53 PM on August 21, 2015 [3 favorites]


Oh and I've been ripping off my favorite from a smoothie shop lately. It's full of kale but doesn't taste like it:
Banana
Handful or two of kale
Couple of dates
Almond butter
Coconut (coconut cream? Or whatever you have)
Water, ice
posted by jeweled accumulation at 2:56 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


Make an oatmeal shake: Blend some (dry) oatmeal in your blender until fine, then combine with frozen bananas, milk of your choice (could use soy or almond milk), cinnamon, and honey, if needed.
posted by carrienation at 8:47 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]


I have dubbed it the "Velvet Elvis":

1 frozen banana
1 heaping T peanut butter
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
about 1/2 c almond milk
3 T coconut oil

Have made this for breakfast many a time and dinner a few times as well...very satisfying. Perfect right before a run.
posted by mustachio at 8:01 AM on August 22, 2015


I keep bags of frozen mango, strawberries, and blueberries in the freezer.

My smoothie is :

A handful of baby spinach
A banana
A handful of whatever frozen fruit I feel like
3 tablespoons of oats
Cover with coconut water
Blend

It's delicious - needs no extra sweetening, fresh tasting and food for me!
posted by shazzam! at 9:53 AM on August 22, 2015


I make smoothies almost daily during the summer. Here are some of my favorite fruit combos:

Blueberries (handful) + 1/2 banana + strawberry (5-6)

strawberry (4-5) + mango (3 pieces) + pineapple (2-3 or so larger pieces)

Strawberry (5-6) + mango (2-4 pieces) + 1/2 banana

(These measurements are all very approximate. I mostly just eyeball it. I have a single serving blender, so it's pretty easy for me to judge amounts based on that.)

And then I usually throw in some plain greek yogurt (a couple spoonfuls), and then I use orange juice or skim milk for liquid, although soy/almond/coconut milk totally work too. I often add just a splash of orange juice for a bit of flavor, then use skim milk as the main liquid, but I try to use as little liquid as possible to maintain the thicker texture. Ideally, you should be able to eat these with a spoon or a straw. I usually add the liquid last so that I can see how much is needed just to cover up the fruit.

I often throw in some chia seeds since they're supposed to be very good for you, and they sort of get this gel like consistency when soaked in liquid. You won't really notice them in the smoothie. I also sometimes throw in a bit of avocado. Again, not really noticeable, especially if you've got something stronger/tarter in there like pineapple or orange juice.

I tend to use all frozen fruit, except for the bananas, which I keep in the fridge. You can also use frozen bananas (just make sure you peel and split them into a couple pieces before freezing), but I like the consistency that refrigerated bananas give to the smoothies.

I usually have the best luck getting my frozen fruit from trader joe's. In particular, the mangoes, strawberries, and pineapples. My favorite brand of frozen blueberries is Wyman's, which I just get at the regular supermarket, but I think they're a Maine brand so I don't know how easy they are to get outside of the New England area.
posted by litera scripta manet at 12:42 PM on August 23, 2015


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