There is nothing quite like starting a new day with a nutrition-packed smoothie.
For me, smoothies are a wonderful chance to get creative in the kitchen and to blend together an array of healthy ingredients, some of which I might not normally eat.
Although I typically stick to my tried-and-true smoothie recipes, most of which use either spinach or kale, I don’t shy away from experimenting with other healthy ingredients. When I do venture outside of my basic smoothie formula, the following are some of my go-to ingredients for making a “more adventurous” morning smoothie.
The 15 Best Smoothie recipes
1. Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This invigorating concoction of strawberries, bananas, yogurt, and milk is what I call a smoothie. It is not as thick or creamy as some smoothies that I have had, but it is as close to nature as a smoothie can be.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, hulled
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
A handful of ice cubes
Instructions
1. Put the strawberries, banana, yogurt, and milk in a blender.
2. If you want to add a little extra sweetness and flavor, go ahead and put in some honey or maple syrup and a dash of vanilla.
3. For a slushier drink, you can add a few ice cubes. Because the drink itself is pretty cold, the ice cubes will help bring it to an even colder temperature and thicker consistency.
4. Blend on high until there are no remaining lumps and the mixture is smooth, creamy, and homogenous.Â
5. Sample the smoothie and, if necessary, make it sweeter or thicker by adding more honey, maple syrup, or milk.
2. Mango Pineapple Smoothie
There’s nothing better than kickstarting the day with a breakfast smoothie. My most recent obsession has been the mango and pineapple smoothie.
It’s not just a smoothie; it’s the “tropicoolest” way to start the day.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
1 banana
1 cup coconut milk (or almond milk for a lighter option)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey (optional, for added sweetness)
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Put the chunks of mango, pineapple, and banana into a blender.
2. Combine the coconut milk and Greek yogurt in the blender.
3. If you like your smoothie to be on the sweet side, go ahead and add the honey.
4. Place the ice cubes in the blender.
5. Combine all the components at high speed until smooth and creamy.
3. Green Spinach Smoothie
My absolute favorite smoothie combines fresh, leafy spinach, a perfectly ripe banana, and unsweetened almond milk. Blended into this smoothie, Greek yogurt and chia seeds pumping with nutrition and health benefits make this a sort of creamy, custardy, energizing breakfast.
Only once or twice have I added honey or maple syrup to this—it really doesn’t need it to be delicious. But if you fancy more sweetness this is the way to go. Beyond its flavor, this smoothie is a fantastic way to start your day.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 ripe banana
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional, to taste)
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Wash the spinach leaves well under cold water to cleanse them of any dirt or impurities.
2. Blend together the spinach, banana, almond milk, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds.
3. You can add honey or maple syrup if you want it sweeter.
4. To maintain a smoothie’s temperature and to ensure it is refreshing when consumed, add ice to the blender.
5. Combine all the elements until they reach a smooth and creamy state.Â
6. For the best texture and taste, pour the smoothie into glasses and serve without delay.
4. Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
I enjoy mixing fresh or frozen blueberries with a perfectly ripe avocado to create a smoothie that is not just creamy but also incredibly nutritious. I include almond milk and fresh spinach in the recipe to take the health factor up a notch, and I often sweeten the deal with a little local honey.
A splash of vanilla extract works wonders too.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
1 cup spinach (optional, for added nutrition)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional, for sweetness)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional, for added texture and nutrition)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ice cubes, as needed for thickness
Instructions
1. Put the blueberries, avocado, almond milk, and spinach (if using) into a blender.
2. Put the honey or maple syrup, chia seeds, and vanilla extract into the blender.
3. Mix the ingredients at top speed until they are smooth and creamy.
4. Ensure consistency and blend in one ice cube at a time until it achieves the thickness you want.
5. If necessary, taste and add extra honey or maple syrup to achieve your desired level of sweetness.
5. Tropical Coconut Smoothie
This smoothie offers such a delightful and rejuvenating medley of flavors that it could convince anyone to become a smoothie lover. It has coconut milk, pineapple, banana, and mango chunks, each bringing its own unmistakably tropical taste.
Shredded coconut is the main texture component, and its flavor is pure coconut. For more or less sweetness, you can add honey, maple syrup, or even coconut sugar to this already pretty perfect smoothie.
Ingredients
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup mango chunks (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Combine the coconut milk, pineapple, banana, and mango in a blender.
2. For an additional touch of tropical flavor, add the shredded coconut.
3. For a smoothie with more sweetness, incorporate honey or maple syrup. Adjust to your desired taste level.
4. Put the ice cubes in the blender.
5. Mix all the components until they reach a smooth and creamy consistency.
6. Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
I find the uncomplicated deliciousness of a peanut butter banana smoothie to be very enjoyable. All you need is a ripe banana, some peanut butter, and milk—or an alternative—to achieve the smooth, creamy consistency of the drink.
To bring out the flavor, I use a touch of honey and a few drops of vanilla extract, which effectively combine to make a simple but delightful smoothie.Â
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup milk (or milk alternative)
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Take a perfectly ripe banana, and slice it.Â
2. Mix together in a blender the following ingredients: banana slices, peanut butter, milk, honey, and vanilla extract.
3. Place the ice cubes in the blender.
4. Mix at high speed until the consistency is that of a smooth, creamy blend, and all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
5. Sample the smoothie and, if needed, make it sweeter or more consistent by incorporating additional honey or milk.
7. Mixed Berry Smoothie
My day begins with a lively mixture of frozen mixed berries, banana, and yogurt. This serves as both a refreshing and filling breakfast; I wouldn’t call it a smoothie unless it were partially the texture of a drinkable yogurt.
The optional chia seeds and honey enhance the flavor and nutritional profile without making the “smoothie” any less portable.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of frozen mixed berries (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
- 1/2 cup of milk or almond milk
- 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of chia seeds or flaxseeds (optional)
- A few ice cubes (optional, for a thicker texture)
Instructions
1. Put the mixed berries, straight from the freezer, into a blender.
2. Remove the peel from the banana and place it in the blender.
3. Blend the yogurt and milk together in the blender.
4. If you wish, you can make it sweeter by adding honey or maple syrup, and for a boost in nutrition, sprinkle in some seeds.
5. If you desire a thicker smoothie, add ice cubes and blend until smooth.
8. Kale Kiwi Smoothie
I enjoy a very refreshing drink that is nutritious, made by blending kale, kiwis, and bananas with Greek yogurt and almond milk. For a hint of sweetness, I sometimes add optional honey.
But more often than not, I let the natural flavors and sweetness of the ingredients shine through. Oh, and I almost forgot to add that chia seeds can be added for an even bigger nutritional boost, but really they are optional, too.
Ingredients
1 cup kale leaves, washed and chopped
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 medium banana, peeled
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon honey (optional, for sweetness)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional, for added nutrition)
1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Add the kale, kiwis, and banana to a blender.
2. Blend the Greek yogurt and almond milk together.
3. For added sweetness and nutrition, feel free to incorporate honey and chia seeds.
4. Place the ice cubes in the blender.
5. Mix at top speed until the mixture reaches a smooth and creamy consistency.
9. Chocolate Almond Smoothie
I relish a blend of almond milk, banana, and cocoa powder that, in my opinion, makes the most delightful smoothie. Almond butter adds richness to it, and vanilla adds the barest hint of something sweet.
You could add a little honey or maple syrup if you wanted.
It’s a powerhouse of deliciousness that keeps me full for hours.
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 banana
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. In a blender, mix together the almond milk, banana, almond butter, cocoa powder, honey (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract.
2. Mix at top speed until the consistency is smooth and creamy throughout.
3. Incorporate the ice cubes and mix once more until the ice is wholly broken down and blended within the drink.
4. If required, add more honey or maple syrup to achieve the desired level of sweetness.
10. Pina Colada Smoothie
I adore dreaming up an icy, invigorating mix of tropical flavors with frozen pineapple and coconut milk. Use Greek yogurt for smooth creaminess, and make it taste like a tropical paradise with a bit of pineapple juice.
Top that with a handful of shredded coconut, and you’ve got a quick breakfast that feels like a mini vacation.
Ingredients
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 tablespoon shredded coconut (for garnish)
Instructions
1. In a blender, combine frozen pineapple chunks, coconut milk, Greek yogurt, pineapple juice, and crushed ice.
2. Mix at top speed until the combination achieves smoothness and creaminess.
3. Sample the smoothie and, if you prefer it sweeter, add some honey and blend once more.
4. Before serving, you may want to top it with shredded coconut.
11. Orange Ginger Smoothie
My day begins with the invigorating flavor of citrus and spice in the Orange Ginger Smoothie. The zesty foundation of the smoothie, which entails an almost obscene amount of fresh juice from California navel oranges, is complemented by the smooth texture of banana and the not-too-spicy touch of ginger.
Greek yogurt gives the smoothie its protein boost, and my friend honey makes a brief, but delicious, cameo at the end.
Ingredients
1 large orange, peeled and segmented
1 banana
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1.In the blender, pour the Greek yogurt and the orange juice.
2. Drizzle the honey over the other components.
3. To achieve an ice-cold, chilled texture, add your ice cubes to your blender.
4. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix at high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
12. Raspberry Peach Smoothie
I adore beginning my morning with a revitalizing smoothie. I combine frozen raspberries, peach slices, and banana in a blender, along with almond milk and Greek yogurt.
That gives it a creamy texture. Then I add a bit of honey and some vanilla extract, and let the blender do its work.
The result is a peachy-keen, berry-licious way to start the day.
Ingredients
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup frozen peach slices
1 banana
1 cup almond milk (or your preferred milk)
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
1. In your blender, combine the frozen raspberries, sliced peaches, and banana.
2. Incorporate the honey and vanilla extract for flavor and sweetness, and almond milk and greek yogurt.
3. Mix at high speed until it becomes smooth and creamy.
4. If necessary, adjust the sweetness to your liking, and then serve without delay.
13. Mocha Coffee Smoothie
The way I like to launch the day is with a mocha coffee smoothie. This invigorating blend of chilled coffee, banana, and cocoa powder is an outstanding three-way postpartum performance of an energizing morning beverage.
Not that I’m complaining—this mocha smoothie goes above and beyond what any smoothie should accomplish. It’s creamy, courtesy of Greek yogurt and milk; it’s perfectly sweetened with honey; and its flavor is nothing short of delightful.
Ingredients
1 cup brewed coffee, chilled
1 banana, sliced
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ice cubes
Whipped cream (optional, for garnish)
Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
1. Prepare a cup of coffee and let it cool in the fridge.
2. Chilled coffee, sliced bananas, and all the other ingredients blend together to theatrical perfection.Â
3. Place a cup of ice cubes into the blender.
4. Combine the ingredients and then blend the mixture until it is smooth and creamy.
5. Transfer the smoothie to a glass, and if you want a treat, crown it with whipped cream and a light dusting of chocolate shavings or cocoa powder.
6. Enjoy the invigorating mocha coffee smoothie as soon as it is made.
14. Apple Cinnamon Smoothie
The flavors of the classic combo of apple and cinnamon, so comfortable and warming, turn this smoothie into a truly nourishing meal or snack. Smoothies made with Greek yogurt typically have a certain creaminess that you can taste and feel.
The same can be said for this smoothie, but it also has a certain refreshing quality, almost as if it’s not quite a smoothie but more of a drinkable version of a dessert.
Ingredients
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. Put the diced apple, Greek yogurt, almond milk, honey, and cinnamon into a blender.
2. Place the ice cubes atop the other ingredients in the blender.
3. Mix at the highest setting until the combination is smooth and creamy.
4. Sample the smoothie, then add more honey if you want a sweeter flavor.
5. If you like, you can enhance the presentation with a dusting of cinnamon or an apple slice along the rim of the glass.
15. Honeydew Melon Smoothie
A honeydew melon smoothie is the ideal way to kick off my day. It is not only delicious and sweet but also loaded with nutrients that give me the energy I need to take on whatever the day has in store.
All that’s really required for the basic smoothie is honeydew melon, yogurt, and coconut water. The coconut water is a good base for the calorie-restricted diet I am on.
Enjoy the energizing smoothie!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups honeydew melon, cubed
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup coconut water or regular water
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
1. put the honeydew melon cubes into a blender.
2. Place in the blender the plain yogurt, coconut water (or plain water), honey, and lime juice.
3. The last step is to add the ice cubes.
4. Mix at a high speed until you achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
5. If you wish, you can make it sweeter by adding more honey. If you do, give it a quick blend to incorporate.
