The main ingredients in a decent smoothie—strawberries, blueberries, peaches—are a little hard to come by (or cost a fortune) this time of year. And so far, we've yet to see a winning recipe made with apples. Of course, there's always frozen fruit, but we've got some other creative tips for making fresh, creamy smoothies in the bleak months ahead.
• Bananas, bananas, bananas. They're good (and cheap) any time of year, but in winter, they're essential. Here's the thing: FREEZE THEM. We think this is the key to making thick, creamy smoothies without having to add ice. Do you have a blender that won't chop ice very well? Frozen bananas are your friend. Peel them before you freeze them.
• Use all frozen fruit—not just berries. The frozen rule goes for all of your fruit. If you aren't using a banana, frozen mixed berries will also add thickness (we just really hate blending ice). If your blender has a hard time with big, chunky, frozen strawberries, let them thaw for a couple of minutes and chop them into smaller pieces. And use other fruits; frozen peaches are great, as are frozen tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.
• Add peanut butter or nuts. We like the idea of something heartier and less summer-in-a-glass when it's frigid outside. This Frozen Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Milkshake is more of a dessert, but you could omit the chocolate chips and call it breakfast. Or add some chopped almonds or walnuts.
• Use tofu. This is another good year-round tip, but in the winter, it's nice to have alternative ingredients when fruit runs low. Tofu adds a good protein and texture. Try this Low-Sugar, High-Protein, Dairy-Free Smoothie.
• Add ground-up oatmeal. Just another way to give a smoothie some heft and warmth (can we call it warmth?), especially if you're limited on fresh ingredients. Here's a post all about it. We're imagining a banana, oatmeal, yogurt smoothie with some honey or maybe flax seeds.
• Freeze some yogurt and add oranges. Citrus is plentiful right now, but it doesn't exactly give you a soft, creamy texture. Try freezing some vanilla yogurt (almost like adding ice cream!) and making a creamsicle-ish smoothie.
Related: Winter Smoothies: 5 Seasonal Add-Ins
(Image: Stay Young Smoothie, from MarthaStewart.com)
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I really like The Boy's Green Smoothie, which actually does use an apple and tastes pretty good--it also makes use of nuts, as you suggest.
Another nice tip to remember is that smoothies aren't just about fruit--as in the recipe I've linked to, many can benefit from winter greens, like a little chopped kale, spinach, or even a handful of frozen peas--nice and starchy, they get super creamy! The flavor they impart is often delicate enough that the fruit remains dominant, and it's a nice boost of vitamins.
Bad Mama Genny
My smoothie trick is to make a huge batch and put single-serving amounts into a quart-size Ziploc baggie. I freeze all of the baggies (usually about 20 or so, with all kinds of fruits and veggies) and put one into the fridge each night before I go to bed. By the time I get up in the morning, the smoothie has thawed perfectly, and I simply put it into a cup and drink it as I'm getting ready in the morning! Easiest breakfast ever.
i love adding raw cranberries to smoothies this time of year. pairing the cranberries with a very ripe banana balances the tartness and makes quite a refreshing (and healthy!) smoothie
i've never tried homemade smoothies, and was wondering what vegetables have a mild taste that would be masked with a fruit smoothie?
I've been trying different ways to get veggies into my picky eater (my son has autism and won't touch veggies at all)
I always use frozen berries in my smoothies even in summer. I don't like smoothies watered down with ice. My usual is a banana, a cup or so of frozen berries (they are cheap at Trader Joe's), and some yogurt. Maybe a bit of fruit juice if I have any on hand, but I usually don't.
i actually want to make smoothies for my son, 1 years old, I think he would LOVE them. He loves yogurt, bananas and milk...what else do you need?
i also use only frozen fruit, even in summer. my sweetener of choice: frozen orange juice concentrate. it adds great flavor without too much sweetness and goes so well with peaches and strawberries.
@erinpearce -- lettuce, spinach, carrots, zucchini, pumpkin puree, cucumber, sprouts (not all together!) are all veggies I've used successfully.
Citrus is my favorite thing to add to green smoothies.
My go-to is frozen chopped bananas, frozen mango chunks, frozen blueberries, and vanilla soymilk. I let it all thaw for 15 minutes or so in the blender before blending. Sometimes I throw in ground flax. I keep meaning to add some kale, I'll have to try that soon.
Ooh! littlebluehen, that reminds me: pumpkin pie smoothies!
Use pumpkin puree (frozen in ice-cube trays), the typical pumpkin pie spices, add a little tofu for protein and added creaminess, flax seeds for Omega-3s.
@erinpearce I'd also suggest yams/sweet potatoes -- it's easy enough to make a puree (just nuke or bake the yams, let cool and mash with some water -- if you want it smoother use a blender or food processor). Then, just freeze it in ice cube form and add a cube or two to smoothies. I use just this process to make baby food for my son and it's great for masking the flavors of other stronger-tasting veggies.
I loved adding a big handful of baby spinach to my smoothies, too, when I went on my green smoothie kick a couple of summers ago. It doesn't affect the flavor at all, really, but it makes your smoothie a bright green (great for boys, I imagine).
Lastly, for apples, why not make applesauce (Alton Brown's 10-minute recipe is easy and flexible) and add that to a smoothie with a frozen banana, some OJ and a dollop of yogurt? Easy, seasonal and customizable.
In place of chocolate one could use cocoa nibs or cocoa powder for an even healthier chocolate option!
The first thing I'll suggest to anyone is to invest in something like a VitaMix Blender. That thing will make a smoothie out of a sleeve of golf balls. I use the bejeebers out of that sucker. It's expensive but many times you can get them on QVC using their "easy pay" plan. It really helps you to incorporate greens into your drinks as it makes them COMPLETELY smooth and you get all the fiber compared to juicing. I make one every day with spinach, parsley, mint, coconut oil, a slice of lemon (peel and all--you want all of the fiber in this stuff), frozen pineapple, and frozen papaya. If I added vodka it would taste like a tropical drink because you don't taste the spinach at all. Good website and book from greensmoothiegirl.com. Lots of good drink recipes especially for those who avoid dairy which most smoothie recipes are chock full of.
If you add milk to your smoothie, there's no need to use ground oatmeal. You can just leave rolled oats soaking in the milk you're going to use for about 15-20 minutes while you prep your other ingredients.
Also, avocados add a very silky and smooth texture to smoothies!
@erinpearce: Anything mild in taste works incredibly well-- especially when using berries, which will mask the colour change.
Spinach, kale, cucumber, sprouts, swiss chard, zucchini, carrot, celery, beet, squash, sweet potato and avocado all work well.
I found this to be extremely helpful in smoothing making: http://c600847.r47.cf2.rackcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/smoothie-flowchart.png
I'll be blogging with my smoothie recipes tomorrow! Stay tuned! the-tasty-truth.com
when i got a magic bullet blender for christmas a few years ago, i laughed and assumed it would stay in the box in the closet. then i used it for a smoothie and i haven't stopped using it since! my favorite of the moment - banana, ice, PB2 (defatted peanut flour), dark cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder, and low fat vanilla soymilk/almond milk. like dessert!
Apples in smoothies are really wonderful if you cook them first. I just peel and microwave them for about 10 minutes. Wonderfully creamy and delicious!
Since I love savory stuff in the morning, I'm all about vegetables in my smoothies. I'm loving the Green Monster Smoothie lately from Oh She Glows (check out greenmonstermovement.com for the recipe). My other favorite is a few kale leaves, cup of water, pineapple with lemon juice-so refreshing!
I've recently been doing a lot of smoothies as part of a cleanse and have liked the following: Almond or Coconut milk, its creamy without the dairy—i prefer unsweetend but the vanilla/chocoloate varieties do add extra thickness on top. Also, try Almond Butter (instead of peanut butter) the texture blends a little easier. I also add a tablespoon of clean greens/powdered greens to add veggies without changing taste. Try cherries and chocolate almond milk!
I love experimenting with smoothies and prefer them a bit savory. I use mostly yogurt for the liquid and use watercress, kale or mixed greens. Apple and strawberry make a nice combo. Don't forget the salt, which brings out the favors.
I forgot, meditteraine brand coconut flavored yogurt to go with the strawberry and apple.
I don't like melon, but I do add it to smoothies. That way I still get its benefits and I like the texture it helps give. I also like greek yogurt better than regular, plain, vanilla or honey. Creamier and more nutritious.
OT, but @erinpearce: You can also steam cauliflower and break it into little bits to mix into your son's mac and cheese. He will NEVER KNOW :)
Frozen Rhubarb. Huge amounts of calcium, tastes like a fruit counts as a vegetable.Comes in bags already chopped up.
I've been making a lot of smoothies lately with almond milk (or rice milk or cow's milk), spinach, flax meal, ground oatmeal, bananas (frozen and fresh), and blueberries. I have also added avocado, peanut butter, frozen mango, frozen mixed berries, and/or orange juice. All delicious. My best tip is to put the liquid in the blender and add the spinach, flax, and oatmeal. Blend that all up to chop the spinach up well, and then add the fruit and blend again. For 2 adults, I use 2 cups of liquid, a couple handfuls of spinach, 3T each of flax and oatmeal, 1-2 bananas, and then 1/2-1 cup total of the other fruits.
I use a mixture of Lemon yogurt and vanilla for a better taste..