A good smoothie is a quick and delicious way to pack fiber, nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins nto your diet. Whether you’re enjoying a smoothie at the beginning of your day, for a snack in the afternoon (or after school for the kids), or drinking it to replace a meal altogether, smoothies have become a health food staple. Thanks to high-powered blenders and high-quality frozen fruits you can easily find today, it’s never been easier to whip up a tasty smoothie—and the best part is that you don’t need a recipe! Follow these basic guidelines to build your smoothies with ease and confidence every time.
Why We Always Keep Frozen Fruit and Vegetables in Our Freezers—Plus, Our Favorite Ways to Use Them
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Choose Your Fruit
The most sacred tenet of smoothie making at home is to use frozen fruit. Whether you buy it frozen, or freeze fresh fruit, starting with frozen fruit will help you avoid the need for ice to chill your smoothie, which only leads to watered down flavor and a thin consistency.
When it comes to choosing what fruits to use, go with what grows together goes together: Think about fruits in categories and seasons, and those are typically the best pairings.
Berries: Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are classic smoothie staples for a reason. Easily accessible and packed with flavor, a few berries go a long way in a healthy breakfast.
Tropical fruit: Mangoes, pineapple, coconut, bananas, kiwi, and papaya are just a few of the many tropical fruits that make any smoothie taste like vacation.
Citrus: Oranges, grapefruits, and even lemons and limes add essential acidity that is as important for balancing smoothies as it is for balancing your cooking.
Stone fruit: Good peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries may be more seasonal than other fruit families, but they're definitely worth the wait.
Melons: Don't overlook melons when you're making a smoothie. Frozen chunks of cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon are not the most expected ingredients, but these inexpensive and abundant fruits add mellow, refreshing flavor to any combination.
Select Other Ingredients
Once you’ve chosen a fruit base, opportunities for creativity are endless. Add some or all of the following:
Healthy Fats: At least one source of healthy fat is important for any smoothie—not only does it provide richness and make it taste more delicious, but fat also helps keep you satiated. In smoothies, fat also adds flavor. For every cup of fruit, it's best to add at least a tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt, avocado, heavy cream, flaxseed, kefir, almond butter, peanut butter, tahini, or coconut oil.
Something Sweet: For natural sweetness, fruit at peak ripeness, and even fruit that is slightly overripe, works best. (Remember that smoothies are a great way to use up fruit that might be close to spoiling on your countertop; simply cut it up, store it in a zip-top bag, and stash in your freezer for when the time is right and you want a smoothie.)
When you don't have ripe fruit on hand, natural sweeteners (as opposed to processed sugars or chemical replacements) is the next best thing. Use agave, maple syrup, or honey to lend sweetness, while also adding a hint of their own distinctive flavor to your smoothie.
Something Green: Keep in mind that smoothies are a perfect opportunity to get your greens in—and if you’re making them for kids, a good way to sneak a handful in. Spinach and kale are vitamin-dense, and their flavor is masked by the flavor of fruit.
Acid: Like any other dish, smoothies need balance, a touch of acid helps counteract the sweetness and richness of the fruit and fat. Fortunately, acid can come in the form of another delicious fruity flavor—citrus! A simple squeeze of orange, lemon, or lime juice can go a long way; Don't add too much at the start, begin small and add more if necessary as you blend.
Liquid: Even the strongest blenders benefit from a bit of liquid to give them a head start—and less powerful ones definitely need liquid to help them blend. Milk of any variety works well, whether that be cow, plant-based, or nut milk. 100 percent fruit juice is another tasty option.Use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of liquid per cup of fruit.
Something Surprising: Look to your spice cabinet for unique flavors like nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla or almond extracts, sumac, cardamom, black pepper, turmeric, and more to use in your smoothies. Experiment, starting with no more than 1/8 teaspoon for one smoothie, less for pungent spices like turmeric. Small amounts of fresh aromatics like ginger and lemongrass also deepen the flavor of smoothies in an unexpected way.
The Right Way to Blend a Smoothie
No matter what fruit or liquid or blender you use when you make a smoothie, remember that the order you add ingredients to the blender is important:
- Add liquid first. (This helps the blender blades break through hard frozen fruit.)
- Citrus juice and spices next to ensure they are well blended in the liquid.
- Lumpy ingredients like nut butter or other non liquid fats.
- Frozen fruit
- Greens go on top.
Next-Level Tips
These two food stylist tips will upgrade the look and taste of your smoothie—and they are very easy:
Add salt: The natural flavors of food are brought out with salt, and fruit is no exception. Salt is a surprising omission in many smoothie recipes—adding a small pinch to the blender when you're making a smoothie will make an impact.
Freeze your glass: Even if only freeze it for a few minutes before blending, a frozen glass prevents the smoothie from melting upon contact as it does with a tepid or warm glass. It also gives the glass a delicious, inviting appearance.
