How to Make a Thick Smoothie

5 ways of how to make a thick smoothie at home! Using frozen fruit, spinach, Greek yogurt and a blender you can make tasty thick smoothies.

How to Make a Thick Smoothie Bowl

Whether you pour this into a bowl and add other ingredients to the top like acai bowls, or serve in a cup, these tips and tricks will work.

1. Use frozen fruits instead of fresh to thicken your smoothie without using ice. They blend easily and create a creamy, thick texture. You can freeze fresh fruit like we did with our green smoothie with pineapple, berries, mangoes, or sliced frozen bananas first to use for this specifically.
   • best way to do this is spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, not touching
   • freezer for 1-2 hours until hard
   • remove and add into a freezer bag, then take out a few at a time
2. Add a thickening agent like avocado, chia seeds, oats, or Greek yogurt. All of these can help to give your smoothie a creamy texture. These ingredients add thickness, creaminess, and a lot of nutritional value.
3. Use less liquid to help to make it thicker. You can use less water, milk, or juice when blending your together with others. If you want to use less liquid, you can also substitute with ice cubes or frozen fruits.
4. Blend longer to help to break down the dairy and frozen ingredients to create a smoother and creamier texture.

Blending at a high speed for a shorter duration is a better idea to keep it chunkier too. If you are making into a bowl with a spoon to eat it add other items on top too. Best smoothie bowl toppings would be peanut butter or other nut butters like almond butter are great choices for healthy fats, viscosity and a nutty taste.

How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender

Use a food processor instead if that is all you have at home. It may take a little longer and the texture may not be quite as smooth but it will work to break down fruit chunks.

A hand held immersion blender works too. This is a small kitchen tool that can be used to blend ingredients directly in the cup or container itself. Just stick it in with all the smoothie ingredients and press the button. Lift up and down to incorporate everything and break down the larger chunks.

If you have soft fruits like bananas or berries, you can mash them with a fork or potato masher instead. Then stir in other ingredients like yogurt or milk and whisk together using old fashioned elbow grease. This will create a chunky smoothie with a more rustic texture.

Shake it up with a shaker bottle or a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add your smoothie ingredients and shake vigorously until broken down and combined. This method works best for liquid based fruit juice blends with milk or juice vs. ice cream or ice.

Strawberry Spinach Smoothie Recipe

First off if you are new to making something like this, add fruit! Start out with some fresh or frozen fruit into the mix, citrus is a great choice to tone down the other flavors. Straight greens is shocking unless you are really used to the taste.

• 1 c milk or dairy free alternative, less for thicker
• 3/4 c Greek yogurt
• 1.5 c fruit should be frozen to make it thicker, we used raspberries
• 1/2 c frozen spinach, chopped

Frozen Spinach Smoothie Recipe

If you want to use ONLY frozen spinach it is in fact packed with vitamins and nutrients and delicious if you use the right sweetness. You just add everything into a blender for 30-60 seconds until as smooth as you would like.

• 1 cup frozen spinach
• A whole slightly ripe banana, frozen previously and sliced
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and almond milk
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make a Smoothie Thick with Milk

Before you jump to recipe I have a few other suggestions as to which milks are best and why. Of course if you need a lactose free option there are many choices out there nowadays. You can find yogurt that are dairy free as well so everyone can enjoy a glass or a bowl together.

• Place all of the ingredients into the blender in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Typically, liquids go into the blender first but check the manufacturer’s instructions to be sure.
• Blend on high until as smooth as you’d like it to be.
  • For thicker decrease milk/liquids and slowly incorporate back in to get it just right.
  • Or add more Greek yogurt
  • More ice can be added for texture too
  • Chia seeds or avocado slices can thicken it as well

Note: Ripe fruits produce a sweeter smoothie. Some store bought frozen fruits can be tart. If a sweeter smoothie is desired, add honey or agave.

Best Milk for a Smoothie

Great options are vanilla almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk for added sweetness and to break down frozen berries. You can use them as the liquid base instead of water to add flavor and creaminess.

How to Add Protein to a Smoothie

We did two of these already with our recipe below. Adding dairy products like milk and a protein rich store bought Greek or homemade yogurt are great ways to do just that. Some varieties are higher in protein like Fairlife and thicker yoghurts tend to have more than low fat as well so keep that in mind.

1. Nut butters like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter are high in protein and add healthy fats into your drink. You can add a spoonful of it to add flavor and protein.
2. There are many different types of protein powders available including whey, soy, pea and hemp. You can add a Tablespoon or two without changing the flavor too much.
3. Silken tofu is a great plant based vegan option that can also add a creamy texture and help achieve a super thick smoothie.
   • Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup for an easy protein boost.
   • This variety is preferred over the others because it is soft and won’t leave chunks.
4. As for choosing which type of milk and milk alternative you want, some are higher in fat, lower in protein or the other way around. Read the labels and decide which is best for your family.

How to Save a Leftover Smoothie

You know how I just hate to waste food. If we make a pitcher full but then have some left there are several ways to save and/or use later. The easiest way to save a leftover smoothie is to store it in the refrigerator. Pour into an airtight container, seal it well, and keep cool for 1-2 days. Then add ice, blend again the next day and enjoy again.

If you don’t plan on drinking the rest within a few days, you can freeze it for longer storage. Pour what’s left into an airtight container or ice cube trays and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready let defrost for an hour, blend or stir and enjoy. Or use them in ice form plopped into some fresh fruit juice.

If you have a small amount, you can use it in other recipes like a liquid for making fruity pancake batter, muffin batter, make frozen yogurt popsicles or an oatmeal topping for breakfast. You can also use it as a base for a smoothie bowl or as a sauce for fruit or granola.

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