Berry Smoothie: Recipes, Tips, and Nutrition

A berry smoothie is a delicious and easy way to sneak more nutrients into your day. It can make a quick breakfast, midday pick-me-up, or post-workout refreshment.

There’s no right or wrong way to throw together a berry smoothie. Most berries are high in antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are popular choices, but if you have access to other berries, such as blackberries, açaí berries, or currents, those are excellent options too.

Keep reading as we dive into why berry smoothies can make a healthy part of your diet. Learn how to make a berry smoothie and explore recipes and tips to make your next smoothie extra tasty and refreshing.

Making a smoothie is as easy as blending together all your ingredients. For more detailed instructions, follow these steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Berry or Berries

Before you start blending, you’ll need to choose which type of berry or mix of berries to use. Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are popular choices. Other common choices include:

• Blackberries

• Goji berries

• Cranberries

• Açaí berries

• Elderberries

• Mulberries

Each of these contains fiber and various vitamins for a boost of nutrition.

Step 2: Add Other Fruit

You can add one or more other fruits to your smoothie for additional flavor. Some options include:

• Apple

• Fresh or frozen banana

• Mango

• Pineapple

• Peaches

• Pears

• Kiwi

• Cherries

• Papaya

• Pomegranate

Keep in mind other fruits can change the color of a berry smoothie from purplish red to lighter pink or orange. Adding anything green might result in a brown hue (but it’ll still taste delicious).

Step 3: Choose a Liquid

Try starting with one cup of a liquid or a mix of liquids of your choice. You can use:

• Dairy milk

• Coconut milk

• Oat milk

• Almond milk or another non-dairy milk

• Water

Apple juice or other fruit juices can work, but bear in mind they add extra sugar and calories and not much nutritional value.

Step 4: Add Seeds (If You Like)

Seeds can add texture and nutrients to your smoothie. They might not be for everyone, but there are many options to consider:

• Chia seeds

• Flaxseeds

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Hemp seeds

• Sesame seeds

Chia seeds, in particular, can help thicken a smoothie, as they expand in liquid. This is a crucial component of our overnight oats recipe.

Step 5: Consider Adding Extra Ingredients

Extra add-ins you can put in your smoothie for taste or nutrition:

• Honey

• Protein powder

• Greens, such as spinach or kale

• Nut butter, like peanut butter or almond butter

• Yogurt or Greek yogurt

• Herbs such as basil

• Matcha

• Ice cubes

Ice can help thicken your smoothie and give it a slushy consistency without any additional calories or sugar.

Step 6: Blend

Once you have all your ingredients together, toss them in your blender and hit the power button.

Depending on your ingredients and the strength of your blender, you may find that all your ingredients blend smoothly. Or you might have to pause, use a spoon to readjust some of the larger pieces, then blend again to get it smooth.

Step 7: Check the Consistency and Taste

If your smoothie is too thick, you can add more liquid and blend again. If it’s too runny, add more fruit, a few ice cubes, or another thickening ingredient like protein powder.

You can also add more sweetener or fruit if you feel your smoothie needs it.

Part of the fun of making smoothies is getting to try new combinations of flavors. Need inspiration? Here are some all-star combos:

• Strawberries and banana

• Mixed berries, banana, pineapple, and vanilla protein powder

• Blueberries and spinach

• Strawberries, blueberries, passion fruit, and guava

• Raspberries, bananas, mango, passion fruit

• Raspberries and mango

• Blackberries and peaches

• Matcha, blueberries, and vanilla yogurt

• Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and vanilla yogurt

• Strawberries, banana, passion fruit, guava

• Mixed berries and vanilla

• Strawberries and pineapple

• Blueberries and kale

• Açaí berries and banana

• Cranberries and orange

• Goji berries and kiwi

• Strawberries, pineapples, lemons, and pomegranate

Feel free to try out your own combinations too.

Here are a few berry smoothie recipes you can try at home. You can always modify them to your taste.

Mixed Berry Smoothie Recipe

Total time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 10–12 ounces unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder

• 1 cup mixed frozen organic berries

• 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

Yummy High Protein Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

Total time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 medium banana

• 1 cup milk of your choice

• 3/4 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)

• 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

• Handful of ice (if using fresh berries)

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

Blackberry Green Smoothie Recipe

Total time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries

• 1 medium banana

• 1 cup milk or plant-based milk alternative

• Handful of spinach (or kale)

• 1/4 cup pineapple

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

Let’s go over a few other things to consider when making a berry smoothie.

Frozen vs. Fresh Fruit

If you’re having trouble blending certain ingredients, such as frozen peach halves, try dethawing them (at least partially) before blending. You can also try blending them first with your liquid before adding other ingredients.

Ice

Some people put ice cubes in their smoothies to make them more refreshing and thicker. This might not be necessary if you use pre-frozen berries. It may also be difficult to blend ice cubes if you have a small blender.

Protein

Consider adding protein powder, like whey powder, pea protein, or collagen, to boost your protein intake. Many protein powders are flavored, so take that into account when mixing them in.

Flavors such as vanilla or strawberry may mix well with fruit. Some protein powders taste better than others, so you might want to start with a conservative amount and taste your smoothie before adding more. 

Yogurt can add protein and creaminess to a smoothie. Greek yogurt and skyr (Icelandic yogurt) are two varieties that tend to have high protein content.

Nut butters, like peanut butter or almond butter, can also add protein and healthy fats.

Calories and Sugar Content

If your goal is to lose weight, or if you simply want to minimize your calorie intake, you can substitute certain ingredients for lower-calorie alternatives.

For example, if you’re using Greek yogurt, you can look for a fat-free or low-fat version. If using an alternative milk such as almond milk, look for unsweetened almond milk. Using water instead of milk or juice can keep the calories of a smoothie lower.

Beyond that, you can reduce your overall portion size by adding fewer total ingredients.

Learn more about foods that may help encourage weight loss.

Clean-Up

It may be tempting to toss your blender in the sink and let it sit for a few hours. But consider washing it right away — or at least filling it with water to make it easier to clean before the smoothie residue dries.

When it comes to optimal health, there’s no specific miracle food you absolutely need to include in your diet. In general, most food and health organizations — such as the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) — recommend eating a varied diet filled with plenty of:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Whole grains

• Dairy or fortified alternatives

• Lean proteins

Smoothies can be a great choice to include in your diet for a variety of reasons:

• Smoothies are a fast and easy source of nutrition if you have access to a blender.

• They’re versatile and leave plenty of room for creativity.

• Smoothies can be made with a variety of nutritious foods like berries, greens, or seeds.

• They require little prep time and total time to whip up.

Potential nutritional benefits of berry smoothies:

• Some berries, such as strawberries, are high in vitamin C.

• Most berries are a good source of fiber. A high-fiber diet has been linked to a reduced risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer.

• Some fruits and vegetables commonly added to smoothies (like mangoes and especially carrots) are high in nutrients such as vitamin A.

• Most berries contain high amounts of antioxidants, which have many benefits for the body.

• Some antioxidants in berries, such as blueberries, may help control cholesterol levels.

• Milk and fortified milk alternatives are high in calcium to support bones and the nervous system.

• Some berries and other fruits you may add to your smoothie, like bananas, are high in potassium, an electrolyte.

A berry smoothie can make a delicious and nutritious snack or meal any time of day. You can experiment with different combinations of fruits and berries to see what you like best.

Here are the key takeaways about making berry smoothies:

• Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are common choices, but plenty of other berries also make great options.

• Most berries are high in nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants.

• To reduce the total calories and carbs, you can stick to higher-fiber and low-sugar fruits and berries.

• Some popular combinations of fruits and berries include strawberry-banana, raspberry-mango, and blackberry-peach.

• Consider adding greens, seeds, yogurt, or protein to your smoothie for extra nutrition and bulk.

Check out our green superfood smoothie recipe for more inspiration.