8 Go-To Smoothie Recipes That Come Out Perfect Every Time! (2024)

These 8 simple smoothie recipes will get you excited to drink your fruits and veggies again, plus I’m dishing up my best tips and tricks for making great smoothies, every time.

8 Simple Smoothie Recipes

Today, I’m writing all about my favorite 8 healthy smoothie recipes to get you excited to drink your fruits (and veggies) again. Smoothies are a great affordable snack the whole family will enjoy. There’s no right or wrong way to make one, either, which is the best part!

Here’s why you’ll love these smoothie recipes:

• They are ultra simple recipes (just 4-6 ingredients per smoothie) so you’ll have everything you need to start BUT you can add what you like to make them your own!
• You won’t need to go to the health food store to make these, as they have no specialty ingredients.
• The recipes only make a small amount, so you can try them all and see what your favorites are without making too much.

The Smoothies you’ll find here:

• Strawberry Banana
• Tropical
• Very Berry
• Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Cherry Pomegranate Detox
• Green Goddess
• Very Green

More healthy recipes:

• 8 Easy Homemade Granola Bar Recipes
• 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
• 9 Date Bites Recipes (homemade Lara Bar balls)
• 10 Healthy Make-Ahead Snacks

More info on each easy smoothie recipe:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie: This is a pretty, light pink, sweet, and creamy cold drink that’s perfect all year long. It’s forever one of my classic favorites, and I make sure to stock up on strawberries when they’re in season so I can freeze them for year-round enjoyment. My kids ask for this one all the time, so you can say it’s a household requirement around here!

Simple Tropical Smoothie: This has a sweet flavor and reminds you of summer, no matter what month it is. My sunshiny Henry loves this one — it’s summer in a glass. The color is a lovely cream-orange, and it’s always a hit at our house. Costco sells frozen mango and pineapple cubed and ready to go for a great price.

Very Berry Simply Smoothie: This is made with mixed frozen berries that you can get in the freezer section, including blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I mean, who doesn’t love berries?! It almost tastes like ice cream, and it hits the spot any time of day. I make it on movie nights and call it a “milkshake.” Meanwhile, my kids have no idea it doesn’t actually include ice cream!

Peanut Butter Simple Smoothie: This one is a whole big glass of peanut buttery goodness that tastes like dessert but is packed with protein. I can’t get over it. It’s probably one of my very favorites because I love, love, love peanut butter.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Simple Smoothie: If you thought the last one felt like dessert, this one’s a whole new level. It’s a treat, minus the guilt, and I love this smoothie because chocolate plus peanut butter is a match made in heaven, if you ask me.

Cherry Pomegranate Detox Simple Smoothie: This one has sour cherries and pomegranates, which are both really cool, nutritious ingredients with all kinds of wholesome antioxidants (and, not to mention, flavor!). Both ingredients help to fight inflammation, and sour cherries are a natural sleep aid. I love having this smoothie after a long weekend of indulgence — it’s sweet but also nutritious, and helps me get my healthy eating back on track.

Green Goddess Simple Smoothie: This is one of the best and simplest green smoothies out there, with undetectable veggie flavors, plus grapes and kiwis for a punch of green fruits. It’s a beautiful color, it’s sweet and creamy, and I promise you won’t taste a lick of the spinach. You’ll love this for a healthful kick.

Extra Green Simple Smoothie: This one is full of assorted greens and fruits to fill you with vitamins and nutrients, and I make it nearly every day with assorted “mix-ins” that I’ll mention in the questions below. It’s still sweet, but it packs a whole lot of nutrition. I like to get a mixed greens bag at the store that includes baby kale and baby Swiss chard. They’re delish and pretty mild in flavor. This smoothie makes a great breakfast!

Tips and Tricks for making smoothies:

1. There is No Right or Wrong Way to make a smoothie.

These are “recipes” in a very loose sense of the world. They’ll give you a great place to start, but don’t feel like you need to stick with them to make a delicious tasting smoothie. I do very little measuring when I make my daily smoothie and often will just throw in what I have on hand. If you are working with frozen fruit, you probably won’t need ice. But if you are using fresh fruit, throw in some ice. A super cold smoothie is best if you ask me. If the smoothie is too thick or not blending well, add more milk.

2. AGood Blender is Worth It.

I got a Blendtec just over 2 years ago, and I can never go back to a “normal” blender again. Mine tells me how many times I’ve used it and I’m a few smoothies away from 800 blends! That’s amazing, and it also shows how much I have used it. A good blender will whip you up a thick delicious smoothie with no chunks in about 45 seconds. If you are going to go “green” on any of your smoothies, a good blender is the key to getting all those healthy leafy greens to blend and have a great texture. I love my high power blender and highly recommend one.

3. Use Your “Milk” of Choice.

I have used and loved all kinds of milk for smoothies, including normal cows’ milk, raw cows’ milk, and lots of plant- and nut-based milk like rice, almond, coconut, and cashew. When buying nut milk, make sure the carton is marked unsweetened. You don’t really need the added sugar when you are using fruit in your smoothie. I love cashew milk – it’s super creamy and delicious. I most often use almond milk in the carton or a coconut-almond blend in the carton. Use what you can find in your area.

4. Sweeten to Taste.

I don’t add any sweeteners besides fruit to my smoothies, but sometimes my kids want them to be sweeter. I feel like the health benefits of the smoothie allow me to add a little sweetener for the kids without much regret. Sometimes the berries are super sweet and I don’t need anything, and other times the berries are tart and we like a little something sweet added. It varies from smoothie to smoothie. You can add honey, real maple syrup, more fruit, some fruit juice, sweetened milk, or sweetened yogurt to your smoothies for added sweetener. Pineapple juice is very sweet and a favorite at our house. I’ll buy some pineapple juice and pop it into my ice cube trays and then store those in a baggie in the freezer. If the smoothie needs a little sweetness, I’ll throw in a few pineapple juice ice cubes and blend again. Sweeten to your liking and enjoy.

5. Stock the Freezer.

When fruit is in season or on sale, it’s a great time to stock your freezer to make smoothies very affordable. I have sliced peaches and sour cherries from my own yard squirreled away in my freezer from this summer. I put all of my extra dark bananas in the freezer (here’s how I bulk freeze bananas), and I even freeze spinach and other greens in little bags if they are going to spoil before I eat them fresh. I get most of my berries at Costco for a great price. Having a freezer stocked and ready makes smoothie making quick and simple. You can also prep your smoothie ahead of time by making frozen smoothie packs. These are a huge time saver in the morning!

6. How to make your smoothie vegan:

There are great vegan yogurts available (I hear the coconut yogurts are the best. You can also use a nut or rice milk, and sweeten with anything but honey. A few simple subs will make your smoothies vegan without much thought.

7. How to make a smoothie without bananas:

Bananas are the backbone of my simple smoothie recipes. They add so much creaminess, and natural sweetness while being inexpensive. That being said, I know not everyone likes/eats bananas. If you aren’t into bananas, you can add some Greek yogurt + sweetener + ice OR a half of an avocado + sweetener + ice. Those two combos will replace a banana nicely in a smoothie and still give you a nice rich and smooth texture.

8. Add “Extras” to Your Liking.

There are so many amazing things that you can add to a smoothie to increase it’s nutritional bang for your sip, though you don’t have to add anything at all. I keep all kinds of “superfoods” around and throw in what sounds good. I’ll normally add 2 or 3 “extras” to my smoothie each morning. Different things that I like to add include: hemp seed hearts, flax seeds, chia seeds, spirulina, organic brown rice protein powder, pea protein, and/or cacao nibs. Other people also add things like goji berries, matcha powder, and bee pollen, but I haven’t dabbled in those yet.

What if I don’t have the right ingredients to make one of these smoothies?

There is NO right or wrong way to make a smoothie! These recipes are just starter ideas for you to work off of… But don’t feel like you need to stick with them to make a delicious smoothie. I never measure for smoothies and often throw in what I have on hand. My main tip, however, is if you’re using fresh fruit, be sure to throw in a little ice to add that frozen element.

What blender should I use for a smoothie?

I truly believe a good blender is worth it. I got a Blendtec a few years ago, and I’ll never go back to a normal blender again. A good blender will whip you up a thick and delicious smoothie with no chunks in about 45 seconds.

And, if you’re adding leafy greens, a good blender will make sure they’re blended up nicely and have a great texture! Mine gives me a count for how many times I’ve used it, and it’s well past the 800 mark. So, it’s definitely worth the investment, in my opinion, especially if you have a family full of smoothie lovers!

What milk should I use in smoothies?

This is totally up to you! I have used and loved all kinds of milk for smoothies, including normal cows’ milk, raw cows’ milk, and lots of nut and plant milks, like rice, almond, coconut, and cashew. Just make sure to buy unsweetened nut milk! I love cashew milk — it’s super creamy and delicious.

Do you add sweeteners to smoothies?

I don’t add any sweeteners besides fruit to my own smoothies, but sometimes my kids want them to be sweeter. I feel like the health benefits of smoothies allow me to add a little sweetener for the kids, so depending on the smoothie, I might add honey, maple syrup, more fruit, fruit juice, sweetened milk, or sweetened yogurt. Sweeten to your liking, but conservative is always best! You can always add more after tasting.

What extra mix-ins can you add to smoothies?

There are so many things you can add to smoothies to increase its nutritional benefit, like hemp seed hearts, flax seeds, chia seeds, spirulina, organic brown rice protein powder, pea protein, or cacao nibs. I’ve also seen people use goji berries, matcha powder, and bee pollen! I’ll often keep a variety on hand and add 2 or 3 mix-ins to my morning smoothie!

What if I don’t like bananas?

Bananas are the backbone of my simple smoothie recipes — to me, they add so much creaminess and natural sweetness for an affordable price. But, if they’re not your thing, you can add some Greek yogurt with a sweetener and ice, OR do half an avocado with a sweetener and ice. Those two combos will replace a banana nicely in a smoothie and still give you a rich, creamy texture.

Make any of these8 Simple Smoothie Recipestoday for you or your family and enjoy the balance of vegetables and fruits in these creamy, refreshing drinks!

Now you are a smoothie making expert and I hope that you have found some great smoothie inspiration to get you comfortable with making smoothies at home.

This is just a starting point though, feel free to play around with these base recipes and come up with your own favorite smoothie recipes to meet your needs and preferences!