Vegan Smoothie Recipes

Vegan Smoothie Recipes

Now that you know how to make great plant-based smoothies, let me share with you some of my most popular, tried, and true vegan smoothie recipes. All of these are naturally gluten-free smoothies. Whether you like berry smoothies, chocolate smoothies, or green smoothies, I've got you covered!

Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Thick, creamy, sweet and delicious Strawberry Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie made in minutes with just 4 ingredients. With healthy PBJ vibes, it's such a great way to start your day!

make this recipe

How To Make A Smoothie

Don't overthink your plant-based smoothies.  Some of my best have been the result of improvising with what I've had on hand and throwing in what needs to be used up.

First, you need to gather your ingredients. A combination of the following is a good place to start when making a healthy breakfast smoothie:

• A liquid base - You can use any plant milk such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk, or you can use water, coconut water, canned coconut milk, fruit juice, or even cold coffee or matcha. My preference is almost always plant milk .. whatever one I happen to have in the fridge. I personally don't like using water or coconut water because they make smoothies too ... you guessed it ... watery, and I don't usually use fruit juice because usually my smoothies are already loaded up with fruit.
• Frozen fruit - Whether you use one variety or a mixture, frozen fruit will chill your smoothie and make it thick and creamy. You can use store-bought frozen fruit, or chop and freeze fresh fruit. Frozen banana is almost always my go-to frozen fruit because it makes smoothies extra creamy in a way that other fruits don't. I always buy double the bananas I need so that I have plenty of overripe ones to freeze for my smoothies. If you aren't a banana fan though, don't worry, it's perfectly possible to make a great smoothie without them. Check out my banana-free smoothie-making tips!
• Fresh fruit - I like to use a combination of fresh and frozen fruit. Frozen to thicken and chill, and fresh for its great flavor. As far as smoothies are concerned any fresh fruit will work.
• Healthy fats - This can come in the form of nut or seed butter (like peanut butter, tahini, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter), coconut, avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp hearts or hemp seeds, nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
• Greens - Fresh leafy greens such as spinach or kale are great in smoothies. Unless you really like green-tasting smoothies be careful with how much green stuff you add. Start with a small amount and work your way up until you get to the level of greenness you enjoy. Personally, I don't like my smoothies to taste too green.
• Other vegetables - To pack in extra nutrients and fiber and lower sugar content try adding frozen zucchini and cauliflower, sweet potato (raw or cooked), fresh or frozen carrots, beets, pumpkin, or squash.
• Sweetener - I like to either add a Medjool date or a tiny drop of maple syrup. Of course, whether any sweetener is necessary depends on the other contents of your smoothie. Some fruits are sweeter than others. If you aren't sure whether it is needed or not it's wise to blend your smoothie without any, give it a quick taste then add some after if necessary, then give it a short blend to combine.
• Extra optional add-ins - Just about anything goes! I've included a list of add-in ideas below.

A good rule of thumb for a medium-thick vegan smoothie is to go for 2 cups of frozen ingredients and 1 cup of liquid. You can also add up to 1 cup of fresh fruit too. Everyone has their own smoothie thickness preference though so adjust accordingly to suit you. Also, bear in mind that any add-ins you include will thicken the smoothie so you will need to adjust the liquid to compensate for them.

How To Make A Smoothie Without Banana

If you want to make a delicious vegan smoothie without bananas check out my:

• Lemon Cheesecake Smoothie
• Cranberry Smoothie
• Kale Apple Smoothie

Or try subbing these ingredients for bananas in other vegan smoothie recipes:

• Vegan yogurt and ice- About half a cup of yogurt and a handful of ice. If the yogurt is unsweetened you might need to add a date or some maple syrup to make up for the sweetness a banana would have.
• Raw zucchini - It adds an amazing creamy texture when blended into smoothies and has a really mild flavor. You can add it fresh or frozen although you'll get the best thickening and creamy effect if it's frozen.
• Frozen cauliflower - Your first thought might be "Ewwww" but cauliflower is really mild and when frozen it adds amazing creaminess when blended into your smoothie. Its flavor is easily overpowered and hidden by your other smoothie additions.
• Frozen avocado - It is super-creamy when blended up and makes a great banana sub. You can buy it ready-chopped and frozen these days or cut ripe avocados into chunks and freeze them yourself. It's a great way to use up overripe avocados.
• Cooked sweet potato - It adds substance to smoothies and makes them really smooth and velvety. When replacing banana it's best used frozen for ultra-creaminess. Try freezing it in ice cube trays so you can pop some out when you need it.
• Frozen mango - Pretty easily available in bags at the grocery store, it thickens really well and gives a nice creamy texture. It also has a really gentle flavor so won't overpower whatever else you've got going on.
• Cooked or canned pumpkin/squash - You can use butternut, acorn, kabocha squash, pumpkin, or any other squash. Like cooked sweet potato, it adds substance and makes your smoothie creamy and velvety but is best used frozen when replacing banana and for the best ultra-creamy, thickness.
• Cooked carrots - They have a hint of sweetness that makes them a great option for smoothies. They work particularly well with orange or spiced, fall-type flavors. Think carrot cake! Try steaming them and then freezing them ready for when you need them.
• Cooked beetroot - Beets have a really sweet taste and a smooth creamy texture when blended that work perfectly in smoothies and they make your smoothie look extra pretty too!
• Chickpeas - Sounds weird I know but if you've tried my amazing Lemon Cheesecake Smoothie you'll know how well they work in it. You can add them straight from the can or freeze them first. They thicken, add creaminess and provide a massive protein boost!
• Canned fruits - Like pineapple, peaches, or pears.

When using these ingredients in place of banana be sure to choose the one that works best with the other flavors in the smoothie and use an equivalent to a banana amount. With most, you will get the best results if they are frozen. That way you are really replicating the effect a frozen banana has in a smoothie.

Smoothie Bowls

Smoothies in a glass are great but smoothie bowls are even more fun because you can top them with all of your favourite things! To turn a smoothie recipe into a smoothie bowl, simply reduce the liquid to make it extra thick. A good rule of thumb is to start with about half, blend, see how you go, and a little more as necessary to get things blending smoothly but staying nice and thick so that your toppings stay on the top and don't sink.

Smoothie Bowl Toppings

If you do make a smoothie bowl you might be wondering what you can top it with. Here are some of my favourites:

• Vegan granola
• Vegan yogurt
• A dollop of nut or seed butter
• Shredded coconut or coconut flakes
• Date caramel
• Roasted strawberries
• Sliced fresh fruit
• Fresh or frozen berries like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
• Chia pudding
• Broken-up cereal bars or protein balls
• Nuts & seeds
• Frozen berry compote
• Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, dates, or sour cherries
• Cacao nibs
• Chocolate chips or chunks

Vegan Smoothie FAQs

If you've been looking to up your vegan smoothie recipe game then I hope this guide to plant-based smoothies has been helpful. Happy blending!