Say hello to my 10 most popular dairy-free smoothies! They're all packed with good-for-you ingredients and made in less than 5 minutes. I've also included some tips for how to build your own tasty smoothies from scratch with no dairy.
Looking for easy, healthy dairy-free smoothie recipes that actually taste amazing? These are my 10 most popular smoothie recipes. Every one is made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients and is ready in under 5 minutes. They make a quick, filling breakfast, a post-workout boost or a snack you can take with you, and they're a delicious way to get more fruit and veggies into your day.
There's something here for everyone. You'll find high-protein smoothies that keep you full for hours, a green smoothie that even greens-haters love, and smoothies that taste like dessert, such as Healthy Chocolate, Lemon Cheesecake and Carrot Cake. If you don't like bananas, there are banana-free smoothies too. For autumn, there are seasonal ones like Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potato and Persimmon. All of them are 100% vegan, dairy-free and simple enough for busy mornings.
Mel x
Here are my 10 best dairy-free smoothie recipes starting with the most popular:
How To Build A Dairy-Free Smoothie From Scratch
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 dairy-free 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. I almost always use soy milk because of the protein boost it gives.
- Frozen fruit - Whether you use one type or a mixture frozen fruit will chill your smoothie and make it thick and creamy. Don't use too much though or you'll struggle to blend it. You can use store-bought frozen fruit, or chop and freeze fresh fruit. Frozen banana is a very popular smoothie addition because it makes them extra creamy and smooth in a way that other fruits don't.
- Fresh fruit - I like to use a combination of fresh and frozen fruit. Frozen to thicken and chill, and fresh for its great flavour.
- 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, nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Great for your hair and skin and they will keep you feeling full longer.
- Greens - Green smoothies are delicious! Fresh leafy greens such as spinach or kale are great to use, but unless you really like deep 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.
- Other vegetables - To pack in extra nutrients and fibre and lower the 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 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, 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.
Add the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. If your blender struggles a bit simply add a splash more liquid to get things blending easily. Everyone has their own smoothie thickness preference, so adjust the amount of frozen ingredients and liquid to suit your tastes. A general rule of thumb, though, is one part frozen fruit to one part dairy-free milk. This does change slightly depending on what else you're adding, like oats, dairy-free yogurt, or extra fresh fruit, but it's a good place to start.
Smoothie Add-Ins
If you are looking to add extra nutrition, healthy fats, or flavour to your dairy-free smoothies, try including one or more of these add-ins:
- Nut or seed butter like almond butter, peanut butter, or tahini
- Dairy-free yogurt
- Oats or cooked quinoa
- Seeds like chia, flax, and hemp
- Frozen cauliflower
- Fresh or frozen avocado
- Cacao, cocoa powder, or matcha
- Extracts like vanilla or almond
- Protein powder (make sure it's dairy-free/vegan)
- Raw nuts like walnuts or pecans
- Acai
- Spices like turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and allspice
- Superfood powders such as spirulina, chlorella, moringa, camu camu, and adaptogens.
- A squeeze of lime juice tends to brighten most smoothies
Shonda Knowlton says
I love smoothies. I also love trying new ones. These sound and look yummy!