Strawberry Smoothie

Prep: 5 mins

Cook: 0 mins

Total: 5 mins

Servings: 2 servings

Yield: 2 smoothies

The secret to making a really good smoothie is balance—you want it to be thick but no so thick that you can’t sip it through a straw, and sweet but not so sweet that it’s cloying. The perfect strawberry smoothie is incredibly easy to make—just add all the ingredients to a blender and give them a whirl.

For a refreshing fruity snack or on-the-go breakfast that even picky eaters will love, make this strawberry smoothie. It’s nutritious, with vitamins and nutrients from the fruit as well as protein from yogurt, but it’s also sweet enough to serve as a frosty dessert.

The Key Ingredients for the Best Strawberry Smoothie

Strawberries: A strawberry smoothie can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. Our recipe calls for frozen berries, since they make for a nice thick smoothie. If you’re using fresh berries, add a few ice cubes to thicken it up. If you’re using frozen strawberries, you can use either whole or pre-sliced berries. Pre-sliced are easier to blend, but most blenders can handle whole berries—just make sure to blend long enough to achieve a smooth consistency.

Liquid: Using fruit juice as the liquid in your smoothie gives it an extra fruity flavor. Our recipe calls for a combination of orange juice and cranberry-raspberry juice, but you can use any fruit juice you like or another liquid. Some excellent choices include kefir, milk, almond milk, coconut milk, vegetable juice, coconut water, cold coffee, and even iced tea.

Yogurt: Yogurt gives the smoothie a nice creaminess and makes it more of a meal. You can use any fat percentage you prefer and any flavor—plain, vanilla, and strawberry are all great choices. If you use a thick yogurt, such as Greek yogurt, you might need to add a bit more liquid. You can also use nondairy yogurts, such as coconut or almond, if you prefer.

Optional Add-Ins: While a simple strawberry smoothie is great, you can boost the flavor and nutrition in your strawberry smoothie by adding one or more of these ingredients:

Whey protein
Ground flax seeds
Chia seeds
Wheat germ
Tender leafy greens like baby spinach and kale
Avocado
Nut butter
Silken tofu

The Best Blender for Making Smoothies

If it’s in your budget and you make a lot of smoothies, you might want to consider a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, which will make for a very smooth smoothie, even if you are adding whole pieces of frozen fruit. Try using a food processor if you’re not sure if your blender is up to the task, or use all fresh fruit in your smoothie and add some ice at the very end of the blending process.

«This was a delicious smoothie—cold, refreshing, and healthy. The recipe makes about 2 1/2 cups, which should be enough for 2 servings (or a generous adult serving). I used whole milk yogurt, but low-fat would work as well.» —Diana Rattray

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened frozen strawberries
1/2 cup cranberry-raspberry juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
2 large fresh strawberries, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Place strawberries in bottom of a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add cranberry-raspberry juice and orange juice and top with vanilla yogurt.
Cover and immediately blend until smooth, scraping down sides if needed.
Pour into glasses and garnish each with a strawberry. Serve immediately.

Recipe Variations

Swap half of the strawberries for frozen raspberries or frozen sweet cherries.
Replace some of the strawberries with a frozen ripe banana for classic strawberry-banana flavor and added natural sweetness.
If you don’t have cranberry-raspberry juice, replace it with more orange juice or milk for a creamier drink.
Use plain yogurt for a less sweet smoothie. Or swap the vanilla yogurt for strawberry yogurt.
Swap the yogurt for frozen yogurt for a more milkshake-like drink.
If you can find them, tamarillos are really good in this smoothie.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	159
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	1%
Saturated Fat 0g	2%
Cholesterol 3mg	1%
Sodium 45mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 36g	13%
Dietary Fiber 4g	16%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 122mg	608%
Calcium 144mg	11%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 533mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.