Smoothies are my favorite breakfast at any time of the year, but I especially love them in the warmer months. I’m not a morning person, so I’m usually not in the mood to make a complicated breakfast. During the summer, I definitely don’t want to turn on the stove (or even the toaster) to heat something up!

Plus, as a picky eater, it can be hard for me to get all the nutrients I need to, you know, keep living! Smoothies make it easy to pack a lot of nutrition into a yummy package. I can even hide some veggies in them if the recipe is sweet enough to mask the taste!

Need some ideas for new and delicious smoothie recipes? Check out some of my favorites! I divided it up into Smoothies and Smoothie Bowl recipes (with some sub-categories under “smoothies”) to make it easier for you to find exactly what you’re craving.

FYI, this post includes affiliate links where I shared some recommended tools and ingredients. If you buy anything through these links, I’ll get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks a bunch!

Best Smoothie Makers

If you don’t already have a good blender, here are a few great options for just about any budget:

Traditional Smoothies to Try This Summer

Since there are practically an infinite number of ways to make a smoothie, I’m breaking this section down a bit more to make your life a little easier. 😀

My Top 20 Favorite Smoothie Recipes

Let’s start with a quick list of my favorites from other bloggers (and one or two from my own recipe archives)

1. Blueberry Peach Smoothie  from One Lovely Life
2. Chamomile Raspberry Smoothie from Live, Love, Texas
3. Avocado Smoothie from The Little Kitchen
4. Chocolate Cherry Smoothie from Texanerin
5. Dairy Free Hawaiian Tropical Smoothie Recipe from 5 Minutes for Mom
6. Mango Green Smoothie from Homemade Interest
7. Avocado Matcha Smoothie from Pink Fortitude
8. Turmeric Mango Smoothie from Side Walk Shoes
9. Mixed Berry Protein Smoothie Recipe from ME!
10. Protein-packed low-carb chocolate peanut butter smoothie from Half Scratched
11. Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie from Flavor the Moment
12. Dark Chocolate Banana-Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
13. Limy Minty Charm Smoothie from Creative Green Living
14. Sunrise Smoothie with mango, pineapple, and strawberry from It Bakes Me Happy
15. Mega Berry Smoothie Recipe made with frozen fruit!
16. Banana Berry Spinach Smoothie (great for sneaking in veggies!) from Pint Sized Treasures
17. Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie from Frugal Foodie Mama
18. Hemp Chocolate Smoothie from Homemade & Yummy
19. Double Berry Tea Smoothie from Frugal Foodie Mama
20. Wine Smoothies from Creative Healthy Family (obviously this is an “adults only” one)

10 Amazing Tropical Smoothies

From the spicy kick of a pineapple jalapeno smoothie to the delicate floral notes of a lychee rose smoothie, these recipes are perfect if you’re dreaming of a tropical beach vacation but can’t actually head to the tropics anytime soon.

Each recipe includes ingredient measurements, so you can easily recreate them at home. That said, you don’t have to follow the measurements perfectly. The great thing about smoothies is that you can mess with the ingredients all you want and still get something edible out of it. 😀

1. Mango Lassi Smoothie: 1 cup mango, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp cardamom, 2 tsp honey, and 1 cup milk.
2. Pineapple Turmeric Smoothie: 1 cup pineapple, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp ginger, 2 tsp honey, and 1 cup coconut milk.
3. Dragonfruit Coconut Smoothie: 1 cup dragonfruit, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1/2 banana, and 1 tbsp lime juice.
4. Papaya Lime Smoothie: 1 cup papaya, 2 tsp lime juice, 2 tsp honey, 5-6 mint leaves, and 1 cup coconut milk.
5. Guava Colada Smoothie: 1 cup guava, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup pineapple, and 1 tbsp lime juice.
6. Passionfruit Green Tea Smoothie: 1 passionfruit, 1/2 cup green tea, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 cup spinach, and 1 cup almond milk.
7. Coconut Mango Matcha Smoothie: 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 cup mango, 1 tsp matcha powder, 2 tsp honey, and 1 scoop vanilla protein powder.
8. Lychee Rose Smoothie: 1 cup lychee, 1 tsp rosewater, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tsp honey, and 1 cup almond milk.
9. Pineapple Jalapeno Smoothie: 1 cup pineapple, 1/2 jalapeno pepper, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp lime juice, and 1/2 cup coconut water.
10. Watermelon Basil Smoothie: 1 cup watermelon, 5-6 basil leaves, 2 tsp lime juice, 2 tsp honey, and 1 cup coconut milk.

10 Brilliant Berry Smoothies to Try

Berries are the stars of the show in these smoothies!

1. Blueberry Lemon Smoothie: 1 cup blueberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 cup almond milk.
2. Raspberry Mint Smoothie: 1 cup raspberries, 5-6 mint leaves, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 banana, and 1 cup coconut water.
3. Blackberry Sage Smoothie: 1 cup blackberries, 1 tbsp sage leaves, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 cup almond milk.
4. Strawberry Basil Smoothie: 1 cup strawberries, 5-6 basil leaves, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 banana, and 1 cup coconut water.
5. Mixed Berry Chia Smoothie: 1 cup mixed berries, 1/2 banana, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp chia seeds, and 1 cup almond milk.
6. Cranberry Orange Smoothie: 1 cup cranberries, 1/2 cup orange juice, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 cup almond milk.
7. Cherry Almond Smoothie: 1 cup cherries, 1/4 cup almonds, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 banana, and 1 cup almond milk.
8. Goji Berry Green Smoothie: 1/2 cup goji berries, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/2 banana, 2 tsp honey, and 1 cup coconut water.
9. Acai Berry Bowl Smoothie: 1 pack acai berry, 1/2 banana, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp almond butter, and 1/2 cup coconut water.
10. Grapefruit Berry Smoothie: 1 cup mixed berries, 1/2 grapefruit, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 cup almond milk.

Smoothie Bowl Recipes

I am kind of fascinated by smoothie bowls. They’re insanely pretty, aren’t they? Check out my favorite recipes, then read on for tips on how to make your own unique smoothie bowl!

1. Cranberry Smoothie Bowl from Simply Blended Smoothies
2. Love Crunch Smoothie Bowl from 5 Minutes for Mom
3. Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie Bowl from Noshtastic
4. Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowl from Flavor the Moments
5. Easy Pear Smoothie Bowl from Fearless Dining
6. Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Bowl from Suburbia Unwrapped
7. Mango Cherry Smoothie Bowl from Eating Richly
8. Pineapple Acai Smoothie Bowl from Trial and Eater
9. Sunny Days Smoothie Bowl from Creative Green Living
10. Smarter Snacking Strawberry Smoothie Bowl from Turning Back the Clock

How to  Build Your Smoothie Bowl

A smoothie bowl gives you all the healthiest smoothie ingredients you are used to in a thicker smoothie with delicious toppings. It not only changes the way you eat smoothies, but is great for replacing other breakfast items like cereal or oatmeal, but providing just as many nutrients. Here is an easy formula to follow when building the perfect smoothie bowl.

Start With Your Fruit or Veggies

Like all smoothies, you want to start by choosing your fruits and veggies. For the fruit, try to choose frozen fruit, since it helps to thicken up the smoothie and keeps it from turning to a thin liquid too quickly. You want your smoothie bowl to be nice and thick so it is easy to eat with a spoon. You can also add some veggies like kale to your bowl for an added nutritional punch.

Add in a Thickening Ingredient

Next up is the thickening ingredient! Many people choose to make this their main source of protein in the smoothie base, such as yogurt, protein powder, or even tofu if you like it. Nut butter is also an excellent choice, such as peanut butter or almond butter.

Choose Your Liquids

All smoothies need at least a little liquid since it helps the blender to break up the fruit and other ingredients. Just be sure to add less liquid than you normally would for a smoothie. If you are watching the sugar and calorie content of the smoothie base, using water works just fine. You can also use coconut water or coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, or any type of dairy liquid. You may also want to use some fruit juice for added flavor, but be careful not to add too much. If you end up adding a little too much liquid, just add in more fruit and thickening ingredient.

Top it Off!

You can top your smoothie bowl with pretty much anything you want. Here are some of the more popular ideas.

1. Granola

Granola is an excellent topping to include on the top of your smoothie bowl, but don’t forget about adding it to the bottom of the bowl or the middle if you like to use a layering method. Just go easy on it, as granola can be high in calories.

2. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are very nutritious and a wonderful addition to any smoothie bowl. They are considered as a superfood, so you know they’re good for you! These also may contain a lot of calories, which is why only a sprinkle is used as a topping. Chia seeds have manganese, phosphorous, fiber, protein, selenium, copper, calcium, iron, and magnesium. They also add a beautiful effect when topping a smoothie bowl.

3. Shredded Coconut

Shredded coconut is another popular topping for smoothie bowls. It is a low-calorie option with just 100 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates in 3 tablespoons, though you can easily use less than this.
Shredded coconut can add a sweet flavor to an otherwise tangy smoothie bowl, along with brightening up the appearance of the top. It also gives the bowl a nice tropical flavor, which is perfect for the summertime.

4. Goji Berries

Goji berries bring a bright red and orange color to your smoothie bowl, along with a delicious sweet taste that is hard to mimic with other fruits. The goji berry comes from China, and is often found at health food stores and Asian food markets in the U.S. and other countries. It is excellent for helping with age-related eye conditions, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Go ahead and grab a bag of these berries and sprinkle some on top of your favorite smoothie bowl.

5. Raw Cacao Chips

Cacao chips and nibs are small pieces of chocolate in their pure form. This chocolate is raw and organic without any additives chemicals, or unnecessary sugary added. They taste a little more bitter than your traditional chocolate chips, but they don’t have the added dairy and other ingredients that might not settle well with your tummy. As a flavor additive, they are ideal for dessert-based smoothie bowls.

What do you love to put in your smoothies and smoothie bowl recipes? 

Last update on 2024-10-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API