Blend it yourself: fresh and fabulous vegan smoothies

Mixed berry yoghurt smoothie (The Simple Veganista)

There’s something wonderfully empowering about making your own smoothies. You throw a handful of fruit into a blender, add a splash of your favourite plant-based milk, give it a whizz and you have a creamy, delicious and nutritious drink.

Vegan smoothies that you make yourself are not only cheaper and tastier than storebought ones (that tend to only be the same two or three flavours) but you can pack in more nutrition – whizz in a bit of spinach (check medication before eating lots of leafy greens), add some nuts or seeds for protein, and use up leftover fruit, to stop it going to waste.

Ideal for a quick breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up or a refreshing post-workout drink, homemade smoothies pack a nutritional punch, without having to follow a complicated recipe.

Once you understand the ‘building blocks’ of making a smoothie, you can mix and match ingredients from whatever you have in the kitchen. From seasonal berry smoothies to using up that mango you found on sale in the store, for a homemade tropical treat!

Why make your own smoothies?

Mostly because they are sold in plastic bottles and work out terribly expensive. Comedian Andy Parsons once joked that the main brand (now owned by Coca-Cola) had the cheek to call themselves ‘innocent’. And suggested saving yourself a few pounds, by putting a banana in your mouth and ‘shaking your head around’ to make your own fruit smoothie!

Homemade smoothies are a brilliant way to use up fruit that’s a bit too ripe, slightly tired-looking berries or bananas with brown spots (sweeter!)

Do you need an expensive blender?

No. You don’t need a £200 Vitamix blender to make a smoothie. But do invest in a quality one with a glass jug, the cheap plastic ones will have the motor burn out, if you make them regularly.

It’s now UK law that any shop selling electrical goods has to take old ones back for recycling (even if you don’t buy anything). So it’s the ideal time to take that rusty fat fryer or sandwich maker you never use back to the store, and use the cupboard space to invest in a nice little smoothie maker!

Russell Hobbs make a good £50 blender with a glass jug and easy-to-recycle lid. This should last years, and saves money long-term as you can use cheap fruit bargains, rather than buy expensive smoothies in stores. All parts are dishwasher-safe and you can also use it to make sauce and soups (be careful blending hot liquids, ensure the lid is on!)

A few blender tips

• Add your liquid first, followed by softer ingredients and then frozen fruit. This helps the blades move more easily.
• Avoid filling the blender become recommended capacity.
• If your smoothie gets stuck, stop the blender and give the mixture a stir. Don’t force it while the blender is running.
• Always ensure the lid is firmly secured. You don’t want a ‘smoothie on the ceiling’ as this requires a lot of clean-up and a ladder!

The basic homemade smoothie formula 

Vanilla date smoothie (The Simple Veganista)

It’s important to learn how to make a smoothie properly. If not, you’ll end up with watery smoothies (too much frozen produce) or ones that don’t really taste of much. Here’s the simple formula that you can learn and then adjust:

Start with fruit 

Fruit provides flavour, natural sweetness and colour. Bananas are good for a creamy texture while berries add sharpness. Tropical fruit (or peaches for more local food miles) add a tropical taste:

Try using:

• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Peaches
• Pears
• Apples
• Cherries

Frozen fruit is also good to make smoothies thicker and colder without needing to add lots of ice. Pack’d offers organic fruits in paper packs (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, cherries, peaches, banana and tropical fruit).

Add a creamy ingredient 

Dairy-free yoghurt is the easiest choice, or use a ripe banana or nut butter (no palm oil). Adding in some oats (full of fibre) also gives a thick creamy texture.

Choose your liquid 

Oat drink is the best choice. Start with a small amount and add more if needed. It’s easier to thin out a thick smothie than ‘rescue one’ that has become too watery.

Add your extras

A bit of leftover spinach gives extra nutrition and you won’t taste it. Or add some stoned medjool dates for sweetness, or even a little grated fresh ginger.

Blend until smooth

If the mix is too thick, add another splash of plant-based mylk. Smoothies are best fresh, so only make what you need.

A few fresh vegan smoothie recipes

Banana split protein smoothie (The Simple Veganista)

Here are a few simple recipes to start you off:

The classic berry blast

Blend 1 cup of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) with a banana and 1 cup of oat drink and 1 tablespoon of dairy-free yoghurt.

Tropical sunshine smoothie 

This is naturally sweet and can be made with coconut milk for tropical taste.

Blend 1 cup each of frozen pineapple and mango (or peach for local food miles) with a banana and 3/4 cup of coconut milk. Squeeze in a little optional lime juice for extra zing.

Green smoothie

Check medication before consuming lots of leafy greens 

Very healthy, and using sweet tropical fruits are good to disguise the stronger flavour. If done well, this should taste like a fruit smoothie, not like drinking a bowl of salad!

Blend a handful of spinach with a banan and 1/2 cup of pineapple, 1 cup of oat drink and 1 tablespoon of nut butter. Add a small piece of fresh ginger if wished.

Peach melba smoothie

This combination of peach and raspberry is a lovely summer refresher.

Blend 1 ripe peach with 1/2 cup of raspberries and a banana. And 1 cup of oat drink.

Apple pie smoothie

A nice autumn smoothie:

Blend 1 sweet cored and chopped organic apple with a 1 banana and 1 cup of oat drink. Along with 1 tablespoon of nut butter, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a couple of pitted medjool dates. You can sprinkle cinnamon on top if wished.

Thicker smoothie breakfast bowls

Chocolate nut butter smoothie bowl (The Simple Veganista)

By slightly adjusting the recipe, you can turn a fruit smoothie into filling breakfast bowl. This is simply from adding less liquid and more ingredients like dairy-free yoghurt or oats.

You then serve it in a bowl, rather than a glass. Top with berries, a sliced banana and spoonful of nut butter.