5 Delicious, Healthy and Easy to Make Dairy-Free Smoothie Recipes

Smoothies are a wonderful way to sneak nutrients into a diet, and you can make endless variations. My trick is, don’t use ice, but use frozen fruit. In one fell swoop, you get the fruit and the ice and so much more flavor. Plus, frozen fruit often tastes better than fresh because they are picked at their ripest and sweetest, and they require no cleaning or rinsing. Bananas got too ripe? Just stick them in the freezer, the riper the better, and when you need them, run them under warm water—the peels will come right off. Make a large smoothie batch and save the rest for later in the blender. If the mixture separates, give the blender a few turns again. 

Berry Smoothies

Makes 5 cups

1 cup cranberry or pomegranate juice
1 cup silken tofu, soy or other non-dairy milk (rice, grain, oat, almond)
2 cups frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, alone or in any combination)
2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or cranberry or pomegranate concentrate (health food stores), only if you like it sweeter
Mix all ingredients in the blender a full minute at high speed until smooth and frothy.

Green Smoothies

Try your best to stick some of the fruit in the freezer for an hour before blending. No need to have all of these fruit on hand; even a combination of two in larger amounts will be delicious.

Makes 5 cups

1 cup green grapes
1 large pear or green apple, unpeeled, cut in chunks
3 ripe kiwis, peeled
1 cup chunks honeydew melon
1 cup white grape juice or natural apple cider
A few leaves fresh mint, if you have them on hand
Mix all ingredients in the blender a full minute at high speed until smooth and frothy.

Chocolate Almond Date Smoothie

Consider this a whole meal. Nutritious and fabulous! This is the only smoothie I use ice with, to chill the heated mixture.

Makes 5 cups

1/2 cup whole almonds
1 cup pitted dates, packed
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1 cup silken tofu, soy or any other non-dairy milk (rice, grain, oat, almond)
A dozen ice cubes
Place the almonds, dates, cocoa, and water in the blender. Cover and let the mixture rest, unblended, 5 to
10 minutes. Add the tofu or milk and ice and blend a full minute at high speed until thick and frothy.

Tropical Smoothies

If you decide to get a little naughtier with this smoothie, add 1/2 cup dark rum. You know how the saying goes: If you can’t go to the tropics…

Makes about 6 cups

2 cups canned unsweetened pineapple chunks, juice and all
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups cubed mango, papaya, or peaches: try your best for frozen
1 banana: try your best for frozen
Mix all ingredients in the blender a full minute at high speed until smooth and frothy.

Beet Smoothies

Here is your chance to eat your beets! Who knew they were so delicious? I did; we grew up eating them every day. In America, they are sometimes treated like a poor stepchild of the vegetable family. I think it is time to adopt them wholeheartedly. They are so good for you.

Makes 1 serving

1 small can beets, juice and all
1 cup tofu or unflavored soy yogurt
Mix all ingredients in the blender a full minute at high speed until smooth and frothy.

This post was written by Levana Kirshenbaum for blog.gaiam.com.