Cherry Berry Smoothie – This yummy red smoothie is PACKED with color and flavor. You’d never know we’re hiding greens in there! (Paleo or Vegan)
The days are still hot (it’s been 90 degrees at 4-5 am!), so we’re still riding the smoothie train!
We love all kinds of smoothies at our house. It’s the ONE way I can count on my kids getting some veggies without any complaints, so I try to make the most of it. I’m still working on increasing the amount of greens I add to our smoothies (I’d love to basically double what I’m currently doing), and one of the easiest ways I’ve found to do that is starting with smoothies on the sweet side.
This Cherry Berry Smoothie is a perfect example. It’s got a naturally sweet flavor from all that cherry-berry goodness, and the vibrant red color can mask plenty of greens and still taste great. Plus, it’s crazy refreshing on a warm (or blazing hot!) day.
So whether you serve this as a morning kickstarter or an afternoon pick-me-up, here’s all you’ll need to make this beautiful red smoothie…
HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY CHERRY BERRY SMOOTHIE RECIPE:
FROZEN CHERRIES. Frozen cherries are the base of my cherry berry smoothie recipe. I love their bright color and flavor. I typically use frozen sweet cherries (rather than tart cherries) because that’s what I can find at my grocery stores. They’re loaded with antioxidants, vibrant color, and a little fiber, to boot.
FROZEN BERRIES. The next part of our cherry berry smoothie is berries! I like a mix of frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but you can mix and match berries to your heart’s content. Feel free to use all of one kind of berry, a mix of two, or a storebought blend of frozen berries if you like!
SPINACH. Thanks to some serious cherry-berry power, you can totally pack this red smoothie full of greens. I can easily get away with at least 1-1 1/2 cups of spinach, but you can use even more than that, or swap the spinach out for kale.
POMEGRANATE JUICE. If you can get it, this cherry-berry smoothie is INCREDIBLE when it’s made pomegranate juice. Not only does it play up all that gorgeous color, it adds a nice note of sweetness that helps pull everything together. (If you don’t have pomegranate juice, see the FAQ!)
LET’S TALK SMOOTHIE BOOSTS! HERE ARE SOME GOODIES YOU CAN ADD TO THIS CHERRY BERRY SMOOTHIE:
COLLAGEN OR PROTEIN POWDER. A scoop or two of collagen is my go-to for adding protein to smoothies. It’s more or less odorless and flavorless blended into things and is the only protein powder that doesn’t make my stomach hurt or mess with the flavor of a smoothie. Otherwise, feel free to add your favorite protein or vegan protein powder!
HEMP SEEDS. For a plant-based option, a few tablespoons of hemp seed can be a great way to go! I find they blend in well and don’t impact the flavor much at all.
YOGURT (DAIRY-FREE, AS NEEDED!). Another yummy option is adding yogurt. Yogurt will thicken this up and add some protein to the smoothie. Feel free to use dairy or dairy-free yogurt, as needed. We like CoYo, Culina, Chobani, and SoDelicious dairy-free yogurts!
ZUCCHINI. Sounds a little crazy, but you can mix 1/2-1 cup of zucchini into this cherry berry smoothie without anyone being the wiser! The sweetness of the berries and the bright, beautiful color will mask the subtle flavor of zucchini, and the zucchini will make this smoothie a little thicker, which can be lovely.
FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST CHERRY BERRY SMOOTHIE:
MAKE IT PRETTY! TRY ONE OF THESE TOPPINGS. I love adding a little something on top of my smoothies. It’s pretty, but it’s also an easy way to round it out as a light meal. A sprinkle of granola, some fresh fruit, or a few cacao nibs are my go-to’s. So good!
CAN I MAKE THIS WITH SOMETHING BESIDES POMEGRANATE JUICE? Yep! I recommend a good quality apple juice or white grape juice. Otherwise, you can make it with yogurt or almond milk. The cherry and berry flavors won’t be *quite* as strong with yogurt/milk, but it’ll still work!
COULD I MAKE THIS SMOOTHIE WITH FRESH FRUIT INSTEAD OF FROZEN? Absolutely. When making smoothies with fresh fruit, I like to add 1 cup ice cubes to give it a slushy/icy feel. It’s not exactly the same, but it’ll do! Similarly, if you’ve got some frozen and some fresh, it’ll work just fine!
HAVE LEFTOVERS? TRY THIS! This pretty red smoothie will keep in the refrigerator 1 day, but our favorite way to handle leftover smoothies is to pour them into a popsicle mold and freeze them for a yummy snack later!
CAN I ADD SOME PROTEIN? You bet! Scroll back up to the previous section. I’ve got our favorite ways to add protein above!
NEED A BLENDER? Basically any working blender will be able to make this cherry berry smoothie for you, but if you’re in the market, I love our Blendtec. We’ve used it for over 6 years and 1500 blends (there’s a counter) and it’s still going strong!
CRAVING MORE? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
- Cherry Almond Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Peach Smoothie
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Creamy Coconut Chia Pudding
HELPFUL FOR THESE YUMMY SMOOTHIES:
Cherry Berry Smoothie (Paleo + Vegan)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 3 cups smoothie 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Cherry Berry Smoothie is PACKED with color and flavor. You’d never know we’re hiding greens in there! (Paleo or Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet cherries (pits removed, if they weren’t already)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries (I like 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
Instructions
- Place cherries, berries, and spinach in the blender (in that order).
- Pour pomegranate juice over all.
- Cover and blend until smooth (if needed, add a little drizzle of water to help it blend)
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Cherry Berry Smoothie, Berry Cherry Smoothie, Cherry smoothie, berry smoothie
I never thought of adding zucchini. Should it be lightly cooked or completely raw?
Either way works! I find that raw often has a more mild taste. If you’re going to cook it, I’d recommend steaming so you’re not adding any extra flavor (like olive oil, or caramelized edges from roasting, etc.).