How To Make Smoothies Creamy

Thick smoothies

How To Brand Thick, Creamy Smoothies

Thom Bastian

Table of Contents

1 How to make a thick smoothie with frozen fruit?
- 1.1 What frozen fruits work best?
two How to thicken a smoothie without using bananas?
3 How to brand a thick smoothie without using yogurt?
4 What is the best blender for thick smoothies?
5 Other ingredients to thicken smoothies
- 5.1 Natural Ingredients
- v.2 Additives

When it comes to dieting, one of my favourite strategies for managing caloric intake is replacing one everyday meal with a smoothie. If done correctly, information technology's also a handy way to go caught up on your recommended vegetable and fibre intake for the day.

The play a trick on to making smoothies work as a meal replacement is they have to be able to leave you feeling total for a practiced while. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure your smoothie is thick in consistency. Thicker smoothies "stick to your ribs" as they say, and go out you with that satiated feeling. And this in plough means you're less likely to be a naughty snacker.

In order to make a smoothie thicker, use more frozen fruit and vegetable ingredients, and less liquids. Also cut back on using ice, as information technology simply makes for a more watery smoothie when information technology melts. Finally, consider additives such equally xanthan gum or carrageenan, which are excellent thickening and emulsifying agents.

So which fruit and vegetable ingredients work best? And are there other healthy, natural ingredients that are only every bit capable at making a thick smoothie? Permit's take a closer look. While nosotros're at it, we'll besides cover why using the right blender is just as important in getting that perfect consistency.

How to make a thick smoothie with frozen fruit?

Before we dive into how you tin use frozen fruits to add volume to your smoothie cocktail, a quick word of caution. As delicious as fruits can be, they can quickly become a sugary landmine, especially when loaded upwards and composite down. If you lot're trying to reduce your carb intake, or but prefer smoothies that aren't overly sugariness, skip this section. We take some great thickener alternatives further downward that are healthy and delicious to boot.

Most fruits accept a high water content. When frozen, that h2o crystallizes and gives the fruit its additional structure and rigidity. That's why frozen fruits work particularly well at thickening up smoothies. Blending them gives smoothies that refreshing icy thick texture.

The central to making a thick fruit smoothie is using a lot of frozen fruit relative to liquid. Ane clever method is to fill up the blender loving cup to the top of your serving line with your frozen fruit, and so pour in but enough liquid to fill in the cracks.

The keen thing about the higher up method is it will yield smoothies that are super thick, regardless of the blending pitcher used. And if the blades are spinning just nothing is blending, that ways your smoothie is also thick for your blender. If this happens, carefully splash in a chip more liquid (orange juice, coconut h2o, nut milk, etc.) until information technology gets going again.

Use frozen fruit instead of ice for your smoothies — Ditch the ice: Any fourth dimension a smoothie recipe calls for ice, apply frozen fruit instead

What frozen fruits work all-time?

The truth is, nearly whatsoever fruit that's frozen is a expert smoothie thickening agent. However if you're a texture person like me, using too many berries is a no-go. For instance, blueberries, while corking for you, also tend to add a grainy crunchiness that is a bit much if more than a handful at a time is used.

When information technology comes to creating a flossy thick smoothie, there is one frozen fruit that reigns supreme, and that is the banana. Many frozen fruits can thicken a smoothie, but bananas especially give them that velvety, creaminess that you would otherwise have to use dairy to replicate.

While you can blend them unchilled, we establish that freezing your sliced bananas ahead of time will give smoothies fifty-fifty greater volume. As far as the best way to freeze them, we recommend usingthis method.

Other fruits that work really well are frozen mangoes and pineapples. The two ingredients pair nicely together, every bit their sweetness and acidity are complementary flavours. However, these tropical fruits are quite loftier in sugars, so make these smoothies as a care for, not every bit a staple.

How to thicken a smoothie without using bananas?

We've merely heaped a pile of praise on bananas and how awesome they are at creating a creamy texture. But what if y'all don't have any handy, or worse, are allergic to them? Not a trouble! Thankfully, there are several excellent substitutions for you lot to consider.

The reason bananas are then commonly found in smoothie recipes is considering of the creaminess that they add to the alloy. That same added volume can exist found in sources of dairy. Yogurt is a healthy culling that provides a wonderful silky texture. For extra thickness, utilize Greek yoghurt.

However, if you'd rather avert animal milk products, you're in luck. In the next section we cover non-dairy alternatives to assistant that will thicken upwardly that smoothie.

Spin the Nutrient Tip

Desire to take your smoothie game to the next level? Freeze your yogurt in ice cube trays ahead of time. That planning ahead will effect in smoothies that have the creamiest texture you could ask for.

How to make a thick smoothie without using yogurt?

Whatever the underlying reason, y'all've decided you don't desire to use yogurt to add together book to your smoothie. As nosotros touched on earlier, frozen fruits such every bit mangoes are an excellent alternative for you to consider. Still those succulent tropical fruits too pack a off-white amount of sugar. Thankfully, there are other options.

Along with bananas, avocados are an fantabulous alternative to yogurt when it comes to adding creaminess to smoothies. The dandy thing about avocados is they are neutral in flavour. This means they can be used in about whatever recipe to add volume, without altering the desired flavor. Plus they're an excellent source of good fats.

Another keen thickener is coconut milk (not to be confused with kokosnoot h2o). Every bit information technology gets aerated and whipped up in the blender, coconut milk takes on a thicker, creamier consistency. Unlike avocados however, coconut milk does have a distinctive flavor, then it won't be as universally friendly to smoothie recipes.

Interested in a comprehensive list of non-dairy alternatives as well as some succulent smoothie recipes that put them to apply? We've got y'all covered. Be certain to check out our Smoothie Recipes Without Milk article.

What is the best blender for thick smoothies?

Before we get into some other ingredients that tin can exist used to thicken smoothies, permit'south talk about blenders.

When it comes to blending, at that place are 2 key factors that will make up one's mind how thick and creamy a smoothie you tin can make. The commencement is how powerful your blender is. And the second is whether or not your blender has atampingfeature.

Feature to look for: Power

To put it simply, the more powerful your blender, the creamier your end issue. That is because beefier motors are better able to thicken and emulsify your ingredients. Additionally, more power ways the blades are able to make quick work of blending. The reduced runtime likewise minimizes heating of the spinning blades, which would otherwise warm up your smoothie ingredients.

Feature to look for: A Tamper

The 2d, and perhaps more of import feature, is whether your blender also comes equipped with atamper. A tamper is a plunger that allows you to push downward (or tamp) your ingredients into the spinning blades of your blender. Tamping is especially handy because information technology eliminates the air pocket that is sometimes created when blending thicker ingredients. That air pocket miracle is known as cavitation, and higher-end blenders become to great lengths to minimize its occurrence.

It'southward like shooting fish in a barrel to become carried away and break the bank with an overly expensive blender these days. When it comes to striking a proficient residue between capability and affordability, the Ninja Mega Kitchen System is worth a closer look. In fact, in a recent review roundup of the all-time Ninja blenders out there, it handily took the top spot. You can read that review hither.

Spin the Food Tip

Want to make up one's mind whether a blender is capable of whipping upward thick smoothies? See if it's marketed equally capable of making nut butter. Nut butter is 1 of the most demanding tasks to ask of a blender, because of its actress thick consistency. If a blender can handle that, it tin handle your smoothie.

Other ingredients to thicken smoothies

In improver to frozen fruits and yogurt, there are plenty of other ingredients that can be used to thicken a smoothie without adding unnecessary calories. For ease of reference, nosotros've divided them into two broad categories: natural ingredients and additives.

Natural Ingredients

Frozen Vegetables – Frozen cauliflower and frozen butternut squash are two of our personal favourites. Not only do they add a squeamish fullness to smoothies, they're also surprisingly neutral in flavour.
Silken Tofu – Silken tofu is undrained and unpressed tofu, and is an excellent source of calcium and magnesium. Due to its custard-similar consistency it is an splendid binding amanuensis to thicken up your smoothies.
Sugariness Tater – A savoury culling to bananas when it comes to adding a creamy texture. Yous can cut them into chucks, and boil them ahead of time. However our favourite method is to pan roast them in the oven, as it lends a nice smoky richness to savoury smoothies.
Oats/Flax/Chia – In add-on to beingness great thickening agents, these ingredients are fantabulous sources of fibre, and in the case of flaxseed, a peachy source of omega fatty acids.

Sweet potatoes as a smoothie thickening agent — Peeled and baked sweet potatoes sense of taste shockingly good in smoothies

Additives

Xanthan or Guar Glue – A little bit goes a long manner with Xanthan or Guar, which tin can both be used interchangeably in your smoothie. They are thickening agents that are also ordinarily used in sauces and baking. For a 500ml sized smoothie, commencement with no more than i/16th of a teaspoon. You can e'er increase the dosage in time to come blends, but if you lot start too strong you could end up with a smoothie blend that has a snot-similar consistency!
Carrageenan – Carrageenan is naturally derived from seaweed, and as well makes for a great thickening option. You'll exist interested to know it'southward likewise found in other food items, such as your chocolate milk, where it keeps the cocoa powder evenly blended.

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