With this easy fruit smoothie recipe, you’ll get a thick, flavorful blend—never watery or bland—by using both fresh and frozen fruit, plus your favorite liquid and yogurt for extra creaminess. (Yup, no ice needed!) Just toss in any extras you love and make it your own!
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It still amazes me that people add ice to smoothies when a combo of fresh and frozen fruits with a hint of liquid does the job SO much better!
This simple swap is a life-changer when it comes to making richer, more flavorful drinks with almost no effort.
All you have to do is follow my easy smoothie recipe below, toss in your favorite fruits and other add-ins, and in under 5 minutes, you’ll be sipping a thick, creamy, made-for-you smoothie!
Ingredient Notes
You can find the exact ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- Frozen Fruit: Essential for a thick, creamy smoothie. Not enough, and you’ll end up with a thin, liquidy drink. Use store-bought frozen fruit or freeze fresh fruit in 1–2 inch pieces for at least 4–5 hours before using.
Pro Tip: Let it sit out for 5–10 minutes before blending for easier mixing. - Fresh Fruit: A mix of fresh and frozen fruit gives the best texture and flavor. Many recipes use all frozen fruit, but that just means adding extra liquid to blend. A medium banana is usually perfect.
No fresh fruit? Let 1 cup of frozen fruit thaw for 30 minutes as a substitute. - Liquid: Milk creates the creamiest consistency, whether dairy or non-dairy (oat, almond, cashew, etc.). No milk? Juice or water work too, but the smoothie will be more icy than creamy.
- Yogurt: A must for a rich texture and balanced flavor. Unsweetened or plain Greek yogurt is best, but plant-based options work too. Sensitive to lactose? Goat milk yogurt is a great alternative.
- Sweetener (Optional): Depending on the fruit, you may or may not need extra sweetness. Bananas usually add enough, but tart fruits like berries or kiwi may need a little honey, agave, maple syrup, or stevia. Blend first, taste, then add sweetener only if needed!
How to Make a Frozen Fruit Smoothie
Please see the recipe card below for the complete detailed instructions and ingredient amounts.
1. Add ingredients to your blender.
You can use either a small individual-sized blender (like a Nutribullet or Ninja), or a larger high-speed blender (I love love LOVE my Vitamix when making multiple smoothies!) And as a last resort, a food processor will get the job done, it just might take a little longer.
Any of these will work, but you’ll want to pay attention to where the blade is located. This influences the order in which you add your smoothie ingredients.
As a general rule of thumb: place the softer ingredients closer to the blade and the harder ingredients further from the blade.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Start blending on a low speed and gradually increase to high, blending for about 1-2 minutes, or until you reach the perfect creamy consistency. If your blender has trouble, stop and stir, or add a bit more liquid.
You may also need to scrape down the sides of the container to ensure everything is well mixed. Add additional sweetener, to taste, and re-blend if needed.
Best Fruits for Smoothies
A great smoothie starts with the right mix of fresh and frozen fruit. Here are some of the best options, grouped by flavor and texture:
- Creamy & Naturally Sweet: Bananas, mango, peaches, papaya
- Tangy & Tart: Pineapple, kiwi, cranberries, passion fruit
- Berry Varieties: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- Mild & Versatile: Apples, pears, cantaloupe, honeydew
- Juicy & Refreshing: Oranges, watermelon, grapes, pomegranate
For the best consistency, use a combination of frozen and fresh fruit. Bananas are a great fresh option, but if you’re out, just let some frozen fruit thaw slightly before blending.
Other Smoothie Add-Ins
This fruit smoothie is a great base recipe, but if you want to change it up a bit, here are some easy add-ins to have fun with:
- Protein powder: A scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein makes this smoothie more filling. (Pea protein is awesome for this!)
- Gluten-free oats: I love adding these into smoothies for extra fiber which also keeps me full longer.
- Nut butter: Almond, peanut, or cashew butter adds protein, creaminess, and a hint of nutty flavor.
- Avocado: Makes it ultra-creamy and adds heart-healthy fats.
- Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flaxseed oil: Blend them in for an omega-3 boost.
- Leafy greens: Spinach or kale blend in easily without changing the flavor too much.
Meal Prep for Easier Mornings!
Did you know you can prep the ingredients in advance to make mornings even easier! Yup, but you don’t want to blend it… just yet!
- Measure out the frozen fruit and yogurt and place in a freezer-safe bag.
- Store the bags for up to 3-4 months in freezer.
- When ready to blend, let the bag sit at room temp for 30 minutes so the ingredients can thaw. Add your liquid of choice (milk in this case!) then blend and serve!
FAQs
A full-fat, unsweetened milk is the best liquid to add to smoothies. It adds a nice creaminess while also helping to balance out the natural sweetness of the fruit. You can also use fruit juice or even coconut water!
You can either use more frozen fruits instead of fresh, add less liquid, or blend in a handful of gluten-free oats, chia seeds, or flax seeds to thicken it up!
To keep the creamy consistency, an avocado can be substituted for a banana along with a tablespoon or two of sweetener.
More Fruit Smoothie Recipes
Now that you’ve got the basic formula for making fruit smoothies, there are so many flavor combinations you can try.
Some classic mixes, like Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie, Peach Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, and a Mixed Berry Smoothie are delicious.
Both the Tropical Green Smoothie and the Pineapple Coconut Smoothie will make you feel like you’re on a beach.
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Easy Fruit Smoothie Recipe
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Ingredients
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 cup fresh fruit
- 2 cups frozen fruit thawed for 5-10 minutes
- 1-2 tablespoons sweetener optional
- Optional add-ins (see note)
Instructions
- Pour liquid into a blender along with yogurt, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, sweetener, and any optional add-ins. (In this order if using a traditional blender or in the reverse order if using a personal blender.)½ cup milk, ¼ cup yogurt, 1 cup fresh fruit, 2 cups frozen fruit, 1-2 tablespoons sweetener, Optional add-ins
- Blend ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Serve immediately.
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Video
Notes
- Serving: One serving equals 8 ounces of smoothie.
- Fresh Fruit: A banana is a great fresh fruit to use. An avocado can also be used along with a tablespoon or two of sweetener.
- Yogurt: It’s best to use a plain, unsweetened yogurt and then adjust the amount of sweetener to taste. If you’re slightly lactose intolerant, goat’s milk yogurt is a wonderful alternative that tastes very similar to cow’s milk yogurt.
- Optional Add-ins: Nuts, seeds, oils, spices, oats, and protein powder can all be added in. Start by adding a little bit and then taste after each addition to make sure you still like the flavor!
- Sweetener: You’d be surprised how sweet fruit can be! Wait until the end to stir in any additional sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup, or agave nectar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sounds really good. Can you make the smoothie without yogurt or sweetener
Hi Nancy! While you can omit the yogurt, the resulting smoothie won’t have that creamy texture. If you are sensitive to lactose, try using goat milk yogurt! It has less lactose than regular cow’s milk yogurt and is easier to digest for most people with lactose intolerance.
Perfect made a good smoothie
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Rebekah! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This was so good – thank you for the recipe! Perfect for those of us who are still learning how much of each ingredient is needed. It worked out beautifully!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, NK! I’m so glad it worked out. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
🙂Thank you for all the tips & tricks to making a smoothie at home .. I’ve been on a WaWa mango smoothie kick for sometime now & spend wayyy to much $$ on them !! I have a nutria Bullet ( my old room left when he moved out ) & I bought a full size blender awhile back .. In hopes that instead of buying them – I could just make them @ home!! 🤩 Im going to try it out tomorrow!! Thank you again for all the great ideas!! 🧋🍌🥭🫐🍓🍉🍑🍍😋😍🤩👏
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Laura! I hope you enjoyed the smoothie at home! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Great post, London! Thank you so much for making it super easy by giving clear, detailed instructions. I’m going to go and make a smoothie now! 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Alison! I’m so glad the directions were clear and easy to follow. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Thank you for all of your instructions. I’m new to using a blender and to smoothies. It’s great for beginners and Is great
How do you get your smoothies so creamy when you fill your cup to the max?
I use a nutrininja with the same size cup you use, and if I put in as much fruit as you do in your videos my smoothies turn literally to ice milk, so stiff I can’t pour it from the cup.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks.
Dennis
Sheboygan Wisconsin
Pbadam1512@yahoo.com
For one, the Nutribullet is incredibly powerful, so I’m not sure if that might be the difference. Two, I let my frozen fruit thaw out for at least 15 minutes, if not more. This makes it much easier to blend up. And three, make sure you place the ingredients in the correct order as outlined in the post – doing this will help blend it up, too!
Thanks for your reply London.
My Ninja is a 1000 watts, so that shouldn’t be an issue. I do, however, use the fruit while frozen. I’ll try letting it thaw first before I blend my smoothies.
Dennis
Of course! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Hi London,
I did what you said by letting the fruit thaw. I used a pack of organic pre-mixed smoothie mix of berries and spinach which I get from Costco. I usually use only half the package at a time because it will stiffen and turn into sherbet rather than a smoothie. However, after thawing I was able to use the whole package, and less almond milk then i usually do plus some nuts, and it blended perfectly. That was the last piece of the puzzle I needed in order to make a perfect smoothie.
Thanks so much for the advice.
Dennis
You’re welcome! I am so happy to hear this Dennis. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Well this is more of a question than a reply but if you have Crohn’s is there something better or I don’t know how to say it something that I shouldn’t use or is something that I should use?
Hi Crystal! As I am unfamiliar with the foods that are tolerable for someone with Crohn’s, this might be a good question for your nutritionist! Anything that is highly inflammatory will probably be off-limits so I would try to stick to lower-sugar fruits that are higher in fiber. Hope this helps!
Anything that has Gluten in it.
This is great. Just new at this, but very helpful info.
Cheers
Marcy
Yay! So happy it was helpful for you Marcy. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂
This recipe just made the best strawberry banana recipe I have ever had!
WooHoo!! So happy to hear that. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating 🙂