This Sweet Summer Smoothie makes the heat of the sun seem a little less extreme and a lot more delicious. It is a recipe you are going to make again and again so read about all the great benefits that are packed into this glass, memorize the recipe and then keep that blender out- it will be getting used often!
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Summer Drink Recipes
When that summer heat kicks in, I automatically find myself reaching for more and more drinks. Just existing in hotter weather is enough to make you dehydrated but, unfortunately, I don’t get to just hang out by a pool all day (who does?!). I am busy cleaning my house, chasing my kids around the back yard, weeding, cooking in a hot kitchen and so many other daily tasks that make me need a cool drink. Luckily, summertime is the perfect time to make refreshing beverages as so many delicious ingredients are in season.
The drink recipe I am going to rave about here is my favorite smoothie recipe of all time- the sweet summer smoothie. Isn’t summer sweet after all? So you will be needing something that is also a little sweet in your drink. Before I start explaining why the sweet summer smoothie recipe will also be your favorite of all time, if you are also interested in other refreshing summer drink recipes, click here because I have a ton….I really do love summer drinks!
Smoothie Recipes
Now, I am no novice to smoothie recipes. I have made hundreds of smoothies in my day and while most of them were tasty, others fell a little short. Over the years, I have learned what will make a smoothie great and put it above all others.
The first thing I focus on when coming up with a new smoothie recipe is the ingredients (you may be thinking, “of course…” but bear with me here!). I need the ingredients to be in season and appropriate for the time of year. I really think this has a big impact on if you enjoy the smoothie or not.
For example, if a smoothie is loaded with strawberries and fresh lemon and mint but it is the middle of fall, would you be really into those flavors at that time? Or would you be more interested in a pumpkin spice or apple cinnamon type of smoothie? To me, what is in your cup needs to reflect what is out your window. It’s all about capturing and reflecting the mood!
So for a sweet summer smoothie recipe, I needed summer flavors! Luckily, there are a lot. Berries, lemons, mint, basil, melon, peaches…the list goes on! Summer is fantastic for choosing smoothie fruits as there are just so many delicious things in season and readily available that inspiration is everywhere.
Healthy Summer Smoothie Recipes
The next necessity for a smoothie is that it needs to be healthy. While most people think that smoothies are always healthy, you would be surprised. The main culprit of making a smoothie not so nutritious is sugar. Many smoothie chains and even small smoothie shops will add a whole lot of sugar to their smoothies making them more of a dessert than a healthy snack.
Sure, sugar tastes good but having too much can really damage your health. Eating excess sugar (or drinking it in a smoothie) can cause diabetes, weight gain, mood swings, high blood pressure and much more. It just isn’t good! And hiding sugar in a smoothie just doesn’t seem fair- so many people think they are drinking something great when they might aw well be having a milk shake! No more hidden sugar!
To keep my summer smoothie recipe healthy, I said no to the extra sugar (or honey or syrup or agave). After all, berries and fruits have enough sugar in them already to make this drink sweet. Make sure you pick nice ripe fruits when blending up your sweet summer smoothie so that the fruit is at it’s peak quantity of natural sugar.
Easy Smoothie Recipes
Another smoothie point that I think is important is that the smoothie be easy to make. When you want to drink a nice cold smoothie, you should be able to do so in a matter of minutes. There shouldn’t be a lot of prep work or any cooking involved in smoothie making. A smoothie should be blended, poured and enjoyed. This smoothie does just that. There are no crazy steps and nothing that couldn’t be done by a 5 year old (but seriously, this is a great recipe to let your kids help with! A snack and an activity!).
Milk for Smoothies
The last major thing that I consider when making a smoothie recipe is how to make the drink taste smooth and creamy. While many people add yogurt to their smoothie (which you can definitely do!), I don’t always want the extra “bite” that yogurt can add. Sometimes, I just want to taste the fruit and have some kind of smooth undertone flavor that isn’t overpowering. This is when I feel almond milk is the perfect option.
Almond milk is completely dairy-free which is great for many people who have lactose intolerance. It also just tastes damn good! Almond milk does not have a strong taste so, when blended into this summer smoothie recipe, it takes a backseat to all the fruit flavors I am trying to enhance. Almond milk is also nice and creamy so it gives this smoothie a beautiful taste. None of that overpowering yogurt taste but all the silky texture that you need in a smoothie! Thanks almond milk for being so awesome!
Sweet Summer Smoothie
Now that I have broken down this smoothie into what I believe to be the most important parts of this drink, I’ll get off my soapbox and you can focus on the recipe- the real reason you are here! And trust me, you are going to love it. Berries, mango, and banana all come together to make a flavor combination that screams of summer. Who doesn’t love a mango smoothie on a super hot day? Who isn’t craving more berries in their smoothie? And of course, you neeeeeed a banana smoothie in the summertime! Why not get all of those flavors together in one, amazing, flavor-packed, sweet summer smoothie? It is like summer in a glass.
I know that I am off to make this drink right now, cool down and relax for a minute before I have to go back to playing tag with my kids in the brutal summer heat. At least this smoothie will cool me down a little bit! Oh, did I mention that kids also love this smoothie and will slurp it down faster than you can make more? Well, they do, but that is a story for another day!
Hope you Enjoy! =)
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Sweet Summer Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Paleo + Gluten Free + Vegan
Description
A mix of refreshing fruits and almond milk make this smoothie the perfect summer treat.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond milk (or any other milk)
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 cup frozen mango
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender for about 30-60 seconds. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Make sure all the fruit is frozen solid as this is what will make the smoothie into a nice, icy, blended drink
- When berries and mango are in season, chop and freeze them in pre portioned bags. When you want to make this smoothie recipe, simply pour the bag in the blender and you are ready to go!
- Coconut milk is a fantastic alternative and add a summery tropical flavor to this recipe
- Over ripe bananas are perfect for this smoothie as they add extra natural sugars
- Pour this mix into Popsicle molds and the have a delicious summer smoothie pop!
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