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Kefir Smoothie

This kefir smoothie is tangy, creamy and lightly sweet: the perfect way to use this fermented dairy beverage! Looking for…

This kefir smoothie is tangy, creamy and lightly sweet: the perfect way to use this fermented dairy beverage!

Looking for ways to use kefir? Try a kefir smoothie! This tangy drink is a great way to get all the benefits in kefir while enjoying a fruity beverage. We’ve become fans of this fermented milk and love to add it to drinks (our son especially asks for it).

Blend it up with strawberries, banana and pineapple, and it makes a sweetly sippable puree. Or, substitute any frozen fruit you like, like blueberries, peaches, or mangos. Here are some tips on how to use kefir in a smoothie.

Benefits of kefir

Kefir is a drink made from fermented milk. It’s similar to Greek yogurt with its tangy flavor, but it has a thinner, drinkable consistency. Why drink it? Here are a few of the potential benefits of kefir (source):

It has 30 species of probiotics, bacteria that improve gut health and may aid in digestion.
It is high in protein. 1 cup of kefir has 7 grams of protein, or 14% of the daily value.
It may have heart health and cholesterol lowering benefits. Read more about the benefits in this Web MD article.

Ingredients in a kefir smoothie

Kefir is great to add to a smoothie since you get all the benefits of this probiotic-rich drink combined with the light sweetness of fruit. When using kefir, you won’t need to add other liquid like milk or juice (which is different from yogurt smoothies which need liquid for blending). Here’s what you’ll need for a kefir smoothie:

Banana: All you need is a room temperature banana: no need to freeze in advance.
Frozen strawberries and pineapple: You can also substitute any type of frozen fruit you like: blueberries, raspberries, mango, and peaches. You can also throw in a handful of spinach if you like the extra greens.
Kefir: A hefty amount of kefir means no need for extra liquid.
Honey or maple syrup: Sweeten this drink to your taste with natural sweetener. We find it needs a little to balance out the flavor.
Ice cubes: Ice cubes round out the frothy texture.

Flavor variations

This kefir smoothie is delicious with the strawberry pineapple flavor, but there are so many more fruity flavors to try! Here are a few more ideas for blending up fruity variations:

Strawberry mango, strawberry blueberry, or strawberry peach
Mixed berry
Raspberry pineapple, raspberry mango or raspberry peach
Blueberry mango, blueberry pineapple, or blueberry peach
Mango pineapple, mango coconut

Storing leftovers

You can blend up this kefir smoothie in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Some smoothie recipes last for a few days, but this kefir smoothie is best eaten immediately or within 1 day for best flavor. If it starts to separate while refrigerated, give it a shake before drinking.

Dietary notes

This kefir smoothie recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.

Kefir Smoothie

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5 from 2 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 small or 1 large
Category: Smoothie
Method: Blended
Cuisine: Smoothie
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 cup frozen strawberries*
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1 banana (room temperature)
1 ¼ cup kefir
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, plus more to taste
6 ice cubes

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Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary and adding a tablespoon or so of water if necessary.
Taste and adjust the sweetness as desired. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 1 day, shaking if the smoothie separates.

Notes

*Or substitute 2 cups total of the frozen fruit of your choice.

More smoothie recipes

And that’s it! We hope you love this kefir smoothie as much as we do. Here are a few more tasty smoothie recipes you might enjoy:

Try a sunny Tropical Smoothie Recipe
Go for Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie or Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
Try Strawberry Peach Smoothie, Peach Mango Smoothie or Banana Peach Smoothie

Tropical Smoothie Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Strawberry Peach Smoothie

50 Smoothie Recipes

Almond Milk Smoothie

This almond milk smoothie is full of sweet flavor, fiber, and nutrients! This dairy free milk is perfect for blending…

This almond milk smoothie is full of sweet flavor, fiber, and nutrients! This dairy free milk is perfect for blending into fruity purees.

Want to make a dairy free smoothie recipe? Almond milk is perfect for vegan smoothies: it’s lightly creamy and brings fruity purees together into the ideal texture.

Here we’ve created a strawberry banana spin on our popular strawberry smoothie that is fully plant-based and stars almond milk! Here’s exactly how to make this berry almond milk smoothie: and a little more about using almond milk for blending up healthy drinks.

Why use almond milk in smoothies?

Almond milk is a dairy free, plant based milk made with almonds and water. It’s great for using in smoothies because it’s a dairy free liquid that helps to achieve a creamy texture.

Can you taste almond milk in smoothies? Not really! Most almond milk has a very neutral flavor, so it’s virtually imperceptible in a smoothie.
Does almond milk make smoothies thicker? No. Almond milk is a good liquid that helps smoothies blend, but its texture is closer to water than milk. By itself, it does not lend creaminess to a smoothie. But with other ingredients, it helps to form the right smoothie texture.

Ingredients in this almond milk smoothie

There are lots of different ways to make an almond milk smoothie. This one’s our favorite: you can’t go wrong with strawberry banana! Our kids absolutely love this smoothie, which makes us confident you will too. Here’s what you need to make this smoothie with almond milk:

Frozen strawberries: Frozen strawberries add just the right texture. They’re easy to find at the store and great to store for making on demand smoothies. Substitute any frozen fruit: blueberries, mangos, pineapple, mixed berries, etc.
Fresh banana: We always have bananas at our house, but we don’t always remember to freeze them. So we like using room temperature bananas in our smoothie recipes!
Almond milk: Use plain or unflavored almond milk. Vanilla also works, but we like using almond milk with no artificial flavors.
Ice: Ice adds just the right frozen texture to this fruity puree.

Almond milk smoothie with strawberries and banana in glass with straw

Amp up the protein

Here’s the thing: almond milk itself is not a great source of protein. If you’re drinking this almond milk smoothie to get a boost of protein, here’s what to do:

Almond butter: Mix in 1 tablespoon of almond butter to this smoothie (or up to 2 total). It does add an almond flavor and dulls the color of the smoothie a bit.
Protein powder: Add a scoop of favorite brand, plain or vanilla. We like this Orgain brand protein powder.
Greek yogurt: If you can eat it, yogurt adds quite a bit of protein! Try blending in ¼ cup to ½ cup, to taste.

Variations

You can use this almond milk smoothie recipe as a template for making other flavors! Here are a few ideas for how to swap out the 2 cups frozen strawberries:

Mango almond milk smoothie: Substitute frozen mango.
Pineapple almond milk smoothie: Substitute frozen pineapple.
Mixed berry almond milk smoothie: Substitute mixed berries.
Blueberry almond milk smoothie: Substitute frozen blueberries.

8 more almond milk smoothies

You can use almond milk in many smoothie recipes! If you don’t want to make the recipe below, here are a few more ideas! They’re all Vegan Smoothie Recipes.

Green Smoothie

This smoothie is an immunity-boosting drink starring green apple, spinach, and protein-packed nuts. Substitute water for almond milk!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

With just 3 ingredients, it’s got the perfect sweet flavor and creamy texture. It tastes like a healthy milkshake!

Pineapple Smoothie

This pineapple smoothie has just the right creamy texture and is bursting with tropical fruity flavor.

Fruit Smoothie

This recipe has a little bit of everything: berries, mango, apple and banana -- to make a refreshing drink. Substitute almond milk for the water!

Kale Smoothie

Here's a bright green smoothie with the most irresistible fruity flavor, a tasty way to eat your greens! Substitute water with almond milk.

Mango Smoothie

This mango smoothie has the perfect sweet flavor and creamy texture! We dare you not to take another sip.

Avocado Smoothie

This avocado smoothie is creamy and full of tropical flavor! It’s plant-based and loaded with nutrients. Substitute almond milk for water!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

This blueberry banana smoothie is a favorite, with a sweet berry flavor and a luscious texture. Substitute the water with almond milk.

Almond milk is also great for…

Of course, you can use almond milk in so many different ways! Almond milk is also great for:

Granola. Eat with our Healthy Granola.
Pasta. You can make it into a creamy vegan pasta sauce! Try Creamy Almond Milk Pasta.
Pudding. Make Vegan Chocolate Pudding with almond milk.
Waffles. These Vegan Waffles are a great way to use this plant-based milk.
Muffins. Try these Vegan Banana Muffins.
Biscuits. These Best Vegan Biscuits are impossibly flaky.
Cookies. Creamy almond milk features in these Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies.

Dietary notes

This almond milk smoothie recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.