Simple Strawberry Smoothie
This strawberry smoothie recipe is creamy, luscious and nutritious. It tastes like a strawberry milkshake. Make it for breakfast or dessert!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
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You’re going to love this strawberry smoothie. This recipe is cold, creamy and satisfying, and its nutty strawberry flavor is truly crave-worthy.
In their most basic form, these strawberry smoothies require just four ingredients—frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, almond milk and almond butter.
This smoothie recipe tastes like a strawberry milkshake, and you can make it for breakfast! I’ll be sipping on these pink drinks all summer, and I hope the recipe becomes a staple in your home as well.
If you ask me, smoothies should be super simple. I don’t want to pull a bunch of ingredients out of my fridge and pantry every morning just for a smoothie. I am not a morning person! Plus, these smoothies are easy to whip up in the afternoon or after dinner if you get a craving for a sweet treat.
You can change up the recipe by adding flax or oats for a nutrition boost, or a light drizzle of maple syrup to make them taste even more dessert-like. I’m plenty satisfied with the four-ingredient formula, though, and I think you will be, too!
How to Make Strawberries Smoothies
These strawberry smoothies are easy to make. They’re surprisingly filling, since they offer a good amount of protein and fiber. Whip them up for breakfast, or any time you’re in the mood for ice cream—they’re that good.
Frozen strawberries offer characteristic berry flavor, antioxidants and a fun pink color. One 10-ounce bag or about 2 cups will be just right. If possible, buy organic strawberries as conventional berries are notoriously high in pesticide exposure.
Frozen bananas make this smoothie lusciously creamy and naturally sweet.
Almond butter offers extra creaminess, plus protein, fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.
Vanilla almond milk makes this smoothie as creamy as possible (cashew or coconut milk options work well, too). Buy unsweetened to avoid refined sugar. My favorite brands are Malk, Three Trees and Forager’s. Or use water, for a slightly less luxurious texture.
For a sweeter smoothie, add maple syrup, to taste. The bananas are typically sweet enough for me, but a little drizzle of maple syrup makes this smoothie taste like a milkshake.
For extra sticking power, you can add up to 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats and/or up to 2 tablespoons flax seed (whole or ground). Flax makes leftover smoothies almost pudding-like in texture, and I like that!
Watch How to Make a Simple Strawberry Smoothie
Smoothie Tips
How to Freeze Bananas Quickly (and Minimize Freezer Burn)
Buy a big bunch of bananas and let them turn nicely ripe. Aim for nicely yellow bananas, perhaps with a few spots—not full-blown spotty brown like you would for banana bread.
Peel and slice the bananas into 1/2-inch segments. Flash-freeze them by placing the slices in a single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheets (choose a sheet(s) that will fit in your freezer). This is also a great way to freeze your bananas in a hurry.
Once fully frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag and they will keep in the freezer for several months.
Thaw Strawberries for 5 Minutes Before Using
Frozen strawberries, especially larger ones, can be hard on your blender. To prevent damage to your blender and for greater ease in blending, let the strawberries thaw at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before using. Or, you can microwave them for 30 seconds to a minute, just until they’re losing their frost and starting to soften a bit.
If you still have trouble blending, pause, stir and let the mixture rest for a few more minutes before trying again. You can always add another splash or two of milk if you need more traction.
More Creamy Smoothies to Try
On a smoothie kick? Here are just a few of my favorite smoothie recipes:
- Banana Almond Smoothie
- Basic Blueberry Smoothie
- Oaxaca Chocolate Banana Smoothie
- Pineapple Avocado Smoothie
Please let me know how your strawberry smoothie turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Simple Strawberry Smoothie
Make this strawberry smoothie for breakfast (or dessert)! This strawberry smoothie recipe is creamy, luscious and nutritious. It almost tastes like a strawberry milkshake. Recipe yields 2 to 4 servings (about 4 cups); you can easily halve or double the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups to 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or water
- 10 ounces (2 cups) frozen strawberries, thawed for 5 to 10 minutes*
- 1 ½ cups frozen bananas (I freeze my bananas in ½″ slices)
- ¼ cup almond butter
- Optional nutrition boosters: ¼ cup old-fashioned oats and/or 2 tablespoons flax seed
- 1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, if desired for sweetness
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all of the ingredients, starting with the almond milk.
- Blend on low until the blender gains traction, then ramp up to the highest speed as soon as possible (or if your blender has a smoothie function, that will work well). Use your blender’s tamper, if you have one, and stop to scrape down the sides as necessary. If the strawberries refuse to break up, let the mixture rest for several minutes before trying again. Add up to ½ cup additional milk if necessary.
- Once the smoothie is completely smooth and creamy, taste and blend in maple syrup if you’d like a sweeter smoothie. Divide the smoothie into 2 to 4 glasses, depending on your desired serving size. Serve immediately!
Notes
Recipe adapted from my Basic Blueberry Smoothie.
*Strawberry note: Frozen strawberries, especially when large, can be difficult to blend even in high-powered blenders. That’s why I suggest letting the strawberries thaw at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes in advance.
Make it gluten free: The smoothie is gluten-free without the oats. If you’re adding oats, be sure they’re certified gluten-free.
Make it nut free: I haven’t tried this, but you could substitute sunbutter for the almond butter, and nut-free milk (oat milk, coconut milk, etc.) or water for the almond milk.
Storage suggestions: These smoothie keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 days. The top layer may darken in color; scoop off that layer if you’re bothered by it.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Looks yummy. I have some strawberries that will be a smoothie later this evening. They are fresh, so I may add some ice cubes for texture.
Summer equals strawberries…in my book. Yum! Can’t wait to enjoy them like this. Since I’ve been making Keifer a few months I will use that. Thanks!
I hope you love it!
Can’t wait to try this! Can you use fresh strawberries instead?
It should work too! Just won’t be the ice cream light consistency.
LOVE! And kid friendly. I’d love for you make a cookbook full of recipes that are kid friendly, delicious and have all kinds of “hidden” goodness. I do this a lot as a parent but would love for someone to take the work out of it for me. ;-) I don’t like to make special meals just for the kids but I’m realizing my expectations for what they will eat are a little high. I’d love recipes that the kids are intrigued by but that are also great for all the adults too. For example, we add spinach to quesadillas and call them Monster Quesadillas. Everyone loves them and the kids feel seen with a fun spin on the meal. Problem is I’ve got like 2 of those in my tool box and I need more! I often over complicated things and they turn out not at all kid friendly. So for example, I love the simplicity, healthy yet delicious take on a smoothie with this recipe. I’m always trying to hide a ridiculous amount of things in smoothies or pancakes, etc but I like how this one has so many healthy benefits while still tasting good. I’ve been following your blog long before I had children but now we use your book and or blog nearly 5x or more per week and we’ve gotten other families hooked too. Thanks for all the great recipes, dinners, breakfasts and desserts. You and your offering to the table are super loved! xo -Kari
Thank you for your review! I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I can’t make any promises, but noted your request! I know there are a lot of recipes on the blog that kids enjoy. I hope you can find more you can enjoy together. I’m excited you are enjoying my cookbook, too!
The hyperlink for the “almond butter” doesn’t display when printed in black and white.
Outstanding recipe!
I cant eat banana. Will the smoothie be just as good without it? How to adjust the recipe without banana? Tx!
Hi Kim, sorry I didn’t try it without it. I don’t think it will get the same creamy consistency.
Hi Kim
You can find alternatives for bananas to make your smoothies on the link.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-smoothies-without-bananas-199318
Made this earlier tonight. Happy I so happen to have everything I needed to make this smoothie, because this smoothie is t’the bomb!’ Thanks for sharing. Will have this again tomorrow. Yummy!
I’m glad you loved it, Ivory! Thank you for sharing.
I love this, and I loved your salad recipe from the other day with the red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese. It was so simple and so flavourful. Great blog!
I made this smoothie with your cashew milk recipe and some honey instead of maple syrup, and it is legit one of my new favorite things! So smooth, creamy, and indulgent. As always, thank you!
Happy to hear it! Thank you, Nafija!
I love your blog thank you for this recipe (and all of the others of course )! It was so yummy, probably the best strawberry smoothie I’ve had in a while. Maybe it’s because it was homemade and not from Jamba Juice.. lol Plus it helps I have this super cute blender I found on shoplittlespoon.com !!Thy have the cutest retro cooking products. I’ve found having cute things to cook with makes me enjoy my food more. anyway, thanks for the recipe!!
That’s so great to hear, thanks Anna! Your new blender sounds adorable.
I can’t even count how many times I’ve made your Basic Blueberry Smoothie, so when I saw this recipe I knew it would be great. And WOW is it another knockout. Thanks again, Kate, for sharing your wonderful mind and recipes!
Thank you, Leslie! I was quite pleased that the blueberry smoothie ingredients/amounts worked so nicely with strawberries, too. Have a great day!
Love the simple and easy recipe explanations!
Thank you, Nicole! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
These look so good! For the first time in my life I’m going through a cooking slump and I plan to make these with a fast salad and call it dinner.
Hello,
This smoothie recipe is divinely delicious! My go to desert or just need a little something kind of sweet.
I did add some ice cubes to thicken.
Thank you.
Delighted to hear it! Thank you, Deb.
This smoothie is delicious, refreshing and easy. I’ll be making it again and again. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Carolyn.
Delicious! Just what I was craving. I didn’t have any almond butter so used PB instead and it was great. I love that it made enough for about 4 servings.
Hello. I live alone and was wondering if I could half the recipe?
Hi Natalie! As long as your blender can catch and blend with less, that should be fine. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you!
Delicious! Had a handful of spinach so I tossed that in too. Definitely a keeper recipe.
So simple and delicious!! My 4 year old insisted on drinking the serving I was saving for tomorrow :)
I made it with cashew/almond milk which made it so nutty and creamy. I will be making this again very soon, next time with oats.
Thank you Kate. My family is so happy I found you!
Hooray! I’m delighted to hear it was a hit, Kier. Thank you for your review!
Always looking for healthy treats for breakfast and after school snacks, this is a *huge* hit with my 13 year old and friend. I kind of half the recipe 1 c oat milk cuz that’s what’s in our house 1 c strawberry snd 1 c banana – throw in a handful of almond cuz I was out of almond butter. So yummy. I like it better with homemade almond milk but it’s amazing with store bought oat milk too. Another big hit with my daughter and me which is not easy – thank you Kate your recipes are a main source of recipes that work for the whole family.
I’m glad you love it, Shelly! I appreciate your review.
The Strawberrie Smoothie was OUTstanding. I didn’t know about freezing the bananas – was cutting them in 1/2 & just freezing in a freezer bag but your method is much better. I love it with Almond Butter & Almond Milk too! I threw in a few ice cubes and hit “milksake on my blender….turned out amazing! Thank you, Kate!
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I’m on a smoothie-for-dessert kick, and this one was delicious. I used regular (not vanilla) oat milk (Oatly), so I added a splash of vanilla extract. And I did use the maple syrup.
For one large smoothie, I just cut all of the ingredients in half. So thick, creamy, satisfying—and pretty. Thanks!
That’s great to hear, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
Just trying new recipes and smoothies, but am avoiding oat milk and using 2% milk. I’ve read oat milk is high in sugar and ultra processed. I made this with 2% milk as a healthier alternative, left out the butter, and it was good.
I came to the internet looking for an answer to my question, “Why doesn’t my strawberry smoothie taste like strawberries?” and I found your recipe. Here’s what I did earlier today: 5 jumbo frozen strawberries (fresh less than a week ago that I froze), a ripe, half frozen half banana (fresh and then frozen today), some crushed ice, a cup and a half of milk, a little bit of cinnamon, a small handful of baby spinach, and maybe a TBSP of maple syrup. So mostly what your recipe calls for, save the almond butter/milk, plus a little spinach.
The smoothie tasted like banana. That’s all. Zero strawberry taste.
Any thoughts? I love strawberries, but I’ll be damned if I can make a strawberry smoothie taste like strawberry (and this is just one of multiple failures). I tried one yesterday without any banana (and without cinnamon or spinach), and the smoothie was literally tasteless.
Thanks!
I’m sorry to hear that. It could be the strawberries and their overall flavor. Maybe try a different brand. Let me know if you try it again!
Great strawberry smoothie! I didn’t have anything frozen, so mine was warmish (I did try to freeze the bananas, but they weren’t quite frozen enough). Anyway, I also used coconut milk since I needed to use some up. No sweetner needed IMO. I’ve try to give it 5 stars, but a glitch with the site, or my computer, won’t let me.
Hi I am Oliver Royal from thefoodqueries.com
“This is such a refreshing and delicious smoothie! The perfect way to start the day, I’ve tried this smoothie with both fresh and frozen strawberries, and it always turns out great.”
This is a delicious smoothie! In place of some of the almond milk, I used cashew strawberry kefir and a little bit of oat milk. Thank you, Kate, for yet another great healthy recipe!
You’re welcome, Karolina! I appreciate your review.
I’ve just made this beautiful strawberry smoothie and it’s delicious!!!! Thank you love the simplicity I made without the banana (sadly gives me heartburn) and replaced with some vanilla protein yoghurt that I frozen into ice cubes.