You know those mornings, when you’re staring into the fridge wondering what on earth to feed the kids. They’d already turned their noses up at toast and cereal (standard) and I didn’t have the energy to argue.
I spotted a tub of frozen berries, a lonely banana and half a carton of juice… and that’s when it hit me. Smoothies.
Five minutes later, we were out in the garden with a couple of smoothies in hand and peace had somehow descended. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked.
Since then, smoothies have become my go-to on those warm summer mornings when I’ve got next to no time and even less patience.
They’re quick, they’re super easy and they make use of whatever bits of fruit are knocking about. If you’ve got a blender and a freezer drawer full of frozen fruit, you’re halfway there. Here’s my list of go-to summer smoothies that are perfect for breakfast or snacks.
How best to make a smoothie?
Making a summer smoothie couldn’t be easier. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, you won’t even need to measure. The beauty of smoothies is that they’re flexible, quick and forgiving. And they’re a great way to sneak in a bit of fruit (or veg, if you’re feeling brave).
Here’s a basic formula I tend to follow:
1 soft fruit + 1 frozen fruit + a liquid + optional extras = smoothie sorted.
Below is a quick breakdown of the essentials:
Soft Fruit (adds creaminess & sweetness)
Think bananas, ripe pears, mango, avocado… these blend up nicely and give your smoothie that lovely thick texture. Bananas are perfect as they’re cheap and always hanging about, slowly going brown in the fruit bowl.
Frozen Fruit (keeps it chilled & fruity)
Frozen berries, pineapple, mango chunks, cherries – whatever you’ve got in the freezer. Frozen fruit keeps things cold without watering it down like ice would, and it makes smoothies nice and thick.
Top tip: Aldi and Lidl do great bags of frozen fruit that don’t cost the earth.
A Liquid (gets things moving in the blender)
You don’t need much – just enough to loosen it up. Try:
- Fruit juice (apple, orange or a blend – avoid ones with added sugar)
- Milk (dairy or any plant milk)
- Coconut water (adds a tropical twist)
- Or just plain water, if you want to keep it light
Optional Extras (if you fancy it)
Once you’ve nailed the basics, you can get creative with add-ins:
- A spoon of yoghurt for creaminess
- Oats, flaxseed, or chia seeds for extra fibre
- A scoop of protein powder if you’re into that sort of thing
- A dash of honey or maple syrup for a bit of sweetness
- A few spinach leaves – sneaky but brilliant
A blender
Well, you need a blender of some sort. We have recently purchased one of these blenders below which is just a great piece of kit. It means we can make any one of these smoothies in under a minute!
There are more powerful versions available, which may be a better fit for your budget, but for us, this one works perfectly and is more than sufficient for our needs. Highly recommended.
Quick & Tasty Smoothie Ideas to Try This Summer
Now that you’ve got the basics down, here are a few easy summer smoothie recipes to get you started. These are all proper quick (just five minutes or less) and use everyday ingredients you’ve likely already got to hand.
Some are fruity and fun for the kids, others are a bit more grown-up (perfect for when you’ve finally got five minutes to yourself). Feel free to tweak the amounts or swap bits out depending on what’s in the kitchen, these are more ideas than rules.
Let’s get blending!
1. Strawberry Mango Smoothie
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
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This strawberry mango smoothie recipe contains frozen mango chunks, strawberries, apple and mango juice and water. Easy peasy!
2. Mango Pineapple Smoothie
This mango pineapple smoothie has pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen, mango chunks, apple and mango juice and water. So refreshing next to the pool!
3. Frozen Mixed Fruit Smoothie
This frozen mixed fruit smoothie contains mixed summer berries, mango chunks, a banana and water. Just look at the colour!
4. Mango Apple Strawberry Smoothie
This Mango Apple Strawberry Smoothie contains mango chunks, strawberries, an apple, water and some yoghurt (optional). Leave the peel on the apple!
5. Strawberry Mango Banana Smoothie
This strawberry mango banana smoothie contains mango chunks, strawberries, a banana, some apple and mango juice and some water. Smoooooooth!
6. Frozen Mango Apple Banana Smoothie
This frozen mango apple banana smoothie contains mango chunks, an apple, a banana and some apple or orange juice. Enjoy!
7. Mango Blueberry Cherry Banana Smoothie
Finally, this delicious smoothie has it all and a wonderful attractive colour to make it irresistible!
8. Aloha Tropical Smoothie
If you’re after something light, fruity and a bit more exciting than the usual banana blend, this tropical smoothie is well worth a go. It’s quick to make, full of summer flavour and a firm favourite with kids and grown-ups alike.
9. Raspberry Peach Smoothie
This smoothie recipe is a lovely one for when you fancy something fruity but a bit different. The sharpness of the raspberries balances nicely with the peach, making it a refreshing smoothie choice on a warm day.
10. Bahama Mama Smoothie
This one’s a bit of a treat. This smoothie recipe is inspired by the café classic, it’s rich, fruity and full of tropical flavour. Ideal when you fancy something sweet but still want to keep it quick and simple.
I hope you try some of these and discover the fantastic versatility of the mango in all of these smoothie recipes.
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Have fun inventing your own smoothie recipes!
Using the base items as I explain above, you can make pretty much any type of summer smoothies with the fruits you have at home. I hope it inspires you to test and make a few healthy summer smoothie recipes for yourself.
Check also my quick and easy fruit salad recipe!
