The 4-Ingredient Smoothie I Make for My Kids Every Single Week

Among my five-year-old’s circle of friends, our household has become known as a great place to snack. On warm afternoons, you can bet there will be requests for one of my neighborhood-famous smoothies. Never wanting to disappoint the little ones, I’ve always got frozen fruit and juice at the ready.

My go-to recipe is more of a template—as long as I’ve got berries, tropical fruit, and juice, I can whip up something great. There’s no need for added sweeteners, dairy, or other add-ins. 

Key Smoothie Ingredients

I always include blueberries in my smoothies. We go blueberry picking every summer and stash the berries in the freezer to be used up over the course of the year. If I have some frozen strawberries around, those go in, too. You can also try frozen cherries or a mixed berry blend.

The tropical fruits include a banana, fresh or frozen. Bananas add so much sweetness and lend their smooth, silky texture to the mix. We usually have frozen mangos or pineapples on hand, too, so I’ll include at least one of those. If you’re not a fan of those flavors, frozen peaches are a great substitute.

As for the juice, my favorites are pineapple (so tangy!), then orange juice, then apple juice. Really, any juice will work as long as it’s sweet enough. I wouldn’t go for something like unsweetened cranberry juice or tart cherry juice, but most anything else in the juice aisle will be great in your smoothie. You can use water instead, but it will dilute the flavor considerably. 

Tips for Making This Smoothie Ahead

For the best texture experience, serve your smoothie straight out of the blender while it’s still thick and frosty. It’ll still be good after it’s thawed (up to two days in the fridge is fine), but it does get thinner in consistency. I keep any leftovers in a glass jar and give it a good shake before pouring, as smoothies can sometimes settle and separate in the fridge.

I like to keep a section of my freezer devoted to smoothie ingredients so they’re easy to round up when it’s time to blend up a frozen treat. And when I’m really planning ahead, I’ll throw together a few quart-sized bags with all of the fruits for a single smoothie in them, ready to go. Just dump them into the blender, pour in your juice, and blend away. 

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Tropical Berry Smoothie

To make two to four servings (about 4 1/2 cups), you’ll need:

• 2 cups fruit juice (pineapple, orange, or apple)
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen berries (I usually use a mix of 1 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup strawberries)
• 1 cup frozen mango or pineapple chunks
• 1 large banana, fresh or frozen, broken into 1-inch pieces

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Start the blender at medium-low speed, gradually turn it up to high, then blend at high speed until the smoothie is fully blended, about 30 seconds. If the mixture is too thick to blend properly, stop the blender, add a splash of juice or water, stir, and blend again. Pour into glasses and serve right away.

The smoothie will keep, refrigerated, for up to 2 days. It will become thinner/more pourable in consistency as it thaws, but is still perfectly good to drink.

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