Happy New Year! It's that time when salads and smoothies reign after weeks of indulgent holiday meals. On one hand, I get it, because I also would like to eat something green after living off lasagna and cookies for a month. But on the other, it's still really cold out and I don't want to eat (or drink) cold things. Give me a smoothie on the side of a warm stir fry or soup. But I still get the appeal of a good smoothie for breakfast—it's tasty, portable, and you can pack a bunch of raw kale into it. It's like sneaking vegetables into pasta sauce for kids, but for yourself. If I'm going to make a smoothie for breakfast, it needs to be full of good ingredients and also taste delicious, and I also can't be hungry an hour later. This blueberry avocado smoothie fits the bill. It's substantial, flavorful, and full of healthy fats and antioxidants. It contains no banana, but it has a creamy texture thanks to the avocado and cashew butter.
I used to live near a juice and smoothie place where I would get these blueberry almond butter smoothies. They were creamy, mildly sweet, and the almond butter gave it a bit of a vanilla flavor. While I love a tart, tropical smoothie, this smoothie was more mellow. While this blueberry avocado smoothie is pretty different from that smoothie, I used parts of it as inspiration. This smoothie is not overly fruity—it's earthy with a hint of vanilla flavor from the cashew butter.
You can use any type of frozen berries and non-dairy milk in this berry avocado smoothie. I used a frozen fruit blend with blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries, and blended everything together with oat milk. Cashew milk (I have a recipe for homemade cashew milk that would be delicious!) or almond milk would also be great. I don't think I'd choose soy since the flavors of this smoothie are on the delicate side and you might be able to taste the beany flavor of the soy milk.
Avocado in a smoothie?
Yas! The avocado in this smoothie steps in and delivers creaminess, thickness, and a dose of healthy fats. It's there for both texture and flavor—you can taste a subtle avocado flavor even over the berries. Avocado is a common bubble tea and milkshake flavor, especially in Asia. If you're new to avocado in dessert and sweet drinks, you're in for a treat!
Banana haters, rejoice! This smoothie contains no banana
I'm not a huge fan of bananas. The only way I like to eat them is if they're underripe, and I can tolerate them in smoothies as long as the flavor is not too strong. I often blend frozen bananas into smoothies since it's an easy way to add sweetness and thickness, but they kind of make every smoothie have the same underlying banana flavor. Sometimes you gotta mix it up, y'know? And for people who absolutely hate bananas or are allergic to them, it can be hard to find a smoothie recipe with no banana. Instead of banana, the avocado and frozen berries add thickness to this smoothie, and agave nectar adds extra sweetness.
Why does my smoothie taste bitter or chalky?
If your smoothie tastes kind of blah, it's probably because your berries or avocado are lacking flavor, or you added too much kale. Try adding some more lemon or orange juice before reaching for more sweetness. The acidity will add some tartness that will balance out the flavors, and liven up the smoothie. If that doesn't do the trick, add more agave. Everyone has different tastes, so you might need to tweak the ratios a bit. Luckily smoothies are very forgiving!
Get the recipe:
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
This blueberry avocado smoothie is blended with kale, and lightly sweetened with agave nectar. It contains no banana and gets its creaminess from avocado and cashew butter.
Ingredients
- 1 small avocado
- 2 ½ cups frozen blueberries or mixed berries, see note
- 1 tablespoon cashew butter
- 1 cup kale
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk, see note
- ½ cup ice cold water or orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavors as needed.
Notes
- Make sure you're using frozen berries. Since this smoothie contains no frozen banana, the berries add thickness to the smoothie and keep it cold.
- You can use any kind of non-dairy milk in this smoothie. I recommend almond, cashew, or oat.
- The kale adds a slight bitterness that you might not be used to if you don't usually make green smoothies. Feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out if you're not a fan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1 smoothieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 310Unsaturated Fat: 0g
[…] Blueberry Avocado Smoothie […]