Cherry Smoothie Recipe Without Banana
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This banana-free cherry smoothie uses yogurt to give a thick, deliciously creamy texture without the heavy fruit base. It is a refreshing, nutrient-packed option that works perfectly for a quick breakfast or a light afternoon snack.
Cherry Smoothie With Yogurt
This smoothie recipe is for those who love creamy yogurt and do not want to mix the banana in the smoothie. And it offers you an idea of what to mix into the cherry smoothie to make a delicious, nutritious drink without any banana flavor.
As much as we may love bananas, sometimes we just want to opt out of putting them in our smoothie mix. At least, we do not want to put it in every time we make a smoothie. Because let’s admit it, bananas can leave a strong flavor in a smoothie mix, can’t they?
Ingredients You Need
What you may love about this smoothie recipe is that you can use either fresh or frozen Morello cherries. If you use fresh ones, make sure to remove the seeds. You don’t want them in your smoothie, right?
For other ingredients, I use yogurt, nut butter, chia seeds, and water in this smoothie. And sometimes I use demerara sugar, coconut sugar/palm sugar, or honey as a sweetener. Because sometimes the cherries may not be sweet or taste a bit bland. So in that case, I put a little sugar or honey. You can opt this out if you like. Likewise, you can add less or more to suit your personal taste.
When it comes to yogurt, I love Greek-style yogurt. Because it’s creamier and less sour. But feel free to choose natural yogurt or any other flavorless yogurt that you like.
To add extra creaminess and richness to the smoothie, I often add nut butter. And my favorites are either peanut butter or hazelnut butter. A spoon or two of nut butter makes the smoothie heavenly and yummy.
As for the liquid to mix, either coconut water or sparkling water is my recommendation. Simply because either one gives more taste to the smoothie. However, you can always use regular drinking water or still/ mineral water.
How to Make Cherry Smoothie
1. Prep the Base: Add your cherries and yogurt to the blender. Using frozen cherries will give you a frostier, thicker consistency without needing extra ice.
2. Add Your Mix-ins: Spoon in the nut butter and chia seeds for a hit of protein and healthy fats, which help thicken the texture as they blend.
3. Add your choice of sweetener: I use demerara sugar more often than not. But you can drizzle some honey or a spoonful or two of coconut sugar/palm sugar.
4. Pour and Liquidize: Pour in your choice of liquid—I often use coconut water, or sparkling water.
5. The Perfect Blend: Blend everything on high for about 2 minutes. This ensures the chia seeds and fruit skins are fully pulverized, resulting in a silky, professional-grade smoothie.
6. Enjoy your cherry smoothie.
Top Tips
- Freeze Your Fruit: For the creamiest, thickest texture without thinning the flavor with ice cubes, use frozen cherries, or freeze them in advance if you have fresh ones on hand.
- Layering Matters: Always put your solids (cherries) in first, then your liquids, to help the blender blades catch properly and prevent air pockets.
- Adjust the Thickness: If your smoothie is too thick, add an extra splash of liquid. If it’s too thin, add another tablespoon of yogurt or a few more frozen cherries and pulse again.
- The “Chia Soak”: If you have time, let the smoothie sit for 2–3 minutes after blending; the chia seeds will expand slightly, making the drink even more filling. Even better if you soak the seeds in the liquid you are using beforehand.
Energy-Boosting Drink to Enjoy All Day
Thanks to the health benefits that each ingredient of this smoothie has to offer, this purple-colored smoothie can be one of your energy-boosting drinks that you can enjoy any time of the day.
As a little reminder, cherries are good for our health because they help lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, and speed up recovery after exercise.
And Greek yogurt is full of probiotics that support gut health. It is also high in calcium, vitamin B12, potassium, and amino acids.
So, you can have this cherry smoothie for a quick breakfast in a glass, or enjoy it as a healthy dessert after your meal. Also, you can drink the smoothie as an afternoon snack.
But if you fancy having a bit of a treat in a drink, you can try this cookies and cream protein shake by Fits A Mama Bear.
Storing the Smoothie
Technically, you can freeze the smoothie and keep it for 2 months.
But really, I would just freeze the cherries and blend them into delicious drinks whenever needed. Because it doesn’t take time at all. It literally takes 2 minutes to blend.
And if you make it in a batch, you can store the smoothie in the fridge for a week.
Cherry Smoothie Recipe With Yogurt And Without Banana
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup morello cherries frozen or fresh pitted ones.
- ½ cup Greek style yogurt.
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar/ palm sugar or honey optional. See the note.
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds.
- 2 tablespoons nut butter see the note.
- 1 ½ cups spring mineral water/ still water sparkling water, coconut water or drinking water (see the note).
Instructions
- Place the cherries in the blender.
- Add in the yoghurt, nut butter, sugar or honey (if using), and chia seeds.
- Pour in the liquid. And blend it all for about 2 minutes or until you get a nice thick smoothie.
Notes
- Some cherries can be very sweet and flavoursome, while some others may be bland. So, you can omit the sugar or honey if you find the fruits are sweet enough. Feel free to add more or less according to your taste.
- You can use peanut butter, almond butter or hazelnut butter. I personally like hazelnut or peanut butter.
- When it comes to liquid, I personally prefer coconut water or sparkling water. Because it gives more taste and flavour to the smoothie.
Nutrition
Devy founded So Yummy Recipes and Drizzling Flavor to share her love of food after exploring various cultures and cuisines for more than two decades. Her mission is to help others easily recreate traditional and non-traditional food with readily available ingredients. Her works have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Al Jazeera, MSN, Yahoo, Bon Appétit, and more.
