Want to learn how to make layered smoothie look? There’s a little trick to keeping the layers from blending all together!
Handy Hubby and I are smoothie OBSESSED. In the summer months, it’s an unwritten rule that we carry our smoothies out to the deck. They’re deck drinks. In the winter, we still love a good smoothie but they’re best enjoyed fireside, wearing thick socks and cozy sweaters. Preferably under a blanket.
To facilitate the smoothie obsession, we own three different blenders (because sometimes we want another smoothie while the first blender is still in the dishwasher – I kid you not). I’ve tried SO many different smoothie combinations, but I’m always on the look out for new smoothie ideas (pinned to both my “Breakfast + Brunch” and “Drinks” boards), although I rarely follow a recipe. I like to make it up as I go and I mix it up a lot, depending on what’s in the fridge and freezer – and how adventurous I’m feeling. I’ve learned that smoothies are a great carrying agent for healthier fare like greens, whey protein powder, and flax seed. I’ve also been getting pretty festive with my concoctions – I still salivate, just thinking about a pumpkin pie smoothie I made to help me get into the spirit of fall.
Lately, though, I’ve been wanting to up my smoothie game. After seeing some gorgeous layered smoothies on Pinterest, I wanted to give it a try! There’s a little trick to making a good layered smoothie, but otherwise it’s actually really easy to make.
The Secret: How to Make a Layered Smoothie:
Pop the glasses in the freezer for about 15 minutes after pouring each layer. You don’t want the layers to be frozen solid, you just want them to morph into a slushier consistency to prevent the different colors from just bleeding together. Here’s how I knew they were ready for the next layer: I shook the glasses a bit and if the smoothie sloshed around in the glass, it wasn’t ready. If it only jiggled a little, it was firm enough.
Because of this extra step, layered smoothies are a tad more time consuming so they’re not practical for a speedy workday morning, but for a lazy afternoon snack or Sunday brunch they’re perfect! Hubby and I loved how each layer had a subtle but distinct flavor, but you could definitely create wildly different layers for a unique taste experience. The best part is how pretty they are, which I swear makes food even tastier.
Here are the three smoothie variations I layered together – I kept it very simple. These measurements made two 16 oz. glasses, with a tiny bit left over for the chef. Because I was making three mini-smoothies, I used my Nutri Bullet Blender, which was perfect for the job.
Layer One:
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 scoop protein powder
Layer Two:
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen peaches
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 banana
1/2 scoop protein powder
Layer Three:
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup yogurt
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 tbsp flax seed
Sixteen other bloggers are sharing their smoothie recipes too, check them out: Simple Green Smoothies, Orange Carrot Smoothie, Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie, Peach Cobbler Smoothie, Tropical Smoothie, Simple Strawberry Smoothie, Orange Carrot Ginger Smoothie, Chamomile Blueberry and Peach Smoothie, Pineapple Spinach Smoothie, Lavender Smoothie, Green Detox Smoothie, Winter Citrus Smoothie, Chocolate Pea Protein Smoothie, and Tricks for a Healthier Smoothie.
This post, about how to make a layered smoothie, was sponsored by Wayfair, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hi Tanya 🙂 I love your photography. Though it is a sponsored post, I like how you truly make it your own and keep it real, with talent ! These smoothies just look scrumptious ! and … teeaaal napkins! Your blog is a favourite of mine. Have a great 2017 ! E.
Thank you! You really made my day with your comment 🙂 I am so happy you like the blog, that really motivates me. And I'm so grateful for the feedback on sponsored content because I know that sponsored posts can easily become a bore for readers so I try to only accept ones with a theme or topic I want to write about anyway, something I find interesting myself. I think readers might be surprised how few limitations are put on me as a blogger with the sponsored posts I accept. Often it's just a word or link, but the rest is 100% me. I'm glad this posts comes across that way. I hope you have a great year too!
This looks delicious! Wayfair seems an odd sponsor for smoothie posts but whatever, I love smoothies and wayfair so there's a connection, however tenuous. I just received my teal chair from wayfair today- I sitting in it now as I type.Great tip for layering- I didn't know that, I'd have just pour them together into one big tie-dyed mess. Your recipe(s) sound so good- even if I don't make them layered, I'm going to try them out.
They sell blenders! That's the connection 🙂 I love working with Wayfair because they're so cool about their sponsored posts – they just want great content and a little mention or a link to something they sell. They sell so many home products that their collaborations can be really varied. Yes, without the freezing the smoothie layers run together – in really weird ways: mine mixed vertically, so the left side was purple and the right side yellow, lol. I tested that first, hoping there was a lazy way. I wish I could see a photo of your new teal chair!!
You don't have a vitamix? I was ready to bite the bullet on one to make smoothies but my dr. Wants me to treat fruit as a sometimes treat (the sugar) so I didn't get one. (Trying to get over the scale being stuck)I love the look of the layered smoothies and I am thinking of ideas for my son. Is that coconut on top?
I don't have a vitamix! I have a turquoise blender bought from a family friend when we were first starting out and then I bought a cheap black one. Finally I splurged a bit on the nutribullet, which I love because I can easily make a smaller smoothie. My other two blenders wouldn't blend properly with a small batch so I was making these massive drinks. I need one of them to fail before I can justify another blender purchase, lol. I heard the vitamix is good for soups and stuff too. I totally understand the advice to see fruit as a treat – there's a lot of sugar in there that people don't realize. I've been watching my sugar intake too and I have had success adding lots of veggies (like spinach) and choosing lower glycemic fruits. Plus the protein powder and higher protein greek yogurt is good because, as I understand it, it slows the absorption of sugar. So as a sometimes treat, you might enjoy a smoothie with tons of veggies, protein powder, yogurt and a tiny bit of fruit. I thought that adding veggies would taste awful, but the experiments have turned out pretty well!Yes, I added coconut on top. With the smoothie put on ice for a bit, it's firm enough to top it without everything sinking to the bottom. But after I took my photos, we drank them right away so they're not to firm to enjoy.
Thanks for all the recipe trials, and successes, that you do and share. This looks and sounds delicious. I am slowly modifying my diet, and your blog helps so much!
I'm so glad you like these posts! I definitely backslid a little during December but I'm firmly back on the low sugar, low carb bandwagon so I'm hoping to share some more easy meal and snack ideas.
Hello there , would the taste be different by using regular milk instead of almond milk? please reply asap!
Almond milk, coconut mil, soy beverage and dairy milk all have a different taste but if you like drinking dairy milk you'll enjoy it in a smoothie. I promise it will be delicious!