Close-up of orange smoothie in a glass with a glass straw.

Who needs ice cream when you can make a smoothie that tastes like your favorite frozen treat? This orange-vanilla smoothie tastes like the Creamsicle/Dreamsicle you loved so much as a kidโ€”but instead itโ€™s packed full of nutrition that makes it a perfectly acceptable breakfast or snack.

One note here: itโ€™s really important to have a high-powered blender for this one, because standard blenders canโ€™t handle the orange slices very well. Letโ€™s get blending!

Mockup of the pages of the Ultimate Healthy School Lunches eBook
The Ultimate Guide to Healthy School Lunches

Weโ€™ve packed (pun intended!) all our knowledge from years ofย making school lunches into one digital master guide!

buy now
Overhead of the five ingredients needed to make an orange smoothie.

What do I need for a fresh orange smoothie?

The ingredients for this smoothie are pretty straightforward:

  • Frozen banana. The frozen banana is a triple threat: it thickens the smoothie, chills it so that you donโ€™t need ice, and adds some natural sweetness.
  • Orange or clementines. You canโ€™t have an orange smoothie without oranges! I do like using clementines in place of regular navel oranges, thoughโ€”they are a little easier to blend and are usually seedless.
  • Milk. You can use whatever milk you preferโ€”regular cowโ€™s milk, unsweetened soy milk, coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk…the choice is yours!
  • Plain Greek yogurt. This adds more creamy texture to your smoothie, and gives it a little more staying power so you arenโ€™t immediately hungry again.
  • Vanilla extract. The vanilla is what takes this from a standard orange flavor to full-on creamsicle flavor!
  • Honey or maple syrup. Taste test your smoothie before you sweeten itโ€”you may not need any added sweetener!

Wholefully Protip

On your next grocery run, grab an extra bunch of bananas. Peel them, break them into pieces, and freeze them flat on a baking sheet. Youโ€™ll be ready for your next few rounds of smoothies.

Top view of frothy smoothie with fresh ingredients around it.

Donโ€™t I need ice?

Not if you are using a frozen banana! Ice is usually added to chill and thicken a smoothie, but frozen fruit can serve that purpose too!

Wholefully Protip

If you are using a fresh banana instead of frozen, youโ€™ll need to add a handful of ice to the blender.

Can I make an orange smoothie without banana?

Yep! You can try one of the following:

  • Replace the banana with ยฝ cup plain Greek yogurt and some ice cubes.
  • Substitute half a ripe avocado and a handful of ice for the frozen banana. Youโ€™ll also want to add a touch more sweetener.
  • Use canned pineapple or pears and a handful of ice cubes instead of the banana.
Orange smoothie in a glass with a glass straw.

How do I make this smoothie vegan?

Use soy milk or unsweetened nut milk, replace the Greek yogurt with non-dairy yogurt, and sweeten with maple syrup instead of honey.

Whatโ€™s the best blender to make this smoothie?

Because of the orange slices, we recommend working with a high-powered blender to get this orange smoothie nice and, well, smooth! Here are two recommendations:

  • STARTER: Ninja Professional Blenderโ€”For under a $100, you get an incredibly powerful blender that makes a dreamy, creamy smoothie.
  • SPLURGE: Vitamix Professional Blenderโ€”A Vitamix is the top of the line when it comes to blenders, and itโ€™s what we use everyday in the Wholefully test kitchen.
Overhead of creamsicle smoothie with orange segments and banana slices.

How do I make an orange smoothie?

For the best results, youโ€™ll want to add the ingredients to the blender in this order:

  1. Add the yogurt and milk to the blender first.
  2. Drop in your frozen banana, followed by your citrus.
  3. Top it off with the vanilla and any mix-ins (more on those in a sec).

We recommend waiting to add the honey or maple syrup until youโ€™ve blended and tasted your smoothie. Some bananas are sweeter than others, so you may not need the added sweetener! It is always easier to make a smoothie sweeter than to make it less sweet.

Blended smoothie served up in a glass with fresh fruit around it.

Is there a way to get more vitamins and minerals into this smoothie?

This recipe makes a creamy orange smoothie, but you can add whatever seeds or powders that youโ€™d like! For this one, I might add:

  • Chia seeds. Not only will chia seeds thicken your already dreamy-creamy smoothie, but they will also give you a ton of omega-3s.
  • Ginger. Ginger has a ton of health benefits, and adds a little spice to your smoothie, too.
  • Turmeric. Turmeric works as an anti-inflammatory. As a bonus, its yellow color will make your smoothie even more orange-tastic!

If you find a set of mix-ins that you really like, you can freeze them into booster packs for super quick smoothie-making.

 
Close-up of orange smoothie in a glass with a glass straw.

Dreamy Orange Smoothie Recipe

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This sweet and creamy smoothie is like a creamsicle in a glass. The orange-vanilla flavors marry beautifully in this simple nutrition-packed treat.

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 orange, peeled or 2 clementines, peeled
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)
  • Honey or maple syrup, to taste

Instructions

    Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup/honey in a blender and blend until smooth. Sweeten to taste.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 174mgCarbohydrates: 92gFiber: 6gSugar: 61gProtein: 23g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

Where can I find more smoothie recipes?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

8 Comments

  1. This was really good. I added in some collagen peptides and it was a perfect after dinner sweet option for me. Thank you!

  2. I made this smoothie and it was super delicious! I didn’t have Greek yogurt but vanilla yogurt worked just as well, I just didn’t use the vanilla extract. However, this actually made a lot more than I was expecting, so if you are only looking for a true single serving I would suggest cutting the recipe down by half or even a third.