What better way to start the day during the festive season than with a Christmas Spiced Cranberry Smoothie. A nutrient dense and vibrant smoothie, it is bursting with cinnamon and ginger to give it that festive edge. The perfect winter smoothie and a delicious way to use cranberries.
If there is one ingredient that screams Christmas, it's cranberries. Make a sauce with them, put them in some porridge, add them to salads, it's all good. But they are also delicious in a smoothie and just look at the colour they give it!
Usually cranberries are used in a juice as a cocktail mixer in our house, which is still very much a favourite use, but there is so much more you can do with them. We would usually add milk to a smoothie, but seeing as we were going with a festive twist, we thought 'why not cranberry juice?', which gives it even more of a cranberry boost!
Looking for some other ways to use cranberries? Why not try our Cranberry Bread, Cranberry Chicken, Cranberry and Brie Bites or Cranberry Orange Muffins.
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Why should you try it?
- Low in calories - There are only 163 calories per serving in this smoothie, making it a delicious low calorie smoothie option.
- A festive twist on a smoothie - Smoothies don't have to stop in the winter months and this is a great festive twist with the cranberries and cinnamon.
- Kids love them - Our kids love these because of the colour and it's an easy way to introduce them to a new fruit.
- A new way to enjoy cranberries - If you only usually have cranberries in a sauce on your turkey, then this is a delicious new way to enjoy them.
What you will need
- Cranberries - Fresh cranberries add lots of colour and flavour to this smoothie. You can only usually find them in stores during the Christmas season, so frozen cranberries can be used the rest of the year.
- Cranberry juice - Instead of using milk or water like we would other smoothies, we have used cranberry juice to give it an extra cranberry boost.
- Bananas - This helps to thicken the smoothie up. The cranberries have a strong flavour, so you won't taste too much banana in this. You could use frozen bananas to make it thicker and colder.
- Strawberries - An easy way to add more fruit, and also add to the vibrant flavour.
- Cinnamon and Ginger - This is where all the festive flavour comes from. Adjust to suit your own tastes.
Health benefits of cranberries
Why do we love cranberries so much? The humble cranberry is one of the most nutrient-dense fruits out there. Cranberries are probably most well-known for their association in the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Fresh cranberries are very low in sugar, which contributes to their sour taste.
Cranberries are also a good source of vitamin C, E, K1, manganese, and copper.
What to serve with a Cranberry Smoothie
We love smoothies for breakfast or snack, however we don't find them filling enough for a full meal. If you are having one for breakfast, here are some of our favourite dishes to serve it alongside:
- Porridge Fingers
- Banana Porridge
- Mexican Beans on Toast
- No Bake Granola Bars
- Feta and Asparagus Frittata
- Smashed Avocado on Toast
Frequently asked questions
This is such a quick and easy recipe, so it's always best to make it fresh. However, if you have made too much or you want to make it ready for an easy breakfast the next day, then you can store it in the fridge. It will be fine for 24 hours - just make sure to give it a really good stir before serving.
If you want to mix this up a little, then you could swap the cranberries for cherries and then add some cocoa powder too for a chocolate cherry smoothie. YUM!
This is a naturally vegan smoothie. Just make sure to use maple syrup instead of honey if you want to sweeten it.
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries to make this. Perfect for the summer months.
Frozen banana and cranberries add lots of natural sweetness to a smoothie, however you could add a little bit extra with some maple syrup. You could swap this for honey, or your favourite liquid sweetener.
If you don't like sweet smoothies, that you could easily leave it out and just have the sweetness from the fruit.
Extra tips
- You can make this a super cooling smoothie by using frozen cranberries instead.
- Add a little extra sweetness by adding a little honey or maple syrup if you want it to be vegan.
- Too much cranberry for you? Swap the cranberry juice for milk or water and just use fresh cranberries.
More smoothie recipes
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Recipe
Cranberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 Large banana
- 20 fresh cranberries
- 6 Strawberries
- 400 ml Cranberry Juice
- 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon ground
- 0.5 teaspoon Ginger ground
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Notes
- You can make this a super cooling smoothie by using frozen cranberries instead.
- Add a little extra sweetness by adding a little honey or maple syrup if you want it to be vegan.
- Too much cranberry for you? Swap the cranberry juice for milk or water and just use fresh cranberries.
Amy
Ooh this sounds so delicious!! I will be definitely be trying this over the Christmas period. Thanks for sharing x
Prash
That smoothie looks lush! I am craving for it now!Xxx
Lubka Henry
I love cranberry juice and its so healthy. I need to try this festive recipe xx
Elise Cohen Ho
I had no idea that they had this product. Cranberries have great benefit. Something like this makes it easy to get the benefits year round.
Jess
OOO YES! I bloody love cranberry juice so this is right up my street! I often find that bananas take over smoothies though. What's your favourite alternative? I'll try the recipe over Christmas :).