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.
About this Cranberry Smoothie Recipe
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 winter smoothie and just look at the colour they give it! A smoothie with cranberries is the only way to go at Christmas time.
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 we would make a cranberry juice smoothie, which gives it even more of a cranberry boost!
There are only 169 calories per serving in this cranberry smoothie, making it a delicious low calorie smoothie option.
Looking for some other cranberry recipes? Try our Cranberry Bread, Cranberry Chicken, Cranberry and Brie Bites or Cranberry Orange Muffins.
Also, have a look at our collection of 25 of the best Christmas Drinks.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cranberries - Fresh cranberries add lots of colour and flavour to this winter 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 cranberry smoothie recipe 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.
Cranberry Smoothie Variations
The great thing about smoothies is that they are so easy to adapt with different fruits and various add-ins. Here are some of our favourite ways to mix it up:
- Protein Powder - Give this cranberry smoothie a protein boost with a scoop of your favourite protein powder. If you can get a cranberry protein powder then even better.
- Ginger - Winter is full of bugs, so why not try to keep your immune system topped up by adding some grated fresh ginger to the smoothie.
- Orange - Cranberry and orange go so well together. A little squeeze of fresh orange juice goes really well.
- Smoothie bowl - Turn this into a festive smoothie bowl by making it a little thicker, putting it in a bowl and then loading it with toppings.
Serving Suggestions
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
Extra Tips
- You can make this a super cooling cranberry 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.
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.
More Smoothie Recipes
If you’ve tried this cranberry smoothie recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cranberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 (1) Banana
- 20 Fresh cranberries
- 6 Strawberries
- 400 ml (1.75 cups) Cranberry Juice
- 0.5 teaspoon Cinnamon - ground
- 0.5 teaspoon Fresh ginger - ground
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Recipe 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.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Angela Ricardo Bethea says
That cranberry smoothie looks quite refreshing. I'd love to try out your recipe.
Jacqueline Meldrum says
That looks like the perfect way to start Christmas morning and I do love Ocean Spray juices. Thanks for the recipe Dannii and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Sharing now x
Ceri Jones says
Yum. A lovely lighter Christmas breakfast option (though I may have my traditional smoked salmon and scrambled eggs as well!). What an amazing colour!
Camilla Hawkins says
I love cranberry juice so this festive smoothie has my name all over it:-)
Chichi says
Omg . This looks so yum. I bet the spice really made a difference.
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
This looks so refreshing! I can't wait to try that cranberry juice.
Cindy Rodriguez says
Christmas breakfast is always one that I struggle with because I want it to be light so there's room for dinner. This smoothie would be the perfect flavor and lightness for breakfast. Thank you!
swathi says
Lovely smoothie recipe, looks delicious I never thought we can combine cranberries with banana. I am going to try it as it has my favorite spices also. . Really festive.
Diana says
This cranberry smoothie sounds so festive and tasty! I usually drink cranberry juice but didn't think about making a smoothie.
Jazmin Williams says
This sounds so tasty! I love Ocean Spray cranberry juice - my gran always buys it and I have a glass with my Sunday Dinner!
Becky says
This smoothie sound so refreshing and festive too! I have never had cinnamon in a smoothie, but Christmas seems like a good time to try it.
Chloe says
It always confuses me why juice companies don't use the whole fruit, as they are wasting so much goodness - this is a great move by Ocean Spray. A smoothie sounds like a good way to use it too.
Kacie says
I love Ocean Spray cranberry juice, it’s so refreshing! I bet it tastes great in a smoothie.
Anosa says
My sister always used to drink this brand of cranberry juice! Loving this post, what a great idea for a breakfast drink on Christmas morning. A bit different and special for christmas.
prasanna hede says
These smoothies look so delicious,plus adding cinnamon makes them apt for the Holidays too!