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    Home » Smoothie Tips

    How to make thick smoothies

    Published: Sep 19, 2022 | Modified: Sep 19, 2022 by Bree

    This post contains affiliate links for which I may earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) should you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

    A yellow smoothie next to banana slices and mango chunks.

    Smoothies are easy to make and can be packed with nutrients, making them great as a quick breakfast or healthy snack.

    But they aren’t so great when they are thin and watery. If you want to know how to make smoothies that are nice and thick, check out the tips below!

    A yellow smoothie next to banana slices and mango chunks.

    Tips for making thick smoothies

    Use frozen banana

    There is a reason you’ll find frozen banana listed as an ingredient in so many smoothies. They create a thick, smooth, and creamy texture when blended into smoothies.

    Frozen bananas are especially useful when making thick smoothie bowls. Try these smoothie bowl recipes:

    • Coffee Banana Smoothie Bowl
    • Blueberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
    • Cookie Dough Smoothie Bowl
    • Cherry Smoothie Bowl
    • Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
    A cherry smoothie bowl next to a small bowl of cherries.

    If you make a lot of smoothies and you like them nice and thick, I recommend keeping frozen bananas in your freezer at all times. Start by peeling your bananas, then cut each one in half. Layer them in airtight containers, separating each layer with a piece of parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

    Whenever you are making a smoothie, just grab whatever amount of frozen banana you want from a container. Monitor your stock and add more when you are running low.

    Use other frozen fruit

    Even though frozen bananas will give the creamiest texture to a smoothie, other frozen fruit will also thicken a smoothie. I like to make most of my smoothies with only frozen fruit instead of fresh.

    To be prepared, I keep bags of chopped and frozen fruit in my freezer. You can buy these bags from the grocery store to make things easier, but you could also buy fresh fruit and freeze it yourself. Just make sure you chop it into pieces and separate layers with parchment paper to prevent the pieces from freezing together.

    Add avocado

    Avocado has a thick and creamy texture, so it makes a great addition to a smoothie.

    Tips for using avocado in smoothies:

    • Make sure the avocado is ripe. It should be somewhat soft.
    • Don’t add too much – the taste can become overpowering depending on what other ingredients are in the smoothie.

    Try these avocado smoothies:

    • Avocado Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie
    • Avocado Pineapple Smoothie
    Overhead view of a chocolate avocado smoothie with chia seeds on top.

    Add some chia seeds

    You may know that when chia seeds are soaked in liquid, they develop a gel-like texture and thicken up, like you see in chia pudding.

    This also works if you blend chia seeds into a smoothie. If you blend in some chia seeds and let your smoothie sit for a few minutes, it will thicken.

    Adding chia seeds to your smoothie is also a great way to get some plant-based protein and omega 3s into your diet!

    Try these smoothies that contain chia seeds:

    • Pineapple Banana Smoothie
    • Watermelon Pineapple Smoothie
    • Mango Banana Smoothie
    • Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie
    • Orange Mango Smoothie
    A green smoothie topped with chia seeds, with spinach and mango in the background.

    Add some nut butter

    Nut butter such as peanut butter or almond butter will add some thickness to your smoothie while also adding some delicious flavor!

    Don’t just add nut butter to any smoothie though. You need to make sure the flavor will work with the other ingredients in your smoothie.

    Try these nut butter smoothies:

    • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
    • Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • Blueberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • Almond Butter Banana Smoothie
    A smoothie topped with almond butter next to oats and banana pieces.

    Add rolled oats

    Rolled oats add some nutrition, make your smoothie more filling, and thicken it up! Adding rolled oats to a smoothie also makes it perfect for breakfast.

    Try these oat smoothies:

    • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
    • Almond Butter Banana Smoothie

    Add ice or other frozen liquids

    Ice cubes are a great way to thicken and chill your smoothie, especially if you aren’t using any frozen fruit. If you use this method to thicken your smoothie, make sure you drink it immediately after blending.

    It will initially thicken your smoothie, but after a while the ice will end up watering down your smoothie and thinning it out.

    You can also freeze your milk of choice to blend into smoothies, or even freeze coffee for coffee smoothies.

    Try this Peanut Butter Frozen Coffee or this Banana Coffee Smoothie Bowl.

    A spoonful of a coffee smoothie bowl, with the bowl in the background.

    Use less liquid

    Of course using less liquid will thicken your smoothie. In order to use as little liquid as possible, start with less than a recipe calls for and try blending. If your smoothie won’t blend, add a bit more liquid and try again. Continue until the smoothie blends.

    Using less liquid will be easier if your frozen fruit is chopped up. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you can chop your frozen banana in smaller pieces so they blend more readily with less liquid.

    Buy a high-powered blender

    To make using less liquid in your smoothie easier, I recommend using a high-powered blender. It will make blending thick smoothies so much easier! I use a Vitamix, but a Blendtec is also a great option (<- Amazon affiliate links).

    Check out this Vitamix review if you are thinking of buying one. You won’t regret it!

    A blueberry milkshake in a blender.

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    A yellow smoothie next to banana slices and mango chunks.
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    Here you will find delicious smoothie recipes made with fruits, veggies, and more. You can even make smoothies that taste like dessert!

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