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I’ve got the perfect use for those leftover cranberries this holiday season: a Cranberry Smoothie! If you’ve never tried cranberry in a smoothie then you need to blend this recipe. It’s tart, creamy, tangy and has that classic orange and cranberry pairing.
It’s also a no-banana smoothie that’s dairy-free and can easily turn into a healthy breakfast smoothie or snack.
Once you’ve finished prepping for your Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes or next holiday party, instead of losing those leftover cranberries in the back of the refrigerator put them in the freezer! Then you’ll be ready to enjoy this gorgeous pink berry smoothie whenever the mood strikes, especially if you need something to balance out that pan of Gluten-Free Brownies.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for a Cranberry Smoothie
This fruit smoothie is a party of flavors and hits just right for those of us who like a bit of sharpness. Here’s what I’m putting in the blender:
- Orange juice: Use high pulp (more fiber!) and find one with no added sugar.
- Cranberries: When this berry starts showing up in my grocery store I often grab more than one bag and freeze them to use in my Cranberry Green Smoothie as well as mixed into Steel Cut Oats and more.
- Frozen pineapple: This is a staple in my freezer drawer since it goes in so many smoothies. It’s a great way to get more vitamin C into this smoothie as well as natural sweetness.
- Frozen peaches: I’m adding peaches for added creaminess. Frozen ones work best, and should be easy to find in the freezer section of the grocery store.
- Chia seeds: Since this fruit smoothie is high in natural sugar and a little on the thin side I’m tossing in chia seeds right from the get-go. Chia seeds add protein and healthy fats and turn into a gel that thickens up a smoothie easily.
Cranberries come from the same family as blueberries and have all the superfood powers, too. They have super special plant compounds that can help prevent stomach cancer as well as urinary tract infections.
Easy Swaps in your Cranberry Smoothie
Smoothies are great because you can customize them depending on your taste preferences and the time of day you’re blending. Here are a few easy swaps for this fun recipe to make it fit your nutritional needs:
If you don’t have orange juice on hand then use 1 orange (peeled) + 1/4 cup water.
To turn this smoothie into a meal replacement add Greek yogurt, vegan yogurt or homemade protein powder. Look for yogurt that is sugar-free or has a low sugar content.
Swap peaches with frozen mango. Use fresh or frozen cranberries. If you’ve got a cup of leftover cranberry sauce then you can use that, too!
How to Control the Level of Sweetness
We all have very different taste preferences, and that’s okay! People take the same smoothie and bump up the sweetness or tone it down to make sure it’s just the way they like it. Here are a few tricks to get the sweetness levels in this beverage perfect for you.
If this smoothie isn’t sweet enough for you then add in honey or maple syrup, really any natural sweetener you want. If it’s too sweet then you can swap the fresh orange juice with a whole orange instead or use 1/2 cup orange juice + 1/2 cup dairy-free milk or water.
You can also swap the orange juice with unsweetened cranberry juice and one orange (peeled). It will change the flavor yet still taste great.
How to Make a Cranberry Smoothie
This smoothie is super simple to make since it doesn’t have leafy greens.
Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to ensure all ingredients are fully pureed.
Step 2: Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy!
Depending on the type of blender you have, you may not need to stop and scrape down the sides. If you see some ingredients not getting fully integrated, feel free to take this step. No one wants to drink a chunky smoothie.
Cranberry Smoothie FAQs
Raw cranberries are great in smoothies! Since they are pretty tart, pair them with sweeter fruits like oranges or bananas to help balance out the sharpness. I like to freeze leftover cranberries and then toss them in by the handful into any mixed berry smoothie I’m making.
Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants and plant compounds that can help fight cancer, UTIs and heart disease. Adding some to your next smoothie will benefit your body in a wide variety of ways. Plus if you want to enjoy them during their fresh season, they are an inexpensive fruit to buy!
Yes, cranberries are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese and vitamin E, among other vitamins and minerals. They actually have unique plant compounds that help them prevent urinary tract infections. Other antioxidants and nutrients in cranberries can help prevent various cancers.
More Holiday Smoothie Recipes
Using seasonal produce means leaning into what is already available. If you haven’t noticed, it’s hard to find cranberries outside of Autumn/Winter! So don’t be afraid to dive into some new flavors and try a Fig Smoothie or Pomegranate Smoothie, depending on what’s available at the grocery store.
If cold smoothies are hard to sip during cooler months then you can also turn to warm smoothies! My warm Apple Pie Smoothie is a welcome hug while this warm Hot Chocolate Smoothie is a great snack for the family after a chilly day outside.
If you find yourself making sweet potatoes on repeat this time of year, then use the leftovers for a Sweet Potato Smoothie. Sometimes the most unique ingredients make the best smoothies.
Will you rate + review this Cranberry Smoothie once you try it? And let me know if you make any swaps!
Orange Cranberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice high pulp, no added sugar
- 1 cup cranberries frozen
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup peaches frozen
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
For Garnish:
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- cranberries sliced
- pineapple sliced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
- Pour into a glass and enjoy! Top with any ingredients you want for a more elevated finish.
Equipment
Notes
- For lower natural sugar, use 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup water or sparkling water.
- Swap peaches with nectarines or mango.
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Feel free to add 1 cup of leafy greens per serving.
- Swap chia seeds with hemp hearts or homemade protein powder.
First time I’ve tried the Cranberry Smoothie.
I am hooked, the taste was so fresh & crisp, perfect for Fall weather.
I subbed Mango for the Pineappke.
This recipe is a Winner. It will be in my weekly rotation.
Thanks JEN.
This is so festive! Tangy yet not too sour.
Loved this. It may not be the most appetizing color, but it tastes great. I used fresh oranges off my tree and this was excellent. I loved it because it is not too sweet. Great immunity booster.
Hi Susan- I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Fresh oranges are amazing to use and how great that you get to use your own! You’ll have to try the Orange Julius Smoothie as well!
This is tasty, I actually changed it up a bit, and I used 2 antioxidant smoothie cubes and 2 vitamin c cubes, half of a banana and spinach with coconut water, oh and a scoop of protein powder. It’s yummy. I do usually have fresh cranberries but we like to just eat those by the handful!
Delicious idea Tracy!
Day 7 smoothie challenge I switched to this smoothie. I love cranberries. It’s not too sweet n not too tart just the right balance. I did use a whole banana. Love this smoothie n cranberries so good for you❤️
Really enjoyed this smoothie. I only had dried cranberries and it worked really well. My fruit was ripe so no sugar was necessary.
I used 2 small mandarine oranges.
Delicious!
I’m so glad it tasted great with the dried cranberries— I like that idea!
First time smoothie maker. Actually liked the recipe. Mine was little bland because I used 1 1/2 clementines instead of an orange and the banana was not ripe enough. Added a little bit of salt and freshly ground black pepper, all the ingredients came together. Definitely a keeper.
This was a little watery when I made it (I think my orange had a LOT of water in it), so I added in 2 scoops of homemade protein powder, and it blended up + thickened nicely. Good smoothie!
I love this smoothie! I had it for breakfast so added whey protein powder, oats soaked overnight in almond milk and for my healthy fats I added 18g almonds. This made it super creamy and filling!
This one is interesting, I think cranberries will take some getting used to but it not bad.
Hey Nicole,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this smoothie recipe. If it was too tart you can always add in some extra all natural sweeteners, like dates, honey, or maple syrup!
My cranberry skins didn’t all blend so well, but i was surprised how good it was. Next fall I will for sure buy extra fresh cranberries to freeze for smoothies!!!
Hey Jessica,
If your cranberries didn’t blend so well, I would try blending that first with your liquid and then add the other ingredients in.
Hi Jen
Can I use dried cranberries and how much,pls?
Thanks in advance, Sam
Hey Sam,
You can totally add some dried cranberries instead. I would probably add a couple teaspoons of water since they do not have any liquid in them.
Enjoy!
I saw that it’s okay to use dried cranberries you advised a couple teaspoons of water but the recipe calls for 1 cup of water so if we are using dried do you suggest 1/2 Cup of cranberries and 2 tsp of water of 1 cup of water +2tsp pls advise!
Yes I would add the 2 tsp of water in addition to the 1 cup of water. That way your smoothie is not too thick with the dried cranberries.
While I was excited about the orange-cranberry combo, I was also a little hesitant about it being in smoothie form. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was! It was quite tart, and I considered adding some agave nectar or honey, but really didn’t want to add the sugar and made it through just fine. haha I actually had cranberries and an orange leftover from Christmas, so this was a perfect way to use them up!
Hey Dawn,
I am so happy that you still gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Don’t ever feel guilty about adding in some extra sweeteners. Sometimes the fruits we use are not fully ripe so they are not as sweet which will make your smoothie not as enjoyable. So feel free to add in some dates, honey, or maple syrup!
We loved this one! We added a tbsp of chia seeds and a scoop of vegan protein powder. It was great! My kids loved it too!
Hey Kim,
That sounds so delicious! Way to make it into a meal!!
Day 5. Made this with a small change. Couldn’t find cranberries so I used “lingonberries” instead. So good! #simplegreensmoothies #simplegreensmoothies30daychallenge
Hey Anette,
That is a really great substitute! So glad you were able to make this smoothie work for you.