This blackberry smoothie recipe is the perfect way to start your day. Low in sugar, so you won’t feel any sugar crash, and yet also perfectly light + sweet.
One of my favorite memories with my kids is picking blackberries along Spring Lake Highway. A handmade sign scrawled “Blackberries” called to us and we immediately pulled in. Todd Blackberry gave us a tour and buckets then we got to work.
The large, juicy berries were calling to us and we did our best to avoid the thorns. I had no clue that blackberries grew on thorny bushes until I picked them that day.
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We definitely ate more than we took home that day! I still think of our blackberry picking day whenever I eat these beautiful summer berries.
How to Make a Blackberry Smoothie
I’m keepin’ it simple with this smoothie recipe. Only 4 ingredients to a super creamy and delicious creation. If you want a refreshingly cold smoothie, then either the blackberries or the bananas should be frozen.
To boost the protein and turn your blackberry smoothie into a filling breakfast, add in a scoop of plant based protein powder like homemade protein powder. This adds in 10 grams of protein as well as 4 grams of healthy fat which will help your body break down the natural sugar + fiber.
How to Pick the Right Coconut Milk for Smoothies
Did you know there are a few different kinds of coconut milk AND they all can be used in different ways? Let’s break them down:
Canned coconut milk: comes in full fat and low fat versions that usually have the least amount of additives.
Shelf stable coconut milk: these typically have the most amount of additives, yet are super convenient.
Refrigerated coconut milk: The newest player in the world of coconut milk, also may contain a lot of additives and sweeteners to be wary of. Just make sure to read the labels and pick an option that doesn’t have added sugars or a bunch of strange ingredients.
No matter what option you go with for this blackberry smoothie, you’ll be okay. Don’t stress out about messing up — the fact that you’re giving this a shot is a great step! If you want a new challenge, then try making your own coconut milk! It would be a delicious addition to this blackberry smoothie.
Fresh vs Frozen Blackberries
I like using fresh blackberries in smoothies. Since they have seeds and can be a little gritty, they do seem to blend better when fresh. It’s also pretty hard to find frozen blackberries!
You can always freeze them yourself to make sure your smoothie will be cold when blended. To freeze your own berries, start by picking them at the peak of their growing season. Then flash freeze on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Once frozen, toss the berries in a freezer safe bag until you’re ready to blend a blackberry smoothie.
FAQs
Yes! Berry smoothies are a great low sugar smoothie ingredient. Just make sure you use whole foods and real ingredients in your smoothies. Fruit can naturally sweeten + cream and thicken smoothies without any extras needed.
If you’ve got a high powered blender like a Vitamix, then just blend away. Still have seeds? Then you probably need to blend a bit longer. If you’re blending this smoothie in a non high powered blender, then you might not get all the seeds, yet blending in stages like the recipe below helps more of your ingredients blend smoothly.
Avoid added sugar, as fruit is sweet enough on its own! Also avoid ‘smoothie packs’ with additives, thickeners, etc as these are not 100% whole foods. Stick to fruits, veggies, and leafy greens and you’re smoothie will be great.
Low Sugar Smoothie Recipes
If you’re looking for more low sugar smoothie options like this blackberry smoothie recipe, then I’ve got you covered:
- Apple celery smoothie
- Banana peach smoothie
- Pumpkin fertility smoothie
- Healthy cherry smoothie
- Banana oatmeal smoothie
- Berry smoothie
- Melon smoothie
- Raspberry smoothie
Please let me know how this blackberry smoothie recipe turns out for you, in the comments. I love hearing from you, and hope this smoothie becomes one of your new favorites.
Creamy Blackberry Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup blackberries
- ½ banana
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Add the spinach and coconut milk to blender and blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend again.
Notes
- Use frozen blackberries or banana to chill the smoothie down.
- Swap spinach with the leafy green of your choice.
- For a thicker smoothie use canned coconut milk. For a thinner smoothie use carton coconut milk.
Made this smoothie yesterday for breakfast and it was delicious!! Added an all plant based protein powder to make it a meal replacement. Loved the creamy texture of the coconut milk. Next time I’ll add a little ginger, too!
This was good. Not as creamy due to blackberry seeds.
A nice simple creamy smoothie! I added some Greek yogurt, oats, matcha, and the magic blend of hemp hearts, chia seeds, and flax seeds for a delicious breakfast. Feel like it needs something that will help the blackberry flavour pop but not sure what.
Hi Alyssa! If you used fresh, try frozen blackberries next time. They are picked at their peak for optimum flavor before being frozen and usually have a stronger flavor.
Coconut milk made this one really creamy. I didn’t have blackberries on their own so I used frozen mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries and raspberries), which probably add a little extra sweetness. Made enough to enjoy for both breakfast and dessert.
I’ve made this smoothie before and liked it more this time. I had frozen coconut milk in ice cube trays a while back & had stored the cubes in a freezer bag, so I used those (had to add 1/2 c of water). It was all very good, the seeds were ground really well.
Love your coconut milk cube instincts here Jimmye! Pro blending!
Very good.
Nice flavor but I want to play with it… I used oat milk instead of coconut milk and I am curious about what I missed! The color was a bit off putting but that’s nothing a fun drinking vessel can’t hide!
I replaced blackberries for blueberries. Had a nice coconut with berries note with creamy mouthfeel. Enjoyed the smoothie as a meal replacement as well.
I used blueberries instead of blackberries. It was not a pretty color and was a little hard to drink if I looked at it. I’ll do blackberries next time.
This smoothie was okay. Thought it would be sweeter. I also had to add more coconut milk to make it smoother. Will tweak and try again.
Love the creaminess.
I have a hard time with the seeds in blackberries. I would definitely prefer this with almost any other berry.. or even black cherry. The coconut milk made it very rich, though! I think it would be much better with blueberries due to the tough seeds in this one.
Hi Kitty! A high power blender like Vitamix or Blendtec if available, will def blend those seeds smooth for you next time.
I love the combination in this blackberry smoothie.
It was okay but not my favorite. Although ripe, the blackberries were not very sweet. I may try again if I find sweeter berries or mix them in with another berry.
Giving frozen blackberries a blend is a great way to go in this case, Eva. Let us know if you give it a try!
I tried using black caps instead of blackberries and they got overwhelmed by the coconut milk. I ended up adding water and frozen blackberries. That did the trick although I did get some grit.
Blackberry and coconut is a creamy flavour combination! I will definitely be making this one again.