I’ve got the perfect cranberry smoothie for you! Made with winter fresh ingredients, this cranberry orange combo will delight the tastebuds. This is a very wintery cranberry smoothie – and one of my favs. I love cranberries and oranges, so enjoying them together is a major bonus.
This festive smoothie tastes delicious as well as contains ingredients to boost your urinary tract health and gut health too. It’s also healthier than most cranberry smoothies because we’ve added iron-rich spinach (which you can’t even taste!)
Table of Contents
Where are Cranberries Grown?
Cranberries thrive in cooler temps. They’re commonly grown in the Northeast United States, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and British Columbia. They grow on low-lying bushes in bogs that are flooded during the yearly harvest.
While you’ll only see fresh cranberries in the late fall and early winter, they are available year-round frozen. Cranberry bushes actually need the cool, dormant period of winter to produce a crop the following year.
Cranberry Health Benefits
If you’re prone to urinary tract infections, then keep this cranberry smoothie in regular rotation as natural preventative care. Yet urinary tract health isn’t the only thing cranberries can do!
Cranberries also:
- contain powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – especially fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, vitamin C, folate, and several B vitamins.
- contain over two dozen phytonutrients, mostly in their skin, so blend into a cranberry smoothie instead of a juice!
- improve digestion
- reduce bad cholesterol
- prevent gum disease
- boost the immune system
- are low in sugar and overall calories
- have anti-inflammatory properties
Cranberry Orange Smoothie Recipe
I’m all about seasonal eating, and this smoothie ticks some great boxes! Winter brings cooler temps, and also cold + flu season. Cranberries and oranges are great natural flu fighters, and also have the most nutrients when picked fresh.
This recipe also uses spinach as the leafy green, yet you can swap in any green of your choice. Bananas provide a bit of sweetness to balance out the tang of the cranberries. Yet they can be halved if you want to lower the sugar content.
Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries
Fresh or frozen cranberries both work fine in this recipe. If you use frozen cranberries, then they will help chill your smoothie. And freezing doesn’t greatly affect the nutrient content of the fruit, though fresh will give you the most nutrients.
When you buy a bag for Thanksgiving dinner, add a few more to the cart and freeze them to use all year long.
How to boost your cranberry smoothie with protein
Most of our plant-powered smoothie recipes don’t include any extras in them. That allows our community of smoothie drinkers to customize their smoothie to fit their lifestyle. If you’d like to turn this smoothie into a powerhouse breakfast, add 1 serving of plant-based protein, like Homemade Protein Powder, to give it an extra 10 grams of protein + healthy fat.
More Natural Remedies This Holiday Season
Every winter I pull out all the natural remedies I have, to protect my whole family all season long. These remedies actually WORK, or I wouldn’t waste my time with them. If you’re looking to find some more natural ways to heal your body, check out this great list:
- Homemade fire cider
- Ginger lemon honey tea
- Homemade elderberry syrup
- Vitamin C smoothie cubes
- Homemade vapor rub
Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you make it! I love getting your feedback.
Holiday Cranberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup cranberries
- 1 orange peeled
- ½ banana frozen
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Place spinach and water in blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add fruit and blend again.
- Serve over ice if you want it colder.
Notes
- Use at least one frozen fruit to make the smoothie cold or serve over ice.
- Swap in any leafy green of your choice for the spinach.
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.
Love the ideas on how to boost or alter smoothie. Very helpful. The tang of cranberries, while tasty, doesn’t always set well with my belly so sometimes I do use one of the change up ideas! Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing! That is why we love this challenge because you get to really know what works for you and what doesn’t.
Not my favorite b/c I am not huge on cranberries nor orange, but still good to try new things and would be loved by others, I bet.
Hey Martianne,
That is why we love this challenge because you get to really know what works for you and what doesn’t.
Love The cranberries! This will definitely go into the permanent rotation 🙂
I used raspberry instead since I couldn’t find any cranberry. I like the slight tartness from the raspberry.
Hey Sheera,
Love that substitute option. So awesome you made this smoothie work for you!
This was my first time using cranberries in a smoothie, and I am now a huge fan. The orange and cranberry combo is a winner.
Hey Elizabeth,
Thank you for sharing how much you loved this recipe!
First time I ever use cranberries in my smoothies and I L O V E them now!!!!
Hey Carmen,
That is so awesome that you loved it so much! Cranberries for the win!!
I love cranberries so I loved this smoothie. It was very tart and sweet at the same time.
Yay for cranberries!!