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!)

Cranberry Smoothie with Orange and Banana
Table of Contents
  1. Where are Cranberries Grown?
  2. Cranberry Health Benefits
  3. Cranberry Orange Smoothie Recipe
  4. Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries
  5. More Natural Remedies This Holiday Season
  6. Holiday Cranberry Smoothie Recipe

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.

Healthy Holiday Cranberry Smoothie

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
Fresh oranges, banana and spinach in this holiday smoothie recipe

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.

Cranberry Orange Banana on a cutting board

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.

Blended cranberries and oranges in a smoothie recipe

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:

Don’t forget to rate + review this recipe once you make it! I love getting your feedback.

Cranberry Smoothie with Orange and Banana
4.37 from 92 votes

Holiday Cranberry Smoothie

This is a very wintery cranberry smoothie—and one of my favorites. I love cranberries and oranges! Feel free to add 1 tsp MCT oil to get an energy boost and increase your metabolism.
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Beverage, Breakfast
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 1

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 658mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 3176IU, Vitamin C: 90mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

About the Author

Jen Hansard

I went from exhausted mama to running across the Grand Canyon, riding & hiking to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America with my kids. How? I fell in love with the smoothies and plant-based meals you can find on my blog.

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Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 4 stars
    This one is interesting, I think cranberries will take some getting used to but it not bad.

    1. 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!

  4. 4 stars
    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!!!

    1. 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.

    1. 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!

    2. 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!

    3. 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.

  5. 4 stars
    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!

    1. 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!

  6. 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!

    1. Hey Kim,

      That sounds so delicious! Way to make it into a meal!!

  7. 5 stars
    Day 5. Made this with a small change. Couldn’t find cranberries so I used “lingonberries” instead. So good! #simplegreensmoothies #simplegreensmoothies30daychallenge

    1. Hey Anette,

      That is a really great substitute! So glad you were able to make this smoothie work for you.

  8. 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!

    1. 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.

  9. 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.

    1. Hey Martianne,

      That is why we love this challenge because you get to really know what works for you and what doesn’t.

  10. 5 stars
    Love The cranberries! This will definitely go into the permanent rotation 🙂

  11. 4 stars
    I used raspberry instead since I couldn’t find any cranberry. I like the slight tartness from the raspberry.

    1. Hey Sheera,

      Love that substitute option. So awesome you made this smoothie work for you!

  12. 5 stars
    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.

    1. Hey Elizabeth,

      Thank you for sharing how much you loved this recipe!

  13. 5 stars
    First time I ever use cranberries in my smoothies and I L O V E them now!!!!

    1. Hey Carmen,

      That is so awesome that you loved it so much! Cranberries for the win!!

  14. I love cranberries so I loved this smoothie. It was very tart and sweet at the same time.