Is it cold where you live? Fall and winter bring chilly temperatures that make it hard to crave a nice, frosty green smoothie when you'd rather be sipping something warm and cozy. Brr! Instead of skipping that smoothie altogether, try this warm Chai Smoothie. It brings you all the best in fresh produce and energy-boosting ingredients but also keeps you toasty warm. My chai tea smoothie might just be your go-to drink this season!
How to Make a Warm Smoothie
Warm smoothies are very similar to cold ones, with just a few tweaks. Here's how I like to blend them:
- Blend spinach, tea and coconut milk until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients. If you're using a high-speed blender then start blending on low and work up to high speed. Blend for 3-5 minutes or until very hot. If you're using a regular blender then blend until smooth and heat up the blended smoothie on the stove or transfer to mugs and heat in the microwave until warm.
Masala chai (spiced tea) is a thousand-year-old drink originating in India. It can be made with a wide range of spices as well as different kinds of tea depending on the region of the world. You can definitely make this chai-inspired green smoothie with the tea of your choice (caffeinated or not).
Tips for a Delicious Chai Smoothie
Hot tea can be used while blending if your blender container is heat-proof. Be sure to vent the lid so the liquid doesn't leak or splatter if you choose to blend hot liquid. If your blender has a soup setting, this is the perfect smoothie for that setting!
The full-fat canned coconut milk makes this chai tea smoothie super creamy. Use light canned coconut milk or a carton of coconut milk for less fat. Swap the Medjool date for a bit of maple syrup if desired.
Feel free to drink this smoothie at room temp instead of heating it. I've had rawkstars tell me they often drink room temp smoothies during the winter, and that's great! This smoothie is equally delicious chilled, so if you aren't ready for a hot smoothie then make it cold!
Chai Tea Smoothie FAQs
My chai smoothie has 396 calories (with full fat coconut milk). If you want to easily lower the calorie count, just swap the full fat coconut milk for light canned coconut milk or even carton coconut milk.
I recommend drinking smoothies within two days of blending. They start to lose nutrients after about 15 minutes, yet are still great the next day! Just make sure you give that refrigerated smoothie a good shake before your first sip.
Tea is naturally caffeinated (unless it's herbal tea) and can give your metabolism a boost. Some teas boost metabolism more than others.
Warm Drinks for Cold Weather
Put down that cold brew coffee and get ready to jump into seasonal flavors and produce with the below smoothies and drink recipes. I love switching up my drink routine with a fresh set of fruits and veggies, and these recipes usher in cooler weather in just the right way.
Warm Smoothies
If you just can't stand the thought of blending a cold smoothie this time of year then don't! Instead, try one of these incredibly yummy warm smoothies and embrace the season:
- Wassail Smoothie
- Butternut Squash Smoothie
- Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Smoothie
- Apple Pie Smoothie
- Chai Smoothie (below)
Warm Plant-Based Drinks
If you're like me then cooler weather has me reaching for warmer drinks all day long. Here are a few of my favorites to sip:
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Metabolism Boosting Tea
- Turmeric Tea
- Crockpot Apple Cider
- Homemade Hot Chocolate
- Golden Milk Latte
- Spiced Almond Milk (it's like a hot steamer!)
- Detox Tea
- Rawkstar coffee
- Lavender Tea
What's your go-to hot beverage to warm you up during the cooler weather? Drop a comment below and let me know what I should be drinking this winter!
Warm Chai Smoothie
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- ½ cup spinach
- ½ cup brewed tea (herbal green, white or black)
- ½ cup coconut milk
- ½ pear (cored and peeled)
- ½ apple (cored and peeled)
- 1 medjool date
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ inch ginger root
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 serving Protein Smoothie Boost (optional)
Instructions
- Blend spinach, tea and coconut milk until smooth.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients. If using a high speed blender, start blending again on low speed working up to high speed. Allow to blend for 3-5 minutes, or until very hot. If using a regular blender, blend until smooth and heat gently on the stove or transfer to mugs and heat in microwave.
Ms-K
AWESOME4 RECIPE. I AM NEW ON HEALTHY PROTEIN SMOOTHIE!Great work
Lisa
I came across this recipe while doing the salad challenge. It was amazing and I printed out this recipe to make many more times! The pear and chai spices mixed so well and serving warm is bonus for comfort!
Erin
Swapped oat milk in for the coconut milk and it was lovely!
Marie
Mine came out gross - but I didn't use the Protein Boost that was recommended I used another one. Mine was vanilla, Protein Boost is unflavored. So maybe that was it 🙂
Jana
Delicious recipe. Never tried a warm smoothie before. It came out a bit thin for my aesthetic, so I'll probably cut the liquid in half next time. Thank you!
Simple Green Smoothies
Cutting the liquid in 1/2 is a great idea here Jana. You can also try adding a bit of avocado or cauliflower to thicken it as well. Happy blending!
Lori
This was a lot more tasty than expected. I used green jasmine tea. Used 2 small apples as I didn’t have any pears and left out the dates as I didn’t have those either. I used double the spinach just for the health benefits because I don’t think the spinach really adds or takes away from any of the other flavors. I tend to cut down on smoothies during cold weather, but now will be using this a lot.