You don’t need a high-powered blender to make this fruity and hydrating apple strawberry smoothie. All you need are five simple ingredients and five minutes to make this tasty snack that is rich in antioxidants. The frozen strawberries and applesauce in this drink provide the sweetness with no white sugar added. Enjoy this strawberry apple smoothie like you would a shake or have it with a spoon like a frozen dessert. Either way, it’s delicious!
As a person who does not own a high-powered blender, sometimes I get frustrated with certain smoothie recipes. I know from experience that smoothies with kale or spinach are not going to blend smoothly in my food processor. The same goes for harder fruits, such as apples.
I’ve circumvented this issue in this apple strawberry smoothie recipe by using unsweetened applesauce rather than whole apples. Since the applesauce has already been pureed, it will incorporate into my smoothie easily, no high-speed blender needed. Simply freeze the applesauce in ice cube trays, and it will be ready to use in this recipe.
Between the milk, strawberries, and applesauce, we thought this smoothie had enough sweetness without refined sugar added. However, you’re welcome to use stevia, maple syrup, or sweetened applesauce if you’d prefer. (Note: using sweetener will change the nutrition information for this recipe due to the added sugar.)
In my area, the early summer is strawberry season, while apples are in season in the late summer and autumn. With frozen fruits, you don’t need to gather seasonal fruits to make this recipe. I hope that it becomes a staple refreshment for you as well!
I made a video below that shows how simple it is to make smoothies. You can gather smoothie ingredients and blend in under five minutes!
Jump to:
- ⭐ Apple Strawberry Smoothie Benefits
- 🥘 Strawberry Apple Smoothie Ingredients
- 🔪 How to Make Apple Strawberry Smoothie
- ️🌡️ How long will a fruit smoothie stay good in the refrigerator?
- 📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Strawberry Recipes
- 👨🍳 Other Smoothie Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
⭐ Apple Strawberry Smoothie Benefits
What are the benefits of making this apple smoothie recipe? Here are a few reasons you’ll love this recipe:
- Vegetarian and vegan: On a plant based diet? It’s easy to make this a vegan apple strawberry smoothie by swapping out the dairy milk for a plant-based alternative.
- Gluten free: This is also a gluten free applesauce smoothie. Those with celiac disease or NCGS should be able to enjoy this recipe.
- Refreshing: Smoothies are a great option for hydration, as they are high in water content. Make this apple and strawberry smoothie when you need to refresh and cool down.
- Apple Strawberry Smoothie without Banana: There are lots of smoothie recipes out there that use bananas for natural sweetness. This strawberry and apple smoothie is a great option for those who don’t like bananas.
- Healthy breakfast or snack: This low calorie smoothie is packed with nutritious fruits and calcium-rich dairy. It’s super whether you have a weight loss goal or just want to eat healthier.
- Delicious: Perhaps most importantly, this smoothie has a taste that makes it a family favorite. Even kids who are picky eaters tend to love this delicious smoothie recipe.
🥘 Strawberry Apple Smoothie Ingredients
What are the ingredients for apple strawberry smoothies? Here’s your shopping list:
- Frozen unsweetened applesauce (freeze in ice cube trays)
- Chopped frozen strawberries
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Cardamom
- Maple syrup (optional; use sugar-free syrup to keep the smoothie free of added sugars)
Exact quantities of all ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the article!
You can use whatever type of milk you want in this smoothie. However, the results will vary depending on the milk you use.
I used 2% dairy milk here. With dairy milk, the smoothie whips up to be very airy and creamy. You get a larger volume of smoothie for your ingredients when you use dairy.
With soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, and other plant milks, the smoothie won’t whip up as much. You may only yield 2 servings with this recipe rather than 3.
The smoothie will also be less creamy and a little more watery. That said, the plant milks can still be a great option for people who can’t or choose not to eat dairy.
This is a smoothie without yogurt. If you wanted to add unsweetened yogurt, you may need more maple syrup to balance things out.
For kitchen equipment, you’ll need a food processor that’s large enough to hold all the ingredients. I also recommend having some wide straws for drinking the apple strawberry smoothies.
🔪 How to Make Apple Strawberry Smoothie
Let’s make smoothies! All you have to do is put the applesauce, strawberries, milk, vanilla, and cardamom in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Taste the smoothie. Is it sweet enough for you? If not, add in the maple syrup or sugar free syrup and blend again. This smoothie works for those who have a sweet tooth, and those who don’t!
Pour the smoothie into tall glasses and serve with wide straws (or maybe a spoon). I hope you love this healthy treat as much as we do!
️🌡️ How long will a fruit smoothie stay good in the refrigerator?
Leftover smoothie will melt down (becoming less creamy) and the ingredients may separate if left in the fridge. Instead, I recommend pouring the leftover smoothie into popsicle molds and freezing it. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy the leftovers whenever you want a refreshing snack.
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of strawberry apple smoothie has 101 calories, 12.9 grams net carbs, and 4.2 grams protein. This is for the smoothie made with 2% milk and no maple syrup. (To add more sweetness without modifying the carbs and calories, use a couple pinches of stevia extract.)
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). With about 100 calories per serving, this smoothie would blow most 100-calorie snack packs out of the water nutritionally. You’ve got the antioxidant-packed fruit, some protein and calcium from the milk, and a hydrating drink all in one. Take that, unsatisfying mini-bag containing 100 calories of low-quality cookies!
The combination of apples and strawberries is flavorful and provides a lot of fluid volume and fiber. This smoothie is a great way to slip more fruit into breakfast, or incorporate it into a snack.
Don’t forget that any modifications you make to the recipe will change the nutrition information. Many unsweetened plant milks are lower calorie than dairy milk. However, they don’t get as airy when you whip them, so this recipe may only make 2 servings instead of 3.
Using the maple syrup in this recipe adds 35 calories per serving. Use a sugar free syrup instead if you want to cut back on calories and added sugar.
FAQs
You can enjoy smoothies if you have a weight loss goal. Choose smoothies that contain whole blended fruits and veggies, unsweetened milk or yogurt, and little (or no) added sugar.
You can make this apple strawberry smoothie with no milk and another liquid. However, you may need to adjust the sweetness if you do so. For example, if you use apple juice instead of milk, you can probably skip the maple syrup. Plain yogurt is more tart than milk and may require additional sweetener if used as a substitute.
Pretty much any fruit that you can blend smoothly is fair game for a smoothie, including avocado! Dried fruits (such as raisins and dried apricots) may not work well in smoothies because it’s hard to puree them completely.
If you’re using whole apples in a smoothie, you will need to core, peel, and chop them. Some blenders and food processors may be able to fully puree apple peels, but most can’t.
👩🏻🍳 Other Strawberry Recipes
If you dig frozen desserts and other dishes with strawberries, don’t miss these:
- Strawberry Banana Nice Cream
- Strawberry Shortcake (No Sugar Added)
- Banana Split Fruit and Yogurt Bowls
- Orange Chicken Salad with Strawberries
👨🍳 Other Smoothie Recipes
Cool down and stay hydrated with these other fruit smoothie recipes:
- Strawberry Cucumber Smoothie
- Chocolate Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Keto Berry Smoothie
- Peach Pineapple Smoothie
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Apple Strawberry Smoothie (for Weight Loss)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (frozen in ice cube trays)
- 1 cup chopped frozen strawberries
- 1½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional; use sugar-free syrup to keep it free of added sugars)
Instructions
- If you didn't freeze your applesauce in ice cube trays yet, make sure to do it before you start the recipe. Regular ice cube trays tend to hold 2 tablespoons in each compartment, so you will need 4 applesauce cubes for this recipe. The cubes are going to be much easier to blend than a ½ cup frozen block of applesauce!
- Put the frozen applesauce, strawberries, milk, vanilla, and cardamom in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste it and add in the maple syrup or sugar free syrup if it's not sweet enough for you. Blend again.
- Pour the smoothie into tall glasses and serve with wide straws. Enjoy!
Terrified Amateur says
Brilliant idea, Summer, with the applesauce!
Even if you do own a high-speed mega-blender, why wouldn't you want to sidestep all the peeling, coring and dicing? Not to mention having to make a lemon juice-forward bath to keep the first dices from turning colors before you finish the project.
And strawberries? Well, they speak for themselves far more ably than I can.
Summer Yule says
Thank you! Although with the number of smoothies I've been making lately, the high-speed blender might not be a bad investment! Haha