Nothing will cool you down faster on a balmy morning than this strawberry lemonade smoothie. It is a 10 ingredient breakfast smoothie that is banana-free, bright with real lemon, and as one reader put it: “I’ve been making it daily […] It totally rocks! Lemon is one of my favorite flavors and the zest plus the lemon half are so yummy!” One of these and a coconut matcha latte, and I’ve got everything I need to get out the door!
I love a frozen strawberry lemonade when the temperatures rise. Nothing beats that thirst-quenching flavor when you’re feeling the heat. Cool to the core! But I started thinking about the flavor combination in a more complete package. How to make it more appropriate for the breakfast hour? I came up with some ideas after tinkering in my kitchen.
To start, I use a base of frozen peaches and fresh strawberries. Why peach though? Frozen peaches are a bit sweet, blend up nice and creamy, and overall have a pretty neutral flavor profile in smoothies. Every smoothie you add banana to winds up tasting like banana, so you can understand why I wanted to avoid it here! Fresh strawberries are key. The peach is frothy and mildly sweet while the strawberry has that jammy tartness.
For the “lemonade” factor, we use a strip of lemon peel and half of a peeled lemon. The juice adds the sour quality and the strip of peel intensifies the lemon flavor. A touch of maple syrup enhances overall sweetness, bringing a true lemonade vibe home.
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Vegan Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 strip lemon peel
- ½ lemon, peeled and seeds removed
- 1 scoop vanilla or plain vegan protein powder
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter (or cashew butter)
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
- 1 cup frozen peach slices
Equipment
- Blender
Notes
- I prefer soy milk or pea-based milk (like Ripple brand).
- Sunflower seed butter is my go-to with this combination because it’s pretty neutral tasting and mellow (it also keeps our smoothie nut-free). Cashew butter would also be lovely.
- Try to not include the white pith with the piece of lemon peel as it is quite bitter.
Instructions
- In an upright blender, combine the milk, lemon peel, lemon half, protein powder, sunflower seed butter, hemp seeds, chia seeds, maple syrup (if using), salt, strawberries, and frozen peaches. Blend the mixture on high until smooth and creamy. Enjoy immediately!
I’m also obsessed with the smoothie! so good!
Thank you for this awesome recipe! I’ve been making it daily, using blackberries and peaches we picked last year and froze. It totally rocks! Lemon is one of my favorite flavors and the zest plus the lemon half are so yummy!
Obsessed with this smoothie! Have made multiple times. Thanks for creating and sharing! Love all your recipes :)
I quite liked this lemonade-y protein packed version of a strawberry smoothie. I liked that it didn’t use banana as I seem to rely on those a little too much for breakfast time.
I made as directed (except I subbed for almond butter cause that’s all I had) and found that I had extra than one servings worth. It would probably work for 2 as a snack!