Creamy Cranberry Pie Smoothie

Name: Creamy Cranberry Pie Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: ~2 cups ice; 1 frozen banana; 1/2 cup cranberries (fresh, thawed frozen, or even sauce!); 1 scoop vanilla protein powder; 1 tbsp ground flax seed; 2 tsp pudding mix; 1/2 cup whole milk

This easy 5 minute cranberry smoothie is packed with protein and fiber to give you energy that lasts! Filled with antioxidants and the natural sweetness of fruit yet tastes just like a pie. The perfect, nourishing breakfast or snack during the holiday season.

Why This Recipe Works

This cranberry smoothie recipe is a great way to use up leftover fresh cranberries OR cranberry sauce! Besides being delicious, cranberries are packed with goodness for our bodies which, as a Registered Dietitian, I love! Cranberries have been shown to:

improve cholesterol
help with inflammation
reduce oxidative stress
reducing risk of chronic disease

But it gets better! This recipe was crafted using my Registered Dietitian expertise to help you stay full for longer! In all of my smoothie recipes I aim to include:

fiber (this helps to keep you full, this smoothie provides ~25% of your daily needs!)
fat (fat is NOT a bad thing! It helps our bodies stay full and it’s needed for us to absorb certain nutrients as well as make hormones)
protein (again, this helps you stay nice and full among so many other things)
carb (carbs are fuel that our bodies need! They energize us… and are delicious as heck!)

Ingredients Needed

I’ve made a LOT of smoothies in my time and I’ve perfected the ingredients to give you the perfectly thickest, creamiest smoothie ever! Here is what you’ll need:

Cranberry smoothie recipe ingredients on the counter labeled

Fresh or frozen cranberries OR cranberry sauce. Using fresh or frozen cranberries will give you a little more tart flavor, whereas cranberry sauce will be sweeter depending on how much sugar is added. Both are great options and will give you a delicious smoothie!
Protein powder. You can use any protein powder you like, I recommend vanilla flavor. I typically use this whey based protein powder!
Pudding mix. This is optional, but encouraged! I love adding a little pudding mix to my smoothies to make them ultra creamy and thicken them up even more.

Recipe Instructions

Like any smoothie recipe, this cranberry smoothie recipe is insanely easy!

First, I recommend adding your ice, banana, cranberries, protein powder , flax seed and pudding mix to a high powered blender. (I have had a Ninja blender and love it!)

Then, pour your milk over those ingredients. Place the lid on and blend away!

cranberry smoothie ingredients in a blender.

I like to top my smoothie with a little something crunchy- in this case graham cracker! It truly helps this taste just like a pie!

Recipe FAQs

Can I use any kind of milk?

Absolutely! Use whatever milk you have on hand. I like to use either soy or whole milk. I have an entire blog post talking about the differences between all of the different types of milk here, it’s truly a complete guide to dairy and plant based milks!

Can I use a protein powder that isn’t vanilla flavored?

I recommend using vanilla in order to really get that cranberry pie taste. However any flavor that you have on hand will still work!

Can I skip the pudding mix?

If you don’t have pudding mix or if you don’t want to use it you can also just use some extra milled/ground flax seed. It’ll work similarly to add a little more thickness!

Expert Smoothie Tips

Like I said, I’ve made my fair share of smoothies and I’ve learned a few tips and tricks along the way. Here are a couple nuggets of wisdom for you as you’re making this cranberry smoothie recipe:

Add a source of fat. This helps to make your smoothie super creamy yet also super filling. This is a huge reason as to why I like to use whole milk, it’s got the fat right in there! You could also add a nut butter, like cashew. I recommend cashew because it’s the most natural flavor, but really any would work!
When you think it’s done… keep blending! You can’t rush the process, people! Whenever I think my smoothie is done I let it go for 1-2 more minutes to make sure it’s SUPER blended with no chunks of ice. I hate that!
Use a FULL banana. No, a banana does not have too many carbs. It’s not too high in sugar. What it IS is delicious and the secret to an ice cream like smoothie! The other flavors of the smoothie will tend to cover the banana, especially the cranberries since they’re so flavorful!

Other Breakfast Recipes You Might Like:

If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below!

Don’t forget to pin it on your Pinterest board for later, or tag me on IG @no.food.rules if you try the recipe and love it!

XOXO

-Colleen