5-Minute Beet & Red Fruit Smoothie
Made a stunning shade of pink by antioxidant-rich red fruits, like raspberries and strawberries, plus peeled and cooked beets, this Beet Smoothie Recipe is quick to make, bright and refreshing! It’s an easy morning smoothie, and a terrific way to get veggies in before you start your day.
Fruit and veggie smoothies have been a big part of our lives since we started our veggie-loaded journey years ago. In fact, adding smoothies into our daily life was (literally) the very first change I made in my family’s life….and it has stuck.
Their ease, never ending variety, and how delicious they make veggie-loading our mornings has made smoothies a regular part of our life. My Blueberry Spinach Smoothie is a reader and personal favorite, but this berry beet smoothie recipe has always been one of my favorite ways to easily enjoy beautiful (and good for you!) beets.
This Beet & Red Fruit Smoothie recipe gets its beautifully, vibrant color from cooked beets and beautiful berries! The natural sweetness of banana, strawberries and raspberries helps to balance the earthy flavor of beets perfectly and I’ve add yogurt to the mix for a boost of protein. Once you have cooked beets in your possession, this smoothie literally takes 5 minutes to make, is vegetarian and can be made dairy-free or nut-free with small modifications.
How to cook beets for this smoothie
If you have scrolled down and looked at the ingredients, you will have noticed that there are beets in this bad boy. DON’T FREAK OUT. This smoothie is especially perfect for those of you who are beet skeptics! There is no earthy flavor. In fact, this smoothie tastes more like berry ice cream than anything beety.
Roasting: I prefer to roast my beets to use in beet recipes. The roasting process really makes the natural sugars in the beets come to the surface and also cuts way back on the bitterness. Roasting also helps beets hold onto their beautiful red color and make for a stunning beet smoothie.
Instant Pot: If you don’t want to roast your beets or are short on time, my second suggestion is to cook your beets in your Instant Pot. They cook up quickly and are perfect for adding to a beet smoothie recipe like this one.
Love the idea of adding beets to your recipes? Check out my 10+ Delicious Beet recipe!
Time Saving Hack
Lots of grocery stores carry cooked beets in the refrigeration or freezer section! Unseasoned canned beets will also work as long as you drain off their extra liquid. That way, you can make these beet recipes without having to do extra prep work.
What do beets go well with in smoothies?
Since beets are know for having an earthy flavor, they need to be balanced out with naturally sweet fruits like banana, berries, mango, or pineapple. You can also add honey or maple syrup to a beet smoothie recipe to help achieve your desired level of sweetness.
Can you use raw beets in a smoothie?
Beets can be washed, peeled, and enjoyed raw.
However, their earthy flavor will be extra prominent in a smoothie if you add beets raw. Therefore, I suggest cooking your beets before adding them to a smoothie. Cooking beets (especially roasting) brings out the natural sweetness of a beet and reduces that “dirt” flavor that some people don’t enjoy.
Why you want to add beets to your smoothie
Beets are plant rockstars, friends. Seriously. This beet smoothie rocks because not only is it easy to make, but it’s loaded with so much goodness from beets that it will blow your mind.
By adding beetroot to a smoothie, you also add: (source)
- Protein
- Fiber
- Folate (vitamin B9) (this is helpful for cell and tissue growth)
- Manganese (an essential trace element)
- Potassium (good for heart health)
- Iron (an essential mineral that is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells)
- Vitamin C (something all us parents need oodles of in our diets)
Different methods for cooking your beet
Yep, you need to cook your beets. It will not only make them taste less earthy (and enhance the natural sugars hanging out in beets) but it will make them easier to digest.
It is something you can easily do ahead of time so that this beet smoothie can come together more quickly when hunger hits or on a busy morning.
But if you already have raw beets in hand, there are lots of different ways to cook them. Some methods I have used are…
- Roast (suggested as I find it holds onto the color the best)
- Boiling
- Instant Pot
- Steaming
If you are like “NOPE!” when it comes to cooking beets because you simply don’t have the time, fear not! Most grocery stores have pre-cooked beets hanging out in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle. I even hear that Trader Joe’s has pre-cooked beets in the the freezer section! Talk about a time saving hack!
Other amazing beet recipes
- Pink Beet Pancakes
- The BEST Beet Hummus
- Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies (vegan)
- Homemade Strawberry Beet Fruit Leather
- 10+ Delicious Beet Recipes
- Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Loving this beetroot recipe and are hungry for more?
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5-Minute Beet & Red Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk of choice or water , or more to reach desired consistency
- ½ -1 small beet, cooked and peeled, (how much to add depends on how comfortable you are with beets. For your first time adding them to a smoothie, I would suggest starting with 1/2 a beet)
- 1 cup plain yogurt , (I used coconut milk yogurt to make this non-dairy, but you can use whatever yogurt your family prefers)
- 1 tbsp chia seeds, optional
- 1-2 tbsp nut butter of choice
- 1-2 frozen bananas , (start with 1 and add another if you need it sweeter)
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 cup strawberries
Equipment
Instructions
- Place milk/water and cooked beets in you blender. Blend until beets are completely pureed.
- Add remaining ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add extra milk/water (if needed) a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Enjoy immediately.
Like!!
I just made this for my 2 and 6 year olds and they absolutely love it!!! Making the beet pancakes tonight!! Thanks for a great smoothie recipe and a way to use up my beets in a tasty kid-friendly way!!
I’m so thrilled to hear that! Beets can be a hard sell to kids and I’m so glad you found some recipes that help your family love them!
My oven is currently out of commission….could I roast the beet in a toaster oven? It only goes to 350 degrees. If not I can use someone else’s oven, but it would obviously be easier to do everything at my own house. I’ve never tried beets, and this sounds like a great way to test the waters!
Is your stove working? Or do you have an Instant Pot? You can steam beets with either of those. Roasted beets do hold color better than steaming, but in a pinch, steaming will still produce a pretty pink color.
Yep, I can steam it. I was already planning to steam and freeze some cauliflower today so I can try your blueberry/cauliflower smoothie. 🙂 After steaming the beet, I’m assuming I should at least let it cool before making the smoothie, right? If I am letting it cool, is it better to just let it cool to room temperature, put it in the fridge, or freeze it first? Thanks for the help….I’m completely new to making smoothies.
Yes, you want to let it cool so it doesn’t mess with the temp of the smoothie. I let my cooked beets cool to room temp, peel them and then freeze! And happy to help!
We’re having fun working our way through all the pink beet recipes during Valentine’s month and this is our second one!
It’s not quite as sweet as our usual berry smoothies so I was very pleased that my 3 year old still loved it! My husband and I enjoyed it too. Love that it’s loaded with so much good stuff. We’ll be printing it and adding it to our rotation!
I’m delighted to hear that too! You can always up the sweetness if desired with banana or mango or soaked dates!
I recently made this for the first time and I’m obsessed. I didn’t grow up liking beets, so I was a bit skeptical at first but I’m glad I tried it because it’s so good. Even my 3y/o loved it and asked for more. Definitely will be adding this to my regular smoothie recipes.
So happy to hear that, Lyssette!