What to use instead of blender

I drink my favorite green smoothie almost every morning, but what do you do if youre moving or in a season of transition, and you cant access your blender? Learn how to make a smoothie without a blender with just 3 ingredients and this simple tutorial. Blenderless smoothies are totally possible!

Several years ago, Mr. Crumbs and I took advantage of a date night and browsed the aisles at Costco. While holding hands. In complete silence. It was bliss!

At the end of one of the aisles was a blender demonstration. My husband was drawn in immediately. Five minutes later, he was picking out which color blender he wanted (read the full story here).

Weve loved our Blendtec ever since and weve come to rely on smoothies as an easy way to get fruits, vegetables, AND daily probiotics (via kefir or yogurt). Shoot, thats why I wrote a book about smoothies!

But what do you do when you want to make a smoothie and your blender is in storage during a move, or when you dont have a blender? I experienced this during my move across the country, and learned a few tips and tricks for making smoothies without a blender!

Why Make a Blenderless Smoothie

My mantra during seasons of transition is to make do, which essentially requires me to think outside the box while crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.

When we moved across the country, I had to put a few of my favorite cooking tasks on hold. Grinding my own wheat for homemade bread is impossible without agrain mill, a blender or afood processor. Making homemade mayo was put on hold since our immersion blender was packed up too, and I even put our beloved smoothies on hold too.

And then I wondered would it be possible to make a smoothie without a blender?

Which brings me to today, where I plan to show you that with the right ingredients, you CAN make a smoothie without a blender!

How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender

Making a blenderless smoothie is so simple and easy!

You need 2 simple supplies to get started:

• A glass jar. One that can hold at least 2 cups (at least a 16 oz jar I use these mason jars)
• A whisk and/or spatula.

Youll also need some specific, yet simple real food ingredients:

• 1/2 cup very soft fruit
• 1/2 cup kefir or yogurt
• 1 cup pre-blended smoothie. The pre-blended smoothie will be your base liquid, instead of almond milk or water. I chose this brand of green smoothie from Costco just be sure to read the ingredients to avoid added sugars and preservatives!

To make your smoothie without a blender, follow these two easy steps:

1. Measure your soft fruit into the glass.
2. Mash it with either a whisk or spatula until its as smooth as it gets.

Thats it! It is really that simple.

Variations of a Blenderless Smoothie

Ive done this with raspberries, blackberries and an overripe banana. The berries will still have small pieces because of the seeds, but you can get the banana pretty smooth. It all depends on your texture preference, and how much work youre willing to put into it (and how hungry you are!).

Add the kefir or yogurt to the fruit and stir well. Optionally, you can put a lid on the jar and shake like crazy. Ive done this both ways and both are effective. Although shaking like crazy is a bit more fun.

Pour in the pre-blended smoothie and again, either stir well or put on a lid and shake like crazy. Enjoy your smoothie made without a blender!

Note: Dont get tricked into thinking that you need protein powder in order to get protein in your smoothies! Discover the dangers of commercial protein supplements and learn how to make your own protein bars and protein smoothies using REAL food, and without processed powders in this ebook, High Protein No Powder.

Additional Recipe Notes

Obviously, this method relies on having pre-blended produce. I chose to buy a green smoothie in bulk because:

1. green vegetables usually arent soft enough to mash without an appliance of some sort
2. I like having vegetables in smoothies
3. buying in bulk was cheaper (by 50%) than buying at the grocery store

You could mix/match flavors by choosing various flavored pre-blended smoothies or juices. For example, pre-blended mango would be great with mashed banana and strawberries, and pre-blended carrot would be good with applesauce.

The only catch with buying pre-blended is making sure there isnt anything wacky in the ingredients. Youre likely to run into added sugar, emulsifiers (i.e. soy lecithin), preservatives and natural flavors or natural colors. Look for ones that say pure fruit, 100% fruit or something similar. In the end, always read the label!

More ways to make a smoothie without a blender:

• Borrow a friends blender. If you do this, take enough produce to make a massive batch of puree. Pour the puree into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then thaw 4-6 cubes overnight in the fridge to make a smoothie in the morning. (Remember that you wont be able to blend up the cubes, so thawing is important.)
• A food processor or immersion blender. Theyre not blenders, but they can get the job done well enough.

Hands-Free Cooking

Learn the secrets to getting dinner done faster by hacking your kitchen appliances, plus 30+ recipes to fuel your family!Your email address First Name

My Favorite Smoothie recipes

• Easy Pumpkin Smoothie
• Healthy Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie
• The Best Green Smoothie
• Gingerbread Smoothie
• Simple Eggnog Smoothie

Share with someone who may like this...