How To Make a Smoothie Without Yogurt

Wanna make a thick and creamy smoothie? Here’s how to get that smooth and delicious texture without any yogurt or dairy.

ICYMI: You don’t need any yogurt to make a tasty, satisfying smoothie.

All about yogurt-free smoothies.

Our POV: The perfect smoothie texture is thick and creamy, sort of like the consistency of a milkshake. 

The typical go-to base for a thick and creamy smoothie is plain greek yogurt – for good reason. Yogurt is delicious and contains calcium, Vitamin D, and probiotics for your digestive system. But you can make a delicious smoothie without yogurt by using alternatives like bananas, nut butter, or even oats. 

Sometimes we don’t want yogurt mixed in with our smoothies. And you don’t need to be vegan or lactose intolerant to reap the benefits of a yogurt-free smoothie. Dairy can be challenging to digest and may create inflammation and heaviness in the body. (Not the best way to start the day, in our humble opinion.)

The good news: You don’t need yogurt (or even dairy) for a rich and satisfying smoothie. 

Let’s unpack how to make a delicious and refreshing plant-based smoothie at home.

What can replace yogurt in a smoothie?

• Banana. Frozen bananas make for an especially creamy smoothie, making them an ideal substitute for yogurt in a banana smoothie or strawberry banana smoothie. So if your smoothie already has a banana in it, feel free to skip the yogurt. You’re already good to go.
• Chia seed. Chia seeds have super high absorbency levels so you just need 1 tablespoon of chia seeds per serving. This ingredient has a neutral flavor and pairs well with almost any fruit or vegetable. Chia seeds are also a good source of dietary fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. 
• Flaxseed. These tiny little seeds are amazing thickening agents for pasta sauces, oatmeal, and even smoothies. Flaxseeds add a mild nutty flavor to your smoothie and help you lock in nutrients like high fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and protein. 
• Nut butter. A little bit of peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter can thicken your smoothies and add a rich, nutty flavor while providing healthy fats. Just watch out for any added preservatives or unhealthy ingredients in your nut butters.
• Avocado. Think avocado just belongs on toast? Think again. Just like nut butter, avocado is full of healthy fats and adds a creamy texture when blended up.
• Non-dairy yogurt. You can find non-dairy yogurt with an almond, cashew, coconut, oat, or legume (soy or yellow pea) base. Just like regular yogurt, plant-based alternatives have gut-friendly probiotics but without all the inflammation caused by dairy products. Try to choose a non-dairy yogurt that’s low in sugar.

Do you need yogurt in smoothies?

No, you don’t have to use yogurt to make a smoothie!. To make a thicker smoothie without yogurt, you can use ingredients like frozen bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, or avocado for a rich and creamy result. Your smoothies will be just as tasty and refreshing. 

What else do you put in a smoothie?

Smoothies are versatile and easy to customize. You can create healthy smoothie recipes using ingredients like rolled oats, fresh strawberries, frozen berries, or nut butters, and you can choose from non-dairy milk options such as oat milk or soy milk for a dairy-free beverage. Here are some basic non-dairy smoothie ingredients.

1. Fruit (banana, peaches, cherries, pineapple, mango, and berries are incredible in a smoothie)
2. Liquid (choose from unsweetened oat milk, cashew milk, almond milk, juice, water, cold brewed coffee, and more)
3. Veggies (fresh spinach, kale, avocado, frozen cauliflower are all great options)
4. Seeds (think: pepitas, flax seed, chia seed, or hemp hearts)
5. Grains (try quick rolled oats, quinoa, or even millet for protein)
6. Nut butters (such as peanut butter, cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter)
7. Sweeteners (a drizzle of pure maple syrup, honey, agave, coconut nectar, or some pitted Medjool dates can balance out the bitter taste of leafy greens)
8. Spices and powders (you can use acai powder, maca powder, spirulina, nutmeg, and more)

Step-by-step smoothie recipe (no yogurt)

Here’s a basic smoothie recipe for a 16-ounce yogurt-free smoothie:

• 3 cups of frozen fruit
• 1 cup liquid
• 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener (optional)
• Add-ins (optional)

Tip: Sweeteners can offset the bitter taste of leafy greens or tart fruit in smoothies. But if your smoothie features a frozen banana or other very sweet, ripe fruit, feel free to skip the sweetener. 

Give it up for yogurt-free smoothies from Daily Harvest.

Our smoothies are packed with nutrient-rich ingredients, nourishing fruits + vegetables, and extremely convenient. On-the-go breakfast? Check. Post-workout protein punch? Check. Easy treat for any time of the day? Check, check, check.

But if you’re short on time and want to wanna try out a variety of smoothie flavors, we’ve got you covered. Daily Harvest delivers frozen, ready-to-blend smoothies right to your door.  All you need to do is add your liquid of choice like our newest obsession Mylk, almond milk, or coconut milk, pour into a blender, and give it a whirl. Easy, right?

Plus, all our items (smoothies included) are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free (AKA no yogurt), and made with real fruits and vegetables. This means more of the good stuff (like fiber, vitamins, and minerals) and no artificial additives, flavors, and preservatives.

30+ smoothie flavors delivered to you

Real quick, let’s check out some of our best-selling smoothies. 

Smoothie #1 Passion Fruit + Pineapple is a tropical fruit smoothie that’s perfect for hot summer days, made with pineapple, mango, banana, and coconut milk for a refreshing flavor. Pineapple, coconut, carrot, passion fruit, mango, and banana give you the beachy flavor. But soursop (full of digestion-loving fiber) and camu camu (one of the most vitamin-C rich foods in the world, btw) steal the show.

Smoothie #2: Cold Brew + Almond tastes like mocha frappe but grown up. You get your daily dose of caffeine, plus magnesium-rich cacao nibs, nourishing cauliflower and a dash of ashwagandha, an adaptogenic herb believed to reduce stress. The result? 10 grams of satiating plant protein. Say hello to your new pick-me-up.

Smoothie #3: Mint + Cacao has all the fun of mint chip ice cream and none of the slowdown. Cacao nibs and chlorella work hard to protect your body while a variety of vital nutrients like spinach for iron, bananas for vitamin C and potassium, and cashew for heart-healthy fats keep you going.

And that’s just a sneak peek into our lineup of 30+ delicious smoothies. We’ve also got a wide variety of Breakfast Bowls (with oat or chia seeds), Harvest Bowls (filling veggie or grain combinations for lunch), pasta (that's gluten-free and veg-packed for dinner), grains (to elevate anything else you eat for supper), Pops (the perfect fruit-forward, non-dairy frozen dessert), and bites (a not-too-sweet superfood snack), and more. Mix and match as you please and you’ll never be bored. Really.