This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This kefir smoothie is tangy, creamy and lightly sweet: the perfect way to use this fermented dairy beverage!
Looking for ways to use kefir? Try a kefir smoothie! This tangy drink is a great way to get all the benefits in kefir while enjoying a fruity beverage. We’ve become fans of this fermented milk and love to add it to drinks (our son especially asks for it).
Blend it up with strawberries, banana and pineapple, and it makes a sweetly sippable puree. Or, substitute any frozen fruit you like, like blueberries, peaches, or mangos. Here are some tips on how to use kefir in a smoothie.
Benefits of kefir
Kefir is a drink made from fermented milk. It’s similar to Greek yogurt with its tangy flavor, but it has a thinner, drinkable consistency. Why drink it? Here are a few of the potential benefits of kefir (source):
- It has 30 species of probiotics, bacteria that improve gut health and may aid in digestion.
- It is high in protein. 1 cup of kefir has 7 grams of protein, or 14% of the daily value.
- It may have heart health and cholesterol lowering benefits. Read more about the benefits in this Web MD article.
Ingredients in a kefir smoothie
Kefir is great to add to a smoothie since you get all the benefits of this probiotic-rich drink combined with the light sweetness of fruit. When using kefir, you won’t need to add other liquid like milk or juice (which is different from yogurt smoothies which need liquid for blending). Here’s what you’ll need for a kefir smoothie:
- Banana: All you need is a room temperature banana: no need to freeze in advance.
- Frozen strawberries and pineapple: You can also substitute any type of frozen fruit you like: blueberries, raspberries, mango, and peaches. You can also throw in a handful of spinach if you like the extra greens.
- Kefir: A hefty amount of kefir means no need for extra liquid.
- Honey or maple syrup: Sweeten this drink to your taste with natural sweetener. We find it needs a little to balance out the flavor.
- Ice cubes: Ice cubes round out the frothy texture.
Flavor variations
This kefir smoothie is delicious with the strawberry pineapple flavor, but there are so many more fruity flavors to try! Here are a few more ideas for blending up fruity variations:
- Strawberry mango, strawberry blueberry, or strawberry peach
- Mixed berry
- Raspberry pineapple, raspberry mango or raspberry peach
- Blueberry mango, blueberry pineapple, or blueberry peach
- Mango pineapple, mango coconut
Storing leftovers
You can blend up this kefir smoothie in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Some smoothie recipes last for a few days, but this kefir smoothie is best eaten immediately or within 1 day for best flavor. If it starts to separate while refrigerated, give it a shake before drinking.
Dietary notes
This kefir smoothie recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Kefir Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 small or 1 large 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Smoothie
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries*
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 banana (room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cup kefir
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 6 ice cubes
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender, breaking the banana into pieces. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary and adding a tablespoon or so of water if necessary.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness as desired. Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 1 day, shaking if the smoothie separates.
Notes
*Or substitute 2 cups total of the frozen fruit of your choice.
More smoothie recipes
And that’s it! We hope you love this kefir smoothie as much as we do. Here are a few more tasty smoothie recipes you might enjoy:
- Try a sunny Tropical Smoothie Recipe
- Go for Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie or Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
- Try Strawberry Peach Smoothie, Peach Mango Smoothie or Banana Peach Smoothie
How can I add more protein? Also are there smoothie recipes with less sugar. These smoothies recipes have lots of sugar!
Also any way you can make a smoothie and add cottage cheese because that has good an amount of protein.
It’s hard to add protein without a lot of calories! You could add cottage cheese but would want sugar to offset the flavor. Nut butters work well, but aren’t super high protein.
Let us know if you have any questions!