Here’s How To Make Smoothie In a Food Processor

Smoothies are growing in popularity, they are especially popular in health and fitness communities, but it does take practice and experimentation to make them right. 

There are so many smoothie blenders available for you to buy, however, these can be quite expensive, and if you are not making smoothies on a regular basis, then they can be an insane expense for just one food type. 

How To Make Smoothie In a Food Processor

So, this is why some people start to consider if they can make a smoothie in a food processor instead. Can you do this? Well, yes, it can be even easier than using a blender. However, it is not as simple as that. Let’s go over a few things so that if you decide to make a smoothie in a food processor you know you are doing it right. 

Let’s take a look at how you can make a great smoothie in a food processor

What Is The Difference Between A Blender & Food Processor?

blender

Before we look at exactly how you can make a smoothie in a food processor, we should look at what a food processor is and how it differs from a blender.

The most obvious difference is in the price. Some blenders, especially smoothie blenders will be very cheap. This usually has nothing to do with the quality of the product itself, but more because making a smoothie does not really require a great deal of work. 

On the other hand, a food processor will usually come with a lot of features, these features will often be a great deal more sophisticated than those you would typically find on a blender. They will increase the cost of a food processor. 

This is what brings us to the next difference, you see, these two machines are actually made for different things, even though they can both make smoothies. Food processors are made to do a lot more. 

Blenders will do exactly as described, they blend. On the other hand, a food processor will do more, it can dice or chop food up in different ways, it can whisk, knead the dough, and so much more. 

Typically, blenders are made for liquids, but food processors are made to tackle solids, however, this is not always totally true. Some food processors can easily be used to make hot home soups, and this setting can easily be used to make smoothies.

Blending Ice

ice

A question often affiliated with smoothies is often the topic of ice. While not everyone likes ice in their smoothies, it is still fairly common, especially when we consider frozen fruits. 

Not every blender will be able to adequately blend ice, especially the smaller blenders which are designed specifically to tackle smoothies. Similarly, not every food processor will be able to break the ice.

However, food processors are more likely to have the strength needed to break the ice down. In general terms, food processors are the stronger machine. 

Food processors also tend to have more varied speed settings which help to break down crushed and cubed ice easier. They are not made to blend frozen smoothies, but most will have the ability to do so. So, if this is something you want, look for a food processor that is able to blend ice. 

There are also a lot of large blenders which can break down and blend ice, however, they do not have as many abilities and settings as a food processor has. A blender can combine your ingredients into a smooth and liquid mix.

But this is not always what you want, sometimes you might like crunchy ice in it, but this is your choice. If you want your smoothie as more of a drinkable juice then blenders are better. 

But, if you want something that offers more of an all-in-one option, food processors are better for you.

Is A Blender Or Food Processor Better For Smoothies?

food processor

Whether a blender or a food processor is better for making smoothies totally depends on what you want from your kitchen appliances. If you want something that will give you smooth consistency every time, a blender is ideal. However, if you would rather have something that can serve as an all-in-one option, then a food processor is better. 

But, specifically for smoothies, a blender is better. 

How Do You Make Smoothies In A Food Processor?

Making a smoothie in a food processor is pretty simple, especially if it has a ‘blending option’, if this is the case, then all you need to do is use this setting. Everything else is then done exactly the same as if you were using a blender. 

However, you should always double-check with the instruction manual if you are adding in frozen food or ice. Not every food processor will be able to break down ice, and it can make things a little more difficult to make frozen smoothies if this is the case. 

Food processors will also break down some foods in different ways to a blender, this is due to how blenders are made to liquefy ingredients but food processors are not meant to do this in the same way.

However, this issue can be overcome by simply following these steps. 

#1. When making a green smoothie, blend the greens first, you can choose any leafy greens that you wish to, however, kale and spinach are the best to put in first, but always wash them beforehand. 

It is always best to blend these types of greens first in blenders or food processors, as they are high in fiber and usually large, they are harder for the appliance to break down. In blenders, they can often get stuck to the blades. Luckily this is less likely to happen with a food processor. 

If they do get stuck, however, just add some water, no more than a little splash is needed. 

#2. Once you have broken down these tough greens, add in your fruits, fresh or frozen, a majority of food processors should be able to break these down, but you should always double-check the user manual to be sure. 

Food processors will often have a chute that goes from the lid into the bowl, add in your fruit in this way and it will be much easier and cleaner too. Frozen fruit is hard to break down, so add it bit by bit so it does not clump and stick to the blades. 

#3. After this, add in any extras. This could be chia seeds, protein powder, or cacao. Just make sure whatever you add is not too dry or thick, if you add powdered items the smoothie can become incredibly thick, you can add in liquid to balance it out, but be careful.

#4. Finally, add in your liquid, not all of us do add liquids, but if you want to, now is the time. This could be water, milk, juice, and so on! 

#5. You can now add in sweetness, honey and agave syrup are both healthy options. Then, finally, serve. 

Our Favorite Food Processor Smoothie Recipe

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Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl

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Strawberries and bananas work so well together, there is no secret about that, and that is why we have put together this delicious strawberry banana smoothie bowl.

  • Total Time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup150g of frozen bananas
  • 1/2 cup/75g fresh strawberries (washed and trimmed)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 50 ml of dairy free milk ( or coconut water)
  • 1 tbsp cashew butter (or peanut butter)

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor, then blitz until smooth.
  2. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Best consumed immedietly.

  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast, Smoothies
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 smoothie bowl
  • Calories: 403.2
  • Sugar: 30.2
  • Fat: 14.3
  • Carbohydrates: 37.1
  • Fiber: 7.7
  • Protein: 6.6

Our Top Tips

Now that you know you can make a smoothie in a food processor, let’s give you some tips on doing so.

Never Add Ingredients All In One Go

If you try to spend all the ingredients at once, it will just make it harder to blend. This is especially true with powders and dry ingredients and they can end up clumping and not combining properly. 

You Do Not Need To Add Too Much Liquid

You can add a bit of liquid at the end to thin it, but it’s harder to thicken a smoothie. Just add the liquid gradually, it gives you more control.

Experiment With Flavor

Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors. Once you know which ingredients taste good together you can start to play. 

Try Out Seeds & Nuts

Some nuts won’t work, but hemp hearts and chia seeds are great for health and are small and soft enough to put in a smoothie. They also add texture! 

Crush Before You Blend

If you are adding tough ingredients then crush them before you add them in. 

FAQs:

Can I Use A Food Processor To Make A Smoothie Bowl?

You can use a food processor for smoothie bowls, they have a strong vortex which will give you a smooth and thick smoothie bowl.

Can You Blend Frozen Fruit In A Food Processor?

You can blend frozen fruit in a food processor, just always double-check that it is capable of doing so first.

Is A Food Processor More Powerful Than A Blender?

Food processors can be more powerful than blenders in general, however, there may be some blenders that are stronger than some food processors.

Ella Waterworth
Ella Waterworth

Founder & Recipe Developer at Smoothies N Cookies

Ella Waterworth is the founder of Smoothies N Cookies and she is a professional smoothie recipe creator. She gained extensive knowledge of creating smoothies by working for Smoothie King for several years.

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