5 Warming Smoothies for Winter

Winter reminds me of cozying up by a fire, spending time with family, enjoying delicious meals and being grateful for everything the year had to offer. Winter is also a time to enjoy seasonal flavors, which can be easily incorporated into a nutritious smoothie. Smoothies are the perfect pick-me-up regardless of the season.

These delicious drinks aren’t only a go-to for the summer months, when we want a boost of fruit or a cold drink to enjoy in the sunshine. Winter smoothies are still cool, but they deliver a warmth with their depths of flavors and a comfort with their nostalgia (such as childhood favorites s’mores and pumpkin pie). And when you make them with healthy ingredients and high-quality protein powder, you can enjoy the wellness benefits they deliver as well.

Can you drink smoothies in the winter?

A winter smoothie might sound crazy—especially if snow is falling outside! Most winter foods are freshly baked or are warm comfort foods, not frozen ones. But with the right recipes, you can turn icy smoothies into the perfect winter treat. Start a fire, whip up your chosen flavor, and enjoy a winter smoothie in place of your hot chocolate.

What are the best smoothies for winter?

When you think of the four different seasons, it’s likely that certain flavors pop into your mind. Spring and summer are for seasonal fruits and refreshing tastes. Fall is for squash, pumpkin and comfort dishes. Winter is for cinnamon, peppermint and your go-to holiday favorites.

While winter smoothies are great because you can incorporate any of these flavors (including frozen fruits when they aren’t in season), there are five flavors that I especially love during this time:

1. Ginger

2. Peppermint

3. Pumpkin Spice

4. S’mores

5. Hazelnut

These flavors not only feel seasonal and comforting, they also work well with other flavors in a winter smoothie.

1. Dairy-Free Lemon Ginger Smoothie

Ingredients

½ cup frozen mango
½ cup frozen peaches
1 1/4 cup almond milk
Juice from ½ lemon
¼ tsp ground or fresh ginger
½ scoop Life Extension® Wellness Code® Plant Protein Complete

Topping:
1 lemon slice

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients, except topping, to blender.
2. Blend until smooth. If you prefer a thicker texture, add ice cubes. If you prefer a thinner texture, add more almond milk.
3. Serve topped with a lemon slice.

Nutritional Values

Total Servings: 1
Calories: 196 calories
Protein: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 28 grams
Fat: 4 grams

Tips for Success

This dairy free lemon ginger smoothie uses a commonly found plant-based milk: almond milk. Using almond milk in this recipe provides a low calorie, somewhat nutty flavor that is a good addition to the fresh ginger and lemon flavors in this smoothie.

The benefits don’t stop at the flavor profile; you’ll also be getting ample health benefits from the recipe ingredients, especially ginger. Ginger has been found to encourage a healthy inflammatory response, support immune health and support healthy digestion, among other benefits. It warms you up with a spicy flavor that compliments the citrus of the lemon. Turmeric is another warm spice that helps support a healthy inflammatory response, would make a good addition to this recipe.

2. White Chocolate Peppermint Smoothie

Ingredients

½ cup ice
½ cup milk
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp white chocolate chips, melted
½ tsp peppermint oil
½ scoop Life Extension® Wellness Code® Whey Protein Concentrate – Vanilla

Toppings:
1 peppermint candy, crushed, optional
1 tbsp whipped cream

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients, except toppings, to blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Add more ice or milk to get to your desired thickness.
3. Serve topped with whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy.

Nutritional Values

Total Servings: 1
Calories: 296 calories
Protein: 35 grams
Carbohydrates: 21 grams
Fat: 8 grams

Tips for Success

Don’t be fooled by the delicious candies and chocolate in this recipe—you’re getting health benefits in addition to the cozy winter flavors. While this recipe calls for peppermint, you can quickly swap in spearmint flavoring, a similar-tasting species of mint. Like peppermint, spearmint has cognitive health benefits, such as supporting focus and memory.

3. Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Ingredients

1 ¼ cup milk
½ cup ice
½ cup pure pumpkin
Pinch pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ scoop Life Extension® Wellness Code® Whey Protein Concentrate – Vanilla

Topping:
1 tbsp whipped cream
Sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients, except toppings, to blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Add more ice or milk to get to your desired thickness.
3. Serve topped with whipped cream and sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice.

Nutritional Values

Total Servings: 1
Calories: 425 calories
Protein: 37 grams
Carbohydrates: 40 grams
Fat: 13 grams

Tips for Success

Easily turn this recipe into a breakfast treat with added crunch and health benefits by omitting the ice cubes and serving it in a bowl mixed with warm oatmeal and topped with pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds are naturally rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which supports healthy sleep and mood.

4. S’mores Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 tbsp cacao powder
¼ frozen banana
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 graham cracker
1 tsp honey
½ scoop Life Extension® Wellness Code® Whey Protein Concentrate – Chocolate

Toppings:
1 tbsp whipped cream
1 marshmallow, toasted
1 extra graham cracker piece
1 piece chocolate

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients, except toppings, to blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Add more ice or milk to get to your desired thickness.
3. Serve topped with whipped cream, marshmallow, extra graham cracker and chocolate.

Nutritional Values

Total Servings: 1
Calories: 348 calories
Protein: 21 grams
Carbohydrates: 39 grams
Fat: 12 grams

Tips for success

Mmm, s’mores! Such nostalgic flavors remind me of summertime camping trips and also of winter months, when I long for holiday lights and a roasted marshmallow and melted chocolate by the fire.

If fasting is within your nutrition regimen, this is a great way to break a fast, especially when you’re consuming fruits or vegetables that are nutritious and easy to digest. With this drink, you’ll enjoy all the flavors of fireside s’mores while getting your nutrition from the banana, creamy yogurt, milk and honey.

You can also add avocado or sweet potato puree to your high-speed blender to turn this milkshake into a superfood with a delicious chocolate taste. Of course, it’s nice to have the extra goodies, too (the graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow toppings). These are what I call “feel-good foods” that I incorporate in moderation to my overall, well-balanced diet.

5. Dairy Free Hazelnut Green Smoothie

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut milk
½ cup almond milk
1 tbsp crushed hazelnuts
½ cup ice
½ cup spinach
1 tbsp honey
½ scoop Life Extension® Wellness Code® Plant Protein Complete

Toppings:
1 tbsp dairy free whipped topping
½ tbsp crushed hazelnuts

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients, except toppings, to blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Add more ice or milk to get to your desired thickness.
3. Serve with whipped topping and hazelnuts.

Nutritional Values

Total Servings: 1
Calories: 300 calories
Protein: 13 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fat: 16 grams

Tips for Success

Green smoothies aren’t just a fad—a green smoothie is an excellent way to reach your daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals, especially because most people aren’t eating enough greens. This recipe calls for a cup of spinach, and you can easily use a mix of spinach and kale or any leafy green you have on hand.

Another way to customize this hazelnut green smoothie recipe is by swapping hazelnuts for any other nut you’d like. Antioxidant-packed walnuts are often called brain food and would be a great substitution for this recipe, providing high omega-3 fatty acid content to support healthy brain and cognitive function.

Why use protein powder in your smoothies?

Not only is protein an important macronutrient that fuels your body and helps you feel full, it also helps maintain muscle mass and strength as you age. These winter smoothie recipes have a wide variety of flavors that are complemented by the different flavors of Life Extension’s protein powders. You can also choose to swap or add ingredients to these recipes—with veggies like carrots, spices like turmeric or fruits like blueberries—depending on what works best for your lifestyle.

Adding protein powder to your winter smoothies—or to milk or water if you are short on time—is a convenient way to reach your recommended protein needs (or add protein to other treats, such as this cookie recipe). Supplemental protein is especially important for those on a vegan diet, as they can be lacking in protein, vitamin D and amino acids. Life Extension’s vegan protein and amino acid powder is a perfect fit for a plant-based diet.

If you include dairy in your diet, whey protein concentrate in both vanilla flavor and chocolate flavor deliver plenty of protein and branched-chain amino acids that help to build lean muscle, inhibit protein breakdown, and promote immune system health and longevity.

Wondering if you could benefit from adding nutrients to your diet? Take this essential nutrition quiz to determine what supplements may be best for you.

References

• Carbone, John W. et al. “Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit.” Nutrients, May 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566799/
• Cooper, Jon. “Benefits of Protein.” Nourish by WebMD, September 2022, https://www.webmd.com/diet/benefits-protein
• “Whey Protein.” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-whey-protein/art-20363344