Following up from the earlier post about what I put in my smoothies, I’m back to give some tips for making layered smoothies.
Making a layered smoothie starts with making two (or more) smoothies of different colors. It’s helpful to make both smoothies the same consistency. Otherwise, make sure the smoothie on the bottom layer is more dense than whatever you intend to put on top. It’s normal for the layers to mix a little bit. Sometimes, I’ll make one of my red, green or orange smoothies, and then just mix up some berries and yogurt to layer on top. This is a quick alternative to making two different and more involved smoothies.
One great technique that I recently discovered is to pour your bottom layer in your glass and then add in a handful of ice cubes. When you pour your second layer on, the ice cubes will help to keep your top layer from mixing to much with the layer below. The ice cubes also help to keep your smoothie ice cold.
Once you’ve got the layering part down, it’s time to add some toppings. This is just a fun way to finish off your smoothie and make it that much more fun to eat!
Suggested Smoothie Toppings:
- Granola
- Freeze dried raspberries (or other freeze-dried fruit. I am a fan of these, as you can tell)
- Sunflower Seeds
- Nuts – cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.
- Sliced fruit – slices or chunks of whatever you already put in your smoothie, like strawberries or bananas, make a great topping
- Shredded coconut
- Mint leaves
Share some of your favorite smoothie toppings in the comments!
Could you talk a little bit about how you deal with portion sizes when you make a layered smoothie? How much do you make at once? Thanks!
Hi Lael! I am really bad at measuring, I tend to just add handfuls of stuff here and there. I tend to use a 18oz container and fill it to the top with my ingredients (I don’t pack them down at all, just layer them up loosely) and then go from there. If I’m making a layered smoothie I fill the 18oz jar again for a second smoothie, though I don’t fill the container up all the way for the second time around. If I make too much, I just stick it in the fridge or freezer and save it for later!
Thanks, Kim! How long can you save made smoothies in the fridge or freezer? This is super helpful!
If I only have a little bit of smoothie left, I’ll just put it in a container in the freezer and then add it as a base for my next smoothie. In the freezer those probably keep for several weeks, months maybe. In the fridge you probably want to drink it within a day or so.
Thanks!