ByAcademy of Culinary NutritionLast updated onReading Time: 8 minutes
When you’re craving an easy, healthy breakfast, a good dairy-free smoothie recipe can fit the bill – provided you build it with satiating components that will fill you up until your next meal or snack. A smoothie packed with sweet fruits and sugary liquids will quickly spike your blood sugar levels and you’ll probably be hungry (or hangry!) again after an hour. Crafting a well-balanced and delicious smoothie is easy to do – and once you get the hang of it you can batch prep smoothies in advance as part of your regular meal prep for a convenient – or portable – breakfast.
Essential Components of A Dairy-Free Smoothie Recipe
A well-balanced smoothie will contain:
Quality protein, which will help you feel full and stabilize blood sugar (more on that below)
Nourishing fats, as these also satiate you while nourishing your brain and nervous system
Fibre, to keep your energy levels even and leave you feeling full for longer, as well as support good digestion
Vegetables (especially those dark leafy greens!) to offer an array of nutrients to support good health, along with fibre
There are a ton of smoothie recipes that rely on milk, yogurt or whey protein powders for their high-protein status, but those options simply don’t work for those of us that live a dairy-free life.Protein is an important nutrient for growth, healing and repair, and there’s no better way to consume it than first thing in the morning in a delicious dairy-free protein smoothie!
Thankfully, there are a ton of naturally dairy-free and vegan options you can use in your smoothie instead for a protein-boost, including:
Smoothie bowls are all the rage, and with good reason – they elevate smoothies to a beautiful new level, and they make a simple smoothie seem fancy and elegant. This dairy-free protein smoothie bowl recipe is packed with superfoods like coconut water, acai, hemp, chia and flax to help you start your day off with a big ‘ol bowl of nutritional goodness.
When we think of protein, we often don’t consider goji berries – but these tiny fruits contain a range of amino acids, and they’re delicious! Along with the gojis, this dairy-free protein smoothie has chia and hemp to round out the amino acid power.
We can’t drink green smoothies all the time – sometimes we just want a smoothie that tastes like dessert! With almond milk, cashew butter, hemp seeds and oats, this dairy-free smoothie will satisfy your taste buds and keep your energy levels balanced until lunchtime.
Don’t be afraid of using beans in your smoothie! White beans have a more neutral flavour, and they add a luxurious creamy texture to this dairy-free, vegan smoothie. Try it – you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
A complete meal in a glass that definitely lives up to its energy-boosting promise. This smoothie is packed with protein from hemp seeds, walnuts and a secret healthy ingredient (spoiler alert: it’s silken tofu), but it also contains anti-inflammatory fats, fibre and complex carbs to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. An all-around winner!
When you’re short on time, a 3-ingredient + high-protein dairy-free smoothie is just the thing to get you out the door without having to sacrifice a good breakfast.
Hormone-Balancing Almond, Maca and Cinnamon Smoothie
This smoothie is filled with adaptogenic herbs, hormone-balancing nuts and seeds and blood sugar-balancing cinnamon – but you’ll want to drink it solely because it tastes like a cinnamon cookie.
Have you tried adding a bit of heat to your smoothie recipes? You’ll definitely want to try this one that also has a few hidden nutritional boosts like cooked and frozen cauliflower. Pink peppercorns are milder and fruitier than traditional peppers but will add a delightful kick to smoothies (and perhaps help you slow down and enjoy them).
Who knew one of our favourite grain + flour companies, Bob’s Red Mill, makes protein powder? Well, they do – and it works perfectly in this chai-flavoured smoothie. A tropical delight that will brighten your day, even in the dead of winter.
This smoothie is full of greens, but you’d never know it from looking at this vibrant purple glass. A great way to sneak in those extra greens without the picky partners or picky kids noticing…
The entire Culinary Nutrition Expert Program is dairy-free.
A simple vegan smoothie with a variety of plant-based proteins that keeps your nutritional bases covered. Great for a meal or snack at any time of the day!
Is it a smoothie, is it a milkshake? Who can tell. All we know is this Paleo cashew date shake is delicious – and we highly recommend topping it with some coconut whipped cream.
Sure, this smoothie bowl is stunning. But what makes this recipe exceptional is it’s topped with three different kinds of Bliss Balls – blueberry, pineapple turmeric, and beet – to up the protein and wow factor. Learn more about making your own smoothie bowls here.
This AIP-friendly green smoothie recipe shows you how to incorporate a number of nutritional extras like collagen and bone broth powder, but they’re imperceptible. All you’ll notice is the creamy sweetness from the coconut milk, avocado and peaches, along with a bit of a ginger kick!
You’ve heard of black bean brownies, right? Well, this is kinda like that, except in smoothie form. Protein, fibre, chocolatey-ness (that’s a word, we swear) – this dairy-free smoothie has it all.
The gorgeous, ocean blue-green colour of these smoothie bowls indeed comes from the sea – it’s the spirulina! Algae, pecans and hemp seeds create a perfect protein trifecta that will please your eyes and your body!
After a tough workout it can be easier to sip on a smoothie rather than down a full meal. This post-workout smoothie is rich in the nutrients you’ll need to recover after exercising and you can take it with you when you’re on the go.
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