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Can You Freeze Smoothies?

Plant Based Recipes

Last Updated on November 20, 2023

Can you freeze smoothies to drink later? Absolutely! Freezing smoothies is an easy way to enjoy a delicious breakfast all week long.

Premade smoothies are perfect for people who love meal planning and enjoy frozen fruit smoothies to start the day. Fill up some smoothie jars and freeze a full week’s worth of pre made smoothies with ease. This simple guide details how to pull it off, avoid broken glass, and have perfectly thawed smoothies all week!

Frozen smoothies in mason jars with overlay text reading "how to freeze a week's worth of smoothies"

freezing smoothies

I’m about to change your life. You may be wondering “Can you freeze smoothies?” and I am thrilled to tell you, YES! Yes, you can make easy frozen smoothies!

Do you know what that means? You only have to clean the blender once. And, the motto of my life — “Why dirty another dish?” 

So, that’s not really my life motto. But, I think it’s a pretty good rule to live by. Less time doing dishes and more time drinking frozen fruit smoothies. It’s like a constant tropical vacation.

why make pre made smoothies

There’s one thing all health officials agree on: we don’t get enough greens. I like to start my day off with a spinach salad in liquid form…aka…pre made smoothies in a jar.  

What can be better than sneaking extra greens into your diet that don’t actually taste like greens? It’s the ultimate form of sorcery. 

Since making daily green smoothies, I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin when coupled with my lotion and face masks. 

I am always looking for a way to hack my mornings. Because I don’t live alone, I can’t wake up my husband by the jet engine of a blender going off every morning at 7:30.

And, I cannot stand doing that many dishes. That’s at least a 15-minute setback every morning. 

So my ultimate solution is freezing smoothies…. a breakfast dream!

Pyramid made of pre made smoothies in mason jars.
 

Since starting my weekly meal prep posts, I’ve been asked a lot about my frozen, premade smoothies. So, I figured it was time to let you in on the secret. 

Blend once. Wash once. Drink all week long. 

can you freeze smoothies?

Yes!!!!!!! Not only that, but I’m going to teach you the tools you need to store your frozen smoothies without harmful plastic or harsh chemicals. With the right smoothie jars and a little bit of forethought, you can make and freeze smoothies once and enjoy them all week long.

Let’s dive in so I can explain how!

how to freeze premade smoothies

step one: make your smoothie

Pull out your favorite smoothie recipe. My go-to summer frozen fruit smoothie recipe is below. 

summer frozen smoothies recipe: 

  • 8 Cups of Spinach
  • 2 Cups of Strawberries
  • 4 Bananas
  • 8 Almond Milk Ice Cubes
  • Splash of Water

This makes about a week’s worth of smoothies. 

step two: use the right smoothie jars

Get the right jars. After doing this a whole bunch, my favorites to use are wide mouth 16 oz mason jars. You can use larger jars if you want a larger smoothie, but 16oz is perfect for my breakfast. 

the shoulder debate

The best types of jars used for freezing premade smoothies.

When freezing, opt for non-shouldered jars. If you only have shoulders, stop filling below the curve. This will prevent cracking. 

For more information on freezing food without plastic, read this blog post.  

step three: 

Pour the smoothie into jars. Make sure to leave 2-3 inches at the top or 2-3 inches before the shoulder.

Liquid expands when frozen. If you fill your jar to the top, it will break.

Top view of filled smoothie jars.

I only freeze in glass and I have only had two jars break (back when I was young, inexperienced, and filled my shouldered jars to the brim). Learn from my mistakes! 

step four:

Place the pre made smoothies in the freezer. 

step five: 

This is the hardest step. Before going to bed, move one of the frozen fruit smoothies from the freezer to the fridge. 

You’ll wake up to a perfectly thawed fruit smoothie! It will have defrosted overnight and be pretty much the perfect consistency.  Grab a reusable straw and head out the door.

It’s that simple!

frequently asked questions

won’t you lose nutritional value freezing smoothies?

Yes, you’ll lose a little nutritional value. However, it’s negligible. And, I’d lose the most nutritional value by not having one at all. If you have the willpower to make a smoothie every morning, do it! But, if you don’t, this is a great way to start your day off with nutrient-rich greens. 

A two-photo collage:  freezing smoothies in jars and top view of smoothie jars, separated by overlay text reading "how to freeze a week's worth of smoothies"

isn’t freezing in glass scary? 

Not if you leave enough space in the jar. Don’t be scared. Just don’t overfill the smoothie in a jar and you will be fine.

Besides, even if it does break in the freezer, it’s almost always a clean break. It’s not shattered glass. 

will the smoothies separate when defrosted? 

After 8 hours, no. If you leave it to defrost for over 24, it might. Justin once left one in the fridge for two days. It separated. But, it still tasted fine. Just give it a good shake. 

Let me know if you have any more questions about freezing smoothies in the comment section below. Share this morning hack if you think it’d help smooth out someone’s morning. 

Have you ever frozen a smoothie? 

*This post may contain affiliate linking you can read more on my disclosure page.

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  1. I started doing this a few weeks ago after seeing you talk about it in your meal prep posts and on Instagram, and it’s honestly been so great! I used to make a smoothie every morning with my blend active machine where you blend directly into the bottle, but I stopped because it was too time consuming each morning and the 750ml bottles were just too much for me (I cycle 8 miles to work so have my smoothie alongside something like toast, bagels or porridge). So it took me about 20 mins to make 15 smoothies about 300ml each, and now I have one every day with breakfast. I’m just finishing off a raspberry and almond one as I type. Thanks so much for this tip!

  2. This is SUCH a good idea. I was already making a few smoothies at a time and keeping them in the fridge, but freezing them will be much better.

  3. Do you find that the texture is still a bit icy (in a good way) in the morning once it’s thawed? I’ve pre-made smoothies before and really regretted it because they were super soggy and sloppy – I like there to be ice crystals (I make smoothies with frozen berries). I never make my smoothies with bananas as I really can’t stand the fruit.

    1. It really depends on the defrosting process. I’m currently drinking a smoothie and it tastes just like it did the day I made it. It defrosted for 9 hours in the fridge and two hours at room temp on my desk at work. If I had started drinking it the moment I pulled it out of the fridge it would have been more on the slushie side of things with more ice crystals. They easily break apart and still sippable through a straw but much more icy. (My current smoothies is a little bit of almond milk, water, lemon juice, bananas, and spinach.)

  4. Hi this is a great idea. However how do you get zero waste berries that are easy to get. I know you can pick your own berries but where I live this is very seasonal and far away. I’m struggling to get berries that don’t come in plastic!

  5. This is my second day of frozen smoothie life and I’m loving it. However, I put this one in the fridge too late last night and it’s still pretty solid. But I’m eating it with a spoon like a healthy frozen yogurt and I think this is a great way to start my day.

  6. Hi, love this idea!!! I was wondering if there are ingredients like certain fruits/dairy/protein powder, that don’t freeze well, or don’t defrost nicely. So if there is anything that I have to stay away from?

  7. Great idea, especially for this new mom!!
    Do you have other recipes that would make enough for a weeks worth of smoothie?

  8. I’d love to try this but using plastic jars instead? Coz that’s what’s readily available in my country… Do you have any experience or advice with plastic instead of glass?

  9. What do you think of Weck Canning Jars? That’s what I have and think they may break because they are designed differently.

  10. I have been freezing in mason jars for a couple weeks now. It saves soooo much time! I also juice carrots and apples and use this as my liquid in the smoothies. Therefore, using and cleaning my juicer and my nInja blender only once a week is such a timesaver. I have been freezing in the mason jars with the shoulders but I am careful about not filling them too full and I place only the lid on top of each jar in the freezer (I don’t put the band on). This gives the smoothie plenty of room to expand without the glass breaking. Works just great! Also, Frigidaire makes an awesome upright freezer that looks like a fridge. It has plenty of room and shelves in the door for the smoothies. I use the other inside freezer shelves for storing frozen fruit and garden vegetables.

  11. I adore your writing style. Also, your article was amazing, and I have used your advice to great effect!

  12. This is amazing. I haven’t been making a morning smoothie as I leave for work super early and the dang Vitamix is soooo loud!! ? So simple, but a total game changer!! ?