Bring me back to childhood
It’s that time of year again – we are heading into smoothie season! And I couldn’t be more excited to share this orange creamsicle smoothie!
To be honest, I enjoy smoothies all year round. Living in Texas helps, but I just love how easy and customizable they are.
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But this orange smoothie – talk about nostalgia. Creamsicle popsicles were one of my absolute favorites growing up. From getting them from the snack shack at the pool or from the ice cream truck, they were my go-to.
We are taking all those flavors and making them with just a handful of good-for-you ingredients. It’s super light and refreshing and a perfect way to kick-start your day. I have been loving it as a post-workout shake too since it has protein in it! Just get me to a pool or a beach and we are good to go!
Orange creamsicle smoothie highlights
- macro-balanced – it has a good ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat for balanced blood sugar and to avoid those spikes and crashes that some smoothies can do
- loaded with vitamins and minerals – 200% of your daily vitamin C, 44% of your daily manganese, 39% of your daily potassium, and 32% of your daily phosphorus needs to name a few.
- quick and easy to make – ready in 5 minutes!
- seriously delicious – brings me back to childhood and reminds me of those orange creamsicle popsicles I loved as a kid (and let’s be honest, still do!)
Orange creamsicle protein smoothie ingredients
- full-fat coconut milk – pairs perfectly with oranges and adds to the creaminess
- greek yogurt – for a little protein
- oranges – we are using a fresh orange instead of orange juice! I used mandarin oranges.
- orange zest – for that extra orange flavor
- frozen cauliflower rice – you can’t taste it but adds some veggies and more micronutrients
- vanilla extract
- collagen – for some more protein!
- sea salt
How to make orange creamsicle smoothie
- Prep your oranges. Zest your oranges into the blender. Try to get as much off as possible. Then peel your oranges and make sure there are no seeds in them.
- Blend. Add the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!
The best oranges to use for an orange smoothie
The quality of your oranges can make or break this smoothie. While there are many kinds of oranges, here are some kinds you can use in this smoothie:
- naval – most popular and available year-round in most stores. They can be hit or miss with flavor (from what I have found).
- mandarin – a little smaller than typical oranges, but absolutely delicious. This is what I used and prefer for this smoothie.
- blood orange – juicy, sweet, and have a reddish tint. These will change the color of the smoothie but taste great.
- cara cara – super sweet and has a pinkish flesh
- clementine – miniature in size, sweet, and seedless
Tips to make a creamy smoothie
I am very much team THICK smoothie! I just love topping them with some toppings and eating them with a spoon. That being said, unfortunately, this smoothie it’s not – it’s more of a drinkable with a straw kind.
If you want to make it thicker, here are some of my tips:
- not a lot of liquid – use a little less liquid
- frozen food – having some frozen fruits or veggies is going to add to the creaminess of your smoothies. I usually opt for both some kind of frozen fruit and frozen veggies. Try freezing the oranges in advance if you want.
- frozen banana – adds the most creamy texture, but unfortunately, the banana flavor is pretty strong. I choose to leave it out for maximum orange flavor, but you could add some in if you like.
- ice – this will make it a little thicker
Substitutions or additions
- coconut milk – you can use lite coconut milk to cut down on the fat if you like. Non-dairy or dairy milk will work as well, it just won’t be as creamy.
- oranges – you could use about 1/2 cup fresh orange juice if needed
- greek yogurt – dairy or non-dairy yogurt will work. You can also use vanilla greek yogurt to add a little more vanilla flavor too.
- collagen – you can skip this if you like, but I find it adds more protein to help balance out the carbs. You can use vanilla collagen or vanilla protein powder for more vanilla flavor!
And here are some additions you can add to this orange smoothie:
- greens – spinach or kale can be great additions to pump up the nutrients. They will change the color, but it will still have the same taste.
- chia seeds or flaxseed – to add a little fiber and fat
- nut butter – I would opt for cashew butter since it is so neutral in flavor
- ice cubes – I don’t usually put ice in my smoothies, but you can add some to make it a little thicker.
More healthy smoothie recipes
- chocolate protein smoothie
- pineapple avocado green smoothie
- chocolate beet smoothie
- coffee protein smoothie
- sweet potato smoothie
Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
ingredients
- zest from oranges
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (4 ounces – I used 0%)*
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice (100 grams)
- 1-2 medium oranges, peeled and deseeded if needed (200 grams)
- 1 serving unflavored collagen (20 grams)*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt (don't skip!)
instructions
- Prep your oranges. Zest your oranges into the blender. Try to get as much off as possible. Then peel your oranges and make sure there are no seeds in them.
- Blend. Add the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!
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notes
- you can also use vanilla flavored yogurt or protein for more vanilla
nutrition
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This one is not good for me. All I taste is the cauliflower. I’m really bummed because the ingredients were pricy and I probably won’t be able to drink it. So just an FYI if you don’t like cauliflower don’t believe people when they say you won’t taste it. I’ll probably try making this without it.
Sorry it didn’t turn out for you, Cami. Did you frozen cauliflower? I find you can’t taste it when you use frozen (I would not recommend fresh), but of course everyone’s taste is different. You can also leave it out as you mentioned as well. Thanks for trying it.
Tasty
It really hits the spot! Glad you enjoyed!
This smoothie is dynamite!!! It is creamy with a great orange favor all in one, plus refreshing!
Reminds me of soft ice cream- creamsicle swirl which is short in season and hard to find!!! Loved it!!
Yes, I LOVE that ice cream! Wish I could find it more often. Thanks Nancy!
Love it
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Taste like one of my favorite popsicles
Sure does! Can’t beat it!