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.

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 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

More healthy smoothie recipes

• chocolate protein smoothie
• pineapple avocado green smoothie
• chocolate beet smoothie
• coffee protein smoothie
• sweet potato smoothie