Erin’s Recipe Rundown
Texture: Thick and creamy.
Taste: Refreshing balance of sweet and tart fruit flavors with just a touch of nuttiness.
Ease: Simple smoothie with minimal prep.
Top Tips: Plan ahead for the almonds! They’ll need to soak at least 6 hours (or overnight!) before making the smoothie. Cashews don’t require soaking.
Would I Make This Again? Absolutely! This quick and easy smoothie recipe is a morning go-to at my house. It’s packed with good-for-you ingredients and tastes amazing!
xoxo erin
Featured Comment
From Izzah: “Tried this recipe and loved it! It had a wonderful flavor profile. Yummy + tasty way to start the morning. Thank you!”
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this cherry smoothie. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Cherries: You can’t beat the convince of frozen pitted cherries, but fresh cherries will work well too! Just add more ice if using fresh.
- Banana/mango: Both options add creaminess and sweetness to this recipe. Just like with the cherries, both frozen or fresh will work!
- Nuts: Blending nuts into the smoothie is a great way to make it creamy without adding dairy. Almonds and cashews are both great choices.
- Orange juice: Using orange juice adds citrus flavor to really make this smoothie pop. You can also use half water/half orange juice in place of this measurement!
You may also enjoy this homemade mint limeade recipe!
How to Make This Cherry Smoothie
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Prefer almonds? Plan ahead so they have time to soak in water for at least 6 hours (or overnight). This will soften them up enough to blend. Cashews are softer so you can skip the soaking phase or just soak them for 30 minutes.
Pour out the water the nuts soaked in and add the fresh water to blend the nuts on high (1-2 minutes). Stop blending when the mixture looks creamy, like thick almond milk. Combine with the rest of the ingredients (including optional mix-ins). Blend on high just until everything is incorporated well.
Adjust the ice based on if you used fresh or frozen fruit and how thick you like your smoothie. If it seems too thick, you can thin the smoothie with water or more orange juice!
Cherry Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (35g) raw almonds or 1/4 cup (32g) cashews
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
- 1 cup (140g) frozen cherries
- 1 frozen banana or 1 cup (165g) frozen mango
- 3/4 cup (180ml) orange juice
- 1-2 cups (30-60g) spinach
- 1/2-1 cup (60-120g) ice
Optional Mix-Ins:
- chia seeds/flax seeds
- hemp seeds
- protein powder
Instructions
- The night before: Place the almonds in a bowl and cover with water. If using cashews you can soak them for 30 minutes or simply add them straight to the blender.
- The next morning: Drain the water, and place the almonds and water in a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until the almonds are creamy and you’ve made a thick almond milk.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend on high until fully incorporated. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in February 2016. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2025.
Tried this recipe and loved it! It had a wonderful flavor profile. Yummy + tasty way to start the morning. Thank you!
This smoothie is so smooth with a great flavor and healthy too!
Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
Can I use 15oz on the go cup that came with a single blender.
why do you drain the water, then add water? just wondering Love the recipe!
I make smoothies often but haven’t thought about putting almonds in them, this looks AMAZING! I’ve never seen frozen cherries but I guess I’ve also never looked for them, I need to go on the hunt now!
I hope you like it! 🙂
Sam’s Club has frozen cherries!