Good morning, sunshine! Nature’s incredible colors inspired this smoothie. The bright reds, yellows, and oranges we see when the sun sets blend together to make this Sunset Smoothie.
Yes, I know that comfort food season is upon us. Don’t worry, I have plenty of those recipes coming up. This one is for when you need something lighter than all the baked cheesy heaviness.
This one is for when you want to start your kids’ day with fresh fruits and even a vegetable. Carrots are a great smoothie vegetable because they are naturally sweet and pair great with fruit. I steamed the carrot for this one to make the smoothie extra smooth. Using raw carrots is okay, but the texture won’t be as creamy. Plus, carrots are one vegetable where cooking them actually boosts their nutritional content. Meghan and Luke generally only like raw carrots, so this is a great way for them to get some cooked carrots, too.
You can use either raspberries or strawberries. I first made the smoothie with raspberries, and I loved it, but Tim thought the raspberries made it too tart. Using strawberries makes it a tad sweeter. I use frozen fruit, which gives the smoothie a thicker, creamier texture. If you don’t have frozen fruit, use some ice to make sure the smoothie is cold enough (I can’t stand smoothies that aren’t really cold!), but again I prefer the texture with frozen fruit here. I add hemp seeds for extra protein and nutrition, but they are optional. Either way, you get a dairy-free, naturally sweetened smoothie that is a great way to start your day!
Sunset Smoothie
Brighten your morning with this Sunset Smoothie! A great way to add lots of fruits and even a vegetable to your day.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 large smoothie or 2 small smoothies 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Sunset Smoothie
Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries
1 large carrot, sliced and cooked
1/2 cup coconut water or plain cold water
1/2 cup orange juice (fresh juice from one medium orange)
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seeds (optional)
Instructions
Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large smoothie
- Calories: 333
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 37mg
- Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Protein: 9g
Keywords: morning smoothie
Christine says
May 28, 2017 at 11:11 amHi Maryea, and thanks for this wonderful recipe — it was absolutely delicious! Loving the colors! I threw in some sweet dates, as I like it a little sweeter, and that came out beautifully 🙂 I used the recipe on my danish blog http://www.nope.dk/smoothies-med-groentsager.html but with a link back to you, so hoping you don’t mind too much 😉
Maryea says
May 29, 2017 at 6:59 amHi Christine! I’m glad you liked this! I don’t mind you sharing it with a link back to the recipe. : )
Diedre says
December 30, 2014 at 8:51 pmthis is super yummy. Made for Kids today on this very cold Michigan afternoon. So tropical. I used strawberries and fresh oranges. I love how you do not need to add any additional sweeter. You really have some great recipes. I am trying to eat more plant based and love your recipes. Hopefully for 2015 we will see more plant based inspired.
Maryea says
December 31, 2014 at 6:46 amThanks Diedre! There will definitely be a strong mix of plant-based recipes around here in 2015! 🙂
Iris says
November 11, 2014 at 10:11 amOmg. Super busy mom always looking for fast n easy way to make meals. Recently discovered lots shakes n smoothie recipes n this one looks yuuummy. Can’t wait to try it. Have one question how do u cook ur carrots?
Maryea says
November 12, 2014 at 6:44 amI steam mine. I either use my steamer basket or I have these cool glass bowls with steamer tops that let me use the microwave to steam veggies. I found them at Homegoods and they are pretty cool.
Amrita says
November 11, 2014 at 2:36 amThis looks so vibrant and beautiful!! And your photos are absolutely amazing wow!! I make a similar smoothie for my husband but never thought to add carrots to it, I’ll try it the next time!
Maryea says
November 11, 2014 at 5:53 amThanks Amrita!
Marie @ Not Enough Cinnamon.com says
November 10, 2014 at 5:47 pmSmoothies are of my favorite snack and yours sounds delicious! These pictures are beautiful! I didn’t know that cooking carrots actually boosted their nutritional content, so thanks for that one 🙂
Maryea says
November 11, 2014 at 5:53 amThank you, Marie! And you’re welcome. 🙂
Dietitian Jess says
November 10, 2014 at 12:38 pmOddly enough even though it’s getting colder out I’ve been in more of a smoothie mood… this sounds like a bite of summer!
Maryea says
November 10, 2014 at 1:37 pmMe, too! It must be our bodies’ way of telling us to go easy on the heavy stuff. 🙂
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
November 10, 2014 at 11:55 amOMG….the prettiest!!! I bet some anti-inflammatory ginger wouldn’t be too shabby in this 😉 #stifffingersunite
Maryea says
November 10, 2014 at 1:38 pmHaha–absolutely!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
November 10, 2014 at 9:56 amI keep forgetting to add carrots to my smoothies!
Maryea says
November 10, 2014 at 2:27 pmI do, too! It’s such an easy way to add some extra veggies to your day. 🙂
Em @ Love A Latte says
November 10, 2014 at 9:16 amI’ve been on a smoothie kick lately and this one looks amazing!
Maryea says
November 10, 2014 at 3:20 pmThanks, Em!