Made with only three ingredients, this delicious Cherry Smoothie is perfect for satisfying your cravings while providing a boost of nutrients. Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, an energizing snack, or a guilt-free dessert, this smoothie is sure to please.
Looking for a sweet and healthy treat that's easy to make and uses simple ingredients? Try this Cherry Smoothie recipe! It is such an easy recipe, and our whole family loves it.
This smoothie is made with a mix of frozen cherries and fresh pineapple. When it is cherry season around here, we like to buy them from the farmer's market and stock up on them. We freeze the cherries so we can use them in smoothies throughout the winter months as a healthy snack when the kids get home from school.
For this smoothie, I like to use tart cherries. They are the bright red ones, also known as sour cherries. A tart cherry smoothie has such a unique and delicious flavor. (You can also use fresh cherries if that is what you have - just use frozen pineapple to thicken up the smoothie!)
I recently found out I have arthritis in my neck and am looking for anti-inflammatory foods to help with that. There is research that tart cherries are good for helping ease arthritis symptoms, so I am trying to add more cherries and other anti-inflammatory foods to my diet.
Pineapple is the other fruit in this smoothie, and it is also an anti-inflammatory food. The cherry flavor and brightness of the pineapple go so great together. This has become one of my favorite smoothie recipes that we make - for the health benefits and for the delicious flavor! If you are looking for a good healthy smoothie to try out, this is a great one.
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🥘 Ingredient Notes
This is a cherry smoothie without yogurt. It is a tropical, fruity smoothie and is really light and delicious. If you want to make a cherry smoothie with yogurt, see the variations below.
- Frozen Cherries, Pitted - If you don't have any in your freezer, you can find already pitted cherries in the frozen department of most grocery stores. If pitting cherries keeps you from buying them, pick up a cherry pitter! We have one, and using it makes the job a whole lot easier! It's worth every penny!
- Fresh Pineapple, Diced
- Water - As a substitute, you can use coconut water or unsweetened almond milk. For a completely different flavor, you can use vanilla almond milk or add protein powder to your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Optional - Hemp Seeds, Chia Seeds, or Flax Seeds - I love to add a few spoonfuls of the seeds to sneak in some healthy fats.
🥣 How to Make a Cherry Smoothie
This is such an easy smoothie recipe. Slice up your pineapple or use presliced pineapple. Here is a great post on how to slice pineapple.
Measure out the cherries and pineapple. Use "heaping" cups of each. By heaping, I mean a rounded top of fruit in the measuring cup. Be generous with the fruit.
Add the water, pineapple, and cherries to your blender.
Blend until you have a smooth and creamy smoothie. Serve immediately. That's it!
To add protein and healthy fats to a smoothie, you can add a tablespoon or two of flaxseeds, hemp hearts, or chia seeds, or dissolve some protein powder in unsweetened almond milk and blend that in.
🍍 Variations
- To make a Cherry “Green Smoothie,” you can add a handful of spinach or kale to the smoothie. If you add too much, it will alter the taste, so a handful will be plenty. (I love the taste of leafy greens, so I always add a huge handful.)
- Add Protein and flavor by adding a tablespoon of almond butter, cashew butter, or peanut butter. It seems strange, but the cherry and a little almond butter combo kind of reminds me of pie or toaster strudel. Add extra protein by dissolving a scoop of protein powder in almond milk and using that in place of the water.
- Add Frozen Bananas. A frozen banana will make the consistency of the smoothie a little thicker, but it adds a really great flavor! A ripe banana will make the smoothie really sweet.
- Add Greek Yogurt. Half a cup of Greek yogurt will add some protein and a nice tang and consistency to this smoothie.
- Add Coconut Milk. (Not the thin stuff, the thick coconut cream in the can.) It will change the taste of the smoothie but will make it taste kind of like a tropical frozen yogurt or a cherry pina colada.
- Use Tart Cherry Juice. Replace the water with tart cherry juice if you are really looking to reap the benefits of tart cherries.
- Add a little Maple Syrup. If the tartness of the cherries and pineapple is too much for you, you can add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to mellow it out, though I don't really think it is needed.
- Add Cocoa Powder and use Dark, Sweet Cherries instead of tart cherries to make a Chocolate Cherry Smoothie. Top with a few chocolate chips. (Okay, this one is more of a healthy dessert smoothie, but it is delicious!)
🍒 How to Freeze Cherries
Wash the cherries by running them under warm water. Pit the cherries and discard the pits.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cherries in a single layer on the covered baking sheet and place them in the freezer.
Once frozen, put them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
By freezing them this way, the cherries won’t stick together, and it will be easier to take out how many you need when using them later for smoothies, etc.
🫙 How to Store Leftovers
Place the leftover smoothie in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a glass jar for up to 2 days. The fruit will most likely settle at the bottom, so you should stir it or shake it a little before serving.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Using frozen fruit makes the smoothie nice and thick. It also chills it, so you don't need to add ice to the smoothie.
I like to use tart cherries for cherry smoothies. However, you can use either tart or sweet cherries.
Yes, whichever fruit you have frozen and ready to go will work. I like to use one frozen and one fresh fruit. If you use all frozen fruit, it might be a little too thick.
This recipe makes just about 4, 1 cup smoothies. If you want to make more to share, it is really easy to double this recipe.
Place the smoothie in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It will most likely settle at the bottom, so you should stir it a little before serving.
🥧 Want Another Delicious Cherry Recipe?
Try this delicious cherry pie recipe. It is delicious, and I add a little something special to the top to make it unique and also pretty to look at!
🥤 Looking for More Delicious Smoothie Recipes?
We love a good healthy breakfast, so we are all about fruit smoothies. We have also recently gotten into experimenting with the concept of a smoothie bowl. My favorite is combining frozen bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate. You can't go wrong there!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you.
5 Minute Cherry Pineapple Smoothie
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 heaping cups cherries frozen and pitted
- 1 ½ heaping cups pineapple diced
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a blender, combine all the ingredients.2 heaping cups cherries, 1 ½ heaping cups pineapple, 1 cup water
- Blend until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Update Note: This recipe was originally posted earlier in 2016, but was published again in 2022 to include step-by-step directions and new photos.
Jessica
This smoothie is so delicious and great for a hot day😋
Jeannie Z
I agree Jessica! Thanks!
Linda
I never would have thought that cherry and pineapple together would taste this good. It is so simple to throw together but the flavor just pops. It is now my favorite smoothie. I just frozen a bunch a sour cherries from my farmers market and should be set for fall and winter.
Jeannie Z
I agree Linda! I also have a bunch in my freezer for the winter months!
Gwen
They did not have any sweet cherries at my farmers market so I had to settle for the sour variety. I added some kiwi to sweeten it up a little. Thanks for these smoothie recipes.... a summertime favorite.
Jeannie Z
Great Gwen! Your welcome!