How to Freeze Fruit and Make Better Smoothies

Freezing fruit can provide an easy way to make delicious and nutritious smoothies. Learn how to properly freeze fruit and create better smoothies with these tips and tricks.

One thing that I’ve really been working hard on this year is having a healthier breakfast. I was always a die hard cereal girl which is totally fine, but I was missing out on a lot of nutrients that could help me have a better, more energized day.

So, I started drinking green smoothies with a little protein or doing breakfast parfaits with granola (or oatmeal but summer is generally more about the smoothies.), but I quickly realized three things which is why we are doing a post on how to freeze fruit and make better smoothies.

Smoothie Musts

So if I’m going to be having fruit smoothies for breakfast, I have some thoughts…

1. I need a little fruit in my smoothies to love them, otherwise it is too bland or bitter for me. Plus everyone needs a little fruit in their lives.
2. Making smoothies is expensive. I know a lot of people that eat the whole foods diet or are big on fresh produce swear it’s not bad, but it is expensive. So my solution was to start buying things on sale and freezing them because it allowed me to still incorporate fresh fruits into the smoothies, saved us money!
3. I like my smoothies thick like a shake and not thin like a juice, so using frozen fruit thickened up the texture of my shake without adding ice cubes.

I’ve compiled a list of fruits that freeze well, but the how-to is quite easy. The most important part about this, other than actually freezing is to buy fresh fruit when it’s on sale at the grocery store, and buy a lot. That way you can freeze fruit at it’s cheapest and overall save money versus buying frozen or fresh fruit that’s not on sale.

Is It Cheaper to Freeze Your Own Fruit for Smoothies?

Yes! I’m looking at a bag of frozen sliced bananas right now at Smith’s. It costs $2.99 for a 16 oz bag (or 1 lb). In comparison, fresh bananas cost $0.25/lb, so let’s say you buy 2 lbs of bananas since you will need to remove the peel. That will only be $0.50 for bananas and little bit of work peeling, slicing and properly freezing them.

Here’s another example for strawberries. A 10oz bag of frozen strawberries costs $2.99. You can get a 1 lb (or 16oz) carton of fresh strawberries for the same price, so you get almost 1/2 lb more of strawberries for the same price. You can get fresh strawberries for even cheaper than that when they are in season or on sale.

How to Freeze Fruit for Smoothies

Peel (if needed), remove stems, and rinse the fruit well, chop into small chunks or slices and dry with paper towels. Next, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay the fruit out flat in a single layer, trying to keep a little space between each piece. Now place the tray in the freezer for 3 hours or up to 1 day. Remove the fruit and place in ziploc freezer bags, pressing out all the air and sealing shut. Now the fruit will keep for 6-9 months.

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! It’s rainy and drizzling again here in Ohio. (And if I’m being 100% honest, I’m pretty much over it.) But it’s still going to be a lovely weekend – there’s a bit of sunshine sneaking into the forecast too! While the rain isn’t nearly as exciting here as it was in Phoenix, (where it only rains a few times a year) this is still some of my favorite weather. I love the way rain washes everything clean again and smells so fresh!

At this point though, I’d sure enjoy walking again without an umbrella or a cap on my head. We have had a LOT of rain lately, as evidenced by the brilliant green growth everywhere around us. It makes for a beautiful world, doesn’t it? 

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  My family went crazy over this Blackened Ranch Dressing the first time I made it. It is a smoky, slightly spicy blackened ranch dressing like Popeye’s! So far, we’ve enjoyed it with vegetables, chicken bites, and french fries – there’s no wrong way to enjoy this awesome dip.

Spicy Cajun potatoes are a great side dish for grilled and roasted meats. They are also delicious chopped up with a soft egg on top or tossed into egg burritos with a bit of sausage or bacon. (They’re awesome dipped into that blackened ranch too!)

Leftover roasted potatoes? Try them in this Cajun Potato Salad next time. Tender chunks of potato, along with hearty bites of bacon and egg are tossed in a creamy, tangy, smoky, and slightly spicy dressing to lightly coat every bite.

A few weeks ago, when I was craving a tuna salad and my eyes fell on the honeycrisp apple in the fridge, I decided to try something new. Lucky for me, this new Tuna Apple Pasta Salad combination is a win!

Garlic Butter Broccoli is super easy to make while it’s also flavorful and bright with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon just before serving.

Dr Pepper Ice Cream blends the nostalgia of a soda fountain drink with the indulgence of freshly churned ice cream. The creamy texture balances perfectly with the unique soda taste, creating a refreshing frozen treat.

Homemade Cherry Pie Filling tastes infinitely better than store-bought! And while you can certainly use the pie filling to make a spectacular cherry pie, you can also top cheesecakes, pancakes, waffles, or Read more

Weekly Menu Plan – May 20 to May 26

May-cember is in full swing over there and the last thing I want to think about is what to make for dinner! We have a high school graduation, end of year recitals and performances and there is seriously no time to meal prep. Let us do the work for you with this weekly menu plan!

Monday: Grilled Flank Steak Salad

Tuesday: Maple Glazed Salmon

Wednesday: 20 Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta

Thursday: Easy Orange Chicken

Friday: Taco Sloppy Joes

Saturday: Garlic Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Rice

Sunday: Smoked Meatloaf

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – May 20 to May 26

Dr Pepper ice cream blends the nostalgia of a soda fountain drink with the indulgence of freshly churned ice cream. The creamy texture balances perfectly with the unique soda taste, creating a refreshing frozen treat.

Dr Pepper Float Ice Cream

When I heard about Blue Bell’s Dr Pepper Float Ice Cream, I immediately filed that under “must try ASAP.” Lucky for me, after just a few attempts, I had an ice cream churning that delivered all of the Dr Pepper float flavors I was craving.

Did you know there are 23 different flavors in Dr Pepper? And while the unique blend of flavors is a closely guarded secret, some commonly speculated ingredients include Almond, Amaretto, Blackberry, Black Licorice, Caramel, Carrot, Clove, Cherry Cola, Ginger, Juniper, Lemon, Molasses, Nutmeg, Orange, Prune, Plum, Pepper, Root Beer, Rum, Raspberry, Tomato, and Vanilla.

I can’t say I’ve ever noticed most of those flavors in the soda, as I’m clearly not a super-taster. But cherry, almond, and vanilla? Those are flavors I can taste in the soda and they ring through in this ice cream.

Dr Pepper ice cream is a quirky flavor that has been a hit with everyone who has tried it so far. It’s distinctly Dr Pepper, while also a treat for anyone who loves cherries as much as I do. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy this ice cream.

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Samoa Cupcakes

Girl scout cookie meets cupcake in these rich chocolatey, caramel, and toasted coconut Samoa Cupcakes!

I’m so thrilled that stores have started making knock off Girl Scout cookies so that I don’t have to wait until March to devour all my favorite Girl Scout cookie flavors. Keebler has a version of the Samoa cookie and Walmart even has it’s own Great Value version. So you can make these Samoa cupcakes all year round!

Samoa Cookie Inspiration

I love cupcakes and Samoa cookies so why not mash the two together?! Voila! It’s seriously a party in your mouth. I chose to use a yellow cake for the cupcake to mimic the shortbread in the cookie and then I dipped it in ganache similar to how the bottom of a Samoa is covered in chocolate.  

I was going to top the cupcake with just a caramel/coconut mix but what kind of cupcake would that be without a buttery frosting?! The caramel buttercream is divine! I could eat it by the spoonful! And we top it with a sprinkle of toasted coconut!

Oh and for extra good measure I drizzled more caramel and ganache on top of the cupcakes creating a delicious mess.  These Samoa Cupcakes are going to blow your minds!  Enjoy!

Ingredients for Samoa Cupcakes

There are a few steps that go into making this cupcake recipe, but don’t worry, every ingredients and step is worth it! Here are the ingredients you will need:

Cupcakes:

• Dry Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
• Wet Ingredients: Butter, Sugar, Eggs, Vanilla and Sour Cream

Ganache:

• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Heavy Whipping Cream

Caramel Frosting:

• Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Caramel Sauce
• Vanilla

Topping:

• Samoa Girl Scout Cookies
• Sweetened Coconut Flakes
• Caramel Sauce

The measurements for each ingredients can be found in the recipe at the end of this post. Keep scrolling down for all the details!

How to Make Samoa Cupcakes

Now that you know all the ingredients you need, here is the step-by-step guide to making them:

Cupcakes:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Combine: Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
3. Beat: Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until light and creamy.
4. Mix: Add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly between each egg. Then mix in the vanilla and sour cream.
5. Combine: Add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Bake: Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners