Wake Up Your Smoothies With A Bold Coffee Base

If you have never before considered combining coffee and smoothies, now is the time to start. Smoothies are a delicious and nutritious meal or snack that are as convenient to drink as they are to make. A problem that many people experience when regularly drinking smoothies, however, is flavor fatigue — especially if they are sticking to basic ingredients like strawberries and bananas. The best way to solve this issue is by experimenting with more adventurous additions, and adding a bit of coffee is an excellent way to start.

As smoothies are most commonly a breakfast or lunchtime treat, it is easy to see how the flavor of coffee would be a natural fit. Coffee pairs well with the base ingredients of many smoothies, such as milk, peanut butter, or yogurt, and can be a beneficial pairing with many fruits that one would find in smoothies. For example, we have recommended adding a citrus zest to your morning coffee. In addition to a flavor boost, coffee infuses your smoothie with a shot of caffeine to energize you and provides antioxidants to promote your well-being.

Introducing coffee to a smoothie requires you to consider two things: How strong you will want the coffee taste to be, and how quickly you want to get the job done. Any kind of coffee will work, but different types will have unique intensities of flavor and can be prepared with more or less time and effort. Basic drip coffee is a viable option for those who enjoy a subtler coffee flavor, especially since they may already have extra coffee sitting around in a pot. However, espresso or cold brew, which have a less-diluted flavor, will provide more detectable results; cold brew concentrate in particular may be preferable for those in a rush, as they will appreciate the ability to simply pour ready-made coffee directly from a bottle.

A clear starting point for trying coffee smoothies is by making a smoothie in which coffee is the headlining flavor. This doesn't have to be where you stop, though; coffee can also play a role in highlighting other ingredients. Add a little coffee to your next nut butter smoothie to cut through the richness and add complexity. Alternatively, pour it into a more dessert-like smoothie, such as this chocolate coconut smoothie, to balance the sweetness and create a mocha-adjacent experience. Fruits like bananas and oranges go great in coffee-centric smoothies, too, and you can further elevate these flavors with the addition of your favorite spices. We like spicy cinnamon, warming nutmeg, or sweet clove.