I drink my favorite green smoothie almost every morning, but what do you do if you’re moving or in a season of transition, and you can’t access your blender? Learn how to make a smoothie without a blender with just 3 ingredients and this simple tutorial. Don’t forget to try my 5 day smoothie fast!

Several years ago, Mr. Crumbs and I took advantage of a date night and browsed the aisles at Costco. While holding hands. In complete silence. It was bliss!
At the end of one of the aisles was a blender demonstration. My husband was drawn in immediately. Five minutes later, he was picking out which color blender he wanted (read the full story here).
We’ve loved our Blendtec ever since and we’ve come to rely on smoothies as an easy way to get fruits, vegetables, AND daily probiotics (via kefir or yogurt). Shoot, that’s why I wrote a book about smoothies!
But what do you do when you want to make a smoothie and your blender is in storage during a move, or when you don’t have a blender? I experienced this during my move across the country, and learned a few tips and tricks for making smoothies without a blender!
A Blenderless Smoothie
My mantra during seasons of transition is to “make do,” which essentially requires me to think outside the box while crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
When we moved across the country, I had to put a few of my favorite cooking tasks on hold. Grinding my own wheat for homemade bread is impossible without a grain mill, a blender, or a food processor. Making homemade mayo was put on hold since our immersion blender was packed up too, and I even put our beloved smoothies on hold too.
And then I wondered… would it be possible to make a smoothie without a blender?
This brings me to today, where I plan to show you that with the right ingredients, you CAN make a smoothie without a blender!
Here’s What You Need for a Blenderless Smoothie
Making a blenderless smoothie is so simple and easy!
You need 2 simple supplies to get started:
- Glass jar. One that can hold at least 2 cups (at least a 16 oz jar – I use these mason jars)
- Whisk and/or spatula.

You’ll also need some specific, yet simple real food ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of very soft fruit
- 1/2 cup kefir or yogurt
- 1 cup pre-blended smoothie. The pre-blended smoothie will be your base liquid, instead of almond milk or water. I chose this brand of green smoothie from Costco – just be sure to read the ingredients to avoid added sugars and preservatives!
How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender
To make your smoothie without a blender, follow these two easy steps:
Step 1. Measure your soft fruit into the glass jar.
Step 2. Mash it with either a whisk or spatula until it’s as smooth as it gets.

That’s it! It is really that simple.
Recipe Notes
Obviously, this method relies on having pre-blended produce. I chose to buy a green smoothie in bulk because:
- Green vegetables usually aren’t soft enough to mash without an appliance of some sort
- I like having vegetables in smoothies
- Buying in bulk was cheaper (by 50%) than buying at the grocery store

You could mix/match flavors by choosing various flavored pre-blended smoothies or juices. For example, pre-blended mango would be great with mashed banana and strawberries, and pre-blended carrots would be good with applesauce.
The only catch with buying pre-blended is making sure there isn’t anything wacky in the ingredients. You’re likely to run into added sugar, emulsifiers (i.e. soy lecithin), preservatives, and “natural flavors” or “natural colors.” Look for ones that say pure fruit, 100% fruit, or something similar. In the end, always read the label!
Easy Blenderless Smoothie Questions
u003cstrongu003eCan I just use water in a smoothie?u003c/strongu003e
Water can be added to smoothies. By doing so, your smoothie will be less flavorful and creamy. For this recipe, I chose a u003ca href=u0022http://amzn.to/1Ocjx9ku0022 rel=u0022nofollowu0022u003epre-blended smoothieu003c/au003e that will be your base liquid, instead of almond milk or water!
Can you blend a smoothie by hand?
Yes! Just use my method in this post (with a wisk or a spatula) and you will be good to go with a perfect smoothie – without a blender!
How do you make a smoothie without a smoothie machine?
There are times in our lives when we don’t have a smoothie machine (or a blender) on hand, right? Luckily, I have discovered a way to make a budget friendly and delicious smoothie without one. Just follow my simple steps in this post and you will be on your way! You will love this easy method.
Variations of a Blenderless Smoothie
- The berries will still have small pieces because of the seeds, but you can get the banana pretty smooth. It all depends on your texture preference, and how much work you’re willing to put into it (and how hungry you are!).
- Add the kefir or yogurt to the fruit and stir well. Optionally, you can put a lid on the jar and shake like crazy. I’ve done this both ways and both are effective. Although shaking like crazy is a bit more fun.
- Pour in the pre-blended smoothie and again, either stir well or put on a lid and shake like crazy. Enjoy your smoothie made without a blender!

Note: Don’t get tricked into thinking that you need protein powder in order to get protein in your smoothies! Discover the dangers of commercial protein supplements and learn how to make your own protein bars and protein smoothies using REAL food, and without processed powders in this ebook, High Protein No Powder.
More Ways to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender
- Borrow a friend’s blender. If you do this, take enough produce to make a massive batch of puree. Pour the puree into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then thaw 4-6 cubes overnight in the fridge to make a smoothie in the morning. (Remember that you won’t be able to blend up the cubes, so thawing is important.)
- A food processor or immersion blender. They’re not blenders but can get the job done well enough.
My Favorite Smoothie Recipes
- Delicious Eggnog Smoothie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- High Protein Gingerbread Smoothie Recipe
- The Best Green Smoothie Recipe For Beginners

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I drink my favorite green smoothie almost every morning, but what do you do if you’re moving or in a season of transition, and you can’t access your blender? Learn how to make a smoothie without a blender with just 3 ingredients and this simple tutorial. Don’t forget to try my 5 day smoothie fast!
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 minute
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Blender
Instructions
Notes
- The pre-blended smoothie will be your base liquid, instead of almond milk or water. I chose this brand of green smoothie from Costco – just be sure to read the ingredients to avoid added sugars and preservatives!
- You could mix/match flavors by choosing various flavored pre-blended smoothies or juices. For example, pre-blended mango would be great with mashed banana and strawberries, and pre-blended carrots would be good with applesauce.
Thanks for the post, I’m saving this for next time I make a smoothie! 🙂 I used to have a smoothe maker but it broke the other year and they seem to be quite expensive these days, so I can’t afford one right now.
Also I don’t have a mixer and creaming butter and sugar by hand can take ages! If it’s cold I’ve sat the bowl on top of the electric fire for a bit, lol. Thank you for the oven door tip.
P.S. I recently made your 90 Minute Man Bread and it was nice. I like simple breads! 🙂
Great tips. I’ve been doing protein smoothies the past few weeks and finding I really like them. My favorite so far is berries, milk, chocolate protein powder, spinach, and ginger. Love how the ginger gives it a little zing!
Great Job… This Smoothie looks very delicious, which i must try it now. Thank for share…
Very nice. It’s amazing how used to our appliances we get. We are military and sometimes get to accompany my husband on orders. Usually we drive so the kiddos and I have a vehicle. When that’s the case I always pack my Blendtec and my Ninja Cooker along. I can make just about any meal with those two appliances. If we fly, that’s another story and I dearly miss them. 🙂
Hopefully your move is going well and you are getting settled-or will be soon.
My blender and slow cooker are on my list for sure if we do this again. Thanks for your well wishes Kathleen!
What?! You’re not *supposed* to cream cold butter and sugar together! 😉 That’s why it should say softened butter 🙂 And I only use a slotted metal mixing spoon for creaming (yours might be packed up, though) because the butter squishes through the holes and helps it blend really well. I think I would have put the bowl in the oven for 5 minutes and then tried 🙂
Your smoothie method is ingenious! Good job, and way to stretch the storebought smoothie!
(Also, you can make mayonnaise with a whisk. I’ve done it. Watch Rachael Ray do it online somewhere 🙂 )
Over here (barcelona, spain) old people do their mayo with pestle and mortar!! So yes, no need for fancy appliances…. although, i can’t do it without them…..
Whoa – I haven’t heard of making mayo that way. Kinda makes me want to try! 😉