5 Tips to Make a Smoothie Thicker
One of the most common questions I get is: “How can I make my smoothie thicker?” I get excited about this question because I love making super thick spoonable smoothies.
My smoothies are the consistency of ice cream- the thicker the better! These bowls are the perfect base for plenty of tasty toppings! Now you can make tasty smoothie bowls at home!

Here are five tips and tricks for making a smoothie thicker:
Use frozen fruit or freeze fresh fruit overnight
I always have a stash of bananas in the freezer because they’re perfect in smoothies! Mango, pineapple, strawberries, and blueberries are also great in the freezer. Plus, frozen fruit tends to be cheaper, and you can find fruit that might not be in season! Budget-friendly and delicious? That’s a win-win.
Cut fruit into small pieces for easier blender
If you don’t have a powerful blender, cut the fruit into small pieces and freeze on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the fruit in the freezer and once it’s frozen, you can transfer it to a freezer bag. This works especially well for fruit like bananas, strawberries, mangoes, and pineapple. The large pieces can be hard for a blender to blend smoothly without a lot of additional liquid. By cutting the fruit into smaller pieces, it’s easier for your blender to blend the fruit.
Freeze some of the liquid
If you typically use orange juice in your smoothies, freeze some of it in an ice cube tray and add those to your smoothies! I don’t recommend freezing milk or almond milk, as it can separate when frozen. But if you like juice in your smoothies, this can work well for anything from orange juice to pineapple juice!

Blend protein powder or greens first
If you want to add protein powder or spinach to your smoothie, blend it with a little bit of liquid first. This will help break down the greens easily before you add in other ingredients that will make your smoothie thick. This also works well if you’re using protein powder, so you can avoid any grittiness in your smoothie bowl.
Use the minimum amount of liquid
The better the blender, the less liquid you’ll have to use. If you don’t have a fancy blender, you might need a bit more liquid but try to only use a little at a time while you’re blending. If you add too much, it’ll be runny. I start with a little bit and add an extra splash if it’s too thick to blend.
Add a scoop of raw oats or chia seeds
A handful of oats can add thickness to your smoothie while also adding in some extra protein and fiber! I love tossing in some oats in this peach cobbler smoothie. You don’t need to cook them, just add them in raw! Adding in a tablespoon of chia seeds will add healthy fats that also make your smoothie thicker! They’re a natural thickener. This can be especially helpful if you’re not eating your smoothie right away. After just a few minutes, the chia will start to absorb liquid from the smoothie, and the seeds will expand, creating a thicker texture.

Need tips for better blending?
Struggling to get super thick results from your blender? If you don’t have a fancy blender, you can still make super thick smoothies! Whether you’re working with a fancy blender or an inexpensive model, here’s how to get the best results from your blender!
My Favorite Smoothie Bowl Recipes
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Super Thick Blueberry Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Smoothie
Description
This super thick blueberry smoothie bowl is delicious for breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1 handful of ice (about 5 large cubes)
- 1/2 medium banana, frozen
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2/3 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 handful spinach leaves (optional)
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (optional)
- Optional toppings: Almonds, blueberries, chia seeds, etc.
Instructions
- Toss everything except your toppings into the blender and process until smooth!
- Pour into a bowl and add your toppings.
- Dig in with a spoon!

My Favorite Smoothie Bowl Toppings
Of course, to take a smoothie bowl to the next level, you have to add toppings! It’s a great way to add more flavor and texture to your smoothie bowl and it can even give your bowl a little nutritional boost! I love fresh fruit, granola, or shredded coconut. Looking for more topping ideas? Here are my favorite smoothie bowl toppings!
Pin this post so you can find these smoothie tips the next time you’re making breakfast!

Great tips here! I love adding chia seeds and they do definitely absorb a lot of liquid!
I love a thick smoothie, especially with raw oats blended in, more like a custard than a smoothie. Yum!
I looooove smoothies, so this post caught my eye. All great ideas, been using the nut butters more, and the oats was a surprise that has been clutch. Love it!!
I always end up with thin smoothies, so this article helped me out so much. I made the thickest banana smoothie bowl to date this morning and it was perfect thanks to your help.
Great ideas to make smoothies thicker. Something for everyone. I usually have these on hand.
My fresh fruit smoothies always turn out much thicker than frozen fruit smoothies. This seems to be the opposite of everything I read on the net. They also get thicker as I’m drinking them.
Could this be because fruit fibers are broken down when frozen? But why do my fresh fruit smoothies get thicker as they sit in the glass?
Great tips, my favorite is using frozen fruit. It’s convenient and fast. I’m going to try using the oats next time.
Now that we finally are able to go back to the gym, I’ve been living on smoothies and protein shakes. I love mine thicker and I’m loving all of your tips on what to use! Thank you so much for sharing! Oats are probably one of my favorite things to add to thicken up my smoothies.
I love your smoothie tips. I also like your recipe, such great ideas in your post. Smoothies are my go-to breakfast, so I find this info so useful.
I always used to make drinkable smoothies but have recently gotten into thicker spoonable ones. Some great tips in this post. I like the idea of adding oats. Have to try that!