Brighten up your morning with a glass of this Orange Sunshine Creamsicle Smoothie! Naturally sweetened with antioxidant-packed fruit, thickened up with unexpected veggies and positively bursting with flavor! Simply blend everything together in a high powered blender and enjoy as a quick breakfast or healthy snack. Serve as is or spruce up your drink with an extra sprinkling of granola, nuts, seeds or fresh fruit slices! | Grain Free + Vegan

Originally shared this recipe on June 20, 2016 – Updated May 19, 2022 with improved photos, recipe, tips and ingredient explanations.

Forgive the cliché, but this orange creamsicle smoothie is like sunshine in a cup! A very tasty, very filling, very good-for-you cup. It’s like a healthy version of an Orange Julius Smoothie but without all the added sugar, cream, artificial ingredients and who knows what else.

More Sneaky Veggie Recipes

Healthy Strawberry Shake (With Hidden Veg)

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Vegan Zucchini Brownies

Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies (Paleo + Nut Free)

Healthy Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Altogether, this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie recipe packs in a powerhouse of nutrients with only five simple ingredients and no added sweeteners!

• Oranges: Instead of using pure orange juice that’s all sugar without any fiber – add the whole thing! Peel and then roughly chop in to large orange slices.
  • If you are using a high-powered blender, consider keeping the pith! The pith (the white, stringy bits between the peel and the fruit) is full of calcium, fiber, vitamin C, and immune-boosting flavonoids. Most people tend to avoid eating the pith because of it’s bitter taste, but it hides well in this smoothie!
• Banana: For best results, frozen banana is ideal. However, you can absolutely make this smoothie using fresh, ripe bananas if that’s all you have on hand. As always – the riper the banana, the sweeter the flavor. If you’re working with fresh bananas make sure to add a handful of ice cubes.
• Carrot: Carrots are nutrient-rich, immune boosting and naturally sweet. The extra fiber should help regulate blood sugar and keep you fuller longer.
• Cauliflower: Yes, that’s right – cauliflower! While it does sound a bit weird, it works surprisingly well! While cruciferous vegetables usually have quite a distinct smell, you’d be hard pressed to pick it out between all of the other smoothie ingredients. Cauliflower adds extra bulk and nutrition without adding any extra carbs (like my Chocolate Coffee Smoothie!).
  • Note: Uncooked cauliflower can lead to excess bloating and discomfort so make to steam or blanche it before using.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla is essential to that classic creamsicle flavor. Add a splash to your orange cream smoothie to enhance the natural sweetness.

Change it Up

• Protein Powder:
  • Add a scoop of your favorite powder – ideal for a pre or post workout healthy snack. Vanilla protein powder will taste great here, but plain powder works just as well!
• Yogurt:
  • If you don’t mind the dairy, greek yogurt and plain yogurt will pack in some extra protein and create a creamier texture. Feel free to choose also vanilla greek yogurt (or plain vanilla yogurt)!
  • To keep this vegan, make sure to choose a dairy free yogurt.

• Nuts and/or seeds:
  • Flax seeds, chia seeds and or hemp seeds are all good ways to add a little more dietary fiber and healthy fat.
• Coconut Water or Milk:
  • Give your smoothie a more tropical twist by using coconut water instead of a non-dairy milk. Coconut milk (from a can) is also a great way to make an especially creamy smoothie. Since it’s higher in fat it will tack on some extra calories but the trade off is a super luscious smoothie with a creamy texture.

• Rolled Oats:
  • Rolled oats will add fibre, protein and a few extra carbs. Just make sure to ensure that you’re using certified gluten free oats!

A few more of my favorite healthy smoothie recipes you might enjoy:

• Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
• Green Monster Smoothie
• Berry Ginger Smoothie
• Apple Banana Smoothie
• Golden Milk Frappuccino (not exactly a smoothie, but smoothie adjacent)
• Citrusy Ginger Smoothie

Yield: 2 servings

Orange Sunshine Creamsicle Smoothie

5.0 Stars (9 Reviews)

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

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Naturally sweetened with antioxidant-packed fruit, thickened up unexpected veggies and positively bursting with flavor!

Ingredients

• 2 large oranges, peeled and quartered
• 1 banana (ideally frozen)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2-3 florets frozen cauliflower, steamed or blanched before frozen
• 3/4 cup almond milk or another milk of your choice, (180ml)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste (15 ml)

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Blend everything together in a high powered blender or food processor for about 45-60 seconds until thick and smooth.

Notes

Tip: Add Lemon Juice!

• If you don’t love strong banana flavors in smoothies – add a bit of lemon juice to tone it down. Tangy citrus fruits like lemon and lime help tone down overly sweet flavors. If your smoothie taste too sweet or banana-y, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or lime juice), then mix again. You should find that the banana flavors diminish while the delicious orange flavor shines through.

About The Cauliflower:

• Uncooked cauliflower can lead to excess bloating and discomfort so make to steam or blanche it before using.
• If you don't have frozen cauliflower on hand you can quickly steam some in the microwave: cut up your florets and place in a microwave safe bowl. Add a little water to cover the bottom and then place a wet paper towel over the top. Microwave for 3-4 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Run under cold water to cool down and set aside. Keep in mind that freshly steamed cauliflower will have a more distinct smell - once blended this will be hidden.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1/2 the smoothie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 109mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 0gSugar: 29gProtein: 5g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Smoothies & Shakes Cuisine: American