Question: Can I substitute ice for water in smoothie recipes? The smoothie recipes I was looking at on your website call for 1/2 cup water. Could I substitute some ice cubes for that? I like thick smoothies. But not if that would make them gross. I'm thinking Jamba Juice, they put ice in most of their smoothies and I like the consistency of theirs...
-Marissa
Answer: Yes, ice can be a great ingredient in a smoothie. But ice can also cause problems. Make sure that you don't have too much frozen fruit along with ice. This could make almost a sorbet. :) Worse yet... your blender might not be able to handle a lot of frozen ingredients.
I generally recommend using frozen fruit over ice as it gives more flavor than ice. Ice is cheap. Perhaps, Jamba Juice uses ice to cut down on costs.
When I worked at the smoothie bar, we used ice. It was shaved ice. So it incorporated into the smoothie fast. Then we would use thawed out frozen fruit for the liquid and flavor.
Another option is to switch to fresh fruit and ice instead of frozen fruit and liquid. You will need some liquid, but cut it down to about a quarter as much as my smoothie recipes states.
As you can see... There are many options! I hope this helps you out in your smoothie blending journey. Send us your smoothie recipes, once you found the secret to a "thick" smoothie.
Happy Blending!
DaNae
The contents are not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This website is for sharing knowledge and information from the research and experience of DaNae. She encourages you to make your own health decisions based upon your research and discussion with your own qualified professionals.