Blood Orange-Strawberry Coconut Smoothie

By Amanda Paa – Updated May 5, 2023

There are TONS of great smoothie recipes out there, but I really wanted to share this Blood Orange-Strawberry Coconut frozen delight with you for a few reasons. First being I’ve gotten some answers regarding the health issues I talked about here, which are quite complicated so I’ll save all the details for another post – but thankfully there is hope for healing through food and functional medicine.

One of the foods that I have to say goodbye to for awhile is bananas….. (sad trombone), which meant my standard smoothie routine was going to need a change. I relied on them for potassium, creaminess, and as a natural sweetener in my frozen blends. Time to go back to the drawing board.

Blood Orange-Strawberry Coconut Smoothie (vegan, refined sugar-free)

Experimenting wasn’t a problem because……. I got a new kitchen toy, a Blendtec Blender. Eek! For someone who loves to be in the kitchen, there is nothing better than a shiny new appliance.

And side note – after investing a lot of time researching and money into buying an oven & dishwasher earlier this year, I realized how many of us are looking for real life experiences (I don’t like calling them reviews) on how different brands/products actually bake those cookies, boil that pasta or blend that smoothie. The pros/cons, the things you love but aren’t necessary, what you wish you would have known, and if it’s worth the money. We’ve all bought things that didn’t live up to the hype or its 5-star Amazon rating. And even if a product has 1000’s of reviews, how did you dig through them all?

That being said, you may occasionally see me include my real experiences and thoughts about products to help cut through the clutter. I’ll have purchased them on my own or they may be given to me to try, like this blender, the company knowing that I’m going to share my unbiased thoughts. I’m hoping it will be helpful, and if there are certain things you’re particularly interested in, let me know anytime.

Blood Orange-Strawberry Coconut Smoothie (vegan)

Now about this creamy, dreamy smoothie. I settled on a combination of juicy fruit, coconut butter, and coconut milk that reminds me of a summer milkshake.

The pops of color bouncing off the mounds of winter citrus at Lakewinds Coop (my favorite!) drew me in hard last week. Organic tangerines, kumquats, grapefruit, meyer lemons….. cutting into them their colors just screamed happiness in the darkness of winter. I used some of the blood oranges for this recipe which bleed a gorgeous magenta hue, and they’re less tart than some of the other varieties. Paired with strawberries and coconut, it took my mind to a Caribbean island, sipping a creamy frozen drink on the beach.

Except I was standing in my kitchen with two layers on and my stocking hat….. So if you want to escape into the tropics and boost your nutrition for the day, my Vegan Blood Orange-Strawberry Smoothie recipe and details on the health benefits are HERE!

And special thanks to Lakewinds for supplying all the good-for-you ingredients!

My (Awesome) Experience With The Blendtec Designer 675

Blood Orange-Strawberry Coconut Smooth (vegan)I’ve had a Vitamix for about 3 years after hearing everybody gush about it. There weren’t many options in the name of a high speed blender, so I figured I was buying the best, especially with the price tag. But after using it for quite some time, a few things started to bother me. Like it’s tall size that doesn’t store well, difficulty scraping anything out of it because of its narrow sides and big blades, and the fact that my food processor did a better job of blending nut butters than it. Now that’s not to say it didn’t chop, blitz and puree really well, but I guess I was expecting more. So did Blendtec live up to my expectations? Yes! And here’s how —

PowerHOUSE!: I knew this thing had a lot of vroom after reading about it’s 3.1 horsepower (wow, that sounds geeky) but until I put ice in it for the first time I didn’t know what that would result in. In one word – WHOA.  It demolished the ice, into tiny smithereens without any hesitation super, super fast. After pitting the 2.0 horsepower Vitamix against that, the speed was the biggest difference. 

Texture of Finished Recipes: My smoothies and a sauce recipe (that I’ll share soon) came out uber creamy, no lumps or bits of food to be found. And I absolutely love the buttons that let you choose what you are making. The power ramps up and down as needed, along with an automatic shutoff.

Review of the Blendtec 675 Series from a Food BloggerSpace Saver & Weight: Living in a small space, I’m always looking to save on real estate with any product I add to my kitchen. Exactly why I still don’t own a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. The Blendtec is shorter and stout compared to the Vitamix so it actually fits in my pantry cabinet. And it weighs 4 pounds vs. Vitamix’s 11 pounds – which lessens the chance I will drop it on my foot. :)

Noise: It’s really loud. No way around that when you have that powerful of a motor. But with the results it produces, I don’t mind.

Easy to Clean and Get Every Inch of Deliciousness out of It: Because it has 2 prongs instead of 4 like the Vitamix and has a more square shape instead of rectangle, I find it to be much easier to scrape soups, smoothies, or pestos out of. Your spatula slides against the walls much easier. Nothing irritates me more than when I’ve used expensive ingredients and know that I have to wash 1/4 of them away.

In a Nutshell – Both the Vitamix and Blendtec are high quality, high power blenders. They’ll both make great smoothies, soups and sauces. However, the numberous benefits and effectiveness of the Blendtec beats the Vitamix hands down in my kitchen.

Blood Orange-Strawberry Smoothie : made with coconut milk

Did you make this?

tag @heartbeetkitchen on instagram and hashtag it #heartbeetkitchen

February 26, 2015

COMMENT & RATE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

22 comments

  1. Donna

    Hi, Amanda
    Great smoothie recipe! It really sounds delicious to me. I love strawberries and oranges in my smoothies. I really enjoy them. Thanks for putting it together,

  2. Anna Powell

    Great pictures. Everything looks so pretty to eat. Lol…I never use blood oranges but just pinned this.

  3. Kelly @ Inspired Edibles

    Well you won’t hear me complain about the use of coconut :D and it’s hard to beat a blood orange for sheer beauty — just glorious Amanda! All the best with your healing.

    • Amanda Paa

      Thank you Kelly! Sensing sunshine your way, xo.

  4. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen

    So many sad trombones for bananas! However – if my morning smoothies looked like this one everyday, I think I’d be all smiles and sunshine. I’m glad you’re finally getting some answers – I hope this is the beginning upwards turn.

  5. kristie {birch and wild}

    I hope all of your health issues are worked out soon! That sounds so painful. I have also been dealing with some health issues for the last three years, so I sympathize.
    I also have given up bananas for a bit. It is hard, but I have also discovered a love for citrus, so I am coping :) Love blood oranges and coconut, so this looks so incredible!

  6. shanna mallon

    Sheesh! Just want to say that wow these pictures! So dreamy!

  7. Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen

    Looking at this smoothie just makes me happy, probably from that beautiful pink color! I can only imagine how amazingly refreshing it tastes. It looks like it’s time for me to branch out with my smoothies!

  8. Alice Seuffert

    I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers for answers on your health. I really enjoyed this post, I’ve been sitting on the fence about a Vitamix. I loved hearing about why you like the Blendtec. The photos in this post are gorgeous-ombre blood oranges-wow! Excited to make this smoothie with my kids!

  9. Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits

    Oh my gosh, Amanda, I hope the doctors can properly diagnose you soon! This smoothie looks great. Must try it this week!

  10. Rebecca @ DisplacedHousewife

    First, the pictures are beautiful!! The marble with that pretty pink…gorgeous. How have I never seen coconut butter? Could you recommend a substitute? How have I never seen this before?

    I love my Vitamin but the lower height makes this totally compelling… And, lastly, get thee a stand mixer. Without haste. I don’t know how I ever spent time without mine…I constantly use and love it!! xx

  11. Patricia @ Grab a Plate

    This is quite a yummy smoothie, I’ll bet – it’s gorgeous and sounds great. I’ve never used coconut butter. A must try! Beautiful!

  12. Tessa | Salted Plains

    I’m so glad to hear you’ve gotten some answers as of late! Yay! Loving the light in these photos. So pretty! Your use of coconut butter here sounds so good – who needs bananas when you have that, right? ;)

    • Amanda Paa

      Yes, I’m relieved to have some answers even though it will be a challenging journey. But I’m just thankful that I have some control over it, and feeling better is everything…. And thanks for the comment about the light – hard to find it these days in Minnesota so I figured I should take advantage :) xo

  13. genevieve @ gratitude & greens

    I’m so sorry to hear about your health problems! And the bananas and all the yummy food, oh no. I’m confident that you’ll still be eating delicious and vibrant meals, thanks to your creative spirit! This blood orange smoothie sounds delightful and perfect for brightening a cold winter day. While I’m so ready for winter to be gone, I’m in love with all the citrus that is available!

  14. Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats

    Ok, I have been wanting to try blood oranges for a while and this is the perfect reason to start. Such a gorgeous smoothie!

    • Amanda Paa

      Yes! Grab that while you can… and meyer lemons :) two of my favorites!

  15. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

    Oh man. I LUHVE my Blendtec! It makes the greatest smoothies ever! I am totally loving the strawberry orange combo here..I think I found breakfast! :) Pinned!

  16. Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files

    OH I hope your new diet helps you. I figured out I as allergic to eggs, beef and peas back in November…good thing because I was eating eggs daily but thought it was always gluten or dairy being the bad guy. And this recipe? So delish! I can never get enough of blood oranges :)

  17. Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom

    I am in love with blood orange right now! This looks AWESOME!!

  18. Crista

    give up bananas??? nooooooooooooooo! i’m sorry, friend :(

    • Amanda Paa

      i know right? I’ll be following the AIP (autoimmune protocol) for 60-90 days which is going to be difficult, but the only way I’m going to get better. Basically no grains, dairy, nightshades, eggs, limited fruits (and I found out I’m allergic to bananas & pineapple), nuts and legumes. Yikes, I know. But at this point I’m willing to do anything to heal my gut. On the bright side, Ms. Laura is doing my hair tomorrow!
      Miss you, xo.