✔ Updated · clearer amounts, frozen-fruit option + blending tips
This Angel Food smoothie is a copycat-style take on the Smoothie King favorite: a thick, pale pink blend of strawberries and banana, sweetened with raw sugar and made creamy with nonfat milk powder and a little vanilla. Lucy calls it the pink milkshake.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Use ripe fruit and add the ice last. Pulse on low first to crush the ice, then blend on high until a whirlpool forms.
It takes about five minutes and one blender. Ripe fruit gives the best flavor, so it is a good use for bananas with a few brown spots, and frozen fruit works too if you cut back on the ice. Each glass comes in around 170 calories.
Why You'll Love This Angel Food Smoothie
- Seven simple ingredients, most of which are probably in the kitchen already.
- Creamy without yogurt or ice cream, thanks to the milk powder and ripe banana.
- Easy to tweak: swap the sweetener, use frozen fruit or make it dairy free.
What Is the Angel Food Smoothie?
The Angel Food smoothie is a simple Smoothie King blend: strawberries and banana, sweetened and made creamy without yogurt. The result is light, fruity and creamy, a little like strawberry shortcake in a glass.
At home, nonfat dry milk powder plays the role of the creamy base, adding body and a light dairy richness without diluting the fruit flavor. Raw turbinado sugar adds a gentle caramel note, and vanilla rounds everything out.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Use ripe fruit. Bananas with brown freckles and deep red strawberries are sweeter and more flavorful, so the smoothie needs less added sugar. I keep a bag of sliced overripe bananas in the freezer just for this.
- Get the ice right. Ice makes it thick, but too much turns it into a slushy sorbet. Start with 1 1/2 cups and adjust.
- Blend low, then high. Pulse on low to break the ice into small pieces, then blend on high until a whirlpool forms in the middle. That is the sign it is fully smooth.
- Freeze fruit that is about to turn. Hull and chop strawberries and slice bananas, then freeze them flat in a zip-top bag. Blend straight from frozen and cut the ice to about 1/2 cup.
- Try real vanilla. Scrape the seeds from half a vanilla bean into the blender in place of the extract for a richer flavor.
Angel Food Smoothie (Smoothie King Copycat)
2
smoothies5
minutes0
minutes170
kcal5
minutesA copycat-style Smoothie King Angel Food smoothie: ripe strawberries and banana blended with nonfat milk powder, raw sugar, vanilla, water and ice into a thick, creamy pink smoothie. Makes 2 smoothies in 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the Smoothie
3/4 cup cold water
1 large ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled (about 8 large)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar or palm sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
Directions
- Blend
- Pour the cold water into a blender, then add the banana and strawberries.
- Sprinkle in the milk powder and sugar and add the vanilla.
- Add the ice last, on top of everything else.
- Pulse on low a few times to break up the ice, then blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until completely smooth and a whirlpool forms in the middle.
- Check the texture. If it is too thick, blend in a splash more water; if it is too thin, add a few more ice cubes and blend again.
- Serve
- Pour into two glasses and serve right away with wide straws.
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Variations
- Dairy free: skip the milk powder and replace the water with oat, almond or soy milk.
- Protein boost: add a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a splash more water.
- Fruit swaps: use mango or peaches in place of the strawberries.
- Less sugar: leave out the sugar and use a very ripe banana, or sweeten with a few drops of stevia.
- Extra creamy: use frozen banana chunks and cut the ice back.
[su_note note_color=”#fff39b” text_color=”#000000″ radius=”8″]Try this next: Angel Milk[/su_note]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in the Smoothie King Angel Food smoothie?
It is a strawberry and banana smoothie sweetened with raw sugar and made creamy with a nonfat milk base and vanilla. This homemade version uses fresh strawberries, banana, nonfat dry milk powder, turbinado sugar, vanilla, water and ice.
Can I use regular milk instead of milk powder and water?
Yes. Replace the water and milk powder with 3/4 cup cold milk. It will be just as creamy. For a dairy-free version, use oat, almond or soy milk.
What can I use instead of turbinado or palm sugar?
Any sweetener works: white or brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or a few drops of stevia. Very ripe fruit may need no sugar at all, so taste before adding it.
Can I make it with frozen fruit?
Yes. Use the same amount of frozen strawberries and banana and reduce the ice to about 1/2 cup. The smoothie will be thicker and colder, so add a splash more water if your blender struggles.
Can I make it ahead?
It’s best fresh, as it separates after about 20 minutes. To prep ahead, pack the fruit, milk powder, sugar and vanilla into a freezer bag, then blend with water and a little ice when you want it.
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