Healthy Cherry Vanilla Smoothie Recipe

My family loves fruit smoothies. Although there is an endless number of smoothies we can make from various frozen and fresh fruit, we tend to stick to berries, peaches, and bananas for the most part. I’ll admit that sometimes it gets old.

That’s why I get excited when cherries are in season. When we make cherry smoothies we get the fruit flavor we love without the same old berries/peaches/bananas routine. My cherry vanilla smoothie was perfect for giving us a bit of change from our usual smoothie routine.

This cherry vanilla smoothie is sweet, tart, and creamy.  The background vanilla flavor reminded us all of frozen yogurt.  In fact, we froze the last bit of it to eat as a treat later on and it turned out nicely.  We’ll definitely be making it again as a dessert, with the addition of a little more honey.

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The Health Benefits of Cherries

Cherries are a powerful fruit. They pack a healthy punch that makes them a sweet part of a healthy diet. Here are my five favorite health benefits of cherries.

Cherries Contain Potassium

While a cup of cherries doesn’t contain quite as much potassium as a medium banana, the numbers are close. We could all use more potassium in our diets. Cherries are a fun and delicious way to get more of this important mineral.

Cherries Contain Antioxidants

Cherries are red in color because of anthocyanins, which are antioxidants. These antioxidants fight against free radical damage in the body and lower the chances of heart disease, cancer, and more.

Cherries Contain Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an important immune-supporting, cancer-fighting vitamin and cherries are packed full of vitamin C. One cup of cherries contains 16-18% of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.

Cherries Are Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation is at the root of many chronic diseases. Cherries fight inflammation in the body because they contain anti-inflammatory compounds.

Cherries May Help Lower the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Cherries (especially the tart variety) can help lower blood pressure, thus reducing the risk of a stroke. In addition, cherries might be responsible for the activation of PPAR (peroxisome proliferator activating receptors) in body tissues, which may ultimately lower the risk of heart disease.

So eat (and drink!) more cherries – starting with this delicious cherry vanilla smoothie.

Here’s the recipe. You can print it below.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups full-fat, plain yogurt (I used greek style)
2 1/2 cups frozen cherries
1/8 cup honey (you can adjust the amount to your taste)
1 1/2 Tbs vanilla
pinch of salt (1/4 tsp or so)

Instructions
1. Combine the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Serve immediately.