This smoothie is very sweet and creamy. The frozen blueberries give it a nice chill and will help make it a little thicker.

I used fresh pomegranate and cranberry juice. It’s the easiest and quickest way to make this smoothie. Of course, you can juice these fruits as well (see below for details).

Pomegranate-Cranberry Smoothie Recipe

• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate juice or arils
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 and 1/2 cups wild frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup hemp or almond milk (unsweetened, plain)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds, soaked for about 15 minutes (optional)

Add all the ingredients to your blender (I use a Blendtec) and blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Variations

I didn’t add any cacao to this smoothie, but as I was drinking it I thought it’d be a great addition. So you can definitely give it a try if you want.

You can also make this a green smoothie by adding your favorite greens. I recommend fresh baby spinach, romaine or green leaf lettuce. Kale or dandelion greens might make this smoothie too bitter.

Juicing Pomegranates

You don’t have to juice pomegranate but the seeds might not blend up well in some blenders. To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful! If you have a high powered blender, the arils (seeds and juice sacks) will blend up just find and you can add the entire arils to your smoothie.

You can use bottled pomegranate juice but I prefer juicing it myself since it will not have been pasteurized and I know that it’s fresh and the most potent in antioxidants.

Nutrition Information

Nutritional information is going to vary based on the juice and milk you use.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

I added protein powder and maca to this recipe for a little energy boost, but you can leave them out if you want.

Pomegranates, cactus pears, goji berries and blueberries all contain powerful, disease-fighting antioxidants.

I didn’t add greens to this smoothie because I really liked the purple color! I also don’t feel the need to add greens to every smoothie.

This smoothie is only about 16 ounces, but it’s just over 500 calories so it makes a great meal to go.

Cactus Pear and Pomegranate Smoothie Recipe

• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate juice or arils
• 2 cactus pears, juice and flesh (strain out the seeds and peel)
• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
• 2 tbsp soaked goji berries
• 2 organic bananas, peeled
• 1 teaspoon hemp or rice protein powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon maca (optional)
• 2 ounces of filtered water (optional if needed)

Add ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth.

Juicing Pomegranates and Cactus Pear

You don’t have to juice pomegranate but the seeds might not blend up well in some blenders. To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful! If you have a high powered blender, the arils (seeds and juice sack) will blend up just find and you can add the entire arils to your smoothie.

You can use bottled pomegranate juice but I prefer juicing it myself since it will not have been pasteurized and I know that it’s fresh and the most potent in antioxidants.

Even if you have a high powered blender, I highly recommend juicing the cactus pear. The seeds don’t blend well and broken seeds become very sharp and will scratch your throat as you drink your smoothie. Simply mash the cactus pear into a metal strainer and collect the juice in a glass or bowl. If you can, separate the seeds from the pulp and use the pulp as well.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 530
Fat: 3g
Protein: 8g
Carbohydrates: 134g
Calcium: 15% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 4.6mg
Vitamin A: 298% RDA
Vitamin C: 71% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source folate, vitamin B3, B5, B6, copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Nutrition and Health Benefits

Acai berries are praised for their super high antioxidant content and possible disease-fighting phytonutrients. However, the wild claims from supplement makers that acai juice and powders can reverse diabetes, cure cancer and promote weight loss are unfounded and overhyped. When it comes to the antioxidant load of acai juices and powders, they are well within the range of other local fruits. Studies have shown that the juice from concord grapes and black cherries, as well as red wine, contained more polyphenol antioxidant content than acai juice.

Acai berries are low in sugar in their whole form which is good news for those of you on a low glycemic diet.

You won’t find acai in the USDA nutritional database and so conclusive information regarding the nutrition content of acai berries are limited. Various freeze-dried, powdered mixtures show good levels of protein, calcium and vitamin A. The best way to benefit from the full nutrition of acai berry (or any whole food), however, is to eat it fresh or as minimally processed as possible.

Unfortunately, for those of us who live in North America and Europe, acai berries are not available in the produce section. Instead, we have to rely on juices, extracts and powders, often sold in the supplement section of certain health food stores. Since juices are not a whole food and powders are highly processed, the nutrient content of acai has been significantly altered and reduced in these products. The potency and flavor does not justify the price you pay.

For this reason, I recommend seeking out a source of acai berry purees, which should come frozen. I’ve used puree products from Amafruits.com and have found them to be very high quality and delicious. They come in 3.5 ounce (100 gram) packets. Simply take one out of the freezer and add it to your smoothie. You’ll get a real serving of acai and a chilled smoothie all at once!

How To Use Acai In A Smoothie Recipe

Acai is typically available as a frozen puree, juice or powder. I would choose purees over juices and powders because there is less processing and oxidization. You’ll also get a better price for a whole food acai puree over “supplemental” acai extracts, powders and juices.

I don’t recommend using acai juice as the smoothie liquid because the flavor is pretty strong. Pouring in 4-6 ounces or more of acai juice might make a pretty potent, hard-to-drink smoothie. Plus the juice is expensive. A shot of pure acai juice will be enough to flavor a smoothie nicely, but you won’t get the health benefits in such a tiny dose.

Acai, with it’s “red wine and chocolate” flavor mixes well with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, cranberries and pomegranates. Apples, pears and red grapes also blend well with acai. Add cacao (raw chocolate) for a decadent, rich indulgence. Try young coconut in an acai smoothie too. For base fruits, I recommend sticking with apple, pear and banana. You can experiment with mango, but that flavor combination might not work for everyone.

Acai Berry Recipes

Acai-Pomegranate Smoothie

Acai-Apple-Red Grape Smoothie

Acai Berry and Mint Smoothie

Acai-Strawberry/Blueberry Blend Smoothie

Find more acai smoothie recipes here!

Acai Scams

There are a lot of acai berry scams out there, especially online with many people complaining of multiple charges on their credit cards after signing up for a free trial. For this reason, I recommend not purchasing acai products online unless it is through a trusted retailer and never sign up for a “free trial”. One trusted company I found is Amafruits.com, which sells quality acai purees that I have use and recommend in green smoothies. This is the best way I have found to eat acai as it was intended to be eated – as a whole food and not a supplement.

You can purchase acai products at health food stores. However, the price of even a 4 ounce bottle of acai is hard to justify, especially when you consider that there are many fresh, ripe, whole-food, organic fruits and vegetables with the same, if not more, nutrients, antioxidants and health-promoting benefits for a lot less money than a powdered or juiced product.

I’d stick with fresh (if available) acai or a frozen puree and only use a high-quality juice product for a flavor indulgence only.

Both pomegranates and cherries contain powerful cancer fighting antioxidants. Anthocyanins are the antioxidant that give them their red color. It is this antioxidant that studies have shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may help with symptoms of arthritis.

I didn’t add any greens to the smoothie initially, because I wasn’t sure how it was going to taste. After I tried it (and took the photo), I added 3 cups chard. The cherry and pomegranate flavors blended with banana were sufficient enough to mask the greens, so go ahead and add your favorite leafy green to this recipe.

Pomegranate-Cherry Smoothie Recipe

• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate juice
• 2 cups frozen cherries
• 2 organic bananas
• 3 cups chard or other leafy green (optional)
• 4 ounces of filtered water (optional if needed)

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) and hit the “pulse” button a few times. Next, add the greens and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful!

You can use bottled pomegranate juice but I prefer juicing it myself since I try to avoid heat pasteurized juices. Plus, I know that it’s fresh and the most potent in antioxidants.

If you have a high powered blender, you don’t need to juice the pomegranate. Just cut it in half and scoop the seeds into the blender.

Nutrition Information (Without Greens)

Calories: 480
Fat: 1g
Protein: 6g
Carbohydrates: 121g
Calcium: 5% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 2.3mg
Vitamin A: 16% RDA
Vitamin C: 56% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source folate, vitamin B2, B5, B6, copper, magnesium, manganese and potassium.

Adding greens to this smoothie recipe will boost the calcium, beta-carotene, K, C and mineral levels.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Acai (pronounced “ah-sigh-ee”) is a tiny berry that grows on a species of palm tree in Brazil. It is praised for it’s super high antioxidant load and possible disease-fighting phytonutrients. The flavor is sometimes described as a combination of red wine and chocolate. The berry is low in sugar too.

Acai, with it’s “red wine and chocolate” flavor mixes well with pomegranate and blueberries to provide a rich, complex flavor.

You can use bottled pomegranate juice but I prefer juicing it myself since it will not have been pasteurized and I know that it’s fresh and the most potent in antioxidants.

I chose to use frozen blueberries to make this a cold smoothie, but you can use fresh if you’d like.

As with most of our smoothie recipes, you can make this a green smoothie by adding fresh baby spinach, romaine lettuce or other leafy green of your choice. Strong, bitter greens like kale or dandelion might interfere with the flavor of this particular blend.

Super Antioxidant Blast Smoothie Recipe

• 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate juice or arils
• 1 oz (2 tablespoons) whole acai berry juice or 100 grams of frozen acai berry puree*
• 2 cups frozen wild blueberries
• 2 organic bananas
• 4 ounces filtered water (optional if needed)

Add all the ingredients to your blender, (I use a Blendtec) and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

NOTE: To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful! If you have a high powered blender, the arils (seeds and juice sack) will blend up just find and you can add the entire arils to your smoothie.

* I used concentrated acai juice made from whole berries. You can find acai berry juice (or powder) at health food stores, usually in the supplements aisle.

Nutrition Information *

Calories: 391
Fat: 1g
Protein: 3g
Carbohydrates: 102g
Calcium: 5% RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)
Iron: 2.6 mg
Vitamin A: 13% RDA
Vitamin C: 33% RDA

This smoothie is also a rich source of many antioxidants, vitamin B3, B5, B6, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc.

* The nutrition information for this smoothie recipe is approximate. Since acai berry hasn’t been extensively studied and does not appear in the USDA Nutrient Database, it was not included in the nutrition information above. Acai berry powder, juice and whole, fresh acai berries will have different nutrient profiles due to differences in processing and freshness.

Browse more green smoothie recipes.

Health Benefits and Nutrition

Pomegranates are a great source of vitamin C, B5, potassium, fiber and antioxidants. Studies suggest that regular consumption of pomegranates or its juice may reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce high blood pressure and inhibit viral infections.

How To Use Pomegranate In A Smoothie

The easiest way to use pomegranate in a smoothie recipe is to use the juice as the liquid portion in recipes, instead of water. I prefer to juice my own pomegranates rather than use pasteurized, bottled juice found in the store. Freshly squeezed juice has greater nutritional value and it is fresher.

Much of the nutrition, especially the healthy fat and fiber, are contained in the seeds so it is good to use the whole fruit if possible. Unfortunately, pomegranate seeds can be a challenge to puree even in a high-end blender. You might still get a little seed grit if you blend it slightly longer, but it’s not bad. To juice the pomegranate, simply empty the seeds in a strainer and smash them with a spoon. Make sure you place a metal bowl under the strainer. Pomegranate juice stains, so be careful!

If you juice your pomegranate, I do recommend that you use the juice from a few more as your smoothie liquid instead of water.

Smoothie Recipe Ideas

Pomegranate blends well with red grapes and other berries for flavor combination. Apple, pear and even banana make a great base for a pomegranate smoothie.

Here is a tasty smoothie recipe I tried this weekend:

– 1 cup pomegranate juice
– 1 Fuji apple, cored
– 1/2 carrot
– 2 large handfuls of raw baby spinach
– Add ice to chill if desired

Blend on high until thoroughly mixed.

Browse more pomegranate smoothie recipes!

Nutrition Information

A medium-sized pomegranate will have about 105 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbohydrates and about 16% RDA of vitamin C.

Pomegranate juice will contain slightly more calories, a lot more vitamin C, no protein or fat and a much higher concentration of antioxidants.

Do You Have A Favorite Pomegranate Smoothie Recipe?

Whether you use the whole fruit, just the juice or a combination of the two, share your favorite pom smoothie recipes with us!