A Taste of Summer Any Time: Creamy Peach Lemon Smoothie

Are you missing summer? The warmth of the sun on your face, long lazy days, and ice cold glasses of lemonade to cool you off in the afternoon? Me too.

Amid the frigid temperatures of February, sharing recipes for cold drinks might seem a bit out-of-place. But what better time to dream of summer and sunshine and lemonade and fresh peaches? My wishful thinking and I are about 6 months ahead of schedule, I know, but maybe I can get myself to August one day at a time with the help of this summery concoction: Creamy Peach Lemon Smoothie.

Most of us have to work a little harder to eat enough fruit in the winter. At least I do. Tart, juicy citrus is available, but I find myself relying on frozen fruit at breakfast more and more, like frozen peaches, especially when I’m in a smoothie routine. Even if I don’t get a workout every morning, my blender sure does.

You might notice there’s sugar in this recipe. I was going for a true lemonade flavor which is typically achieved with lemon juice, water and sugar. I did experiment. One tablespoon left the smoothie a bit puckery and 2 was the perfect balance, so you might be OK with 1 1/2. I also tried maple syrup with good success if that’s more your style.

Creamy Peach Lemon Smoothie

Print Recipe

(4 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)

Loading...

3.3 from 4 reviews

Reminiscent of summertime lemonade and August peaches, but you can enjoy it year-round.

• Author: Veg Girl RD
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Yield: 1 1x
• Category: Smoothie

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons cashews, soaked in water overnight (in the refrigerator)
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen unsweetened peaches
• 1–2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup soymilk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender. Blend for 15-30 seconds at a time, stopping to scrape down sides, until smooth.

Notes

Feel free to reduce the sugar if you enjoy a tart smoothie. To boost protein you could easily add hemp seeds, and in a pinch I think cashew butter would sub nicely for the soaked cashews.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1.75 cups
• Calories: 320
• Sugar: 47 g
• Sodium: 35 mg
• Fat: 9 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 57 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

I feel like alongside the other nutrient-dense ingredients, the sugar isn’t too concerning. And, you’re still coming out ahead compared to more common breakfast choices like sugared cereal, toaster pastries or a frothy 20-ounce cup of mocha breve madness. But feel free to play around with your favorite sweetener. Start with a little, blend, taste and you can always add more.

That’s the beauty of smoothies – the possibilities are endless.

They really are, once you start searching for smoothie recipes online. I’ve been sampling a lot of them lately, which means I vary my nutrient intake each morning…spinach, apple and walnuts on Monday; banana, cherries, kale and cinnamon on Tuesday.

I have noticed that some recipes are lacking protein, though, which is important at breakfast. This is especially true if the smoothie is mostly vegetables and fruit in a base of coconut water or almond, rice, or coconut milk. I know some folks have moved away from soy to try other non-dairy milks, but it wins the protein contest every time. Check out the chart below.

For the 6 grams of protein in my recipe:

• 3 g are from the cashews
• 2 g are from the soymilk
• 1 g is from the peaches

You could bump the protein up in any smoothie with protein powder, but whole foods are preferable, like nuts, nut butters, hemp or chia seeds, oats, tofu, yogurt (dairy or otherwise), or milk.

If you’re lucky, you live somewhere that has shining sun in February instead of wind chills and blustery cold. Either way, smoothies can help you sip your way to the recommended fruit and protein intakes in the tastiest and creamiest way possible.

How do you keep your fruit intake up to par during the winter months?

Kristine Duncan, Registered Dietitian

I’m a Registered Dietitian, the author of Veg Girl RD, and a vegetarian who loves to eat. I’m a nutrition nerd who teaches at the University of Washington and Skagit Valley College. I also write about nutrition professionally for magazines and books. If you want to know more, check out my About page.