Name: Orange Creamsicle Smoothie (High Protein!)
Yield: 1 smoothie
Ingredients: 1 frozen orange; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice; 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt; 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder; 1/2 tbsp orange zest; Optional: Top with whipped cream

The nostalgic vanilla and orange flavors of an orange creamsicle blended together in a creamy, high protein smoothie that is deliciously refreshing on a hot summer day.

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It’s summer. You’re back to the summer when you were eight years old. The ice cream truck stops by and you order your usual, an orange creamsicle, to help you cool off in the summer heat.

Now, as an adult, you’re still chasing those creamy orange flavors of your childhood. There are creamsicle ice creams, homemade creamsicles, and even ventured into a creamsicle cocktails.

But have you tried an orange creamsicle smoothie? With vanilla greek yogurt and vanilla protein powder blended together with frozen oranges and freshly squeezed orange juice, this smoothie recipe is high in protein yet rich in those nostalgic, creamy flavors you love so much.

A healthy twist on a childhood classic, you’re going to love this creamy orange smoothie!

Can you freeze oranges?

This recipe is made with a frozen orange, a fruit you may not often find in your freezer. I generally recommend using frozen fruit instead of ice in a smoothie, as frozen fruit will enhance the texture and nutrition of your smoothie without watering it down. This creamy orange smoothie is no different.

If I caught you off guard with this ingredient, don’t worry, I’ll help you! Yes, you can make frozen oranges, but I would say that there is a bit of a strategy in the freezing process. Here is how I freeze mine:

Peel your orange: you can save and freeze the peels if you would like to use them in the future for fresh orange zest, but you do not want to freeze your orange whole. You would not be able to peel it after its frozen plus it would likely crack open from the orange juice expanding as its frozen.
Separate your orange into individual wedges: I find that my blender does better with the oranges separated into individual wedges instead of frozen as a whole orange or half of an orange. This also gives you more control over how much orange you would like to include in your recipe.
Freeze the individual wedges: I took a small baking sheet, lined it with parchment paper, evenly laid out my orange wedges so they were not overlapping, and then froze them. Once they were frozen, I transferred them to a ziplock bag. ‘

Freezing oranges is a great way to cut back on food waste, keep oranges on hand year round, and add a boost of vitamin C to your recipes. One thing to note is that, just like freshly squeezed orange juice, blending frozen oranges does add some pulp to your recipe as well.

Ingredients:

You’ll just need a few ingredients to make orange vanilla smoothie including:

Frozen Oranges
Freshly squeezed orange juice: Made at home or store-bought.
Orange zest
Vanilla greek yogurt: You could also do plain yogurt with some vanilla extract.
Vanilla protein powder: I used optimum nutrition 100% whey gold standard.
Optional: whipped cream for garnish

how to make an orange creamsicle smoothie.

The process:

This smoothie is incredibly easy to make and all you’ll need to do is:

Add all of your ingredients to a blender or blender cup and blend until smooth.
Garnish with whipped cream (optional) and enjoy!

creamsicle smoothie on wooden board with sliced oranges.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

You’ll absolutely love this creamsicle smoothie because it’s:

Packed with protein: While it may vary slightly depending on the brands you choose, this smoothie has over 30 grams of protein.
Full of unique flavors: it’s not every day that you make a smoothie with frozen oranges and this recipe may have you reaching for more recipes like it!
Easy to make: The hardest part of this recipe is freezing the orange. Other than that, you’ll just need a blender and a glass!
Filled with nutrients: Oranges are filled with fiber, vitamin C, and Vitamin A that nourish your body and support a healthy immune system.

You’re going to love it!

How to make a high protein smoothie:

While I think protein powder is an easy way to boost the protein content of a smoothie, it is not the only way. Remember that there are tons of protein containing foods that would be an equally nutritious addition! If you are looking for ways to add protein to smoothies, check out this round up:

protein smoothies with no protein powder. — **How to add protein to a smoothie**

*Wondering* ***how to add protein to smoothies*** *beyond just protein powder? There are plenty of protein containing foods and nutritious ingredients you can reach for as well and here are a dietitians top 15 recommendations!*

Protein ideas

If you are a smoothie fan, like I am, you should also check out some other recipes that I have on the blog. Each one of them features a different protein source including cottage cheese, protein powder, and edamame!

Peaches and Cream Cottage Cheese Smoothie

The best banana date smoothie

Soy green smoothie

Recipe FAQ:

What if I want to make the smoothie with no protein powder?
1. Protein powder is not the only way to add protein to a smoothie and it’s not necessary in this recipe! While it adds protein and enhances the texture, you can add more vanilla greek yogurt to maintain the vanilla flavor and add a boost of protein.
Can I meal prep this smoothie?
1. This would be a difficult smoothie recipe to prep ahead of time. If you are going to prep anything, I would freeze your oranges and orange zest ahead of time so that they are ready to go when you want to make this smoothie.
Can I make this recipe into creamsicles?
1. Yes, this smoothie recipe can be frozen and turned into homemade creamsicles! If you are planning to freeze this recipe, I would recommend skipping the protein powder and adding 1 full cup of vanilla greek yogurt instead. Then, simply pour your mixture into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy.