Spiced Orange Cranberry Smoothie

Taste the flavors of fall in this unique spiced orange cranberry smoothie! The spices are aromatic and perfectly complement the tartness of cranberries, sweetness of pear, and acidity of fresh oranges. Although this smoothie only contains fruit, it packs a serious nutritional punch. It offers lots of antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber, healthy fats, and protein. Because of the impressive nutrient content, this is a great smoothie to enjoy post-holiday meal. It really helps kickstart the digestive process after the big holiday feast!

If you have frozen cranberries, you can use them instead of fresh cranberries. That said, fresh cranberries have a limited window of availability in grocery stores, so we encourage you to get your hands on them while they are in stores. Save some other cranberries for a homemade cranberry sauce (click here for recipe). What we don’t want you to do, however, is use frozen orange juice from concentrate. You need freshly squeezed orange juice, but you also need to peel an orange, separate the segments, and freeze overnight. This will enhance that orange flavor in your smoothie.

Since there are some tart flavors in this smoothie, feel free to add some raw agave nectar or maple syrup for sweetness. If you use a ripe pear, though, the natural sugars will help balance the tart cranberries and oranges. Please enjoy this refreshing and unique smoothie that represents autumn to a T!