Bowls, Blends and Short Lists: The Best Smoothie Cookbook

Long before anyone called it a smoothie, a Mexican juice stand was blending fruit with milk or water and calling it a licuado. The method is the same as it has always been: ripe fruit, enough liquid, and a blender that doesn’t stall. A book’s job is to get you past the same two or three drinks you already make.

This guide covers seven books from named authors. One thing to say plainly: this page makes no health, weight-loss or diet claims. Several of these publishers do, and we point that out where it happens. We are choosing on recipes, organization and who wrote them. A doctor or dietitian is the right person to ask about your diet.

Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a restaurant kitchen looks for in a recipe book, the Amazon listing, publisher and author information and published reviews, which we name where we use them.

Quick verdict: which smoothie book to buy first

The rest cover a color-sorted bowl book, a book for kids and a whole-food blender book from Vitamix’s chief, along with one bowl book we know less about.

Five smoothie books side by side

Five of the seven, one for each kind of reader. All seven are described in full below.

Our picks for the best smoothie cookbook, title by title

All seven were in stock and new when we checked. We have not made these recipes. Where we describe a strength, we say whose view it is, and we make no health claims for any of them.

How to choose a smoothie recipe book

Smoothie books look alike on a shelf, so here is how to tell them apart.

• Glass or bowl? Lewis, Bonham and Gaffney are bowl books, and bowls are thick enough to eat with a spoon. They ask more of a blender, so read our best blender for smoothies guide if yours struggles with frozen fruit.
• Do you eat dairy? The Johnstons are mostly plant-based, and Berg’s book mixes drinks with soups, sauces and meals. You can always swap, but a book that matches how you eat will take less work.
• How long is your shopping list? Gonzalez keeps it short. Superfood-based books may send you hunting for powders you won’t use twice.
• How much health talk can you put up with? Publishers love it. You can use a good recipe and ignore the promises. If a book’s main pitch is weight loss or a cleanse, we left it out or said so.
• What blender do you own? Most recipes assume a countertop blender. A personal blender works for one serving, but check that it handles what the recipe calls for.

How we picked these smoothie recipe books

We searched Amazon’s book listings first and kept print editions from named authors at established publishers, plain in stock with a new lead offer. We compared each one with every other book page on this site so that nothing repeats. Author, year, format and page count come from the Amazon listing. Recipe counts and descriptions come from the publisher’s copy as carried by a bookseller or the publisher’s own site, except where we say otherwise.

Here is what stands behind each pick. We opened the Publishers Weekly page for all seven. 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes has a PW review, which we read, and that is why it is our Best overall. The other six have no review at those ISBNs, which does not mean no other review exists. Five rest on the publisher’s and author’s details, and The Art of the Smoothie Bowl rests on the Amazon listing alone.

We have not made these recipes. We left out The Blender Girl Smoothies and 365 Vegan Smoothies because their publishers sell them partly on detox and weight-loss themes, and neither had a review we could read. Some other books were left out for similar reasons. Green Smoothies for Life by JJ Smith is built on a diet program, and PW said she claims “improbably” that readers will never need another diet. The copy for Superfood Acai Recipes mentions cancer cells, and the copy for Smoothie Project mentions ADHD. We won’t send readers to books on those terms, whatever the recipes are like.

Smoothie recipes book questions, answered

What is the best smoothie cookbook for a beginner?

The 5-Ingredient Smoothie Recipe Book, for its short lists and advice on fixing a smoothie that goes wrong. Kid Smoothies is the first choice for young cooks, with ages 6 to 9 given by the publisher.

Do these books help with weight loss?

We can’t say, and this page makes no such claim. Some publishers mention it, and that is their framing. Ask a doctor or dietitian if weight is your reason for buying.

What is the difference between a smoothie and a smoothie bowl?

Mostly thickness. A bowl has less liquid so that it holds toppings and can be eaten with a spoon.

Do I need a powerful blender?

For frozen fruit and thick bowls, it helps. Our blender guide covers the options.

Can kids use these recipes?

Kid Smoothies is the one written for them. With any of the others, an adult should handle the blender and the knife, and decide what suits the child.

The best smoothie cookbook for your blender

Buy 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes if you want one, Bonham if you want the best-looking bowls and Gonzalez if you want it easy. Before you buy a stack of frozen fruit, check our best blender for smoothies guide to see if your machine is up to it.

And on the days you would rather have someone else make the drinks, see our drinks or call to order.