Replacing yogurt with milk as point #1 is a common choice, but you can substitute with plant-based milk if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant. The main idea why most people are adding yogurt is because it will give their smoothie a good amount of fats from the milk. In the end, it will make the smoothie thick as fudge.

Here are five tips and tricks for making a smoothie thicker.

1. Use frozen fruit or freeze fruit overnight.
2. Freeze some of the liquid.
3. Use the minimum amount of liquid.
4. Add a scoop of raw oats or chia seeds.
5. Blend protein powder or greens first.

Most smoothies use either yogurt or juice and ice as a base to make it creamy. You don’t have to choose one or the other though. Yogurt is a great source of protein if you don’t have any dairy tolerance issues. If you do, however, you don’t have to go for the juice option.

Substitute yogurt for milk and/or ice. If you don’t have milk at home, you can omit the ice and use yogurt instead. If the recipe calls for frozen fruit, use non-frozen fruit instead, or your smoothie will be too thick.

The 4 Best Substitutes For Yogurt

1. Coconut Cream. Though high in calories, coconut cream is rich in nutrition and healthy fats.
2. Almond Milk Yogurt. You get a lot of additives in yogurt substitutes, like guar gum and acacia gum for thickeners, and added sugars for flavor.
3. Chia Seeds.
4. Protein Powders.

Top Picks

• Chobani Non-Dairy Coconut-Based Vanilla Yogurt.
• So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk Vanilla Yogurt Alternative.
• Silk Almond Dairy-Free Vanilla Yogurt Alternative.
• Silk Soy Dairy-Free Vanilla Yogurt Alternative.
• Kite Hill Vanilla Artisan Almond Milk Yogurt.
• Kite Hill Greek-Style Vanilla Artisan Almond Milk Yogurt.

A balanced smoothie can contain natural sugars, but it should also contain other nutrients such as fibre, protein and also healthy fats. The good news is that frozen berry smoothies are one of the easiest smoothies to make even healthier.

• Hemp Seeds. A source of healthy fats and omega-3s, hemp seeds will also add protein.
• Flaxseed Meal. The key to weight loss is filling up on low-cal foods that are high in fiber to keep you satiated longer.
• Tofu.
• Beans.
• Yogurt or Kefir.
• Avocado.
• Berries.
• Nuts or Nut Butter.

I got these smoothie glasses from Amazon. Note: For a thicker smoothie, use frozen fruits. This mango green smoothie is high in nutrients and low in calories. It has no yogurt, dairy-free, no banana and sugar free. Get Recipe One of my favorite recipe in the above smoothie recipes without yogurt is the Apple-Mango-Banana smoothie.

Yogurt is a popular choice to make up some of the liquid because it contributes to the overall creaminess of the smoothie as well as adding flavor and protein. While yogurt is a popular choice for a smoothie base, smoothies do not have to contain yogurt.

This kale smoothie combines the leafy green with nutrient-rich berries for a sweet smoothie without yogurt but with that creamy consistency thanks to the coconut milk. Steam your kale for just a few minutes until it wilts and cool to room temperature.

It is full of fat and gives you that nice creamy texture that you get from typical yogurt smoothies. Also, it gives you a nice little undertone of coconut and sweetness so you don’t need to add extra sugar. You can also stock up on nut milks like almond milk, cashew milk, and hazelnut milk.