Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

A blueberry-sweetened smoothie – with tips on how to thicken a smoothie with budget-friendly oatmeal ~ by Serena Ball, MS, RD

Disclosure: I have done recipe development and project work for Quaker Oats. I was not compensated to write this post and have been eating oatmeal since I was a kid. 

We have arrived.

We made it to blueberry season. Remember the snow up to our eyeballs this winter? I do. And I specifically remember pouring another cup of hot tea and thinking, “I seriously will not make it to blueberry season.”

Unfortunately a lot of the blueberry bushes at the U-Pick Blueberry Patch we visited last year did not make it. With record cold and HEAVY snow in Illinois, the bushes didn’t yield as they did last year.

So our Blueberry Pie dreams evaporated when we came home with only ONE PINT after two kids and I picked four an hour. But I’ve been making oatmeal-thickened smoothies for breakfast and after-school snacks over the past several months and a Blueberry Muffin Smoothie sounded divine. It was: Just like it’s muffin inspiration it was sweetened by cinnamon, honey and blueberries.

And my dietitian brain finds it’s pretty interesting that some scientists actually did research to discover that thicker smoothies were more satisfying: Here’s the source.

So here are a few tips on making oatmeal-thickened smoothies:

• Soak the dry oats in milk in the blender pitcher overnight so they plump – or just use leftover cold oatmeal.
• For an even thicker smoothie, use frozen fruit if you have it – if you don’t (I didn’t, because the blueberries were just-picked!) just pop fruit in the freezer for a few minutes to chill while you assemble other ingredients.
• Any fruit can work – even raisins – with cinnamon for an “Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie.”
• Use cinnamon to help sweeten naturally – and here – it’s reminiscent of cinnamon streusel muffin topping!

What do you plan to make with fresh blueberries this summer?