Can You Make Smoothies in a Food Processor?

This post may contain affiliate links.  Read full disclosure.

Can You Make Smoothies in a Food Processor

I am a smoothie fanatic at heart; however, I am aware most other people might only want to make a smoothie once in a while.  So what do you do if you don’t have a blender and you want to make a smoothie? The answer is you start looking at the other kitchen appliances in your kitchen.  I am sure you are now looking at your food processor and wondering “can you make smoothies in a food processor?” 

The answer to your question is yes you can make smoothies in a food processor.  Actually, most food processors can be used to make smoothies.  

The main difference is how you add the ingredients and being the smoothie fanatics we are, we show you how below!

Difference Between a Blender and a Food Processor

Most of us don’t have the room in our kitchen or the funds to buy both a blender and food processor. 

However, if you don’t have enough room for both, which one do you choose?  In our opinion, each has its own unique strengths.  Have a look below to see our review of the main differences.  

Food processor: A food processor is idea for grinding, mincing, shredding, whipping, dicing, chopping, slicing, and grating veggies or some other type of food in an even manner.  It is a great appliance if you want to slice vegetables evenly and make salads or kneading bread dough, or kneading dough for pies or pizza dough.  Due to the size and dimension of the bowl, it’s not ideal for liquids since the shape of the bowl is prone to overflows.  

Blenders:  Blenders are great for pulverizing hard foods with liquids.  This makes them great for making a green smoothie, a fruit smoothie, pesto, hummus, mayonnaise, salsa, ice crushing, blending frozen berries, salad dressings, soups, hot soup, a milkshake, a margarita, crush ice cubes, dips, whipped cream, blend frozen fruits, and other frozen drinks.

Can You Use a Food Processor as a Blender?

The answer to this question is yes you can use a food processor as a blender.  However, you will have to change the way you use your food processor to get the same effect.

What Can a Food Processor Do That a Blender Cannot? Blender or Food Processor

There are a few things that you can do in a food processor that you can’t do in a blender.  A blender is prized for its versatility. A food processor however, can slice, dice, and grate items very precisely.  A food processor can also mix doughs quite efficiently. 

Blending Ice

Both a food processor and a blender can blend ice.  However, a high-end blender is the best option when blending ice.  

How To Make Smoothies in a Food Processor - Tips and Tricks

As we stated before you can make smoothies in a food processor; however,  you will have to do things a bit differently.  Have a look at a few of our tips below:
  • Select your ingredients carefully: For example select soft fruits such as strawberries, pears, apples, kiwis, mangoes, pineapples, and bananas.  You can also use other ingredients such as yogurt, nut butter, or green leafy vegetables.  Please keep in mind that root vegetables won’t break down completely.  
  • Select the proper blade: A food processor comes with a number of blades.  Use the main blade of the food processor.  
  • Mix Ingredients in stages:  First blend/ grate/ pulverize the fruits and vegetables.  Scoop ingredients downside to bowl to mix.  Add healthy stuff, add sweeteners; secondly add liquid, do not overfill.  Instead of ice use frozen fruit. Remove blade and pour
Remember to scrape down the sides of the container to make sure food is mixed properly. Don’t add all the ingredients at once. Pre-crush your ingredients to make sure your smoothie is not lumpy

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make a smoothie bowl in a food processor?

Yes, you can make a smoothie bowl in a food processor.  As a matter of fact, a food processor is a better tool for making smoothie bowls since it blends the frozen fruit more evenly.  To get the best of both words have a look at a food processor blender combo appliance.

Can you make smoothies with an immersion hand blender?

Yes you can make a smoothie with an immersion blender.  An immersion blender is great for single serving smoothies.  

However, if you plan to frequently make smoothies it would be more feasible to invest in a countertop kitchen blender such as a Nutri Ninja, Breville, Kitchenaid, Oster blender, Nutribullet Pro, Blendtec blender, or Vitamix blender.  An added bonus is some of these models come with travel cups.

Can you put ice in a food processor? Can you blend ice in a blender?

Yes you can put ice in a food processor.  A food processor does a pretty good job of crushing ice; however, don’t strain the motor in the process.  To crush ice in a food processor use the pulse option and run it 4 to 6 times until the ice is crushed.

Can I use a food processor as a blender?

Yes you can use a food processor as a blender.  We cover this in more detail on our article about using a food processor as a blender.

Should I get a blender or a food processor?

Why not get the best of both worlds.  There are numerous blender models that have a food processor component.

Can you make milkshakes in a food processor?

Yes you can make milkshakes in a food processor.

In Conclusion, Can You Make a Smothie in a Food Processor

A food processor is a very versatile appliance and you can do a myriad of things with it including making smoothies.  The main difference between using a food processor and a blender is how you add the ingredients for the smoothie to the food processor.

About Me

Welcome!

Hi, I am Charms, a self-confessed smoothie fanatic!  Here I will share some of my favorite smoothie recipes, tips and guides and gear reviews.   Learn more .