Can you blend without a blender? The answer is yes! You can blend all sorts of things without a blender with just a bit of extra time and creativity.

Blenders are incredibly useful, efficient, convenient, and versatile appliances to have. But they can also be expensive, they need electricity, they can break, and they are not necessarily something you always have on hand.

Sometimes, you might want or need to blend something, but find that you don’t have a blender available to you.

If you find yourself in this predicament for whatever reason, this post is for you!

This post will go over:

• How to Blend Without a Blender
• How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender
• Can You Make a Smoothie in a Food Processor?
• How to Make a Milkshake Without a Blender
• How to Puree Without a Blender

Let’s get into it…

How to Blend Without a Blender

To blend something without a blender, you have to get a little creative and the method will vary depending on what it is you are trying to blend.

If you would ordinarily use a blender, you are probably aiming for a smooth mixture of ingredients, with a consistent texture and all ingredients fully incorporated.

To achieve this result without a blender, there are a variety of alternative kitchen tools you can use.

These tools and appliances include:

• Food processor (…not sure if this is cheating, haha…)
• Knife
• Mortar and pestle
• Rolling pin
• Masher
• Peeler
• Grater
• Hand mixer
• Fork
• Spoon
• Whisk
• Sieve
• Shaker cup or jar with lid

Let’s take a look at how you can use some of these tools to blend different things without a blender…

How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender

To make a smoothie without a blender, you will first have to be very considerate of what ingredients you want to make the smoothie with.

Not all smoothie recipes are easy to make without a blender – for example, smoothies that incorporate leafy greens, grains, frozen fruits, or ice.

A smoothie that made without a blender is going to be more limited in the ingredients you can include.

Here are some tips:

• Select soft fruits and vegetables.
• Select creamy ingredients like yogurt, banana, avocado.
• Peel any fruits and vegetables with tough skins.
• Avoid super grainy or unpleasantly-textured ingredients – ex: oats and kale are ingredients that I usually blend for a long time to get to a smooth texture – this will be difficult to achieve without a blender.
• Focus on powdery and mixable ingredients – ex: cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips (if you don’t want to chop up the chocolate chips by hand, that is).
• Let your frozen fruits thaw first.
• Lightly cook your ingredients first (stovetop, oven, microwave) to soften them.
• Leave out ingredients that you would absolutely not enjoy eating a chunk of (just in case!).

Here’s how to make a smoothie without a blender:

1. Start with your solid, hard ingredients – this can be fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, even frozen fruits (thawed is best) – and either chop them with a knife as finely as possible, crush them with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle, grate them with a grater, or peel them with a peeler – whichever method is most appropriate for each specific ingredient.
2. Select any softer fresh ingredients like leafy greens, peaches, avocado, banana, etc. – chop them with a knife, and, in the case of soft fresh fruits, mash them with a masher, mortar and pestle, or the back of a spoon or fork. Once chopped/mashed, add to the other solid, hard ingredients.
3. Add in any other soft, thick, and creamy ingredients like yogurt and purees, and mix with a hand mixer, masher, fork, whisk, or other utensil/appliance to incorporate them.
4. Add in your liquid and blend everything together using your mixing utensil/appliance of choice.
5. Strain mixture through a sieve (pushing it through the mesh with the back of a spoon) to get out any chunks, seeds, etc., for a smooth blend.
6. Optional: Pour into a cup/jar with a lid and give it a good shake!

Can You Make a Smoothie in a Food Processor?

If you don’t have a blender, but you do have a food processor, you can absolutely make a smoothie in a food processor!

A food processor is very similar to a blender, and, in many cases, is more powerful than a blender. This means the possibilities for smoothies you can make with a food processor are extensive.

Read more: Food Processor vs. Vitamix Blender

A food processor can be used to chop and blend all the ingredients you could want in a smoothie, including frozen fruits, ice, nuts, and other hard ingredients.

Making a smoothie in a food processor is all about the order that you add your ingredients in.

Here’s how to make a smoothie in a food processor:

1. Start with the hardest dry ingredients you have – this can be nuts, seeds, etc. – and blend/pulse until completely shredded.
2. Then add in other hard ingredients like frozen fruits and do the same.
3. Add in any greens or fruits with tough skins. As you keep blending, you will notice that the blend becomes more and more liquidy as the ingredients release their moisture – this is why we started with the solid, dry ingredients.
4. Add in any other soft ingredients – yogurt, banana, other soft fresh fruits. Blend/pulse to incorporate them.
5. Finally, add in your liquid and blend/pulse to get everything into one clean and smooth mixture.
6. Optional: Strain mixture through a sieve for a super smooth blend.

Note: Throughout the process, you might have to stop and scrape the sides or give the mixture a quick mix by hand, especially if you have chunks of frozen fruit hanging around or leafy greens sticking to the sides.

How to Make a Milkshake Without a Blender

Making a milkshake without a blender is even simpler than making a smoothie without a blender, because it uses fewer ingredients.

Here’s how to make a milkshake without a blender:

1. Leave your ice cream out at room temperature, or put in the microwave for 30 seconds, to soften. You’ll want it soft enough that it can be squished with the back of a spoon, but not so soft that it turns to liquid.
2. Add milk and any additional flavours/ingredients, and mix in by stirring/mashing with a spoon, fork, or even a hand mixer.
3. Optional: Pour mixture into a jar or shaker cup, seal it with a lid, and give it good shake!
4. Optional: If the mix is too warm or liquidy for your taste, pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes to let it chill and thicken.
5. Add toppings! Toppings are your opportunity to add any ingredients that are difficult to blend in smoothly without a blender. Things like nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

How to Puree Without a Blender

When it comes to purees, a food processor is the obvious alternative to a blender.

Without a blender or food processor, it really depends on what you are pureeing (i.e. carrots are going to be more difficult to puree than bananas).

Here is a method you can try:

1. Chop up your ingredient(s) as finely as possible with a knife.
2. Crush with a mortar and pestle, rolling pin, masher, or the back of a spoon or fork to turn it into more of a paste.
3. Push through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon.

This method should work well for most purees, even for hard ingredients like carrots. The sieve will ensure that the final puree is smooth and consistent.

You can also add in spices or other soft powders at the end using a hand mixer or whisk.

Summary

There are so many ways to blend all sorts of things without a blender – you’d be surprized!

If you ever find yourself needing to blend something without a blender, whether that be a smoothie, a milkshake, or a puree, try some of the methods and tips in this article and let me know how they worked for you and what equipment you used!

Happy Blending! …whatever your method!

How to Blend Without a Blender

No blender? No problem! There are many ways to blend all sorts of things without a blender, using whatever tools you have available to you. The method described below works great for blending smoothies without a blender, but the same process can also be used for other similar mixtures that you would typically make with a blender.

Print

Tools

• Food processor
• Knife
• Mortar and pestle
• Rolling pin
• Masher
• Peeler
• Grater
• Hand mixer
• Fork
• Spoon
• Whisk
• Sieve
• Shaker cup or jar with lid

Instructions

1. Start with your solid, hard ingredients (ex: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, frozen fruits) and either chop them with a knife as finely as possible, crush them with a rolling pin or mortar and pestle, grate them with a grater, or peel them with a peeler - whichever method is most appropriate for each specific ingredient. If you have a food processor, start by shredding the dry ingredients, then add in the other hard ingredients and continue to blend to incorporate them.
2. Select any softer solid ingredients (ex: fresh fruits or veggies with soft flesh) and chop them with a knife, and, in the case of soft fresh fruits, mash them with a masher, mortar and pestle, or the back of a spoon or fork. Once chopped/mashed, add to the other solid, hard ingredients.
3. Add in any other soft, thick, and creamy ingredients (ex: yogurt, purees) and mix with a hand mixer, masher, fork, whisk, or other utensil/appliance to incorporate them.
4. Add in your liquid and blend everything together using your mixing utensil/appliance of choice.
5. Strain mixture through a sieve (pushing it through the mesh with the back of a spoon) to get out any chunks, seeds, etc., for a smooth blend.
6. Optional: Pour into a cup/jar with a lid and give it a nice shake!

Notes

• Focus on soft fruits and vegetables.
• Focus on creamy ingredients like yogurt, banana, avocado.
• Peel any fruits and vegetables with tough skins.
• Avoid super grainy or unpleasantly-textured ingredients.
• Focus on powdery and mixable ingredients.
• Let your frozen fruits thaw first.
• Lightly cook your ingredients first (stovetop, oven, microwave) to soften them.