Strawberry Pink Pepper Yoghurt Smoothie

This breakfast smoothie recipe is made with fresh strawberries, oats, yoghurt and a pinch of pink pepper. Another breakfast smoothie with a bit of a twist!

It’s very low in sugar, full of fibre, protein and is very light to digest. It’s a great way to start the day or have it as a healthy drink in the afternoon or after your gym workout.

Why make this smoothie?

• Low in sugar
• Healthy smoothie with fibre and natural protein
• Low in calories (under 150 calories)

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This recipe & me

I thought of this recipe for Strawberry & Pink Pepper Smoothie when I was thinking about developing my latest chocolate bar – white chocolate with freeze-dried strawberries and freshly milled pink pepper.

The colours and flavours of that chocolate bar were amazing.

So, I thought if it works for chocolate, I will try it for my breakfast smoothie! And you know what? It’s a fab combination!

I think this Strawberry & Pink Pepper Smoothie is definitely going on my list of favourite smoothies to make.

MORE BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE RECIPES

• Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie >>
• Pistachio & Green Veg Smoothie >>
• Almond & Dates Smoothie >>

Ingredients & Possible Substitutions

Strawberries

This recipe is great for all year round, but you’ll get the best flavour if you use strawberries, when they are naturally in season (this is June/July in the UK or USA, but it could be other months if you are elsewhere in the world).

You can use frozen strawberries and it will make your smoothie nicely cold.

Appart from strawberries, this recipe will also work with raspberries or other pink fruits.

MORE STRAWBERRY RECIPES

• Strawberry Shortcake Jar >>
• Strawberry Shortcake in a Cup >>
• Chocolate & Strawberry Overnight Oats >>

Salt

The tiny pinch of salt is also important, as it brings all the flavours together.

Pink pepper

The trick is to add just enough pink pepper, so that it enhances the strawberry flavour, not to overpower it.

Maple syrup

I tried not to add too much sugar or maple syrup, but in the end ended up adding a teaspoon of maple syrup. If you want to leave out the sugar all together, add a bit more strawberries.

Oats

You are welcome to use any type of oats you have at home. I normally use basic breakfast (rolled) oats, but then I pour boiling water over them and cook them in the microwave to soften them.

I think it’s better to do this, than to use instant oats, which have extra sugar.

Yoghurt

To provide me with extra flavour, protein and a bit of sugar, I tend to use full-fat Greek yoghurt. I usually use dairy-free version, but you can use any type of yoghurt you like.

If you don’t have yoghurt, use any type of milk you have.

How to make this smoothie for different diets

Vegan – use plant based yoghurt or milk & maple or agave syrup

Dairy Free – use plant based yoghurt or milk

Gluten Gree – use gluten-free oats

Low FODMAP

To make this smoothie low FODMAP, I choose gluten free oats and dairy free yoghurt. Everything else is low in FODMAP and your digestive system will be very content and happy!

Preparing the oats for your smoothie

Whilst oats are super healthy and full of fibre and other nutrition, they could be also slightly difficult (for some people) to digest.

This is why I always pre-soak the oats, partly cook them in boiling water or at leave them to soak overnight.

If you don’t have the time to do this, just follow my recipe with my boiling water trick, which softens the oats.

How to make Strawberry Pink Pepper Yoghurt smoothie

Measure out the oats and pour boiling water over them, just enough to cover.

Add the strawberries to the hot oats. If they are frozen, this will defrost them quickly and cool down the hot oats porridge mixture.

Leave to cool down (if you want to wait)

Add all the other ingredients.

Blend everything together and adjust the taste to suit.

How to make this smoothie extra filling

This Strawberry & Pink Pepper Smoothie is just under 150 calories, if you add the ingredients in the quantities specified in my recipe. There is already plenty of fibre, protein and a good fat, which will provide you with a nicely balanced energy boost.

If you want to make the smoothie a bit more filling, you can for example add raw egg to your smoothie, which would add extra 75 calories (including extra fat & protein), tofu (for more protein) or flavour free oil, such as sunflower, rice or groundnut oil.

Storing & keeping your smoothie

My Strawberry & Pink Pepper Yoghurt Smoothie is best-used straightaway. This means making it and drinking it immediately.

However, if you want to keep your breakfast smoothie for a bit longer, it will be fine for a minimum of 12 hrs in the fridge.

This smoothie does tend to separate, when you leave it standing for longer. To bring your smoothie back together, stir it with a spoon or a fork before drinking it.

This smoothie also freezes well, providing you’ve not used previously frozen strawberries. I find that making large batches and freezing my smoothies is actually pretty good way to save time in the morning.

This blog post was originally written on 29 September 2020 and last tested and updated on 1 November 2022