Independence Day Layered Berry Smoothie

The Independence Day Layered Berry Smoothie is the ideal treat to spice up any 4th of July party. This recipe is perfect for those who know their way around the kitchen, however it could be challenging for anyone who is a novice food preparer. The ornate design and abundant flavors of this smoothie will take you the extra mile for your special occasion.

This recipe will take approximately 25-30 minutes and fills four 18oz. plastic cups. Average total cost of ingredients are approximately $20 USD. Prices vary with brands.

Note: It is recommended to read through all instructions before starting this recipe to understand what is expected.

Ingredients

Note: Make sure to have these items available before starting the recipe.

• 10 ice cubes
• 2 ½ bananas
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• ½ cup fresh, rinsed strawberries
• ½ cup fresh, rinsed raspberries
  
  • Plus 20 rinsed raspberries (used for garnish and separating layers)
• 1 cup fresh, rinsed blueberries
  
  • Plus 44 rinsed blueberries (used for garnish and separating layers)
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• ¾ cup pomegranate juice

Equipment Needed

(See Figure 1)

Note: Make sure to have these items available before starting the recipe.

• 48oz. Blender (Hamilton Beach brand was used in our demonstration)
• Paring Knife
• Measuring cups and spoons:
  
  • ½ cup (dry)
  • ¼ cup (dry)
  • 1 cup (dry)
  • 1 tbsp
  • 1 cup (liquid)
• Access to a sink with running water
• Clean, dry hand towel
• Access to a freezer (not deep freeze)
• Four 18oz. clear plastic cups (Solo brand was used in our demonstration)
• Cutting board (any type or size greater than 4in. x 6in.)
• Freezer safe bowl or container (measuring in 2 cups or more)

Warnings

The Blender

This kitchen appliance is not recommended for the ages of 13 and under unless close supervision by an adult is provided. This kitchen appliance is designed for household use only. To avoid electric shock, do not place blender in water or other liquid. Due to dangerous parts such as the blade, unplug the blender from the outlet and remove the pitcher from its base before cleaning. Avoid contact with moving parts. Keeping your hands out of the container while blending will help reduce the risk of injury.

The Knife

To assure safety, kitchen knives should be kept out of reach for ages 13 and under. Knives consist of a sharp blade used to cut and dice all types of food. Always keep fingers away from the blade. Make sure fingers are kept on top of the blade and cut downward and away from your body.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

To prevent cross-contamination make sure knives and cutting boards are well cleansed between preparation of different food groups.

Allergy Information

Independence Day Layered Berry Smoothie is gluten, dairy, and lactose free. This smoothie contains a variety of different fruits (see bottom of allergy information). Allergic reactions to fruits are uncommon but there have been cases reported. Mild reactions include symptoms of skin reactions, asthma and rhinitis. Severe reactions such as cardiovascular symptoms and anaphylaxis can also be experienced by allergic individuals.

This smoothie uses an ingredient that contains a common allergy and should be carefully reviewed:

• Vanilla Almond Milk- almonds, potentially other tree nuts (does not contain soy but can be produced in a facility that also processes soy)
• Pomegranate Juice

Other ingredients that are less common food allergies but should still be carefully reviewed include:

• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Raw Honey

Step 1: Preparation

1. Wash hands with soap and warm water in sink
2. Dry with clean hand towel
   
   • Note: Wash hands as often as needed (i.e. Wash hands after handling fruit so not to spread/smear residue among equipment)
3. Gather all equipment/ingredients
4. Have all equipment out ready to use when needed (see Figure 1)
5. Peel 2 bananas
6. Throw away peels
7. Use cutting board and paring knife to slice bananas in ½ inch disks (see Figure 2)
8. Place sliced bananas in a 2 cup bowl
9. Place bowl upright and uncovered in freezer (see Figure 3)
   
   • Note: These will stay in freezer until needed for white layer.

Step 2: Red Layer

1. Use cutting board and paring knife to cut green tops off 4 rinsed strawberries
2. Throw away stems
3. Cut the four strawberries vertically in half (see Figure 4)
4. Place halved strawberries in ½ cup dry measuring cup (see Figure 5)
   
   • Note: If more than 4 strawberries are needed to fill measuring cup, proceed to cut more strawberries until cup is filled.
5. Measure ½ cup of rinsed raspberries using dry measuring cup (see Figure 5)
6. Remove lid from pitcher of blender
7. Add ½ cup of strawberries and ½ cup of raspberries to pitcher
8. Peel ½ banana
9. Throw away peel
10. Add ½ banana to pitcher (see Figure 6)
11. Measure ¼ cup of vanilla almond milk using liquid measuring cup
12. Add milk to pitcher (see Figure 7)
13. Add 4 ice cubes to pitcher
14. Cover pitcher with lid
15. Plug electrical cord in outlet
16. Hold hand on lid to stabilize pitcher while blending
17. Select smoothie setting and blend until smooth (approx. 1 minute)(see Figure 8)
    
    • Note: Not all blenders have a smoothie setting. Check blender instructions for best setting for making smoothies.Times may vary.
18. Unplug blender from outlet when finished blending before taking lid off
19. Pour red mixture evenly among four 18oz. clear plastic cups (approx. 3oz. per cup)(see Figure 9)
    
    • Note: The goal is to keep level of red mixture the same in each plastic cup.
20. Place plastic cups with red layer upright and uncovered in freezer
    
    • Note: Plastic cups will stay in freezer until needed for next layer.
21. Remove pitcher from base of blender
22. Rinse pitcher thoroughly before preparing blue layer (see Figure 10)
    
    • Note: The goal is to keep from mixing each layer during the making process.

Step 3: Blue Layer

1. Measure 1 cup of rinsed blueberries using dry measuring cup (see Figure 11)
2. Add to pitcher
3. Measure ¾ cup of pomegranate juice using liquid measuring cup (see Figure 12)
4. Add to pitcher (see Figure 13)
5. Add 2 ice cubes to pitcher
6. Cover pitcher with lid
7. Plug electrical cord in outlet
8. Hold hand on lid to stabilize pitcher while blending
9. Select smoothie setting and blend until smooth (approx. 30 seconds)(see Figure 14)
   
   • Note: Not all blenders have a smoothie setting. Check blender instructions for best setting for making smoothies.
10. Unplug blender from outlet when finished blending before taking lid off
11. Take plastic cups with red layer out of freezer Gently place 4 rinsed raspberries spread evenly on top of red layer in each plastic cup (16 total raspberries should be used for this step, 4 for each plastic cup)(see Figure 15)
    
    • Note: The purpose of this is to help keep the layers separate when pouring next layer.
12. Gently pour blue mixture evenly among the four plastic cups on top of red layer and raspberries (approx. 4oz. per cup)(see Figure 16)
    
    • Note: The goal is to keep level of blue mixture the same in each plastic cup.
13. Place plastic cups with red and blue layers upright and uncovered in freezer
    
    • Note: Plastic cups will stay in freezer until needed for next layer.
14. Remove pitcher from base of blender
15. Rinse pitcher thoroughly before preparing white layer (see Figure 17)
    
    • Note: The goal is to keep from mixing each layer during the making process.

Step 4: White Layer

1. Remove sliced bananas from freezer
2. Add bananas to pitcher (see Figure 18)
3. Measure ¾ cup vanilla almond milk using liquid measuring cup
4. Add to pitcher (see Figure 19)
5. Measure 1 tbsp raw honey
6. Add to pitcher (see Figure 20)
   
   • Note: You may need to use your finger to push honey off spoon into pitcher.
7. Add 4 ice cubes to pitcher (see Figure 21)
8. Cover pitcher with lid
9. Plug electrical cord in outlet
10. Hold hand on lid to stabilize pitcher while blending
11. Select smoothie setting and blend until smooth (approx 2 minutes)(see Figure 22)
    
    • Note: Not all blenders have a smoothie setting. Check blender instructions for best setting for making smoothies.
12. Unplug blender from outlet when finished blending before taking lid off
13. Take plastic cups with red and blue layers out of freezer
14. Gently place 10 rinsed blueberries spread evenly on top of red layer in each plastic cup (40 total raspberries should be used for this step; 10 for each plastic cup)(see Figure 23)
    
    • Note: The purpose of this is to help keep the layers separate when pouring next layer.
15. Gently pour white mixture evenly among the four plastic cups on top of blue layer and blueberries (approx. 6oz. per cup)
    
    • Note: The goal is to keep level of blue mixture the same in each plastic cup.

Step 5: Garnish

1. Gently place 1 rinsed raspberry and 1 rinsed blueberry in center and on top of white layer of each plastic cup for garnish (see Figure 24)

You have completed The Independence Day Layered Berry Smoothie and is ready to be served. This smooth is a great treat to spice up any 4th of July Party. If you had a hard time keeping your layers from mixing with one another, leaving each layer in the freezer a little longer before adding the next layer can help reduce blending. Adding more fruit between layers could also do the trick.