Have you noticed how people just fall in love with their Vitamix? Thanks to its powerful high-speed motor and sharp blades, this multitasking blender has become the ultimate kitchen tool, the stuff of culinary daydreams and Amazon wish lists.
As with many good things, there’s a catch. The Vitamix’s price tag runs upwards of $400. Talk about breaking your heart and your piggy bank.
If you’re considering investing in one, check out their handy “blender recommender” that can help you decide which model would suit you.
Beyond soups, smoothies, and ice cream, the Vitamix is an excellent tool for all kinds of meal-prepping. And it’s a substitute for many other kitchen gadgets — immersion blender, grater, stand mixer, juicer, and more.
Plus, it’ll grind grains into flour and nuts into milk. If you regularly use alternative flours or milks, you’ll definitely save money DIYing it. (Yeah, we’ve just given you two ways to justify that price.)
If you’ve already jumped on the superblender bandwagon, get ready to put that sucker to use in ways you didn’t even know were possible.
Don’t have a Vitamix? Don’t feel left out. A * indicates recipes that are doable with a regular blender or food processor.
1. Acorn squash soup
This two-step process couldn’t be easier. Cook whole acorn squash in a slow cooker. Scrape out the seeds, and then blend the squash, dates, rosemary, and almond milk. The friction of the blades warms the soup. Serve it topped with pecans.
2. Spanish gazpacho
A refreshing, cool summer soup is minutes away. Blend raw tomato, cukes, bell pepper, garlic, and olive oil into a smooth or chunky soup, and then let it rest (hello, flavor melding!) and cool. Top with chopped veggies and a swirl of olive oil.
Healthy? Over-the-top healthy. And it tastes gooooood.
3. Skinny broccoli-cheddar soup
Broccoli-cheddar, we’re calling you out as one of the biggest healthy soup impostors on the menu, with heaps of cheese and butter. But this veggie version deserves its health halo, with just 4 ounces of cheddar divided among four servings.
Simmer 4 cups of broccoli florets (see what we’re sayin’ about this recipe being healthy?), an onion, and a carrot in vegetable stock. Then let your Vitamix work its magic, puréeing and warming. The cheddar cheese will melt right in.
4. Blender tortilla soup
This vegetarian version of the familiar Mexican soup replaces the chicken stock with a base of tomato, carrots, and avocado that gets puréed into a creamy, warm soup using your Vitamix’s soup setting.
Black beans and corn add texture and amp up the protein and fiber. Top with your favorite taco fixings, baked tortilla chips, diced buttery avocado, and fresh cilantro.
5. Simple pumpkin soup
Soup’s on, indeed, with yummy pumpkin, coconut milk, and maple syrup. The topping of garlicky kale with sesame seeds adds contrasting flavors and textures and bumps up the nutritional value.
6. Mexican-style tomato soup
The Mexican inspiration shows up in the form of canned diced tomatoes, piquillo peppers, cilantro, and cumin, yet this recipe adds intrigue with coconut milk. The Vitamix makes this veggie-riffic soup into a smooth-textured, lively flavored elixir.
Top with baked tortilla chips, diced avocado, and a wedge of lime.
7. The best green smoothie
Call it a beginner’s green smoothie: no kale. (Breathing a sigh of relief?) Instead, tender spinach leaves bring the green to this light, naturally sweet glass of goodness. Frozen bananas, peanut butter, dates, and almond milk provide the creamy base.
8. Peanut butter banana smoothie
The peanut butter and banana combo was beloved by Elvis Presley, so it’s only appropriate that this smoothie is “all shook up” in the king of blenders.
With oats, bananas, protein powder, and a healthy dollop of all-natural nut butter for some satiating fat, it’s a complete meal in a glass — perfect as a speedy breakfast or a re-energizing post-workout drink.
9. Creamy green smoothie
Don’t let the color fool you — this is a tropical smoothie, tasting of coconut, mango, and ginger. The Vitamix whips them into silky submission along with avocado and almond milk. And that bright green? Tender spinach leaves (we promise you won’t taste ’em).
10. Red beet Vitamix smoothie
The blogger describes this vibrant red smoothie as “the closest thing to a cocktail without the alcohol.” Who wouldn’t want to sip that?
Raw beets, apple, kale, and orange give this smoothie a lively flavor that’ll take you from lethargic to livened-up in just a few swigs.
11. Sunshine smoothie
This sunrise-in-a-glass is a thing of beauty, but there’s more to it than good looks. With a peppy punch of vitamin C and potassium from the citrus fruits, plus superfood goji berries, it’s pretty and healthy. So sip this cheery drink and smile.
12. Apple-cinnamon smoothie*
What says “fall” better than apple pie in a glass? Cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup flavor this raw apple and oat smoothie. This recipe calls for dairy. We used whole milk and full fat yogurt, but feel free to swap in nondairy milk.
13. Energizing green shamrock smoothie bowl
Smoothie in a bowl? What?! It starts to make sense when you realize that the larger surface allows more room for toppings like sliced banana, shredded coconut, and chia seeds.
The Vitamix pulverizes kale (remember to stem it first), dates, almond butter, and milk into glossy goodness. Get all artistic with the toppings and you’ll feel like you’re eating at a spa.
14. 1-ingredient banana ice cream*
This treat turns a healthy fruit into a delicious, melty dessert, and it doesn’t even require an ice cream maker. Simply chop your banana, freeze it, and then dump the chunks into your speedy blender.
This dairy-free recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth. Eat it immediately and savor the creamy flavor, or let it freeze to your desired consistency.
15. 5-minute creamy mango ice cream
We’ve sung the virtues of homemade banana soft serve, but here’s a new twist: the same method with mangos. Use a Vitamix to churn up a tropical treat using coconut milk and frozen chunks of mango, and enjoy the creamy, dairy-free deliciousness.
16. Berry-lime sorbet
This sorbet can be made in minutes from just five ingredients. Frozen strawberries and raspberries, almond milk, lime, and a sweetener of your choice are carefully blended over a range of speeds so the berries won’t melt.
Eat right away while the temperature and texture are just right, or scoop into balls and freeze.
17. Green juice
Everyone’s been talking about celery juice lately. We’re staying on the side of “the more, the merrier” — as in more fruits and vegetables. In addition to celery, this recipe calls for romaine lettuce, spinach, apple, orange, and lemon.
No offense to Jamba Juice, but once you’ve mastered this nifty trick for straining your own fruit and veg combo in a Vitamix, you may never look back.
18. Strawberry basil lemonade*
Skip the store-bought lemonade mixes with their artificial sweeteners. A Vitamix whirls lemon, strawberries, honey, and fresh basil into a sweet, tangy, incredibly refreshing beverage. Make a double recipe — everyone’s gonna want seconds.
19. Fresh strawberry margarita
Put your Vitamix on the bar and whip up this frothy margarita. Strawberries, lime juice, and honey form a citrusy trifecta that blends with the lightly smoky-sweet tequila. Garnish this pretty cocktail with a fresh berry or a mint leaf.
20. Orange mocha Frappuccino*
This smoothie comes with a movie reference. Get it? Answer below.
While you’re thinking, we’ll tell you about the ingredients in this outrageous Frappuccino. Step aside, Starbucks. Well, not quite — this recipe uses the chain’s brand of instant espresso (but you can substitute a grocery store brand).
Bananas, dates, a whole orange, nondairy milk, and cocoa powder join the espresso in the Vitamix, which crushes and whirls the ingredients into a smoothie so good it’ll make you laugh.
[Answer: Zoolander.]
21. Homemade almond milk
Homemade nut milk sounds like a hassle, but it’s easier than you think if you’ve got a high-speed blender (an essential tool for this task). It’s also much cheaper than the store-bought stuff, and you know exactly what’s in it.
22. Hummus in a blender*
This blogger says the secret to her super-smooth hummus is removing the skins from the chickpeas. That’s waaaay too fussy for us. The super-strong Vitamix blades lash chickpeas and their skins into a fluffy, smooth purée.
The beauty of this recipe (even if you leave the skins on and use a regular blender or food processor) is its simplicity: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, salt, and the real secret ingredient to the texture… no, not tahini. There’s no tahini in this recipe.
You ready? Water! Yup, water’s an important ingredient.
23. Healthy artichoke dip
Hold the cheese and mayo. The happy-hour fav gets happier and healthier with a vegan makeover. Canned artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and nutritional yeast are the base for this tangy, garlicky dip.
24. Vegan cheese dip
Everyone loves an ooey-gooey cheese dip, and even vegans can miss eating cheese. Solution: this vegan-friendly dip that ditches the dairy and adds veggies and nutritional yeast. The blogger and her followers say it tastes just like cheese.
25. Jerk marinade*
This marinade is a keeper. A garden of healthy flavorings — spring onions, ginger, garlic, turmeric, Scotch bonnet pepper, chipotle in adobo, and lime — are whizzed into a smooth sauce in minutes.
This jerk sauce freezes well, defrosts quickly, and is ready to pour over skewered veggies and your favorite protein. Weeknight dinner? Yah, mon!
26. Vegan garlic Alfredo sauce*
Oh hello, velvety, garlicky goodness. This dairy-free Alfredo sauce gets its creamy texture from cashews and its flavor from garlic, onion, lemon, and nutritional yeast. Try it over zoodles if you’re staying away from wheat pasta.
27. Easy homemade pesto
Everyone should have a go-to pesto sauce in their culinary repertoire. Make this classic pine nut and basil pesto yours. It’ll take just 5 minutes to make, and it freezes well.
We admit we’ve had sticker shock at the checkout counter when buying pine nuts (also known as pignoli). It’s perfectly fine to substitute less-expensive nuts, like walnuts, or use a little of each.
28. Peanut butter
Our love of nut butter knows no limits. You can’t go wrong with classic all-natural peanut. But feel free to break new ground with macadamia, pistachio, or even cayenne-infused sunflower seed butter. (You won’t find that at Whole Foods!)
Add any sweeteners or flavorings you like.
29. Creamy vegan roasted tomato and eggplant sauce
We know how it is: Every dairy-free pasta sauce recipe seems to resort to cashews for that rich and creamy boost. That’s where this recipe diverges.
The Vitamix pulverizes roasted eggplant, onion, tomato, garlic, and Italian spices and combines it all with olive oil and almond milk to create a silky coating for your favorite pasta.
30. 60-second applesauce, raw or simmered
Applesauce is boring. There. We said it. But raw applesauce made in a Vitamix has a bright, fresh flavor. And we bet if you simmer it for a minute or two and then let it cool, you’ll say it’s the best applesauce you’ve ever had.
Either way, don’t leave out the cinnamon.
31. The best vegan mac and cheese
When it comes to mac and cheese, that blue box filled with powdered stuff may be a quick fix, but baffling ingredients like “yellow No. 6” don’t inspire confidence.
Your Vitamix can whip cashews, nutritional yeast, mustard, lemon, turmeric, and chili powder into an all-natural vegan sauce that will coat warm elbow macaroni in a most loving fashion.
32. Cauliflower Paleo fried rice
Cauliflower may be all the rage right now, but the mess of chopping it into rice-size pieces definitely isn’t a party. (Unless you want to pretend those little white things all over the floor are confetti. But in that case, the party’s over.)
Actually, the party’s just getting started. Chop the cauliflower into florets (or use frozen). Then put it in the Vitamix. Three quick pushes of the “pulse” button and you’ve got riced cauliflower. And you’re ready to shake it up.
33. Blender lemon-blueberry pancakes*
Blue pancakes? The kid in us loves it. Just combine most of your wet ingredients, the blueberries, and a banana in the Vitamix; add the dry ingredients and melted coconut oil; and whirl all into a smooth batter.
Serve the golden — er, blue — pancakes with fresh berries, yogurt, and a touch of maple syrup.
34. Simple oat waffles
Say farewell to frozen toaster waffles and throw these wholesome ingredients — oats, almond milk, and olive oil — into a Vitamix for a breakfast upgrade that looks gourmet. This blogger serves them up with jewel-like pomegranate seeds.
Here’s how to release those seeds from the pomegranate.
35. Pancakes in a blender
Is company coming? Making a jumbo batch of pancakes is a breeze when your Vitamix is blending the batter. This traditional recipe is super easy, made from simple ingredients like milk, flour, an egg, and just a bit of sugar.
Blitz up a fruit sauce in the blender, too, and get ready to impress your friends with the yummiest breakfast stacks ever.
36. Oat apple muffins
You may not consider yourself a baker now, but after you make these easy muffins, you’ll be shopping for a monogrammed chef jacket.
Your Vitamix grinds the oat flakes into flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until combined. All you have to do is scoop the batter into muffin tins and bake until they’re golden.
37. Arizona sunshine lemon pie*
Lemon heaven. A Vitamix makes short work of the whole lemon this recipe calls for — though we’d suggest not including the bitter pith. Let the machine blend eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and the lemon into a silky custard.
Blend, pour, bake — that’s all you need to do to make this tangy, silky pie. Frozen crust to the rescue once again.
38. 5-ingredient dark chocolate macaroons*
People are going cuckoo for coconuts. If you’re on that tropical bandwagon, these soft, caramelized, vegan and gluten-free macaroons will be your new favorite dessert.
The Vitamix pulses unsweetened shredded coconut into a dough, which you flavor with vanilla and sweeten with maple syrup. Brushing the tops with coconut oil before baking makes the outsides golden.
The final dip in chocolate takes this dessert to just the right spot of deliciousness.
39. Raw vegan raspberry cheesecake
Vegan cheesecake? Yay! Vegan cheesecake that can be made in your Vitamix? Even better. And the good news continues: There’s no pesky “water bath” step and no baking.
It’s just high quality nuts and raspberries blended up and poured into a gluten-free crust made with protein packed hemp hearts. That’s a dessert that’ll keep the sugar crash at bay.
40. Toasted coconut fudge
Throw a whopping 6 cups of coconut flakes in a Vitamix and watch as it effortlessly transforms them into a paste. Then add ghee and flavorings. These petite squares are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bliss.
Tip: The recipe calls for Ceylon cinnamon and raw honey, but you can always use the generic versions — or play around with your favorite spices.
41. Easy raw vegan chocolate mousse
Without a high-speed blender, cashew-based desserts can be on the grittier side. But with a Vitamix, the results are as smooth as silk — and this raw chocolate mousse proves it. The nuts are whirred with water, cocoa powder, and agave nectar.
All it needs is a bit of fridge time before it’s ready to devour.
