High calorie smoothies are a great way to add calories and get an extra boost of nutrition (vitamins & minerals!).
As a Registered Dietitian, I help clients stop unintended weight loss and successfully gain weight. In this article, you will learn tons about gaining weight with smoothies. We have 31 delicious high calorie smoothie ideas from pineapple coconut to peanut butter oatmeal. There really is something for everyone!
When someone is experiencing unintended weight loss or just needs to gain a few pounds, calories are the answer.
Sometimes it’s hard to get additional calories from regular meals. Adding a high calorie smoothie is a great option to maximize intake. It can be easy to sip on a weight gain smoothie in between meals. The key is providing a high calorie beverage that someone will actually drink.
This article is the ultimate guide to high calorie smoothies for weight gain. It includes everything you need to know about making smoothies high in calories, buying pre-made smoothies, and other tips to promote weight gain.
Table of Contents
- How to Make High Calorie Smoothies
- High Calorie Smoothies Handout [Free Download]
- High Calorie Smoothie Recipes
- Premade High Calorie Smoothies
- Highest Calorie Smoothies at Jamba Juice
- High Calorie Shakes
- Additional Resources for Weight Gain
We hope this article will be your one-stop-shop for all things high calorie smoothies. Thanks for reading and best of luck to you!
How to Make a High Calorie Smoothie
It’s pretty simple to get started. You just need to add a bunch of ingredients into a good blender. Experiment with what works best. Add more liquid if it’s too thick. Add more solid ingredients if it’s too thin.
Here are some basic ingredients to add to your high calorie smoothies:
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Liquid
- Dairy
- Nuts/ Seeds
- Add ins
Let’s review some examples of what you add to a smoothie. We’ll end with some sample recipes to get you going! Keep in mind these are just some ideas.
Vegetables for Smoothies
Most vegetables are actually quite low in calories. But they do provide a ton of vitamins and minerals. And they can add some fun taste and even color to a smoothie.
Here are some vegetables to add to smoothies:
- Avocados
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Kale
Avocados reign as the highest calorie option here. They are high in heart healthy fats. And they will give a creamy taste to any smoothie. Carrots add a hint of sweetness. And greens often have a minimal taste, but add a nutrient boost.
Fruits for Smoothies
Fruits can be moderately high in calories but are also jam packed with vitamins and minerals.
Here are some fruits to add to smoothies:
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Pineapple
- Apple
- Orange
- Berries
The banana is a great high calorie option. There are around 100 calories in a medium sized banana. It will give some creaminess to a smoothie and tastes good. Sky is really the limit for fruits to add to a smoothie. There are a ton of different options!
Liquids for Smoothies
All smoothie needs some liquids to get them blended up and ready to drink. We do not want to add water to high calorie smoothies. Water has no calories. We want to make sure every ingredient that goes into the blender is high in calories.
Here are some liquids to add to smoothies with calories:
- Whole milk
- Half and half
- Soy milk
- Orange juice
- Apple juice
- Cranberry juice
- Pineapple juice
Half and Half has the most calories of the options listed. It will make the smoothie very creamy and borderline on a milk shake. But any juice or milk option will do here! Some plant-based milks are lower in calories- try to pick the options with the most calories.
Dairy for Smoothies
Dairy products can be high in calories if we use the whole fat options. A couple of dairy items were listed in the liquids section above, but let’s cover some more dairy options you can add.
Here are some liquids to add to smoothies with calories:
- Yogurt
- Greek Yogurt
- Cottage Cheese
- Ice-cream
- Sherbet
Be sure to read the nutrition labels and get the options with the HIGHEST number of calories. Often times dairy products are sold as “light” or lower in calories… a majority of the public isn’t looking to gain weight. Food marketers are often targeting weight loss in dairy products.
Nuts/ Seeds for Smoothies
Nuts and seeds are high in heart healthy fats. This is a great option if you have a good blender. If you don’t have the strongest blender and don’t want too much texture, use powdered nuts/seed or pre-made nut or seed butters.
Here are some nuts/seeds to add to smoothies:
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Flax seed
- Chia seed
Flax and chia seed are high in omega-3 fats. Peanut butter is super high in calories and a tasty edition to a smoothie- depending on the ingredients.
Add ins for Weight Gain Smoothies
But wait, there’s more! Here are some high calorie add ins that don’t necessarily fit into the categories above.
Here is other high calorie add ins for weight gain smoothies.
- Protein powder
- Powdered milk
- Honey
- Oats
- Instant breakfast
- Coconut cream
The protein powder will add an extra boost of protein if needed. Honey will add some sweetness along with calories. And oats, while it may seem like a strange ingredient, will add some extra fiber and fun taste. You can use powdered oats, soak oats in liquid 10-20 minutes before blending, or even use raw oats if you don’t mind the texture (they will get ground and softer when you blend).
High Calorie Smoothies Freebie
Be sure to check out our FREE high calorie smoothies handout.
It’s a printable 1-page PDF which can be used to craft your own smoothies.
You can snag our freebie here.
High Calorie Smoothie Recipes for Weight Gain
So how can you incorporate these ingredients into a tasty smoothie? Here are some sample recipes for weight gain to get you started!
1) Green Smoothie
Estimated Calories: 515
- 1 medium avocado
- 1 cup pineapple
- ½ medium apple
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup apple Juice
2) Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Estimated Calories: 650
- 2 cups strawberries
- 1 medium banana
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp chia seed
- 1 Tbsp honey
3) Blueberry Blast Smoothie
Estimated Calories: 465
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 medium banana
- ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup cranberry juice
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
4) Pineapple Coconut Smoothie
Estimated Calories: 525
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 medium banana
- ½ cup coconut cream
- 1 cup pineapple juice
5) Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
Estimated Calories: 730
- ¼ cup powdered oats
- 1 medium banana
- 1/2 cup half and half
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 Tbsp honey
High Calorie Smoothies Infographic
Additional Recipes at High Calorie Recipes
Did you know that we have a sister website called High Calorie Recipes? If you are looking to gain weight, then this food blog will be an excellent resource for you!
Here are some of our delicious high calorie smoothie recipes at the High Calorie Recipes food blog!
6) Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
This delicious chocolate avocado smoothie provides a whopping 953 calories per serving!
It contains high calorie ingredients like half and half, avocado, almond butter, and banana.
Check out this recipe here.
7) Tropical Coconut Milk Smoothie
This smoothie will make you feel like you are on the beach in the tropics.
It contains coconut milk, whole milk, banana, and even flax seed and rolled oats. It is delicious, nutritious and packed with calories.
Check out this recipe here.
8) Spinach Peanut Butter Smoothie
This smoothie combines high calorie peanut butter with nutrient packed spinach. And boy is it tasty.
This recipes is a smaller one, but you can double the ingredients if you would like a larger smoothie.
Check out this recipe here.
9) Vegan Weight Gain Smoothie
This smoothie is a great option for those who do not eat animal products.
It contains vegan protein powder, peanut butter, avocado, banana, and along milk.
Check out the recipe here.
10) Mango Coconut Milk Smoothie
This tropical smoothie provides over 800 calories in one serving.
It has an extra pack of fiber with chia seeds and fruit in it. A total of 13 grams of fiber.
You can find this recipe here.
11) Avocado Banana Smoothie
Avocado and banana both make smoothies extra creamy. And they add an extra punch of calories.
This smoothie has some greek yogurt and peanut butter for even more calories.
You can find this recipe here.
12) Nutella Smoothie
This smoothie is a delicious sweet treat. It contains nutella, strawberries, and bananas. Plus some high calorie dairy.
This smoothie has well over 1,000 calories. It can be broken into a couple of servings.
You can find the recipe here.
13) Peanut Butter Powder Smoothie
Peanut butter powder provides extra protein to any smoothie. This recipe is simple and delicious.
You can find this recipe here.
14) Blueberry Peanut Butter Smoothie
Blueberries are a great source of antioxidants. And peanut butter is a great source of calories!
This recipe has 12 grams of fiber in addition to being high calorie.
You can find this recipe here.
15) Coconut Oil Smoothie
This smoothie has a unique high calorie ingredient- coconut oil!
It also contains spinach, flax seed, banana, and soymilk!
You can find this recipe here.
16) Peanut Butter Coffee Smoothie
Do you love coffee? You’ll love this peanut butter coffee high calorie smoothie!
In addition to having a boost of coffee, it has 9 grams of fiber.
You can find this recipe here.
17) Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
This smoothie is so sweet and tasty, it’s like drinking a dessert.
It includes chocolate protein powder, chocolate hazelnut spread, and bananas!
You can find this recipe here.
18) Avocado Weight Gain Smoothie
Avocado is one of our favorite high calorie foods. And this recipe is all about avocado!
You can find this recipe here.
19) Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
This high calorie smoothie contains oats, bananas, half and half, peanut butter, and honey. And it is tasty!
You can find this recipe here.
High Calorie Smoothies Pro Tip: Frozen juice
Before I wrap up the section on recipes, I wanted to share a high calorie pro tip.
Some people like their smoothies cold. Using frozen fruit is a great way to make a cold frozen smoothie.
Some people use ice too. But ice is water. Water has no calories. Don’t use ice.
Instead, you can freeze juice in an ice-cube tray and use this for your smoothies. It will provide an ice-cold frozen smoothie and you won’t be wasting any volume. It will be jam packed with calories!
P.S. You can freeze milk or half and half too.
Premade High Calorie Smoothies
Perhaps you are looking for some premade high calorie smoothies. Something you can grab on the go. Or something you can grab while you are out.
Premade high calorie smoothies offer convenience. Especially on those days you run out of ingredients or just don’t feel like dealing with cleaning your blender or dishes.
You can purchase premade high calorie smoothies from a grocery store, Amazon, or a smoothie shop.
High Calorie Smoothies from the Grocery Store
The brands and types of smoothies available at your grocery store will vary depending on your location and what products your store carries.
Smoothies are typically available in bottles found in the frigerated section (often near produce). Popular brands include Naked Juice, Bolthouse Farms, and Odwalla.
Read the nutrition facts for the exact calorie count in your smoothie. Keeping in mind some of these brands feature lower calorie products.
Bottled smoothies with peanut butter, avocado, and cream are going to be your best bets for having the highest calorie count.
You can also find smoothies in the frozen section- sometimes you will have to blend them yourself at home. And some stores carry smoothies in pouches (kind of like applesauce).
High Calorie Smoothies on Amazon
I love Amazon because you can order products from the comfort of your own home. High calorie smoothie options are often limited, but they are out there!
Here are some good high calorie smoothies on Amazon that I was able to find.
* The following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.
20) Naked Juice’s Mighty Mango smoothie provides 290 calories in a 15 oz bottle.
21) Naked Juice’s Green Machine smoothie provides 270 calories in a 15 oz bottle.
22) This Strawberry Banana smoothie provides 240 calories in a 16 ounce serving.
High Calorie Smoothies from a Smoothie Shop
You likely have a smoothie store in your community. If not in your town, in the next one over. Or at least the closest big city.
You can always ask for nutrition information while at the store so you can select a smoothie with the most calories. Some larger smoothie shops will include the calorie count on their menu.
You can also select smoothies with nuts, nut butters, avocado, banana, cream, etc. to ensure it is a higher calorie option. Serving size also matters- the larger the serving, the higher the calorie count. But it does have to be an amount you can reasonably consume without getting too full.
Highest Calorie Smoothies at Jamba Juice
Since Jamba Juice is a popular smoothie franchise, I thought I’d share some good examples of high calorie smoothies from the Jamba Juice menu.
Jamba Juice has three different sizes:
- Small (16 ounces)
- Medium (22 ounces)
- Large (28 ounces)
We are going to share nutrition information for the largest smoothie size- 28 ounces.
If you are looking to gain weight and are looking for the highest calorie smoothies at Jamba Juice, here are some good choices.
Jamba Juice Smoothies with Over 500 Calories (28 oz):
- 23) Peanut Butter Moo’d (910 calories)
- 24) PB + Banana Protein (810 calories)
- 25) PB Chocolate Love (760 calories)
- 26) White Gummi (590 calories)
- 27) Orange Dream Machine (550 calories)
- 28) Acai Super-Antioxidant (540 calories)
- 29) Amazing Greens (510 calories)
- 30) Mango-a-Go-Go (510 calories)
- 31) Aloha Pineapple (510 calories)
If you want to boost the calories in your Jamba Juice smoothies you can request add-in. The food add-ins may vary based on individual stores. Even if you don’t see it on the menu, you can always ask!
High Calorie Boosts:
- Whey protein boost for an extra 70 calories
- Pumpkin seeds for an extra 130 calories
- Peanut butter for an extra 100 calories
High Calorie Shakes
If you are interested in learning more about high calorie shakes, check out my free resource High Calorie Shakes.
It includes The King of Calories recipe with a whopping 1200 calories! And it’s delicious!
You can also purchase the High Calories SHAKES e-Cookbook which contains 25 delicious recipes, color photos, and tips for weight gain.
Additional Resources for Weight Gain
If you are looking for more resources for gaining weight, check out these resources:
I know there is a lot of information online about weight loss. But these resources were crafted just for you. And for others who need help gaining weight.
Be sure to talk to your healthcare team about your struggles with weight. And you can even ask for a referral to a Registered Dietitian.
Conclusion
I hope this article gave you some good ideas for making high calorie smoothies for weight gain. It’s really pretty easy once you get the hang of it.
And if you are a caregiver for older adults, be sure to check out my blog post Weight Gain Smoothies: Stopping Unintended Weight Loss in Older Adults.
Great information, the only thing is I’m allergic to bananas and so many shake/smoothie recipes call for them. Struggling to find an alternative.
This may sound strange… but, try replacing banana with avocado. It is high in calories and gives a creamy taste (bananas often make a smoothie taste creamier). Good luck!!
………………Excellent page!…………….. Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you so much, this will be very helpful for me.
You’re welcome!
Thanks a lot , I did need this
You’re welcome!
Wow!!!
You have made this so easy for me thank you. My husband had bowel surgery and they removed quite a bit.
Everything he eats and drinks goes straight through him.
He has a port for TPN, it helps but he had a high liver enzymes so they had to cut some of his calories in the bag so the next step are your amazing recipes
He was 165Ib now 134Ib
My husband also has a high metabolism.
Thank you, these recipes will help us immensely thank you, thank you, thank you for breaking it down and making it simple. I truly appreciate you, this is amazing, thank you once again.
Sincerely grateful,
Deb Gleason
I’m so glad this article was helpful! Thank you for sharing. I hope your husband continues to do well!
My wife 92, 120 lbs, has MCI and does not eat! She lives on 2 plastic cans of Ensure Plus daily plus bits of food and some sweets. I think smoothies might help. Do you have any suggestions for a diet plan?
We have a lot of articles related to weight gain and high calorie here: https://thegeriatricdietitian.com/high-calorie/
Just FYI avocado is fruit.
You are correct! I tend to list an avocado under the vegetable category just because of how it is used in meal preparation (ex. in salads and savory dishes) similar to tomatoes. 🙂
Hey i am underweight and more skinny i need to gain weight i am 21 and my weight is only 34kg so how can i gain weight ?
Check out are high calorie articles for ideas to gain weight: https://thegeriatricdietitian.com/high-calorie/
How long does it take to see results with the strawberry banana smoothie?
There are a lot of variables that come in to play for answering this question. It takes 3500 calories to gain 1 pound. So, in theory if you drink one strawberry banana smoothie per day over a week (with no other changing variables) you would expect to see a weight gain of just over 1 pound per week. I hope this helps!
Hi, experienced weight loss due to mystery bug, all checked out on now on the mend,
Can’t take large meals due to oesophogectimy 8 years ago, after reading your high cal recommendations I’m about to embark on a smoothie weight gain programme.
Many thanks for the advice.
You’re welcome and best of luck!