Can you make smoothies in a food processor?
Isn’t it so annoying if you desperately want to make a dish or drink and the only thing standing in your way is that you have the wrong equipment? It’s so similar, but it’s still not what the recipe calls for.
The shakes are especially frustrating, since there are so many different gadgets calling for the recipes, it’s impossible to buy them all.
Most people have either a food processor or a blender, rarely both, but are they interchangeable?
Can you make smoothies in a food processor?
The short answer is yes, you can. The process, however, is a bit different, as the ingredients need to be added in the correct order, rather than all together, and it can take a bit longer. But most food processors will do the job.
In this information-packed article, we’ll take a look at the difference between a food processor and a blender, whether they’re interchangeable, how you can use a food processor to make smoothies, and the many other features both have.
What is a blender?
A blender is used to create a smooth liquid, which is why smoothie recipes often call for a blender, or a similar product like a Vitamix, rather than a food processor or food processor.
The structure of a blender is designed to create ultra-smooth liquids or purees, since the actual container (the one that holds the ingredients while blending) is shaped like a large, long jar.
This ensures that the liquid is constantly moving and circulating within the jug to blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
They also have sharp blades (usually 4) that can spin at different speeds to create different textures.
The higher the speed, the more powerful the blades will be and will be able to blend the toughest ingredients, such as pineapple.
Some mixers also have other settings such as “pulse” and “crush” which have different uses mainly related to the force used.
Blenders come in many different shapes and sizes to create individual servings or a larger quantity. Some are even designed to be used as a travel mug for drinking on the go.
There are blenders on the market today that are powerful enough to perform some of the functions of a food processor, however the shape of a blender still prevents it from performing all of them.
What is a kitchen robot?
A kitchen robot is usually used to carry out more intense work. Some examples of use of a kitchen robot are making doughs, creating butter, chopping vegetables, grinding ingredients, etc.
Food processors can perform a much wider range of functions due to the way they are designed and built. Food processors are often more bowl-shaped than jar-shaped, giving them more surface area for processing and mixing food.
They are also very large and bulky and have a heavy bottom. This allows the appliance to blend difficult items without moving, shaking, or requiring additional stability.
They almost always have detachable blades that are sometimes interchangeable with others. The blades can be smooth, but are often slightly serrated to cut through ingredients and help incorporate them together.
What is the difference?
The main difference between the two is their functionality, which is determined by their structure or design. A kitchen robot will be able to perform more functions of a blender than vice versa.
If you tried to shred cheese in a blender, all of the cheese would get stuck to the bottom of the jar, but when shredding it in a food processor, it could constantly move around and get chopped.
Food processors are made for crushing, mixing, or grinding food, not necessarily for blending ingredients until smooth.
Can you use a food processor as a blender?
As we have mentioned, each one has its functions and, although they can perform some of the functions of the others, they cannot perform all of them. Luckily, this applies more to the blender than to the food processor.
You can definitely use a food processor to make smoothies or other liquids instead of a blender.
However, there are other steps that you have to follow besides adding all the ingredients. If you don’t mind the few extra steps, you won’t have a problem.
That being said, it depends on the food processor you have: not all of them are the same and therefore not all of them will work. The ones that have the best chance of working are the ones with multiple accessories.
Some food processors come with blender attachments that you can use. If you are thinking of buying a food processor, look for one that has this function.
How to make smoothies in a food processor
1. Crush the green ingredients first. This includes any kale, spinach, Swiss chard, or leafy green vegetables. They are sometimes the hardest to blend smoothly (even in blenders) due to their awkward size. Blending them first will help you do this.
2. Add the frozen fruit to the vegetables. Frozen fruits will ensure a thicker, icier and more refreshing shake. Add the fruits or berries of one type at a time to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
There is a sprout (tunnel) at the top that will help you add the ingredients.
3. Add any additional health boosters, powders, or ingredients like seeds, flakes, fats, or berries . Some ideas are maca powder, hemp seeds, coconut oil, raisins, or cocoa.
4. Add the liquid foundation to the mixture. Liquid base is any form of liquid that increases the volume of the shake so that it has a consistency that is pourable rather than spreadable. Some examples are milk of animal or vegetable origin, coconut water or normal water.
You can also add flavored liquids, such as juices or cold coffee. If you want to add kefir or yogurt, it will add flavor as well as act as a thickening agent.
5. Add your sweeteners . They can be honey, maple syrup, simple syrup, or agave nectar. Make sure all ingredients are fully mixed and incorporated before serving.
6. Remove the blades from the food processor and serve the smoothie immediately . It will be more difficult to pour the smoothie from the food processor than from the mixer, since they do not have a spout.
tips and tricks
These tips can also be applied when making any liquid recipe, such as soups or cocktails, in a blender.
- Do not add all the ingredients to the food processor . Since the blender is made for crushing, chopping and grinding, all the ingredients may not mix evenly. Another cause for concern is the liquid that could come out of the spout in the center of the bowl.
- Do not overfill the bowl with liquid. If you want to create a large batch of smoothies, make several smaller batches rather than overfill the bowl.
- Pre-shred your ingredients. This will ensure that they blend together smoothly, rather than resulting in chunky soup.
- Use frozen fruit . The reason people add ice to smoothies is because the cold temperature helps thicken the liquid. So when using frozen fruit, the temperature will still be there to thicken the liquid without the ice creating more water when it melts.
Too much ice creates a watery product once it sits for a while.
What can you do in a kitchen robot in front of a blender?
As we have already discussed in depth, each one has its unique purpose, but what are these gadgets best used for?
To recap, blenders are used to create smooth liquids like smoothies, soups, and cocktails. Food processors have a wider range of functions, such as chopping ingredients, creating dough, or crushing and mashing.
Sometimes the functions can overlap between the two, but they are still the most suitable for certain things.
In the following table we will see the different uses of blenders and food processors and why they can perform the functions.
| food/drink | Food processor | Blender |
| Butter | Able | Able |
| chopped vegetables | Able | Never |
| Grated cheese | Able | Never |
| Meatballs or burgers | Better | Never |
| Spreads | Better | not ideal |
| pesto | Able | Able |
| Vegetable puree (potatoes) | Better | not ideal |
| sauces | Better | Better |
| Crust | Better | Never |
| jams | Better | Better |
| Biscuits (buns or crumpets) | Better | Never |
| Rosti, potato gratin or hashbrowns | Better | Never |
| Mass | Able | Never |
| smoothies | Able | not ideal |
| vegetable rice | Better | Never |
| Biscuits | Able | Never |
Recipes that you can make in a food processor
Below is a breakdown of the foods that can be made in a food processor, as well as why they are ideal.
| Article | How does it work |
| smoothies | As we have already said, it is very possible to create delicious smoothies if you follow the correct steps. |
| Meatballs or burgers | Food processors are great for adding spices and flavoring ingredients to ground meat. They save you from having to incorporate them with your bare hands, and as they mix, they also work the meat a bit to create a very malleable mixture. |
| Pastes or ointments | For making spreads, food processors are great as you can adjust the consistency very easily. You can make delicious vegan spreads or a simple hummus. |
| Mashed potatoes | Using a kitchen robot to mash the potatoes will save you a lot of time and it is also very easy to clean. |
| sauces | If you want to create a thick, chunky sauce, like an Italian tomato sauce, it’s best to do it in a food processor. If you want a thinner, smoother sauce, use a blender. |
| rinds | The creation of pastry crusts, no matter how fine the crumbs, can only be done in a food processor. Avoid spraying the crumbs, so that they continue binding. |
| jams | Again, depending on the consistency you want your jam to be, you can use a food processor to create nice chunky jams. You can also crush the fruit in the food processor before cooking it and refine it in the blender. |
| Biscuits (buns or buns) | In our opinion, this is the best way to make buns. The way the blades cut through the flour and butter will form the perfect crumb and create the perfect texture. |
| Rosti, potato gratin or French fries | Rostis are usually made by grating the potatoes, but that takes forever. Instead, place potato wedges in a food processor and let the processor (with the shredding or shredding attachment) do its work. |
| Mass | Whether it’s pie crust, bread dough, or any other dough, making it in your food processor is quick and easy and takes all the hard work out of it. We do not recommend doing the real masses like this. However, if you’re short on time and don’t mind this shortcut, go for it. |
| Mass | If it’s a thick, chunky batter, like carrot cake, use the food processor to make cleanup and mixing easier. Do not use the food processor for thin doughs such as pancakes or crepes. |
| Cauliflower rice (or other vegetable rice) | We recommend using only a food processor to make vegetable rice. Create perfectly sized beans and take tons of chopping out of the process. |
| Biscuits | There are tons of cookie recipes you can make with a food processor, especially if they involve breaking up other ingredients like Oreos or cookies. |
| Butter | Butters require a long churning process. If your food processor scrapes the bottom of the container, I recommend that you use it on low-medium speed. The mixer will just gently beat it without letting it beat. |
| chopped vegetables | If you have a food processor with a chopping blade, use it without a doubt if you don’t mind that the vegetables are very chopped in the food. It will save you a lot of time. |
| Grated cheese | Again this depends on the type of food processor you have, but if you have the right blades it is capable of grating medium hard cheeses and shredding hard cheeses. |
Recipes you can make with the blender
Below is a breakdown of foods that can be made in a blender, as well as why they’re ideal.
| Article | How does it work |
| juices | Juices are perfect for a blender as you can add any fruit (or vegetable) into it and let the blender do the rest. Since the blender has a jug, you don’t have to worry about liquid ingredients overflowing. |
| smoothies | As we have said, smoothies are usually made in blenders. And while they can be made in food processors, it’s still much easier and faster to make them in blenders. You get a very smooth liquid without chunks, which is also easy to pour. |
| cocktails | We love a good cocktail. Whenever you need to incorporate crushed ice, use a blender. It will incorporate ingredients evenly and create amazing flavors as you crush ice while blending. |
| soups | Of course, some people prefer chunky soups, but traditionally they should be smooth and smooth. A blender would be your best bet, especially if you need a lump-free soup for medical reasons. |
| Mashed potatoes | Just like soup, any type of purée, whether it’s a garnish, spread, side dish or baby food, needs to be silky smooth and that can only be achieved with a blender. |
| smoothies | We love a good milkshake, but not when it’s more ice cream than a milkshake. The best way to break up ice cream without having to melt it is to mix it with your flavoring ingredients. |
| sauces | Just like the food processor can give us delicious chunky sauces, the blender can give us incredibly smooth sauces. Even if you’ve made a sauce by hand and it’s a little lumpy, throw it into the blender to remove any large lumps. |
| Mass | Some doughs can be made in a mixer. For example, a lot of oatmeal pancakes require a mixer to pulverize the oats. It’s true that not all smoothies need to be made with a blender, but some recipes may work. |
| Ice creams | If you’ve ever made “quick and easy” ice cream, you know that blending the ingredients by hand (or even with a hand blender) takes forever. Place all the ingredients in a blender and beat until smooth. This is much faster and will save you a lot of time. |
| jams | If you want a smooth and lump-free jam, use a blender to remove any bits that remain after cooking. |
Most Popular Posts
Hey There! I am Agnes a Fitness Fanatic, Mom of two Amazing Daughters and a Kitchen and Cooking Enthusiast. I love blogging about Kitchen Upgrades, Appliances, and Cooking Tips, and this Blog aims to help you make wiser choices when it comes to your kitchen. Feel free to contact me if you need help!!!!!!