5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Make in the Vitamix

If you were the lucky recipient of a brand-new Vitamix blender over the holidays (or if you’re determined to make use of an existing machine you have in the new year), you’re in luck: There are countless dishes that these workhorse blenders are capable of creating. Here are five things you probably didn’t know you could make in a Vitamix.

1. This healthy, two-ingredient frozen dessert
Who needs Pinkberry and Red Mango when you can treat yourself to a healthy frozen treat made solely out of bananas and milk? We love topping our Frozen Banana Treat with strawberries and almonds or other fresh fruit and nuts.

2. Your very own personally customized almond milk 
It’s time to stop spending money on almond milk at the store, because you can make your own (which is so much better) using a powerful blender like the Vitamix. The best part of homemade almond milk is the fact that you can adjust the ratio of nuts to water to make it the exact level of creaminess you want—it’s like choosing between fat-free, 2 percent and whole milk. Feel free to add sweetener or leave it out, too.

3. A fancy restaurant dish in the comfort of your own home
What’s that, you say? Yes, it’s true—you can make fancy restaurant dishes—like this roasted heirloom carrot dish with cashew ricotta and carrot-top tarragon purée—at home for a fraction of the price (and from the comfort of your kitchen).

4. Ridiculously creamy soups, sans the cream
Don’t be surprised to discover that Vitamix blenders make the creamiest cream-free vegetable soups you’ll ever taste. A generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil is the secret to velvety gazpacho.

5. Extremely fancy coffee drinks

You no longer need to depend on a coffeehouse for your favorite coffee drink. This blended iced coffee frappe, calls for nothing more than espresso, milk, sugar and ice and is cool and refreshing.