Your Frozen Garden smoothie pack is out. The blender's ready. One question left: what are you pouring over it?
Water is the answer every recipe is built around, but milk adds creaminess and protein, certain juices enhance specific flavor profiles, and a few wilder options surprised our team in testing. Frozen Garden's R&D team ran the full smoothie lineup through water, four milk varieties, two juices, and a handful of experiments to figure out what actually works.
This whole guide assumes you're working from one of our frozen smoothie packs. If your freezer's empty, stock up first so you have something to actually test these pairings on.
Water
Every Frozen Garden recipe is developed using water, and for good reason: it adds zero flavor of its own, which means the real fruits, vegetables, seeds, and spices in each blend taste exactly the way they're supposed to. Nothing gets diluted. Nothing gets masked.
Water is also calorie-free, sugar-free, and free. If you're managing calorie intake or watching your sugar, this is the move. And because it works universally, you never have to think twice.
Works with all smoothies
Milk & Alternatives
Milk and milk alternatives are the most popular water substitute for smoothies. We tested our full lineup across four varieties (dairy and plant-based) and tracked both the flavor and nutritional impact for each combination.
Cow's Milk
Dairy brings calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and protein (casein and whey) to your smoothie. The protein is particularly useful if you're using your smoothie as a meal replacement, extending satiety more than water alone. Cow's milk can also support bone and blood pressure health.
The tradeoff: milk dilutes the fruit flavor noticeably and makes the texture quite thick. Best in smoothies with nuts, oats, or chocolate, where the richness complements rather than competes. For bright, fruit-forward blends, water is the better call. If you want the protein boost without losing flavor, try a 50/50 ratio of milk and water.
Smoothie pairings
Almond Milk
Heart-healthy, dairy-free, and keto-friendly when unsweetened. Almond milk has naturally high concentrations of calcium and potassium, zero cholesterol, and zero saturated fat in unsweetened versions. It's one of the most versatile bases and works in nearly every smoothie without overpowering the fruit flavor. Unsweetened versions add a subtle background sweetness while staying largely neutral.
Sweetened vanilla almond milk is tasty but can overpower the smoothie. Use it at 50/50 with water, and skip it in any smoothie that contains mint (the flavors clash). One note: since it contains almonds, almond milk is not safe for those with a nut allergy.
Smoothie pairings
Oat Milk
Dairy-free and safe for those with nut allergies. Oat milk is higher in calories than almond milk but brings solid iron content: about 10% of the daily recommended value per cup, which matters for vegans and vegetarians who may not get iron from other sources. Most commercial versions are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. It also contains beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that can help lower cholesterol.
Because oat milk has a recognizable flavor, it performs best in smoothies already leaning toward oats or chocolate; it can compete in lighter fruit blends. High in carbs, so skip it for keto smoothies. For most others, a 50/50 ratio with water keeps the fruit flavors intact.
Smoothie pairings
Soy Milk
Dairy-free, nut-free, and cholesterol-free. Soy milk is the closest plant-based option to cow's milk in terms of protein content, making it a strong pick for meal-replacement smoothies where satiety is the goal. Fortified versions also supply calcium and vitamin D.
Like cow's milk, soy milk dulls the fruit flavor slightly and produces a notably thick texture. The upside: it's broadly compatible and won't clash with any smoothie. Just know you're getting a milder version of the blend's flavor.
Works with all smoothies
Skipping Milk Altogether
Dairy-free or simply not a milk drinker? You're not missing anything essential. Since every smoothie in our lineup was developed with water, a healthy smoothie without milk is exactly what the recipe calls for. The fiber, vitamins, and natural sweetness come from the whole fruits and vegetables in the blend, not the liquid.
If you still want some creaminess, our testing points to unsweetened almond milk as the most flexible dairy-free pick, working in 16 of our 18 smoothies. Soy milk pairs with all of them and brings the most protein, while oat milk is best saved for chocolate and oat blends. And for extra protein with no milk at all, the Cherry Bomb, Green Protein, and Sunrise Protein smoothies are built for it and blend up great with water.
For a deeper look at replacing the protein, calcium, and texture milk usually provides, see our full guide to making a healthy smoothie without milk.
Juices
Milk and water aren't your only options. Juice adds flavor and natural sweetness alongside your smoothie's existing fruit profile. One rule applies across the board: the sugar content in any juice is significant, so use it at a 50/50 ratio with water rather than replacing water entirely.
Apple Juice
Apple juice sweetens a smoothie without overpowering it. Most of it is water, so it supports hydration while adding flavor. It also contains polyphenols, plant compounds that protect cells from inflammation and oxidative damage, with more preserved in cloudy or pulp-included versions. Some research also links apple juice to brain health as you age.
Because the apple flavor doesn't aggressively compete with most smoothie ingredients, it's the more universally compatible juice option. Just watch the sugar, especially in smoothies that already skew sweet.
Works with all smoothies
Orange Juice
Orange juice packs a real vitamin C punch and adds a bright citrus hit that works beautifully in citrus-forward and tropical smoothies. According to WebMD, OJ also contains potassium citrate, which can help treat and prevent kidney stones. If you want the added nutrients, look for a fortified version with extra calcium and vitamin D, and opt for OJ with pulp, since blending it in anyway means you get the extra fiber without any texture penalty.
Orange juice will visibly change the flavor profile of your smoothie, so it's the more intentional juice choice. It works where citrus complements; it clashes where it doesn't. Like apple juice, dilute with water. Using all OJ makes the smoothie aggressively sweet and pushes the sugar content very high.
Smoothie pairings
Getting Experimental
We also tested some less conventional options: lemonade, tea, and kombucha, pairing each with a smoothie where the flavors had a reasonable shot at working. The results were better than expected.
Lemon-ginger kombucha in the Immunity Green Smoothie was the standout. The flavors complemented each other without the kombucha taking over. Fizzy, tangy, and genuinely good. Tea worked well as a low-calorie option that adds antioxidants without adding sugar. Lemonade brought bright citrus flavor similar to OJ, so the same rules apply: pair with citrus-forward smoothies and dilute with water.
If you have a liquid you want to try, the formula is simple: start at 50/50 with water, pick a smoothie whose flavors align with the liquid, and adjust from there. Experimenting is trial and error by definition. The worst case is a blend you don't love; the best case is finding a combination nobody else has.
For anyone who'd rather skip the trial and error, our ready-to-blend smoothie packs already have the fruit and vegetable side figured out. All that's left is picking your liquid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best liquid to use in a Frozen Garden smoothie?
Water. Every Frozen Garden recipe is developed and tested using water as the base. It's calorie-free, sugar-free, and lets the real fruit and vegetable flavors come through exactly as intended. Unsweetened almond milk is the next-best option for adding creaminess without significantly altering flavor.
Can I use juice instead of water in a smoothie?
Yes, but use it at a 50/50 ratio with water rather than replacing water entirely. Apple juice is broadly compatible and sweetens without overpowering. Orange juice works well in citrus and tropical blends but will noticeably change the flavor profile and significantly increase sugar content. Avoid juice in keto smoothies.
Which milk alternative is best for smoothies?
Unsweetened almond milk is the most versatile. It works in nearly every smoothie without competing with the fruit flavor. Oat milk is excellent for chocolate and oat-based blends. Soy milk is the best plant-based option for meal replacement since it most closely matches cow's milk in protein. All three are best when used unsweetened or at a 50/50 ratio with water.
Ready to Start Blending?
Every Frozen Garden smoothie is made from real whole fruits and vegetables, sourced from local Midwest farmers. Now you know exactly what to pour over them.
