Happy Monday, friendly faces! 😀
Can I interest you in a thick and creamy smoothie that’s loaded with protein and tastes like a slice of apple pie?
Then keep on reading 😀 I’ve got a double whammy for you guys today with a review and a recipe, so let’s skip the fancy intros and get right into the good stuff, mmmkay? I’d like you to meet the newest member of my kitchen appliance family — the Ninja Ultima blender…
I was first introduced to the Ninja Ultima when I attended Healthy Living Summit last fall, and while I’m no stranger to high-powered blenders, there were two things about the Ninja that really stuck out to me. First, the dual stage blending technology…
The Ninja comes with a removable second blade that you can use when you have tougher things to blend like ice, frozen fruit, and nuts. Both blades work together to ensure that everything gets blended so that you’re left with smooth results and no grits or chunks. This also removes the need for a tamper.
Second, the single serve cups…
The Ninja comes with three individually sized cups (and travel lids) with a special blade that lets you attach the cups right to the base.
This is awesome in terms of convenience. I’m going to be honest with you guys here — even though I already owned a high-speed blender, I usually found myself using my little Magic Bullet because I didn’t want to go through the hassle of busting out (read: cleaning) a giant container when I was only making a single serving. Sure I could have just made a big batch in one go and stuck the leftovers in the fridge, but I find that the taste and texture of smoothies changes when they’ve been hanging out in the cold for awhile, and I prefer them when they’re fresh. In short, single serve cups are brilliant.
But what about the system as a whole? Here are my thoughts…
What I liked about the Ninja Ultima Blender:
- The blender is extremely powerful. It doesn’t have a problem chewing through tough ingredients and does so without leaving any chunks behind.
- The dual blades remove the need for a tamper while ensuring that everything gets blended smoothly. The blades are easy to add/remove depending on what you’re making, and the accompanying instruction booklet makes it easy to know when you need them and when you don’t.
- The single serve cups are super convenient and make clean up a breeze. They’re perfect for situations when you need to grab a snack and go, attach right to the base via a special blade, and are really easy to wash.
- The large container is incredibly easy to clean as well. All the pieces are dishwasher safe, and you can easily clean it between loads by adding a few drops of liquid soap to a container that’s been half-filled with water and turning the blender on.
- It has so many uses! In addition to making smoothies, it’s perfect for juicing, pureeing, emulsifying dressings, chopping veggies, mixing batters, grinding meats, milling flours, and making nut butters.
- It’s a lot cheaper than the Vitamix, yet comparable in power and performance.
What I didn’t like about the Ninja Ultima Blender:
- It’s loud… like really loud. Living in a condo, there’s no way I’d feel comfortable using it in the early morning or later evening. And to be perfectly honest, a pair of noise-cancelling ear muffs wouldn’t hurt either 😆
- The blades are super sharp. This is obviously a good thing, but it means you have to be really careful not to cut yourself when you’re cleaning it.
And what would a review be without a little demonstration? I’ve been playing around with my Ninja for a few weeks now, and although I loved using it to blend soups and chop veggies, my favourite blender creations will probably always be smoothies… and this latest creation kind of blew me away.
An apple pie protein smoothie. Nevermind the fact that we’re talking apples in spring time– they’re a year-round fruit as far as I’m concerned. They’re also a fruit I don’t normally associate with smoothies, but I only had one banana left in my fruit basket when I set out to make this bad boy, and I wasn’t willing to risk my last one. What I did have was an abundance of apples…
At first, I was worried that the lack of banana would lead to a lack of thickness and creaminess, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Not only is this smoothie eat-with-a-spoon thick thanks to the oats, but it’s incredibly creamy thanks to the almond butter and Greek yogurt. The yogurt is also responsible for giving it a serious protein punch, as well as adding a nice hint of sweetness (or tartness if you choose to go the plain yogurt route). I’m kind of smitten.
I’d love to know if you make this (or any!) recipe! Tag @runwithspoons on Instagram and Twitter, and be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy and delicious recipes straight to your inbox!
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Apple Pie Protein Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
Ingredients
- 1 apple, peeled and cored
- 1/4 cup raw oats
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt*
- 1 Tbsp. almond butter
- 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk**
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- dash of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into any standard blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
* You can sub out the yogurt for some vanilla protein powder OR use plain Greek yogurt, but you may have to add a little bit of sweetener.
** Use regular dairy milk to add even more protein.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
Disclaimer – Ninja Kitchen provided me with the Ninja Ultima Blender free of charge in exchange for a review. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.
Love the sound of this, apples work so well with cinnamon – a match made in heaven. I’ve never used a Ninja blender before, but it sounds pretty decent. 🙂
That smoothie sounds delicious! I love to try new things in my smoothie, but don’t ever put arugula in your smoothie. I did by accident since it was mixed with spinach and it wasn’t the best tasting smoothie I had. Hard to hide the bitterness.
Congrats on the new kitchen appliance 😉 the blender sounds superb! And I guess we should rename “spoons” into “straws” due to all the delicious smoothie recipes you’ve came up with recently. This addiction is truly contagious, I’ve found myself craving smoothies recently and though I prefer mine with a handful of greens and don’t really enjoy yogurt as much, I am pretty sure that you are the source of inspiration. Can’t complain, keep them coming!
But… but… I eat my smoothies with a spoon 😛
Oh my goodness! SO so jealous! I’ve had my eye on the Ninja for quite some time now, but I just can’t bring myself to get it because I have a blender. However, considering this is like a blender/magic bullet/ and food processor in one…I may just have to!!!
🙂
A good blender is definitely an awesome investment. You can use them for basically everything, and they’re almost impossible to kill.
MmmmMmmm raw oats in smoothies are my jam!! I’ll take three LARGE classes, peas and thanks.
I LOVE my Ninja, but your cons definitely made me laugh. I feel SO bad for the people in my apartment that have to hear it…and I definitely cut myself TWICE on the same day when I first got it :/
Sounds delicious! I love apples and anything apple-related, so this sounds like a perfect mid-day snack (or even meal)!
Why yes you can interest me in a smoothie that taste like apple pie. But then again, anything you make will take a hold on me.
My Ninja isn’t the Ultima, it’s the one model below that I think. I have like really basic speed settings. But it is SOOOO loud. Otherwise, I really enjoy using it. I have to always watch when I’m home and my dad is sleeping though, it def wakes him up. And I didn’t even consider bringing it to school for that reason + the fact that my roommates would prob accidentally die from blade cuts.
I love your apple pie smoothie! I love apples so it was meant for me I’m sure. Great review on the Ninja. I have an old Kitchen Aid blender surprisingly, it does a decent job. It’s so old it’s the glass kind. I prefer the glass vs the plastic which is why I haven’t replaced it. I like the single cup option with this.
Ooh that blender looks pretty! Would definitely be happy to have one of those in my life!
Thank you for bringing the most amazing smoothies into our lives! Would love one without oats though…??? Then again, you love oats and you should do recipes for what you love! 🙂
I use oats mostly to add a thicker texture since that’s what I love. But you could definitely leave the oats out of this one and toss in half a banana instead 🙂
Hmm….does an oven count? Because I fire up that bad boy about 3 times a day. I am waiting for the day that thing breaks and my world will come crashing down in a matter of mili-seconds. Until then, my oven wins the most used & abused award.
I currently use the NutriBullet (which isn’t my ideal blender…) after being spoiled with my mums Vitamix! I still need to find a way to ninja that from her. Or perhaps I should invest in this beauty? Hmm…
I like to make cauliflower mash, pancake batter, and smoothies in my blender. Until it starts spitting things out at me (hence, not my ideal blender). Sigh, infomercials got the best of me.
The apple pie smoothie looks and sounds so good! I appreciated the Ninja review. I have been eyeing them for some time now and would love to own one. My current blender is el cheap-o and therefore incapable of blending an apple. One of the reasons I would like a better blender is to be able to make bites/balls of bliss.
The toaster oven is probably my most used kitchen appliance. In addition to the obvious (toast) I like to make pita or tortilla pizzas or simply warm a wrap.
Do you have a problem making bites in your blender? I’ve made them in my Magic Bullet before and never had a problem.
Actually, I haven’t tried making bites in the blender. I do not think it is powerful enough to process nuts and I am afraid if I try it will result in a broken blender.
What font did you use for writing apple pie protein smoothie?
I actually have no idea, to be completely honest. It’s part of my Recipe Card theme and I’m not sure what the actual font name is.
Love all the ingredients you used girl! I have a smoothie pretty much every day, so I love to find new recipes. I like that you don’t have to use protein powder. I usually don’t use it, and prefer using yogurt instead. Thanks for sharing, Amanda. Hope you have a wonderful Monday 🙂
Mmmm that looks delicious! I LOVE smoothies and use my Ultima to make them too, but you’re so right about the noise. I live in a condo too and would never use it early morning or late at night. But it is literally the best blender I’ve ever had. I am never left with any ice chunks or fruit chunks. It makes a super smooth smoothie 🙂
I LOVE my ninja with a passion. It’s great for dough too! It makes for quick clean cooking dough making
I’m pretty sure I’ve already cut myself on mine twice…that thing is definitely sharp. But it definitely gets the job done! I’ve never tried an apple in a smoothie, but I’m definitely intrigued…apparently, I’m just a really big fan of my banana-based smoothies?
Most used kitchen appliance? Probably my microwave…ya…I can be lazy :-p
My most used kitchen appliance is probably my KitchenAid mixer. I’m definitely a baker. To be honest, the only thing I used a blender for was for smoothies. Everything else (soups, nut butters, etc.) I use our food processor. Like you, I am WAY too lazy to clean a blender. Even cleaning my food processor pisses me off. Ha!
Oh this sounds good! I got a vitamix for Christmas and have been in love with it, but like the ninja it is really loud! I’m loving tryin smoothies now that they are so much easier and smoother. I have to add this to my list of smoothies to try. It sounds like it would be really filling with the yogurt and nuts too.
MMMM. These look really good. I want to actually try and possibly purchase the ninja so this is helpful and encouraging.
I have absolutely no complaints about this blender aside from how loud it is — it really does an amazing job when it comes to blending things smoothly. And the single serve cups are probably my favourite part.
Mhmm I’m a HUGE fan of apple pie (favorite food for me!) so this looks right up my alley!
I love how that they have single-serving cups. So convenient that you don’t have to clean out the whole blender each time you use it 🙂
I have been debating the ninja and the blendtec!! That smoothie looks amazing!!
Yes, you absolutely can interest me in this apple pie protein smoothie! I have been on an almond milk, almond butter, raspberry, protein smoothie kick lately and while the combination is delicious, I would love to mix it up a bit more. Not to mention, the weather has been really fall-like the last couple days, and what better treat than a recipe with apples in it 🙂
Welllll this looks freakin amazing! My old roommate had a ninja and I lOVED the thing! It certainly is loud though. Our other roommate hated us for smoothies in the morning hahaha
Wow this is a new one. I admit I’m kind of skeptical of the lack of banana…but I know I love me some apple pie, so why not in smoothie form 😉
I don’t have a Ninja but I know for a fact that I HATE using Mum’s huge heavyweight blender, so the addition of these single-serving cups really make this machine appealing. Goodness, if it wasn’t for the hand blender I think I would not be having smoothies often..or even not have tried making them.
I was skeptical too, but the oats, almond butter, and yogurt make it super creamy!
I really need a new blender. I have a single serve one, and I actually am not a fan of that. I mean, it’s nice if I wasn’t putting much in. However, when I’m stuffing frozen bananas, and frozen fruit, and spinach, and sometimes protein powder, it just gets crowded and things don’t blend as well! But, this smoothie. Oh man it looks so good! I have gotten into a smoothie kick again and I love it! 🙂
Dear Smoothie –
Please get in my belly. NOW.
Also. The Ninja looks pretty sweet!! I’ve had a vitamix for a long time now – but if I had to do it over I’d probably go with the Ninja [for price, mainly].
Happy Monday!
I am waiting for the arrival of my Ninja blender. In a very very VERY blonde moment I killed my first one the secind I plugged it in here in SWITZERLAND….oh well. I can not wait for it to arrive. And I will definitely whip up this smoothie, but I love even more to make my own nutbutters.
My most used appliance is probably my Keurig or even toaster oven since it doubles as regular oven most of the time for me…I never make smoothies but I am trying to use my food processor more to get a bit more creative in my cooking.
This sounds amazinggggggg
Apple pie has always been a favorite of mine, and I can seriously almost taste this baby. I need to make it soon! I’ve got a Vita, but before I did I was really looking into a Ninja. MY hubby surprised me with the Vita one day, so while I probably would’ve gotten the Ninja in the end, I cant really complain 🙂
After hearing that and reading your post today, I can definitely say that you’ve got yourself a keeper 😀
I love blenders! I only have traditional blenders, nothing fancy, and I’ve been looking for one, but haven’t decide yet. This sounds good, but the noise holds me!!! Let’s see what happens!
O another note love the recipe! sounds yummy 😉 Can’t wait to try it, trying new recipes is one of my favorite things!
I would love to get a Ninja or Blendtec eventually… It’s good to hear your honest review on the Ninja – thanks for that! And wow – this smoothie sounds SO good!
I’ve always wanted a Ninja Blender! They sound awesome and I’m always amazed at their power – they whip stuff up in no time.
I use my Nutibullent constantly! I use it for smoothies, soups and hummus. It works pretty well.
This smoothie is totally up my alley and I just so happen to have ALL the ingredients at home!
It cannot get better than apple pie in drinkable form! I love apples in a smoothie – though your combo with oats and almond butter and cinnamon is really making me drool!
Amanda- your review is so well timed – I have been looking into blenders -food processors, mainly something that will help with nut grinding and have been on the fence between a Ninja and a Cuisinart . I do have a question, when you have tried your Ninja to make nutbutter, have you had to roast the nuts? And how long before the nuts become smooth nutbutter? I have a no-name blender that can grind nuts to a “crunchy” butter consistency but just won’t make creamy nutbutters.
I haven’t actually tried making nut butters yet, but I’ve read reviews that said they had no problems with it. I don’t think you have to roast the nuts, but sometimes it helps to add a little bit of neutral tasting oil to help get things going.
I tried making almond butter in my ninja and it starts smoking because it’s such a high speed blender. It takes awhile for it to become creamy. I didn’t have success and I don’t know if that’s because I roasted the almonds before or not. I’ve made almond butter previously in a regular food processor and never had any problems. 🙁
I really want to get a high powered blender. Mine is a pretty standard one that can just manage smoothies – but it does the job 🙂 . This smoothie looks delicious! I love wacking an apple in a smoothie, it gives it an extra hint of sweetness and some good old fibre!
I think I feel the same way about apples that you do about bananas. 😉 I seriously want this in my life but I’m not sure my magic bullet is up for the job. I guess you will just have to make me one! It looks delicious. 🙂
I have a Ninja blender too, not the ultima though. One of my only concerns it the noise as well. It’s so loud I’m always waking my family up in the morning :/
Mmm, sounds yummy! Would you believe I don’t own a blender?? You can tell I’m not a margarita kinda’ gal. I’ll be using my food processor to make E some baby food though. That’s what I use to make my smoothies.
You can make smoothies in a food processor? Mind.blown 😯
I absolutely use my Nutribullet blender more than anything in my kitchen. It serves so many purposes!
I’ve made nut butters and pesto so far in my Nutribullet, other than smoothies. I’m kinda a smoothie-a-holic sooo that’s typically where it gets its use 🙂
I’ve never added apples to smoothies, but it sounds amazing! I’m all about trying new fruit, so this is definitely going on my smoothie list.
I have the ninja! And I agree- it’s like a jet doing circles in your kitchen it’s SO loud! I feel guilty using it even when it isn’t evening or morning! And I have indeed cut myself on those blades- mainly because I’m clumsy 🙂 But will have to give this yummy smoothie a try!
I’m obsessed with my Ninja Ultima! Have you tried shredding chicken with it? I saw you could, but have yet to do so. I’m a bit scared to be honest.. LAME i know! Ha Ha
I’ve actually made a very similar recipe… except I’ve always swapped the yogurt for cinnamon bun protein powder. Thanks for reminding me I haven’t enjoyed one in a long time. Guess I’ll be having one for dessert tonight 🙂
I honestly would have never thought to shred meat in a blender, but I do love shredded chicken so I might just have to give it a try. It kind of sounds like it might result in disaster though 😆