10 genius recipes for blenders

For more information on the best products available, read our buyer's guide to the best blenders. Also scroll down to find some of our top recommended products.

Cocktails

You don't need specialist cocktail kit to whip up a boozy blend. If you're catering for a crowd, blitzing everything in a blender is ideal. Whizz up a batch in bulk, leaving yourself plenty of time for catching up and chilling out. Our frozen strawberry daiquiri has only four ingredients and is a perfect summer thirst quencher, or go for a classic frozen margarita. Keep it fresh with a lychee & mint cocktail, while this bellini granita is super-speedy and sure to impress. When you've tried these, why not get adventurous with your own creative concoctions?

Pancake mix

An easy way to make sure your pancakes are perfect and lump-free is to enlist the help of your blender. If you feel like making an extra effort, combine summer berries and icing sugar for a berry compote to top your stack. These protein pancakes are the perfect way to start your day or make an energy-boosting treat after a workout. Mix it up with these showstopping pancake recipes...
Chocolate-filled pancakes with caramelised banana
Pumpkin pancakes with salted pecan butterscotch

Sorbet

While our cheat's sorbet – which uses a blender to combine pineapple, ginger and Thai basil – may be an exceptionally easy recipe, you will need a couple of days to make it. The sorbet mix is initially frozen overnight until solid. It's then tipped out, cut into chunks and added to your blender again until puréed. After one final blast in the freezer, it's ready to go.

Nut butters

Treat your toast to something special, like our homemade peanut butter. These delicious spreads are easy to make and can be a great option for vegans looking for something indulgent. You can blend to the desired consistency, flavour just how you like it, and keep in the fridge until needed. These nutty butters can be made in minutes:
Hazelnut & chocolate spread
Pistachio & cardamom butter

Ice cream

This no-churn ice cream in all its delicious glory doesn't require an ice cream maker, just blend and freeze! Let your blender do the hard work, the results will be just as thick and creamy as with a machine. If you're looking for a summery dessert, try these fabulous, fuss-free recipes:
Honeycomb ice cream
Healthy banana & peanut butter ice cream

Sauces, spreads and dips

Pesto, hummus, pasta sauces and a whole host of easy spreads and dressings are just a blend away. Pack in the veggies with this beetroot hummus or mix up your standard pasta dish with our alternative pesto recipes. Tasty dips are great for serial snackers and look oh-so tempting on a party platter...
Artichoke & lemon dip
Smoky aubergine & coriander dip

Slushies

If you're hankering after something sweet and frozen but want an alternative to ice cream, a blended iced drink should fit the bill. Throw frozen raspberries into your blender along with lemon juice, soda water, ice and agave syrup and you have yourself a quick and easy frozen raspberry lemonade slushie.

Falafels

Falafels may seem like a labour-intensive lunch option but they're surprisingly easy. Chickpeas, seasonings and spices combined in the blender make the base. Formed into balls and baked, these easy snacks are perfect for pittas, vegetarian burgers or a mezze platter. Give our veggie variations a try...
Sweet potato falafels with coleslaw
Spinach & feta falafel bites

Puddings

Your blender isn't usually the first thing that comes to mind when making dessert but, believe it or not, this crafty piece of kit makes the creamiest, smoothest chocolate mousse imaginable. Our chocolate, peanut butter & avocado pudding couldn't be easier; everything is whipped into a creamy delight. Simply scoop and serve!

Soups

An honourable mention. It's what most of us use our blender for and if you want a silky smooth soup, this appliance can't be beaten. Soups are so versatile and easily adapted for all seasons and occasions. Once you've whizzed one up you'll wonder how you ever managed before. This roasted fresh tomato soup has three of your five-a-day and makes a great meat-free starter or lunch. Or try a nourishing sweet potato & carrot soup, a roast carrot soup with pancetta croutons or a filling red lentil, chickpea & chilli soup.

The best blenders to buy

If you're looking to invest in a new blender, look for one that is efficient, thorough and suits the size and demands of your kitchen. We tested stand blenders using hard-to-process ingredients like beetroot and carrot to see how effectively they were broken down to a smooth consistency. To find out which appliances came out on top, read our review of the best blenders to buy. Here, we've picked three of the best to suit various budgets and purposes.

Magimix 1.8-litre Le Blender

While this isn't the cheapest blender, it does offer good value for money and performs as well as some of the really expensive brands, meaning you get plenty of bang for your buck. It's intuitive to use and sturdy, plus the jug attachment and lid feels secure thanks to the suction design. Overall, it combines design and functionality with finesse. Read our full Magimix Le Blender review.

Tefal Perfectmix blender

With a price tag below £100, the Tefal Perfectmix is one of the cheapest blenders we tested, but its powerful motor means it is incredibly fast, efficient and adept at tackling the task in hand. The blender is user-friendly thanks to several well-designed functions, and the jug has a generous capacity. Read our full Tefal Perfectmix blender review.

Lakeland personal blender and smoothie maker

Pocket-friendly, pint-sized personal blenders have become popular with people who want to make small quantities – many of them even come with a cup for carrying smoothies on the go. This Lakeland version will serve you well. The stainless steel blades are powerful enough to work through frozen fruit, but it can also take on general blender tasks like the ones we recommend in this guide.

Available from Lakeland (£39.99)

Do you have any blender-friendly recipes you love? Let us know in the comments section below...

This review was last updated in June 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.