A blender is one of the most versatile kitchen appliances. While often used to whip up smoothies, shakes, and other drinks, blenders can do so much more. From soups to dips and even DIY projects, blenders enable you to quickly and easily prepare tasty foods and useful items for your home.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top 10 creative ways to use a blender. For each idea, we will provide actionable tips, recommended recipes, and step-by-step instructions to help you get the most out of this handy appliance. Let’s get blending!
1. Creamy and Nutritious Soups
Blenders are the perfect tool for achieving silky smooth texture in soups. The fast blending action purees chunky ingredients into a lush creaminess you can’t achieve through cooking alone.
Blending the soup also allows you to pack more veggies and nutrients into each bowl without compromising on texture. Here are some of our favorite soups to make in the blender:
Recommended Soup Recipes
| Soup | Primary Ingredients |
| Carrot Ginger | Carrots, ginger, onion, vegetable broth |
| Creamy Tomato | Tomato, basil, onion, vegetable broth |
| Broccoli Cheddar | Broccoli, cheddar cheese, onion, vegetable broth |
| Butternut Squash | Butternut squash, carrot, onion, vegetable broth |
Instructions
- Prepare soup ingredients – chop vegetables, cook components like onion/garlic/ginger before adding liquids.
- Add all ingredients to the blender carafe.
- Start blending on low speed before increasing to high speed. Blend for 3-5 minutes until completely smooth and creamy.
- Adjust consistency if needed by adding more broth.
- Adjust seasonings to taste – add salt, pepper, and herbs as desired.
Pro Tip: Let soup cool slightly before blending to prevent splattering or overflow.
With a good blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can skip tedious pureeing and stirring on the stove. Just pile everything in, hit a button, and minutes later your soup is ready to eat!
2. Fresh Homemade Nut Butters
Store-bought nut butter often contains stabilizers, palm oil, and other unnecessary additives. Making your own only requires one ingredient – nuts!
Blenders grind nuts into butter seamlessly in just minutes. Customize yours by adding mix-ins like honey, salt, cinnamon, or coconut.
Recommended Nut Butter Recipes
| Nut Butter | Nuts | Mix-Ins |
| Almond Butter | Raw almonds | Sea salt |
| Cashew Butter | Raw cashews | Honey, vanilla |
| Peanut Butter | Dry roasted peanuts | Chocolate chips, coconut oil |
| Sunflower Seed Butter | Raw sunflower seeds | Cinnamon, raisins |
Instructions
- Add nuts to blender or food processor. Foraceae smoother texture, soak nuts in water overnight first to soften.
- Blend for 2-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. The mixture will become smooth then loosen into butter.
- Add any mix-ins once butter starts to loosen and blend to incorporate.
- Store finished nut butter in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or 2 months refrigerated.
With homemade nut butter, you control the quality of ingredients. Customize to your taste and skip harmful additives found in store variants.
3. Fresh Salad Dressings
Bottled salad dressings often contain preservatives, thickeners, and sugar. With a blender you can quickly whip up small batches of dressings using healthy homemade ingredients.
Experiment with different oils, acids, herbs and spices to find your perfect blend. Salad dressings also make great marinades for vegetables and proteins.
Recommended Salad Dressing Recipes
| Dressing | Ingredients | Method |
| Balsamic Vinaigrette | Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon, garlic, herbs | Blend then shake before use |
| Green Goddess | Avocado, greek yogurt, lemon juice, herbs | Blend all ingredients |
| Tahini Ranch | Tahini, greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic | Blend all ingredients |
| Orange Poppyseed | Olive oil, orange juice, honey, poppy seeds | Blend all ingredients |
Instructions
- Add wet ingredients like vinegar or juices to blender first.
- Add thicker ingredients next like nut butters, yogurt or avocado.
- Finish with oils, spices, herbs and seasonings.
- Blend until smooth and emulsified, about 30 seconds.
- Adjust consistency if needed with more oil or acid.
- Store dressing in airtight container, keeps 5-7 days refrigerated.
With homemade dressings, you control quality and can adapt recipes to meet specialized dietary needs. Blend up a week’s supply so healthy toppings are always on hand!
4. Quick Baking Mixes
While you may not think of using your blender for baking, it can make quick work of mixing together dry ingredients for recipes you make often.
Measure batches of ingredient mixes for pancakes, breads or cookies then store for convenience whenever a baking urge strikes!
Recommended Baking Mixes
| Mix | Ingredients | Recipes to Use With |
| Pancake & Waffle | Flour, baking powder, salt, sugar | Pancakes, waffles, muffins |
| Cookie | Flour, baking soda, salt , butter | Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal |
| Bread | Flour, baking powder, salt | Quick breads, pizza dough, pretzels |
| Spice | Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice | Baked goods, oatmeal, coffee |
Instructions
- Measure out dry ingredients in proportions called for in your recipes.
- Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute to fully incorporate.
- Store each mix in an airtight container until ready to use.
- When ready to bake, combine blend with wet ingredients and proceed as normal.
Blending up batches of mixes ahead of time makes it easy to whip up favorite baked treats on busy mornings with no measuring needed!
5. Bean Dips and Spreads
Beans and legumes blend easily into dips like hummus that rival store-bought alternatives. Taking just minutes to prepare, these snacks are nutritious, customizable to diets, and perfect for gatherings.
Experiment with different beans beyond chickpeas, seasoning blends, and mix-ins to create an array of delicious bean dips and spreads.
Recommended Bean Dip & Spread Recipes
| Dip/Spread | Primary Ingredients | Ideas to Remix |
| Hummus | Chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic | Beet hummus, edamame hummus |
| White Bean | Cannellini or great northern beans, olive oil, garlic | Rosemary white bean, chipotle white bean |
| Black Bean | Black beans, lime juice, cumin, cilantro | Mango black bean, corn black bean |
| Lentil | Lentils, greek yogurt, curry powder | Carrot lentil, roasted red pepper lentil |
Instructions
- If using dried beans, soak overnight then cook until very tender before blending. Canned beans can be used too.
- Drain beans then combine with remaining ingredients in blender.
- Blend until very smooth, at least 2 full minutes. Add splash of water if needed.
- Season to taste. Add acid like lemon if flavor seems flat.
- Transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Keeps up to 1 week refrigerated.
No need to pay premium prices for pre-made bean dips and spreads! Blend up batches of hummus, white bean dip or other bean creations for healthy homemade snacking.
6. Nut Milks and Creams
Nut milks like almond and cashew have become popular dairy-free alternatives. But with added gums and stabilizers, store-bought varieties come at a premium.
Luckily blenders make it simple to blend nuts and water into creamy nut milks and “ice creams” at home for a fraction of the price.
Recommended Nut Milk & Cream Recipes
| Recipe | Primary Ingredients | Ideas to Remix |
| Almond Milk | Almonds, water | Chocolate almond milk, vanilla almond milk |
| Cashew Milk | Cashews, water | Maple cashew milk, turmeric cashew milk |
| Coconut Milk | Shredded coconut, water | Strawberry coconut milk, chocolate coconut milk |
| Cashew Ice Cream | Cashews, coconut milk, vanilla | Chocolate cashew ice cream, cookies & cream cashew ice cream |
Instructions
- Combine nuts and water at 1:3 or 1:4 ratio in blender.
- Blend for at least one full minute until very smooth and creamy.
- Strain if desired through cheesecloth or nut milk bag.
- Transfer to bottle for storage, keeps 3-4 days refrigerated.
Nut milk rivals store-bought in creaminess at a fraction of the cost. Blend what you need when you need it! Add cocoa or fruit to create inventive flavored varieties.
7. Fresh Baby Food
Once babies start solids around 6 months, blenders make it easy for parents to prepare healthy homemade meals.
Steaming and pureeing fresh fruits, veggies, and protein is simpler and more affordable than buying commercial pouches. Control ingredients and customize to meet each infant’s unique needs.
Ideal First Foods to Introduce
- Green vegetables – peas, green beans, zucchini
- Orange vegetables – carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash
- Fruits – apples, pears, bananas, avocado
- High iron – purees with beef, chicken, tofu, lentils
Instructions
- Steam vegetables and fruits until very tender then drain water.
- Add ingredients to blender with small amount of water or breast milk.
- Puree on high speed until completely smooth, 1-2 minutes.
- Pour into ice cube trays and freeze, then store cubes in airtight container.
- Reheat frozen servings as needed, adding extra liquid.
By preparing your own organic baby food with a blender, you have total control over what baby eats during the crucial first year. Use fresh, seasonal ingredients to promote healthy eating habits!
8. Marinades and Sauces
Beyond dressings, a blender excels at emulsifying and incorporating flavors into marinades and sauces. Easily customize to dietary needs like vegan, paleo or gluten-free.
Prepare a double batch then use half to marinate proteins and vegetables. Bottle the rest to top finished dishes or keep as a dipping sauce.
Recommended Marinade & Sauce Recipes
| Recipe | Primary Ingredients | Uses |
| Teriyaki Sauce | Soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger | Meat, tofu & veggie marinade, stir fry topping |
| Mango Habanero | Mango, habanero pepper, lime juice | Jerk chicken marinade, grilled fish sauce |
| Herb Vinaigrette | Olive oil, shallots, vinegar, herbs | Marinate chicken, shrimp, and veggies |
| Pesto | Basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts | Marinate chicken, coat pasta, finishing sauce |
Instructions
- Combine wet ingredients first – juices, purees, whisked eggs.
- Add dry spices and aromatics next.
- Finish with oil and pulse briefly to emulsify.
- Pour half into sealed bag or dish to marinate protein.
- Bottle remaining sauce for later use.
A quick spin in the blender allows you to craft signature marinades and sauces from scratch to flavor dishes all week long.
9. Frozen Desserts
Forget ice cream makers – blenders can create decadent ice creams, sorbets, and sherbets on their own.
Creamy frozen desserts come together quickly by blending fruits, chocolate, or other flavors with a frozen element like frozen fruit or instant coffee granules.
Recommended Frozen Treats to Blend
| Recipe | Primary Ingredients | Ideas to Remix |
| Strawberry Banana Ice Cream | Frozen banana, frozen strawberries, milk | Peanut butter banana, chocolate peanut butter banana |
| Mixed Berry Sorbet | Frozen mixed berries | Mango sorbet, lemon sorbet, passionfruit sorbet |
| Coffee Granita | Instant coffee, sugar, water, vanilla | Mocha granita, matcha green tea granita |
| Peach Melba Sherbet | Frozen peaches, raspberries, orange juice | Strawberry and lime sherbet, mango and pineapple sherbet |
Instructions
- Prepare fruit for recipes by cleaning, de-stemming then freezing overnight in a single layer on sheet pan.
- Combine frozen ingredients with liquid components like juice or milk.
- Allow blender to work through thick mixture, stirring down with spatula as needed, 1-3 minutes.
- Enjoy immediately for soft serve texture or transfer to freeze at least 4 more hours to harden further.
By blending up seasonal fruit into refreshing sorbet and ice cream with just a blender, you skip lengthy cooking custards required for traditional ice creams.
10. DIY Cosmetics
Blenders allow you to easily produce cosmetics like lotion bars, lip balm, body butter and more using natural ingredients like cocoa butter, beeswax, and oils.
Not only are these products safer and healthier for your body, you can fully customize textures and scents to your liking.
DIY Cosmetic Recipes to Blend
| Recipe | Ingredients | Method |
| Body butter | Cocoa butter, mango butter, almond oil | Melt hard butters together, blend with oil |
| Sugar scrub | Oil, sugar, salt | Pulse to evenly incorporate |
| Solid lotion | Beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter | Melt ingredients together then blend |
| Lip balm | Beeswax, coconut oil, essential oils | Melt ingredients together then blend |
Instructions
- Prepare any solid ingredients by melting together over double boiler.
- Measure and prepare liquid oils.
- Carefully pour melted mixtures into blender with oils.
- Blend until smooth and uniform texture is achieved.
- Pour into storage containers before allowing to fully harden and cure.
Not only cheaper, blending cosmetics allows you to control the quality of ingredients touching your skin. Gift to friends or package creations for sale!
Also Read: How To Clean A Blender
Unlocking Your Blender’s Full Potential
We’ve just scratched the surface of creative ways you can utilize that trusty blender hiding in your cabinet.
On top of crafting tasty foods and drinks in minutes, blenders excel at whipping up fresh convenience items like salad dressings, nut milks and baby food that save both money and trips to the store.
Blenders also enable homemade marinades, frozen treats and natural cosmetics that rival store quality using ingredients you choose.
We hope this guide inspired you with another 10, 20 or even 100 ideas for experimenting with ways your blender can improve everyday recipes. With the simple press of a button, enjoy healthier, tastier and more economical creations blending right in your own kitchen.