Upgrade Basic Smoothies With A Spicy Jalapeño Twist

No one wants a basic smoothie; fortunately, there are tons of cheat codes to make more flavorful smoothies in an instant. You can make smoothies thicker, sweeter, tangier, and more with the help of just a couple of extra ingredients. And, if you're feeling particularly bold, you can even make your smoothie spicy. All you need to make basic smoothies spicy is some jalapeños. Just add a jalapeño to your blender, hit blend as normal, and you're all set. 

You can easily adjust the spice level by adding more or less pepper, or by adjusting the inclusion of seeds. What's great about adding jalapeños to smoothies is how little preparation and effort it takes. Plus, you can add these peppers to just about any smoothie. Whether you like pineapple peach smoothies, mango green, or anything in between, spicing things up is simple.

Generally speaking, all you need to do in order to add jalapeños to a smoothie is add a pepper to the blender and mix it all together. Most recipes recommend using one whole jalapeño; some say you can include two if you want a stronger spice level. Very little prep work is required. You can add the pepper whole or slice it up. It's generally recommended that you remove the stems first at the very least, though. Otherwise, the only other potential prep work required is removing the seeds. 

Much of the heat comes from the seeds, so if you want to reduce the spice level somewhat but still retain the pepper's flavor, try removing them first. To do so, cut the pepper in half lengthwise and use a paring knife or a spoon to carefully remove the seeds and the white membrane that they're attached to, too. After that, the process is the same; just add the pepper to your mixture and blend. For some extra flavor, try adding salt to the smoothie to really bring out the taste of the jalapeños.