Pear gives sweetness without a banana flavour
A ripe pear makes a useful smoothie base when you do not want banana to dominate. Its flavour is gentle enough to let blackberries lead, yet it gives more body than juice alone. The trade-off is texture: some pear varieties are naturally grainier than others, and an underripe pear will be particularly noticeable.
Choose a pear that yields near the stalk. If it is hard all over, let it ripen before making this drink. Cutting it into smaller pieces does not solve a lack of ripeness. The recipe uses a prepared flesh weight, so one large pear or two smaller ones may be needed.
Decide how you feel about seeds
Blackberry seeds are larger and harder than blueberry skins. A powerful blender can reduce them, but may not make them disappear completely. Straining the blackberry-and-milk mixture before adding the pear avoids losing most of the thick smoothie in the sieve later. It adds a little washing up but gives more control.
The finished drink should be deep purple rather than pale lavender. If you add much more yoghurt, the berries become muted in both colour and taste. Vanilla rounds off the sharper edges without making the drink taste like a dessert sauce; keep it to the measured amount. A few whole blackberries beside the glass are more useful than a complicated topping.
Use the sieve efficiently
Set a fine sieve over a bowl wide enough to catch the liquid, and pour in the blackberry-milk mixture before adding the other ingredients. Move a spoon gently around the sieve rather than grinding hard against it. The aim is to pass the coloured liquid and soft pulp while leaving most seeds behind.
Rinse the blender jug if seeds cling to its walls, then return the strained liquid and continue. This small reset prevents the removed seeds being reintroduced. If you are happy with a rustic texture, skip the sieve entirely and keep the full fruit pulp; both versions are legitimate, simply different to drink.
What you'll need
- 160 g fresh blackberries
- 180 g ripe pear flesh, cored
- 130 g plain yoghurt
- 100 ml cold milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Let's make it
- Wash the berries and pear. Core the pear carefully, removing the stalk and any hard material around the seeds; peel it if the skin feels particularly coarse.
- Blend the milk and blackberries first. For a smoother result, pass this mixture through a fine sieve and return the strained liquid to the jug.
- Add the pear, yoghurt and vanilla, then blend until the pear flesh is incorporated. Check for graininess before deciding whether a further brief blend is needed.
- Pour into two glasses and serve cold. Add a little extra milk only if the mixture is too thick to pour.
Make it your own
A ripe Conference pear is a practical choice, but other soft dessert pears work.
For a tangier drink, replace half the milk with plain kefir; this still contains milk and is not a dairy-free substitution.
Keeping it fresh
Cover and chill immediately if not serving at once. Use within 24 hours at 5°C or below, or sooner if the yoghurt or milk requires it. Pear can darken slightly during storage; stir before serving.
Allergen notes
Milk
