Starbucks Evolution Fresh Smoothies Review

Fro-yo girl here. Starbucks introduced handcrafted Evolution Fresh Smoothies in select locations in late March 2015. The smoothies, which feature proprietary Dannon Greek nonfat yogurt and Evolution Fresh cold pressed juice, are available in three flavors: Sweet Greens, Strawberry and Mango.

Dannon’s Greek yogurt has no artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

The in-store signage had pictures of the smoothies but did not describe what was in the smoothies. The baristas I spoke to weren’t sure what was in the smoothies. I asked one if Sweet Greens contained banana and he said no. Sweet Greens has banana puree. Another one wasn’t sure but looked at the list of ingredients.

The smoothies are available in one size, Grande, for $5.95. They’re made to order. The barista combines ice, yogurt and bottled juice.

* Sweet Greens: I’ve had Evolution Fresh’s green juices. They’re not as good as many other cold pressed juice places (e.g., Pressed Juicery, Juice Shop, Living Greens). I was expecting Sweet Greens (vegetable juice) with yogurt added to it. I was surprised that the smoothie also contained mango and banana. Bad idea. The flavor was muddled…it tasted sour and unpleasant…imagine sour bananas…it wasn’t creamy. It wasn't made well. The ice chunks were too big and there was too much ice. I couldn’t taste the yogurt. I couldn’t drink more than a sip. So gross…how did this pass the pilot test? 

As a regular drinker of green juice, I don't like the idea of adding mango and banana to what is mostly a vegetable juice.

* Mango Carrot: This was smoother and not as icy as Sweet Greens. It was also much sweeter. I couldn’t taste the yogurt and the aftertaste wasn’t clean.

Somehow adding yogurt to Evolution Fresh juices makes the juices taste worse. Starbucks, bring back your froyo smoothies...

2 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

I'm Giving Up on Bottled Yogurt Drinks

Fro-yo girl here. I gave up on the Yakult type yogurt drinks a few months ago. They were all too sugary for me and I didn't like the flavor much. I'm seeing more bottled yogurt smoothies at the supermarket but I haven't been too interested in trying them. But then Trader Joe's introduced Organic lowfat Wildberry probiotic yogurt smoothies (love TJ's) so I bought a four pack. The smoothie wasn't bad - it had a tangy, real yogurt quality, it wasn't too thick...but I felt like I was drinking melted fro-yo. I probably wouldn't buy them again.



And I'm not buying Yoplait's new frozen smoothie in a bag - but it is interesting how it includes little frozen yogurt cubes.



I spotted a "baked style yogurt drink" at the market the other day. Baked yogurt? Sounded different enough to catch my interest. Baking doesn't kill the live cultures. They also had many mysterious varieties of kefir, including Krestiansky, Ryazhenka, Bazarny and Weijski. But these drinks were all full fat and are probably too rich for me.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.