Last week, we finally had a stretch of mild days bathed in spring sunshine. The kids were happy — their cheeks sporting the rosy glow that comes from hours at the playground. As we headed inside for snacks, though, the reality of early spring hit. It’s going to take weeks of sunshine before the first fruits of the season start rolling in, so I hit the freezer instead. In a smoothie, frozen berries and bananas feel just as summery as fresh ones, especially when said smoothie comes in a pretty pastel rainbow. It’s the perfect ode to spring, Easter, and all the beautiful blooms that are just about to pop.

Each color band of these rainbow smoothies has a distinct flavor, and, with such a striking presentation, they’re a great treat for parties. My method was simple: add a different frozen fruit to a creamy smoothie base, blend, pour, and place glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes, until the layer set up. These smoothies are big (the recipe yields four 16-ounce smoothies or eight 8-ounce smoothies), so do whichever feels right for you.

Makes 4 (16-ounce) smoothies

• One blender

For the Creamy Smoothie Base

• 8 ice cubes
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice

For the Yellow Layer

• 1 cup smoothie base
• Heaping 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 cup orange juice, or more as needed

For the Orange Layer

• 1 cup smoothie base
• Heaping 1/2 cup peeled, chopped carrots (blanched for 1 – 2 minutes if your blender isn’t particularly powerful)
• 1/2 cup orange juice, or more as needed

For the Pale Pink Layer

• 1 cup smoothie base
• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice, or more as needed

For the Hot Pink Layer

• 4 ice cubes
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 a frozen banana
• 1 cup orange juice, plus more as needed

For the Purple Layer

• 1 cup hot pink base
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup orange juice, plus more as needed

1. Make sure you have plenty of ice and 2 frozen bananas on hand ahead of time. Clear a shelf in the freezer for easy access.

2. Make the creamy smoothie base. Pour into 2 quart jars, and place in the freezer until needed.

3. Blend all the ingredients for the yellow layer and divide evenly between glasses. Set glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat this process for the orange and pale pink layers.

4. Rinse blender, then blend all the ingredients together for the hot pink layer. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pink smoothie base, divide remaining mixture between glasses, and freeze.

5. Blend ingredients for the final purple layer and divide between glasses. Serve immediately with straws and dessert spoons, or freeze for up to 15 minutes.

Enjoy :)