Pricing guide · Café drinks
How to price smoothies: cost per cup and what to charge
Smoothies have a higher ingredient cost than coffee drinks — fruit and yogurt add up. Price them to stay around your drinks target.
Example batch cost
$2.58
Cost per cup
$2.58
Price at 30% food cost
$8.60
Smoothies cost calculator
Strawberry banana smoothie (16 oz)
Enter your price to see food cost % and profit.
The app keeps your ingredient prices. When butter goes up, every dish that uses it updates — no re-typing.
Worked example: Strawberry banana smoothie (16 oz)
This batch makes 1 cup. Here is where the money goes, most expensive first:
| Ingredient | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen strawberries | 150 g | $1.05 |
| Greek yogurt | 120 g | $0.48 |
| Almond milk | 120 ml | $0.42 |
| Banana | 1 each | $0.25 |
| Cup, lid & straw | 1 piece | $0.20 |
| Honey | 15 g | $0.18 |
| Total for 1 cup | $2.58 | |
That is $2.58 per cup. At a 30% food cost the price should be at least $8.60. Across the usual 25–35% range for smoothies, that is $7.38 (at 35%) to $10.32 (at 25%) per cup — before your time and overheads.
What drives the cost of smoothies
- •Fruit (frozen is cheaper and wastes less)
- •Protein powder and superfood add-ins
- •Cups, lids and straws
Tips for pricing smoothies
- ✓Use frozen fruit — consistent price and almost no spoilage
- ✓Charge for add-ins (protein, peanut butter, spirulina) separately
- ✓Standardise with measuring cups so every smoothie costs the same
Sell regular and large sizes, with paid add-ins.
Don’t forget your time and overheads
Drinks carry a low food cost % because the price also pays for the barista’s time, the machine, rent and waste. Count cups, lids and sleeves as ingredients — on a cheap drink they can cost more than the coffee.
Keep your smoothies prices up to date
Save this recipe in the free CostMyDish app. Your ingredient prices live in one Library — when frozen strawberries goes up, every recipe that uses it recalculates, and you see which items need a new price.
Get the free appCommon questions about pricing smoothies
How much does it cost to make one cup?+
In our example (Strawberry banana smoothie (16 oz), makes 1 cup), the ingredients cost $2.58 in total, or $2.58 per cup. Enter your own prices in the calculator for your exact cost.
What food cost % should I use for smoothies?+
For smoothies most businesses aim for 25–35%. At 30%, the example works out to at least $8.60 per cup before labour and overheads.
How much does it cost to make a smoothie to sell?+
Add up fruit, base and packaging per cup. With the example prices it lands around $2.50 — your fruit prices decide it.
What should a smoothie sell for?+
Divide the cost per cup by your target (often 25–35% for smoothies) and round to a clean menu price.
More café drinks pricing guides
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