Did you resolve to drink a Green Smoothie for breakfast more often this year? I have the best green smoothie recipe for you!
This simple green smoothie recipe is creamy, fruity, and made with only a few simple ingredients.
Perhaps best (if counterintuitively) of all: you can’t taste the greens!
This is a go-to green smoothie that is great for beginners and smoothie pros alike.
I have made dozens (hundreds?) of green smoothies over the years and have developed a few tricks to ensure your smoothie is refreshing, filling, healthy, and legitimately delicious.
Just look at the reviews on these super green smoothie recipes: Kale Smoothie, Cleansing Apple Avocado Smoothie, 4 Ingredient Mango Green Smoothie, and Strawberry Spinach Smoothie!
I am an ardent believer that you shouldn’t have to sacrifice taste or spend a fortune on fussy ingredients to enjoy a healthy diet.
This passion inspired me to write my cookbook (which has my favorite healthy recipes of all time!) and is a driving force behind the healthy recipes you’ll find here.
While I have plenty of healthy breakfast recipes of all kinds, when it comes to delivering full servings of fruits and vegetables as efficiently as possible, an everyday green smoothie is hard to beat.
Variety is important.
While it might be OK to drink a green smoothie every day, variety is always best for health and to keep our tastebuds happy too).
Check It Out!
Be sure to see my full lineup of healthy smoothie recipes, plus my top healthy breakfast smoothie tips too.
What Are the Benefits of Green Smoothies?
Here are a few notable green smoothie benefits:
- Green smoothies that include spinach or kale are rich in a variety of nutrients like vitamins, fiber, folate, iron, and minerals.
- These types of greens also contain vitamin C, which can aid in immune support.
- This smoothie uses banana, which is packed with potassium.
- Green smoothies are an incredibly easy (and delicious!) way to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, especially if you don’t enjoy eating them on their own.
How to Make a Super Green Smoothie
The keys to making a green smoothie recipe that tastes EXCELLENT are:
- The right mix of fruits
- Adding a “satisfaction” factor ingredient like nut butter
- Picking greens that are mild enough to suit your own preferences
This healthy green smoothie incorporates all of the above. It scores full marks on the nutritional scale and the taste-test scale.
The Ingredients
- Greens. You can squeeze so many more into a smoothie than you think! If you are new to the green smoothie game, start with spinach which is the best green for smoothies (AKA you won’t be able to taste it). Once you get the hang of it, you can move on to more assertive greens like kale or chard.
- Mango or Pineapple. Of all the fruit I’ve tried, these two do the absolute best job of hiding the taste of the greens. They make the smoothie taste like a tropical breath of fresh air! You can use one of these two or a mix of both with excellent results. Pineapple is the most effective at hiding the taste of greens in smoothies, especially stronger greens like kale.
- Frozen Banana. I always recommend using frozen banana in green smoothies. It makes the smoothie creamy, thick, and naturally sweet, without the need to add sugar. If you’d like to make a green smoothie with no banana, add more of the other fruit(s) in this recipe, plus some yogurt for creaminess.
Tip!
Peel and slice ripe bananas into chunks, then transfer the frozen fruit to a ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. I do this whenever I have extra ripe bananas on hand. If you freeze your banana with the peel on, you won’t be able to remove the peel without thawing the banana first.
- Peanut Butter or Almond Butter. To give a smoothie staying power and make it taste satisfying, I always add 1 to 2 tablespoons of nut butter. If you’ve finished a smoothie and felt like it didn’t keep you full or something was “missing,” chances are you needed a healthy fat like nut butter.
- Liquid. I most often use unsweetened almond milk as the liquid base for my smoothies. It’s low-calorie (helpful if you are making a green smoothie for weight loss), and its neutral flavor makes it ideal for smoothies of all varieties.
- Optional Mix–Ins. Keyword: optional. You can add “bonus” ingredients like protein powder, chia seeds, hemp hearts, or flaxseed if you like; or keep things simple and enjoy your smoothie as-is.
The Directions
- Add the smoothie ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. For an extra-thick green smoothie, blend in a few ice cubes. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate smoothies in an airtight jar or storage container for up to 1 day.
- To Freeze. Freeze smoothies in freezer-safe jars for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Make-Ahead Tips
- Prepare the green smoothie as directed, then pour into the molds of an ice cube tray. Freeze for up to 3 months. Add the frozen smoothie cubes to a blender with a splash of almond milk for an easy smoothie on demand.
- You can also pre-portion your fruits and vegetables for each smoothie into a ziptop bag and freeze. Then, simply toss the contents into a blender when you’re ready to blend.
What to Serve with a Green Smoothie
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Blender. High quality and easy to use for healthy green smoothies recipes. (This more economical blender also works great.)
- Reusable Straws. I love keeping these straws on hand for smoothies (like my Blueberry Smoothie or Peach Smoothie).
- Opaque Cup. Hides the green color of this smoothie from veggie skeptics.
High-Powered Blender
This heavy-duty blender does an excellent job of creating ultra smooth and creamy smoothies. It’s also great for homemade soups and nut butters.
This easy green smoothie is one of my favorite feel-good ways to start any day. I hope it leads to many bright, healthy mornings for you too!
Frequently Asked Questions
While I prefer almond milk in my smoothies, you can swap it out if necessary. Dairy milk, other non-dairy milks (like coconut milk or oat milk), and even coconut water (your smoothie won’t be as creamy) will work.
If you’d like to jazz things up a little, you could experiment by adding in some spices or herbs. I think a sprinkle of cinnamon, ginger, or even mint could be tasty in this smoothie.
If you’d like to incorporate some chocolate flavor into this smoothie, you could add chocolate protein powder or cocoa powder. (Chocolate lovers, don’t miss my Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino recipe too.)
Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk plus additional as needed
- 2 ounces (about 2 big handfuls) fresh spinach or roughly chopped kale leaves
- 1/2 medium banana cut into chunks and frozen
- 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks or pineapple chunks
- 1 tablespoon nut butter of choice I like almond butter or peanut butter
- Ice optional
- Optional Mix-Ins: 1/2 scoop protein powder 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in the blender in the order listed: almond milk, spinach, banana, mango, nut butter, and any extra mix-ins.
- Blend until smooth. If you'd like it a bit thicker, add in a few ice cubes and blend again. Pour and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you are not using a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix, I recommend blending the spinach and almond milk first, then blending in the banana, then blending in the mango, nut butter, and any additional mix-ins.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate smoothies in an airtight jar or storage container for up to 1 day.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze smoothies in freezer-safe jars for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me Up
This is the first green smoothie I’ve ever tried & actually enjoyed! The kale was non-existent taste wise and was so filling!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Emily! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this today. The texture and all is wonderful. But I’m going to omit the nut butter next time. It was too peanut buttery for me.
Thanks, as always, Erin for your lovely recipes. I’m going to purchase your book.
Thanks for trying the smoothie, Chasity! I hope you enjoy it even more next time!
Used pineapples instead of mangoes and was amazing. The flax seeds were not as “crushed” as I would have liked but that’s probably because of the blender that I am using so I will try and soak them overnight.
You can barely taste the kale which is great for me!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Anne! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I’m a newbie to smoothies and am anxious to make my first one tomorrow! What would adding 1/2 an avocado do to a smoothie?
Hi Ellen, it might make it thicker and creamier. Enjoy!