Green smoothies get a bad rap for flavor but have a great reputation for nutrition. They're an excellent way to get your greens, but sometimes they can taste a little more... vegetal... than you might prefer. Ask me how I know. So if you want to create green smoothies that your veggie-hating kids will drink and love, may we recommend our delicious green smoothie recipes? They sneak in veggies (well — maybe not sneak, since they are green, after all) but still taste fab.
Arugula, Avocado and Pear Green Smoothie
Avocado's creamy flesh makes it a smooth and delicious add-in for any green smoothie recipe, and it also helps to thicken the drink. We love combining it with pear for a subtle sweetness and arugula for a nice, peppery bite. If you need, you can add a drizzle of honey to sweeten it up. This makes two smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 pears, peeled and cored
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 bag of frozen raspberries
- 1 handful each of arugula and baby spinach leaves
- 2½ cups cold water or apple juice
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Baby Kale and Blueberry Smoothie
Because it's more tender, baby kale blends well in a smoothie. To fight that typical kale funk, bananas and blueberries add sweetness in an easy green smoothie recipe. This makes two smoothies.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, peeled
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- 1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen blueberries
- 2 cups bunch of baby kale
- 2 cups cold almond milk
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Spinach and Yogurt Green Smoothie
Raw spinach has a mild flavor that's great in smoothies, and the yogurt adds tang, thickness, and a creamy consistency. This makes two smoothies.
Ingredients
- 2 oranges, peeled
- 1 banana, peeled
- 12 large strawberries, hulled
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 1 cup orange juice
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Tropical Green Smoothie
Head to the tropics with a banana, mango, and coconut smoothie. Keep calorie counts down by using lite coconut milk. This makes two servings.
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, peeled
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen mango chunks
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 (14-ounce) can lite coconut milk
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pineapple Mojito Green Smoothie
You're going to love this green smoothie inspired by a delicious bar favorite, the mojito. It makes two smoothies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup baby spinach
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 banana, peeled
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 10 mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Apple Avocado Smoothie
Apples create a tart smoothie, so a few tablespoons of honey help make it just a little sweeter. It makes one smoothie.
Ingredients
- 2 granny smith apples, cored and peeled
- 1 avocado
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup crushed ice
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Greeña Colada Smoothie
All this green smoothie recipe needs is a little umbrella to transport you to the islands. It serves two.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 (13-ounce) can lite coconut milk
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 tablespoons honey (optional)
- 1 cup crushed ice
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Chai Matcha Green Smoothie Bowl
Lean into the green with matcha powder and a delightful chai spice. This makes one smoothie bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder
- ¼ cup chai concentrate
- 2 pears, peeled and cored
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Blueberries and sliced pears for garnish
Instructions
- Place the matcha powder, chai concentrate, pears, baby kale, yogurt, and honey in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and garnish with blueberries and sliced pears.
Spinach Mango Green Smoothie Bowl
The great thing about green smoothie bowl recipes is you can go nuts with the garnish. Make yours a work of art that you'll want to eat. This makes one smoothie bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 2 cup frozen mango chunks
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Assorted nuts, seeds, and berries for garnish
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the yogurt, pineapple, mango, and spinach. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and garnish with nuts, seeds, and berries of your choice.
The One for the Veggie Lovers
So what if you're someone who actually LOVES vegetal flavors? Don't worry. We've got a green-tasting smoothie you're sure to adore. It makes one smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup baby kale
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 bunch parsley
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 banana, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 cup crushed ice
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Green Smoothie Recipe Tips
Making green smoothies isn't hard, but getting all that veggie and fruit goodness to blend until smooth can be a bit of a challenge.
- A really good blender helps. We love the Vitamix, but a lower-cost option that still works well is the Ninja blender.
- Start blending on low and pulse the blender in one-second bursts to get things started. Then, turn it on low and increase to high until everything is incorporated. It can take several minutes in an average blender.
- Use baby veggies instead of full-grown ones because they're more tender and blend more easily.
- Sweeten things up with a tablespoon or two of honey.
- Add a little water to adjust your smoothie's consistency.
It's Not Easy Being Green
Green smoothies have been a thing for a while, and they're not going away. If you're new to them, start on the sweeter, fruitier side of these green smoothie recipes and work your way up to the more veggie-forward versions. They're a delicious way to infuse some energy into your day.
