Green Smoothie Recipe – make it your own!

A delightful breakfast or a happy snack, this easy-to-make green smoothie with apple, spinach, kale, and tropical fruit will have you feeling marvelously refreshed.

Imagine yourself lounging on a chaise, surrounded by white sand and palm trees, with the sound of ocean waves gently lapping the shore.

Or imagine yourself post workout, sweating, with tired muscles.

Now imagine yourself holding a frosty glass filled to the brim with a soothing green smoothie, filled with refreshing flavors of apple and tropical fruits.

You’ll love this green apple smoothie! It’s super simple to prepare, it’s so refreshing to your body and soul, and it won’t fill you up with empty calories, fat, or artificial sweeteners. This green smoothie is loaded with the green leafy vegetables your body needs to stay healthy, and fruit to add fiber and nutrition, and it’s only 75 calories per serving (one and a half cups).

Get your blender whirring and enjoy a green apple smoothie today! 

PS: Your body will thank you for all those vitamins and minerals, and fiber, too. A good step toward getting those 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day!

About this green smoothie recipe

Okay, here’s a big green healthy hint: Always have bags of spinach, kale, or other greens in the fridge, pre-washed and ready to go. I find that if I wash the greens shortly after I get home from the store, I tend to incorporate those healthy greens in everything I cook, including smoothies. It’s just so much more convenient when the greens are washed and I can grab a handful or two to add to a salad, sandwich, wrap, stir fry, or whatever I happen to have going. 

And those pre-washed greens are just what you need for this smoothie. It’s a breeze to put together, less than five minutes hands on time, if your greens are ready.

So let’s get going. Are you ready?

1. Stuff a handful of kale, a handful of spinach, and a chopped Granny Smith apple into your blender, and add a cup of water.

2. Cover the blender and watch it whirl. (You can also blend it all at once, as pictured, but blending it in steps like this will be a little easier on your blender.)

3. When that mixture is smooth, add a cup full of frozen tropical fruit and a handful of ice.

4. Blend until it reaches the desired consistency.

5. Pour your frosty green beverage into a tall glass, and enjoy! 

Tip: You’ll need a great blender for a super creamy smoothie! I’ve used and liked Blendtec or Vitamix, but I’ve also heard good things about Ninja blenders which are a more affordable option.

How to make this green smoothie your own

Swap out Ingredients:

Consider this super simple green smoothie recipe a starting point, a recipe for beginners. Make your own wonderful green concoction! Keep reading for suggestions. 

Fruit to use in a green smoothie

This green apple smoothie uses a tart Granny Smith apple and a frozen tropical fruit blend. Tropical fruit blends consist of frozen pineapple, mango, banana, and papaya. There are variations depending on which brand you purchase. The options for fruit in a smoothie are nearly endless, though! Here are some ideas:

• any variety of apple
• bananas (bonus points if they’re frozen bananas)
• peaches
• papaya
• mango
• pineapple
• blueberries
• strawberries
• blackberries
• raspberries
• citrus (lemon, orange, lime, grapefruit, or tangerine)

Tip: Have a few extra ripe bananas on the counter? Peel them, break them into chunks, and put them into a freezer bag, ready and waiting for your next smoothie. Bananas add so much natural sweetness and give the smoothie a super creamy texture.

Vegetables and Greens to use in a green smoothie

• Add green leafy vegetables to your smoothie: kale, spinach, mild arugula, collard, or Swiss chard. Stay away from “spicy” or bitter greens like mustard greens or radicchio, unless you’re a green smoothie veteran. 
• Broccoli, cauliflower, or celery – make sure you have a powerful blender for these!
• Fresh herbs such as parsley or mint add unique flavor, loads of nutrition, and play nice with the fruit flavors. 
• Avocado 

Add protein to a green smoothie

Want to make your smoothie more of a power drink? Add protein! Here are some options:

• instead of water, use any kind of milk: whole milk, half and half, non-fat milk, soy, coconut milk, almond milk, etc. 
• add yogurt (Greek or regular)
• half cup of uncooked rolled oats
• half-cup of cooked quinoa
• a scoop of your favorite protein powder
• nut or seed butters (peanut, cashew, almond, sunflower, etc)
• flax seed or ground flax seed (flax meal)
• chia seeds

Other Green Smoothie Add-ins:

• coconut oil
• spices – try cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, or a sprinkle of cayenne if you’re feeling daring
• fresh grated ginger
• sweeteners (honey, agave, sugar) – I don’t think they’re necessary but if you’re new to green smoothies, you could ease in this way
• vanilla extract
• flaked or shredded coconut (avoid sweetened coconut)

Make it a smoothie bowl:

Like a smoothie bowl for breakfast? I love this tropical smoothie bowl, or this (almost a dessert) blueberry apple crisp smoothie bowl. Can you make a green smoothie bowl? Sure!

• You’ll want to make the green smoothie a little thicker. Add more ice or more frozen fruit, and substitute a cup of Greek yogurt for the water. Blend this mixture well and pour into two serving bowls.
• Toppings: fresh fruit, coconut, nuts or seeds, or a sprinkling of your favorite granola. An extra dollop of Greek yogurt on top would be great!

Storage Tips

Store left over green smoothies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You’ll want to give the mixture a good shake to mix it up again before you drink it. 

Make ahead tip: Make a big batch of green smoothies and pour the mixture into freezer safe serving size containers, or pint sized canning jars. Don’t overfill the jars because the mixture will expand slightly as it freezes.

Take a frozen smoothie out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the night before you want to drink it. It should be mostly thawed by morning. Give it a good shake and enjoy!

You can also freeze these pre-blend. Place all ingredients except liquid ingredients into a freezer bag. Label and pop into your freezer and just pour into the blender with milk or water and blend when you’re ready to enjoy!

Other smoothie recipes:

Homemade smoothies are delicious and much better for you than the fast-food versions. It’s shocking how much sugar and artificial ingredients those smoothies contain. Here’s some good-for-you smoothie (and juice) recipes you’ll want to try: 

 

• Peach, banana, honey, and cottage cheese smoothie
• Clementine smoothie with vanilla
• Creamy lemon smoothie
• Raspberry mango coconut water smoothie
• Chocolate cherry smoothie
• Green juice (without a juicer) – not a smoothie but a great green beverage
• Carrot, orange, and ginger juice
• Healthy banana nut smoothie from Divas Can Cook

Verdict: Love this base recipe and love using what I have in the house to make it my own. It’s endlessly adaptable!
Husband’s take: Ben doesn’t love green smoothies as much as I do, but as usual, if I’m making something, he doesn’t usually complain.
Changes I would make: None are necessary, of course, but feel free to have fun with it! 
Difficulty: Easy!