This easy green smoothie is naturally sweet, ultra-creamy and made with simple ingredients like kale, banana, apple and almond milk. It’s perfect for breakfast, post-workout fuel or as a customizable green protein smoothie when you need something filling but refreshing.
Why This Green Smoothie Works
A flavorful smoothie packed with good-for-you ingredients that also tastes delicious- what’s not to love!
- No overpowering “green” taste – Eating leafy greens is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, decreased risk of stroke, cancer and eye disease prevention; but they don’t always taste the best. This smoothie allows you to reap the benefits without tasting too “green.”
- A forgiving recipe – The beauty of green smoothies is that there is no “one” recipe for them. You can change it up every time based on what is seasonal, what is in the fridge, or what you are craving.
- Prep ahead of time – While this smoothie takes less than 5 minutes to make, you can speed things up even more by prepping smoothie packs and storing in the freezer.
Recipe Essentials
The ingredients required to make this green smoothie make only one. You can easily double or triple the amounts to make more. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Kale – Kale has so many great health benefits, and is the sole reason this smoothie is green. You will want to use only the leaves and remove the ribs.
- Vanilla almond milk
- Apple
- Banana
- Ice
- Flax seeds
How to Make a Green Smoothie (Step-by-Step)
The trickiest part of making the perfect green smoothie is not what you choose to put in it, but having a blender than can handle the task.
- Add ingredients to blender. Add all green smoothie ingredients to a blender. Making sure to add fruits, vegetables, liquid and ice cubes.
- Blend. Blend ingredients until smooth. Add more liquid or ice cubes to reach desired consistency.
- Pour into glass. Pour blended smoothie into a glass and serve with a straw.
Substitutions and Variations
Make this green smoothie your own! Swap in or substitute any of the ingredients- get creative!
- Seeds – You can add things like hemp seeds, chia seeds, peanut butter or other nut butters like almond butter.
- Vegetables – If you’d like to add even more greens or veggies, try adding spinach, avocado, collard greens, celery, beets or even fresh mint for the best green smoothies.
- Fruit – If you’d like to add even more fruity flavor to the best green smoothie recipe, things like pineapple, mango, strawberries, blackberries,raspberriesor lemon juice are perfect.
- Powders and spices – Need a boost of protein? Add some protein powder. Also, cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh ginger are great for adding extra flavor.
- Sweetener – Natural sweeteners like honey and agave nectar help to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruits.
- Milk – If you have a household that has differing opinions when it comes to milk, you can change it up. Go dairy-free with almond milk or coconut milk. You can even use coconut water if you want a lighter texture.
How to Make it Taste Sweeter (If You’re New to Green Smoothies)
If you’re new to green smoothies and want to mix things up to make it taste better, here are some swaps and add ins that you might enjoy.
- Add pineapple
- Use spinach instead of kale
- Add honey
- Use extra ice for better texture
Frequently Asked Questions
While green smoothies are filled with nutritious ingredients, eating the same thing over and over is never a great option. Balance your diet out with grains, proteins and other varieties of fruits and vegetables.
Green smoothies are a great way to consume a bunch of vitamins that promote a healthy nervous system. As long as you aren’t adding too much sugar, they can be very healthy for you.
Spinach and/or kale are both full of plenty of vitamins that are great for adding into a smoothie.
Bitterness usually comes from kale stems or overripe greens. Remove ribs, use frozen banana, and balance with naturally sweet fruit like apple or pineapple.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
There is nothing easier or more delicious than a smoothie for breakfast in the morning. Here are a few of our breakfast favorites.
Green Smoothie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups vanilla almond milk
- 1 apple cored and quartered
- 1 banana peeled and frozen
- 2 cups kale ribs removed
- 1/2 cup ice
- 2-3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- flax Seeds , optional
Instructions
- Place the 2 cups vanilla almond milk, cored and quartered1 apple, 1 banana, 2 cups kale (ribs removed), 1/2 cup ice , 2-3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder and optional flax Seeds into a high powered blender. Blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately and come if you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
Nutrition
This is good information on making green smoothies. My daughter and I enjoy making them together and this chart will come in handy.
I really, really want a Blendtec blender. I have a friend with one, and she does all kinds of great smoothies and other recipes with it. It’s awesome.
Love smoothies, thanks for the tips
I cannot escape green smoothies! I’ve always been so afraid to try them but I don’t think I can hide much longer. 🙂
What a neat green smoothie guide. We have a Blendtec too and it is indeed very nice for making smoothies and other things.
Great way to start the day. My son is a smoothie lover so passing this to him.
I love to make smoothies; they are so healthy, but so yummy too. I don’t really like green or blue food though..just kinda creeps me out. Maybe a little food color?
This looks amazing! I am hanging on to it and getting the ingredients. We have a Ninja that we haven’t used yet and I think this might be perfect for our first adventure!
I’ve heard how great green smoothies are for your health. I love this recipe and it is really easy to make.
I just recently bought one of these blenders and I LOVE IT. I made all kinds of fun things with it, mostly smoothies and milkshakes.