smoothies – FoodWatcher

Best Kale Smoothie

Want to sneak more greens into your diet? Here’s how to make a refreshing kale smoothie! We’ll show how to…

Want to sneak more greens into your diet? Here’s how to make a refreshing kale smoothie! We’ll show how to balance the flavor of kale with fruits and add-ins for a creamy and satisfying green drink you’ll actually crave.

Kale Smoothie in a glass with straw and kale leaf garnish.

Here’s a smoothie so good, you’ll want to make it every day. Meet our favorite kale smoothie! Yes, we know. “Kale smoothie” sounds like it would be intensely bitter. This one is anything but!

This kale smoothie is full of fruity flavor from green apple, pineapple and banana. It tastes heavenly, yet at the same time you’re getting a big dose of nutrients from leafy greens. True story: this is one of the only ways we get our son to eat kale—and he begs us for more kale smoothie. Here’s how to make it!

Why we love this kale smoothie recipe

This kale smoothie is lusciously creamy, a satisfying drink you’ll actually crave. This is saying something, because we’ve made lots of kale smoothies that are too bitter, too thick, or too icy. This one has all the right ingredients to make an irresistibly tasty green puree. Here’s why to make it:

It’s has a pure, sweet tart flavor and a silky smooth, frosty texture. It’s irresistibly tasty and just the right thickness for sipping!
It’s full of healthy ingredients. There are no added sugary juices to make it taste good.
It’s plant-based. There’s no need to use milk or yogurt here, it’s all fruit and leafy greens.

Kale Smoothie recipe in a glass with straw and kale leaf garnish.

Ingredients for this kale smoothie

This short ingredient list of a kale smoothie is all you need to make this beautiful, bright green puree! Here’s what you need:

Kale: Use either baby kale or Tuscan kale. We prefer baby kale since the flavor is sweeter and milder, but you can use Tuscan kale roughly chopped and loosely packed. Curly kale has a spicier flavor, so we’d recommend starting with less than the specified amount in the recipe.
Green apple: Apple is the key to a great kale smoothie; it brings in a bright, sweet tart flavor.
Banana: Banana features in many of our smoothie recipes to make a creamy texture and add natural sweetness.
Frozen pineapple or mango: Frozen pineapple seals the deal with its icy texture and beautiful fruity flavor.
Lemon juice, water and ice: Lemon juice accentuates the fruity flavors, and ice helps add texture and body. A little water is all you need to get it to blend.

Types of kale

There are several types of kale that you can use in this smoothie. Here’s a breakdown of each type:

Baby kale: Baby kale works well in a smoothie because it has a sweeter, mild flavor. It’s a young version of kale, harvested before it matures. You can find it sold in boxes at the grocery or bags at your local farmers market.
Tuscan kale: Tuscan kale is the next best option: it’s got a mild flavor and flat, dark green leaves. It’s also labeled as dinosaur kale or Lacinato kale.
Curly kale: Curly kale works, but it has a spicy flavor that’s more bitter than the other two. If you use this variety, you may want to start with less and add it to taste.

The trick to blending

Here’s a trick to blending this kale smoothie. First, blend the softer room temperature fruits and liquid. In this case, it’s the banana, apple, kale and water. Then add in the frozen ingredients: the frozen pineapple and ice. This helps it to blend easier: so you won’t need to endlessly stop, scrape, and start again!

Add-ins & variations

This kale smoothie is delicious as is, but you can always mix it up with tasty additions! Here are a few options:

Ginger: Add ½ teaspoon grated ginger to the mix for a spicy finish.
Mint or basil. Add a few fresh mint or basil leaves for an herbaceous spin.
Chia seeds. Chia seeds add fiber and some protein; add 1 to 2 tablespoons to your taste.
Coconut. A handful of shredded coconut adds a tropical flair.

Smoothie storage

Smoothies are best eaten immediately. But this kale smoothie actually lasts 1 to 2 days refrigerated, stored in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. It may separate, which is perfectly natural. Just shake it up and you’re good to go!

A few favorite smoothies

We’ve got lots more where this came from! Here more smoothie recipes to try:

Strawberry Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Best Smoothie Recipes

Fruit Smoothie Recipes

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Spinach Smoothie

Green Smoothies

Vanilla Protein Smoothie

Pineapple Smoothie

Mango Smoothie

Dietary notes

This kale smoothie recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Frequently asked questions

Won’t my kale smoothie taste bitter?

Not necessarily! This post offers tips on choosing the right kale variety (baby kale is less bitter) and using masking ingredients like bananas, mangoes, or pineapples to balance the flavor.

What kind of milk is best for a kale smoothie?

This kale smoothie recipe uses water, but you can also use milk. Any milk you enjoy works! Popular choices include dairy milk, almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk. Consider dietary restrictions and the desired texture when choosing your milk.

Do I need a fancy blender for a kale smoothie?

A high-powered blender is ideal for achieving a smooth and creamy consistency. However, many regular blenders can handle kale smoothies with the addition of some extra liquid.

Can I make kale smoothies ahead of time?

Yes, but be aware that the color may darken slightly, and the texture might thicken a bit and separate over time. This smoothie is best eaten within 1 day, but it does store up to 2 days.

How can I make my kale smoothie more filling?

Adding protein powder, nut butters, chia seeds, or even rolled oats can make your smoothie more filling and keep you satisfied for longer.

The Best Kale Smoothie

★★★★

4 from 1 review

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 smoothies

Print Recipe

Description

Want to sneak more greens into your diet? Here’s how to make a refreshing kale smoothie, a creamy and satisfying green drink you’ll actually crave.

Ingredients

1 large green apple
1 banana
2 cups baby kale leaves, loosely packed (or Tuscan or curly kale*, roughly chopped)
½ cup water (or milk of choice)
10 ice cubes
2 cups frozen pineapple or mango
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

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Instructions

Chop the apple, leaving the skin on. Break the banana into pieces and place them both in the blender. Add the water and baby kale leaves. Blend until smooth.
Add the ice, frozen pineapple or mango, and lemon juice. Blend again until smooth.

Notes

*Our preference for the type of kale to use in a smoothie is baby kale. Tuscan kale is a second choice. Curly kale can work, but it has a spicy flavor and is more bitter than the other two. If you use this variety, you may want to start with less and add it to taste.

Category: Drink
Method: Blended
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Kale smoothie, kale smoothie recipe

Perfect Strawberry Smoothie

This recipe unlocks the secret to the perfect strawberry smoothie! It’s deliciously thick, perfectly sweet, and bursting with fresh flavor.…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This recipe unlocks the secret to the perfect strawberry smoothie! It’s deliciously thick, perfectly sweet, and bursting with fresh flavor.

It’s more difficult than you think to make a perfect smoothie without a recipe. Our strawberry smoothie recipe uses just 5 ingredients to make the creamiest texture and a pure, sweet berry flavor. Make it, memorize it, and make a perfect healthy smoothie on repeat!

Jump to the recipe—now.

Why this recipe is the perfect strawberry smoothie

It’s my job to make the best smoothie recipes on the internet. I’ve created over 65 smoothie recipes focusing on natural fruits and vegetables and healthy proteins like yogurt, while avoiding sugary juices. Along with my co-author Alex, we’ve made green smoothies, vegetable smoothies, fruit smoothies and energy smoothies.

But when it comes to picking favorites, it all comes back to this strawberry smoothie recipe for both of us! Here’s why it’s perfect, to us:

Light and creamy texture. It’s easy for smoothies to turn out too icy or thick. This one is light and creamy, with just the right icy and airy texture.
Subtly sweet, fruity flavor. Often smoothies are too bitter or overly sweet. This strawberry smoothie is lightly sweet, with just the right berry essence.

Ingredients for this strawberry smoothie

Here’s what you’ll need to make this strawberry smoothie! Strawberries have a lot of nutritional punch for very few calories (per Cleveland Clinic), making them one of our favorite ingredients to incorporate in smoothies. We were careful to choose healthy ingredients for this smoothie: no overly sugary juices or syrups. Here’s what we selected:

Frozen strawberries: It’s easy to find and store frozen berries, and they add a great icy texture to this smoothie. If you prefer using fresh berries, use a frozen banana instead of one at room temperature.
Fresh banana: Many smoothie recipes call for frozen bananas, but we don’t often have them on hand or have the time to wait for freezing. So we customized this recipe to use a fresh banana!
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt gives this recipe a protein boost and helpful probiotics. (If you love yogurt, you could add a touch more.) It also makes for a perfect creamy texture.
Ice: Here’s the most important part — ice is essential to a perfect strawberry smoothie! It makes just the right frothy texture. We’ve tried it without and it really makes a difference. Do not omit it!
Milk: You need just the right amount of liquid in a smoothie to get it to blend. Not enough and the blender gets stuck (the worst!), and too much it tastes milky. You can also use non-dairy milk.
Maple syrup: Adding a hint of maple brings out the sweetness in the berries. If you eat a low sugar diet you could omit, but it doesn’t quite taste sweet enough with no sweetener.

Add-ins and options

Of course, you can mix in whatever you’d like to customize your healthy strawberry smoothie! But if you want it to be perfect, you’ve got to use flavors that work. Here are some ideas:

Almond butter. Almond goes well with strawberry. Use about 1 tablespoon, 2 for a stronger almond flavor (it will also dull the color a bit).
Vanilla. Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon vanilla to heighten the flavors.
Mint or basil. Add a few fresh mint or basil leaves for an herbaceous spin.
Cocoa powder. Craving chocolate? Go to Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie.

Things not to add? Handfuls of spinach leaves! They turn this smoothie into an unappealing shade of brown. If you want a green smoothie, go to our Green Smoothie.

Strawberry smoothie variations

Craving a flavor twist? Don’t stop at strawberries! This versatile smoothie base can be transformed into a tropical paradise with a handful of mango or pineapple. Mix in blueberries for a tart and tangy upgrade, or add even more banana for extra sweetness. We’ve created separate recipes for each variation:

Pineapple. Substitute 1 cup of the frozen berries for 1 cup frozen pineapple (see Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie).
Mango. Substitute 1 cup of the frozen berries for 1 cup frozen mango (see Strawberry Mango Smoothie).
Banana. Add another ripe banana and remove the Greek yogurt (see Strawberry Banana Smoothie).
Blueberries. Substitute 1 cup of the frozen strawberries for blueberry (see Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie).

For a strawberry recipe without banana, try this one from smoothie expert The Blender Girl.

Ways to make it plant based

You can make this strawberry smoothie plant-based or vegan by doing the following:

Make our strawberry banana smoothie. Try our Strawberry Banana Smoothie: it’s vegan and uses only 2 ingredients!
Omit the yogurt and use non-dairy milk for the milk. We like using oat milk or almond milk. Oat milk is usually a little sweeter and creamier, so it’s our default for smoothies. You could also try coconut milk, which adds a nice coconut essence, or soy milk. To compensate for the yogurt, add a splash more milk as necessary to get it to blend.

Strawberry smoothies in two cups with straws and strawberry garnish

Storing leftovers

Smoothies are best eaten immediately. But this strawberry smoothie actually lasts 1 to 2 days refrigerated, stored in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. It may separate, which is perfectly natural. Just shake it up and you’re good to go!