This sweet and refreshing, healthy Green Smoothie recipe is about to be the star of your morning routine. It’s nutrient-packed with nutritious ingredients like spinach and chia seeds, but you can’t even taste the veggies because it’s blended with coconut milk, creamy banana, fresh oranges, and tropical pineapple which add natural sweetness.
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With two busy kids, we are often looking for ways to have a quick, yet healthy, breakfast (sometimes even on the go!). Some of our favorites include Overnight Oats, Steel Cut Oats, and our Smoothie Bowl recipe. If you are a fan of easy-to-make breakfasts without added sugar, that are actually filling, you have got to try my husband Vadim’s Green Smoothies!
Green Smoothie Recipe
My husband, Vadim, is the smoothie master. He introduced me to this green smoothie. There are plenty of recipes for green smoothies, but this is our favorite. I tried his creation and immediately asked him to write down the recipe because it was love at first sip. This green power smoothie is so simple to make, which is perfect for an early morning drink, or lunch on the run. Even better, it’s make-ahead friendly, and you can take a portion out of the freezer and thaw it as needed.
Why This Smoothie Recipe Works
- Easy – just 6 ingredients, toss them in the blender, and voila. No sugar added!
- Feel Good – an easy way to boost your vitamins and nutrients while filling you up, even in a hurry. This sweet treat has 2 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit blended in.
- Picky-eater approved – it might be green, but it doesn’t taste green. WIN!
Ingredients
These green smoothies are seriously so simple to make. If you have a high-powered blender, you don’t need to fuss too much with chopping fruit and it’s done in less than a minute.
- Coconut Milk – You can use any milk (I prefer plant-based for smoothies), or even water, but using coconut milk adds a smooth and creamy texture and a hint of sweet coconut flavor.
- Banana – Adds sweetness without an overpowering flavor, when blended it makes the smoothie extra creamy and smooth.
- Orange – The natural sweetness balances the spinach flavor while adding vitamin C.
- Spinach – Greens are an easy way to pack your smoothie with nutrition, and coupled with the right fruit, you cannot even taste it.
- Pineapple – I use frozen chunks of pineapple so there is no need to add ice cubes, which melt and water down your drink. The tropical flavor is delicious and pineapple has great nutritional benefits as well.
- Chia Seeds (Optional) – They don’t really have a taste but do add texture, thickness and fiber.
Substitutions
Milk: You can use any liquid – almond milk or oat milk for creaminess, coconut water or orange juice for a tropical taste.
Fruit: The natural sweetness of fruit balances out leafy greens so you don’t need to add any extra sugar. Try peaches, peeled apple slices, a slice of avocado, raspberries, blueberries, or mango.
Leafy greens: I find spinach to be the easiest green vegetable to disguise, but kale or swiss chard are great leafy greens to use in a healthy green smoothie.
Vegetables: Cauliflower, carrots, and cucumber are all veggies that have a mild flavor and are perfect to use in a simple green smoothie recipe.
Protein: Adding one tablespoon of nuts or nut butter, such as peanut butter or almond butter, helps to thicken your smoothie and add a creamy texture. You can also add protein powder, hemp hearts, or peanut butter powder.
How to Make Green Smoothies
- Load Your Blender – Peel your fruit and place everything into a blender in the order listed, starting with the liquid and ending with the frozen fruit and chia seeds (if using).
- Blend – Push the button and blend until smooth. That’s it. It really is that simple. Pour your green smoothies into two glasses (or that new Stanley cup you just got) and enjoy.
Layering Guide for Blending Smoothies
The order you add your ingredients to your blender matters! If you’re new to blending smoothies, the best advice I can give you is to layer your smoothie correctly in the blender jar. This will prevent the blender from getting stuck. Start with your liquids and end with your frozen ingredients since the frozen ingredients act as a weight to push the rest of the ingredients down. Add ingredients in this order:
- Liquids (water, milk, juice, yogurt)
- Powders and sweeteners (protein powder, cocoa powder, honey, agave)
- Leafy greens and soft fruit (banana, berries, avocado)
- Creamy ingredients like yogurt and nut butter
- Hard fruits or veggies (apples, carrots, beets)
- Nuts, Seeds, dried fruit
- Frozen fruit or ice
Pro Tips for Blending:
To ensure ingredients blend into a smooth and consistent texture, cut your fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces. Start gradually and blend increase to higher speeds to avoid overloading the blender motor.
Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Ingredients?
Use at least one frozen ingredient in your smoothies to keep the texture creamy and chilled without using ice (which waters down the flavor). I keep a giant Costco-sized bag of frozen pineapple in our freezer. It’s super affordable and great to have on hand for smoothies. During the summer and fall when pineapples and bananas are in season, buy them, chop them up, and flash-freeze them on a baking sheet until firm. Then you can bag fruit and use it throughout the coming months.
Frozen spinach is pre-washed, pre-chopped, and retains its nutritional value so keep a bag on hand in the freezer and you’ll always have your ingredients ready for any time you have a hankering for the best green smoothies. Like the frozen pineapple, frozen spinach will chill the drink which I love. Just be sure to reduce the fresh spinach measurement by half.
Make-Ahead
This recipe makes two portions. Make a batch to share or store half for later.
- To Refrigerate: Pour your prepared smoothie into an airtight container and promptly refrigerator for 24 hours. Give it a good shake or stir before you drink it to redistribute the ingredients.
- Freezing: Make a batch of green smoothies for the week, or month. Divide the blended smoothies into individual serving portions. You can use ice cube trays, silicone molds, or small freezer bags. If freezing in bags, remove as much air as possible and lay flat on a tray to freeze. This makes them easy to stack and store neatly in your freezer.
- To Thaw: Refrigerate frozen portions overnight, or in a hurry, blend the frozen Green Smoothie, adding more liquid if necessary to obtain the desired consistency. You could also put the frozen portion into a blender ball cup and bring it on the go, to the office, or in the car while running around town, and it will be thawed and ready for you.
If your blender has been tucked away in a corner collecting dust, it’s time to put it to good use with this breakfast smoothie. Cheers to mornings that start with a sip of sweet, vitamin-packed, green goodness.
More Easy Smoothie Recipes
If you love our recipe for Green Smoothies, then you won’t want to miss our other delicious smoothie recipes.
- Blueberry Mango Smoothie
- Strawberry Smoothies
- Blueberry Pear Smoothie
- Mango Pineapple Smoothie
- Blueberry Smoothie
Green Smoothie Recipe
5 from 30 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
This classic Green Smoothie is a nutritious powerhouse loaded with fresh spinach, banana, orange, and pineapple. It is customizable but make sure to have at least one frozen fruit in this smoothie to make it chilled and thicken it up a little. The ingredients are so simple and good for you. It's refreshing and will give you a nice boost of energy.
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Ingredients
Servings: 2 servings
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, or your milk of choice
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 orange, peeled
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple
- 2 tsp chia seeds, optional
Instructions
Place everything in a blender in the order listed, starting with the liquid and ending with the frozen fruit and chia seeds (if using).
Blend until smooth and transfer into two tall glasses.
Nutrition Per Serving
206kcal Calories44g Carbs3g Protein4g Fat2g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat0.1g Monounsaturated Fat0.01g Trans Fat26mg Sodium649mg Potassium7g Fiber29g Sugar3072IU Vitamin A108mg Vitamin C149mg Calcium2mg Iron
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Nutrition Facts
Green Smoothie Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
206
% Daily Value*
Fat
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.1
g
Sodium
26
mg
1
%
Potassium
649
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
44
g
15
%
Fiber
7
g
29
%
Sugar
29
g
32
%
Protein
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
3072
IU
61
%
Vitamin C
108
mg
131
%
Calcium
149
mg
15
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Calories: 206