Best Green Smoothie Recipe
142 Comments
Updated Jun 20, 2023
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This green smoothie is a simple, healthy, and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings! From apples to spinach and bananas, these wholesome ingredients are a great way to sneak more fruits and veggies into your everyday routine – just drink them up!
I’ve been making green smoothies for as long as I can remember. And while I’ve made many variations over the years (like this cilantro smoothie), the recipe I’m sharing with you today is my go-to recipe. Think of it as an everyday green smoothie recipe you can return to repeatedly.
Why do I love this version? It’s well-rounded with nutrients, perfectly filling, and tastes so good to the point where you’ll get excited to get out of bed in the morning to blend it up!
Green Smoothie Ingredients
While the ingredient list is extremely flexible, this is my favorite combination of fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. It’s simple yet so delicious.
- Milk: My favorite nut milks for a creamy smoothie are cashew milk, oat milk, or almond milk. But feel free to use whichever dairy or dairy-free milk you prefer!
- Vegetables: Spinach is such an easy leafy green superfood to incorporate into green smoothies. Plus, those big containers of baby spinach are very budget-friendly.
- Fruits: You’ll need an apple, avocado, and banana. But see my tips below for switching it up!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make a Healthy Green Smoothie
Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy. This should only take about 30 seconds!
Tips for a Healthy Smoothie
If you haven’t read my post on how to make the healthiest green smoothie, make sure to do that. But here’s a few quick tips:
- Switch up the greens: A few leafy greens that blend well are kale, spinach, or chard. But, feel free to switch it up with celery, mustard greens, or romaine.
- Stick with a healthy liquid base: Since you’ll already be adding fruit into your smoothie, it’s best to not add any additional sugars with fruit juice. Instead, opt for water or milk (dairy or dairy-free, your choice!).
- Mix up your fruits: For most people, a 2:1 ratio between fruits and vegetables is a good rule of thumb. Some of my favorite fruits to slice and freeze are apples, bananas, strawberries, mangos, or pineapple.
- Don’t forget about healthy fats: If you didn’t know, healthy fats help absorb all the nutrients from the veggies and fruits – so this is crucial! You can do this simply by adding coconut oil, nuts, seeds, or 1/4 of an avocado.
- If you like your smoothies a bit thicker: add another 1/4 slice of avocado. If you like your smoothies a bit thinner or you’d like to save a few calories, you can substitute the milk with water.
- Boost with superfoods: While the 4 steps above make a perfectly good green smoothie, it doesn’t hurt to add additional superfoods or mix-ins, like I do on my post-workout green smoothie recipe. You can add spices such as cinnamon or ginger and superfoods like maca powder or bee pollen.
Green Smoothie Recipe Video
This is an easy smoothie recipe (especially in a Vitamix) and only takes a minute. Watch the video below to see how quickly it comes together!
More Healthy Smoothie Recipes
When you come across fresh, seasonal ingredients, here are a few smoothie ideas to make the most of them! And if you happen to be looking for a juice instead — you’ll love this nutrient-packed green juice.
- Apple Carrot Beet Smoothie
- Blueberry Smoothie
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Mango Smoothie
- Strawberry Acai Smoothie
- Peach Breakfast Smoothie
- Low Sugar Smoothies
I hope this green smoothie recipe makes it into your weekly rotation! Once you give it a taste, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it in the comment box below.
Best Green Smoothie Recipe (5 Ingredients)
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 apple
- ¼ avocado
- plus optional add-ins
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until creamy.
Lisa’s Tips
- Remember to freeze your bananas ahead of time! I cut my bananas in half and then store them in a Stasher bag in the freezer.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Recipe originally posted Jan 2020, but updated to include new information.
This was incredible! I love adding part of an avocado, it gives it a great creamy texture
very good
I love this smoothie (and rarely leave reviews)! I was hesitant but knew I needed more green vegetables in my day and was really impressed. I did not have an overpowering spinach or avocado taste so I could mask it really easily for my 12yo. Looking forward to experimenting with other fruits and trying more recipes!
Love prepping this smoothie for my mid-morning snack, when I’m too hungry to wait for lunch. I drink one serving and leave the 2nd serving in the fridge for tomorrow. It’s not too sweet but still delicious for the amount of fruit & vegetables it contains. I find it hard to incorporate fruits in my eating habits especially to eat them raw & whole so this smoothie is perfect for my daily fruit intake.
Do you leave apple skin on for smoothie?
I normally do, but you can peel it if you want as well.
Not what I was looking for. It wasn’t sweet or tangy enough for my preference. I really don’t like leaving bad reviews, but since all the reviews were so good and I didn’t like it, I thought it important to give my perspective.
I see that these recipes are for 2 portions. Do you just refrigerate the extra (if only one person) and is it still good a day or two later? Or do you need to use it as soon as possible? I think it might not be nutritious and/or blended a few days later.
I heard it’s good to alternate the smoothies and have different kinds in a week – so how does this work out?
Thanks!
You can save the other half for the next day in the fridge. Just make sure to give it a stir before drinking.
This is the perfect lower sugar super food green smoothie recipe. I wonder if replacing the milk with plant based yogurt and water would make it taste a little off, maybe too tangy? I’m trying to sneak more probiotic foods into my diet.
You can try doing that instead, but it might add a little tang.
100% – best green smoothie!
I just made this smoothie this morning and it is so good!! Usually I stay away from green smoothies, a little intimidated by the color (lol), but I’m so glad I tried this one! It’s refreshing and light and perfect for the morning! I use a little nutra ninja so the only hard part was fitting all the ingredients into one blender (actually it didn’t work, I used 2). Id probably use less almond milk in the future if I wanted it in one blender. But besides that, it was easy and tastes great! Thanks Lisa!!
This recipe is not so bad, and actually on the sweeter side with sneaky greens :) Glad you loved it!
This is my favorite smoothie! I have tried a bunch of different recipes and I still like this one the best! Easy and it tastes great! Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed this green smoothie Ginny :)
I am allergic to avocados, is there an acceptable alternative to use in the smoothie?
You can also add in frozen cauliflower or zucchini, or other frozen fruits as well to help bulk it up.
Hi, I have two questions.
Since I live alone, could I keep the second portion in the fridge?
And how do you keep the rest of the avocado?
Thank you and just want to say you’re doing a great job, great recipies and very good videos
Yes, keep the leftovers in the fridge. As for avocado, I normally will squeeze a little lemon on top and store in a container or bag in the fridge. But try to use immediately as it will brown!
I don’t know what I did wrong but my smoothie did not turn out like the one in the video. I did skip the apple and avocados but my issue is the leaves don’t blend up all the way. I have to chew my smoothie 😩. I have a Ninja blender so I assumed that was high powered enough.
Hi Eden – the apples and avocados are needed for this recipe. But interesting, your Ninja should be able to blend up the leaves just fine as I’ve done it before! Give it a try with the rest of the ingredients.
Delicious! My toddler said it tasted like honey 😂
We used green apples and it was still plenty sweet!
That’s a great sign! Glad you both enjoyed this smoothie recipe :)
I love carrots. Do you have some recipes for carrot smoothies? Thanks.
Hi Jospeh! I do have an Apple Carrot Beet Smoothie up on the site :)
I love all your recipes, they had helped me in becoming more conscious about eating healthier and making healthier choices.
thank you for your motivation.
x0x0
Nancy.
Happy to hear I’ve been able to help you on your health journey Nancy :)
I just made this, and i’m in love, i also froze the apple for a bit 💚💚
So glad you enjoyed this smoothie recipe :)
Just made green smoothie in my new e310 vitamix. Lovely and mild tasting, looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe Adele!
I really wanted to get into smoothies but I wasn’t sure where to start. I really appreciate having your recipes to refer to. I love this one. Sometimes I’ll replace the spinach with frozen kale and it’s still delicious. Thank you!
Awesome smoothie. I used organic frozen mango pieces because I didn’t have banana. It made two smoothies and I kept one in the fridge for when my partner woke up and it still had a nice blended texture :D
Wonderful! I’m happy you loved this green smoothie recipe, Belle! Swapping mango for the banana is a perfect substitute.
Yes, it is the BEST green smoothie! I just made it for a snack and I think it’s the creaminess of the avocado that really adds to the texture. Thanks for sharing!
Of course! This is one of my go-to smoothies :)
This smoothie was absolutely delicious, thank you for sharing!
yay!
I’d love to make this smoothie, but I have an allergy to apples. Any ideas on a good replacement for Apple in this recipe?
Hi Jayne – I always love pears in this recipe as well. :)
WOW just made this and it’s delicious and creamy! Made two drinks but honestly I had them both because it was so good
Hi Jamie- Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed this smoothie :)
Another delicious recipe from Lisa! Added the collagen peptides that I first heard about from you as well!
Hi Sheila – Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this green smoothie :)
Hands down the BEST green smoothie I have ever made at home. I didn’t add the avocado. Only add in was Garden of Life unflavored raw organic protein powder. Both my spinach and bananas where frozen. Another Downshiftology winner!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this green smoothie Michelle 😊
I’ve been going crazy going up and down the whole page trying to find the video for this and don’t see it anywhere… I was curious if it was just this page but there seem to be no videos associated with any of your recipes in your video page?? Am I missing something here??
Hi Nicole- To see the videos in the post, you will need to turn off your ad blocker :)
This is so good
Hi Karen- So glad you enjoyed this green smoothie :)
Awesome Lisa.. Love it 😍
Hi Lisa, frozen spinach be used for this smoothie? Thank you!
Hi Emese- I might recommend to use fresh spinach instead. But if you use frozen, I would defrost it a bit first :)
I usually am not a fan of green smoothies because of their unappealing taste and propensity to produce gastrointestinal distress. But this one is perfect!! Just the right hint of sweetness with the apple and banana, perfect creaminess with a whole avocado, and very well balanced taste!!
Hi Shelly – Yay! Happy to hear this recipe can change your mind about a green smoothie :)
Hi Lisa!
Love watching you on you tube and follow you on IG….
I am not a fan of fruit,especially berries and bananas. I do like citrus flavors! Any suggestions on a green smoothie without the fruit? Someone told me to add Apple Cider Vinegar and Ginger…..Definitely not working for me!!!
Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Lee – check out my post and video on low-sugar smoothies, where I add more vegetables. :)
Hi Lisa, I have always been skeptical that I can make a yummy green smoothie at home but you have proved me wrong. It turned out delicious. I have started working out at home and I was wondering would this smoothie be good as a post workout smoothie? Do you recommend more smoothies as a post workout smoothie? Also, should I be adding a protein powder?
Thanks!
Thrilled to hear you’ve found a green smoothie that you love! Yes, this would be a great post workout smoothie. This is very similar to my brown smoothie that I make after I go for my jogs in the morning. And sometimes, I do add my collagen powder or protein powder into the mix. You don’t need the protein powder. But if you want to add, go for it!
What would be the amounts for just one serving ?
Hi Day – It would be about one full glass :)
Drinking green smoothies is good for the body but I really don’t enjoy the taste of them. This one, however, I can actually enjoy drinking. It really is the “best green smoothie”. Great job! Thank you, Lisa!
Hi Christine – Green smoothies can look not too appetizing, but once you add a bit of fruit in it, it does wonders! Glad you enjoyed this one :)
I’ve made plenty of green smoothies in the past and nothing can be compared to this. I literally do not want to waste any last drop. Thanks Lisa for the awesome recipe!
Hi Linda – So thrilled to hear you loved this smoothie recipe!
I slways like to blend in a table spoon of Flaxseed to my smoothie for the omega 3 content.
Hi Billy – Flax seeds are always a great addition :)
I sign up,can you tell how to find the Download for the Guideq
Hi Sharon – You should have received a welcome email with links to all the downloadable PDF’s! Make sure to check your spam/junk folders as well. If you didn’t receive anything, you can email me at lisab@downshiftology.com and will help you from there!
I am a novice at smoothies and this will be my first try at a green smoothie. Is there a good substitute for the banana? I am not a fan and banana seems to be a key ingredient in many smoothie recipes. Thanks for the advice.
Hi Eva – you can use virtually any fruit as a replacement for the banana. A pear would be great!
I love this idea, but can i do it without apples? In my country we don´t have a lot of these!
Hi Patricia – If you don’t have apples, you can always substitute with berries :) Your smoothie will just turn out more brown than green!
Not a big fan of green smoothies but this one is a winning 👌
Hi Noura – I’m glad this recipe changed your mind about green smoothies :)
When adding berries, how much do you add, what berries do you add and do you add them fresh or frozen?
Hi Jacqueline – In my other smoothies, I normally add about 1-2 cups of berries, depending how many servings I’m making. And I’ve used both fresh and frozen. But if you want a more icy and thicker consistency, I suggest to use frozen :)
How does the second serving taste the next day? Any special way to store?
Hi Liz – The second serving should taste just fine :) Just make sure to store it in a glass container with an airtight lid, such as a mason jar! The liquid will separate, so give it a good stir the next day before drinking.
The green smoothie is really good! I am definitely going to add this to my smoothie list😊 Going to try with swapping out apple for berries next! Thanks Lisa👌
Hi Karen – Berries in this will taste amazing as well! Just might turn a bit more brown than green :)
The best green smoothie ever! I made it this morning for breakfast. It was sooo silky smooth. Can’t wait to make it again tomorrow😄 Even though I didn’t add a green apple as I didn’t have one today; haven’t measured the spinach, as I had a leftover spinach +rocket salad, just threw them in; i had barely one cup of almond milk😅added water, banana wasn’t frozen but fresh😀 still THE BEST! I topped up with silvered almonds, shredded coconuts, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and some goji berries👌🏻🥳
Hi Assem – I love the additional toppings you added to this! Sounds delicious and glad you enjoyed it :)
The 2:1 fruit:vegetable ratio is really spot on. I find that if I try to add more vegetable, my smoothie definitely become less tasty. :)
Hi Anita – Adding more veggies can be ideal, but it doesn’t hurt to have fruit :)
I just love this smoothie recipe. I am so impressed with its color and ingredients’combination, that I am running to the kitchen to make it. Making it NOW!
Hi Irina – Can’t wait for you to whip this one up :)
The avocado makes this so smooth and creamy! We loved it!
Hi Beth – The avocado really does do wonders in this smoothie :)
This recipe is just what my morning needs, and thanks for the superfoods tips, I’m always on the lookout for ways to get in more nutrition!
Hi Jenn – Can’t wait for you to whip this up :)
Such a delicious green smoothie! I am excited to make this recipe again tomorrow to mix up my morning smoothie! It was so good today!
Hi Cindy – It’s always a great feeling to start your day off with a nutrient dense smoothie :)