The Best-Ever Green Smoothie is made from just 4 ingredients, and is gluten, dairy, and banana free. Healthy, easy, and kid-approved!
You’ve probably seen 1,001 green smoothie recipes on the internet, including a couple here on IGE, but I’ve officially found the most delicious one yet.
The BEST EVER Green Smoothie, if I do say so myself!
The combination of 4 ingredients that blends into said best green smoothie, comes from a new-to-us smoothie shop we visited last weekend. It was all I could do to prevent a husband-shaped hole from appearing in the doorway when we realized the smoothies were EIGHT DOLLARS a piece.
Y’all, it’s SO much cheaper to make them at home!
Watch How to Make It
Kid-Approved Green Smoothie
Needless to say we got one smoothie to split, but it ended up being so unbelievably delicious that I accidentally drank more than my fair share which made my toddler cry because he didn’t get as much as he wanted.
#MotherOfTheYear
I got back in my baby’s good graces the following day when we recreated the smoothie at home for a fraction of the cost, and it ended up being a dead ringer for the $8 one. I mean, we nailed it!
4 Ingredient Green Smoothie
Just four ingredients are blended until brilliantly green, silky smooth, and tropical tasting:
- Chopped kale
- Baby spinach
- Frozen mango
- No-sugar added apple juice
If you’re a green smoothie skeptic, promise me you’ll try this combo. Even my kiddos slurp it down. It’s is a fantastic, healthy post-nap/school snack.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItNormally I wouldn’t put juice in a smoothie, but for me the pros outweigh the cons in this case. It’s basically a salad in smoothie form that tastes like anything but.
That said, if you want to cut down on sugar you could try using coconut water in place of some of the juice. I’ve tried using water and it tastes a little bland.
Pump Up the Protein
As I mentioned, we like drinking Best-Ever Green Smoothies as an after school or post-nap pick me up. It’s also great as a pre-workout drink because it’s light and energizing. That said, if you’re looking to serve this smoothie for breakfast and want to pump up the protein, try:
- Pairing with scrambled or hard boiled eggs, or piece of peanut butter toast.
- Adding 1/2 cup high-protein Greek yogurt before blending.
- Adding a Tablespoon of chia seeds before blending.
- Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
Frozen Green Smoothie Blender Packs
This green smoothie makes great smoothie blender packs too. Add the kale, baby spinach, and mango into ziplock baggies then freeze. When you’re ready to drink, pour the contents into a blender, add the liquid, then blend!
How to Make Best Green Smoothies
Start with curly kale that’s been stripped off the woody stems then roughly torn or chopped.
Recipe Tip
Do not use store-bought, bagged chopped kale, which often comes with big pieces of stems that do not blend fully.
You can either hold the bottom of the stem then use your other hand to strip off the leaves as you pull the stem out, or simply pluck the kale off the stem.
Add the kale plus baby spinach into a high-powered blender with frozen mango hunks.
I have a Blendtec and absolutely love it. Kale can be a bit tough, but it’s blended to smithereens in this high-powered blender.
Finally add no sugar added 100% apple juice.
Pop the lid on top then blend until silky smooth. NO color editing here – the smoothie really is this bright green, but doesn’t taste like it!
Pour the smoothie into glasses then add a straw. The recipe makes 16oz so you could split with a partner, or keep the whole thing for yourself.
Bright, fresh, healthy, and 100% delicious. I hope you love this healthy green smoothie recipe as much as we do – enjoy!
More Healthy Breakfast and Snack Recipes
- Green Smoothie Muffins
- High Protein Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
- Mini Egg Bites
- Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup lightly packed chopped curly kale
- 1 cup lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 cup frozen chopped mango
- 1 – 2 cups no sugar added 100% apple juice
Directions
- Add the ingredients to a high-powered blender in the order listed above.
- Blend until very smooth — you may need to run the smoothie cycle 2 times — then serve. The Green Smoothie will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if store in an airtight container or jar.
Notes
- This smoothie makes great smoothie packs! Combine the kale, spinach, and mango into baggies then freeze. When you’re ready to drink, pour the contents of one baggie into a blender then add juice and blend until smooth.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I had to come on here and tell you this: I have been making these smoothies for my kids since you first posted the recipe years ago. Fast forward to today: my 17 year old daughter had jaw surgery this week and is on a liquid diet, which has been difficult. Today she requested the “OG green smoothie” and drank it all down. It filled my mama-heart and I just wanted to reach out and say thank you!
Oh the poor thing! I’m so happy this smoothie popped into her head both as what sounds like a comfort food for her, but also something that could nourish her as she recovers. Wishing her the very best. Thanks so much for leaving this comment, Kristin. <3
Thanks for the idea! I used a packed cup of power greens (Trader Joes), a cup of frozen mango, a scoop of protein powder,1/3 cup of very thick, Greek yogurt, the remains of a bottle of almond milk and some coconut water to replace the apple juice. Mine wasn’t as green as yours, but it sure was delicious.
PS, I have this Ninja blender https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SBRGSFH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
It works just like my niece’s Blendtec and costs $100.
Sounds so delicious, Cheryl! I’m so glad you were able to make this recipe work for your tastes!
Thanks to your encouragement, I made a green smoothie with these ingredients:
1 small Gala apple, seeded, not peeled
1 of the little yellow mangoes, peeled.
About 1/5 peeled Bartlett pear ( the rest was rotten — I never know how to pick a pear that’s not rotten on the inside).
1/2 c. orange juice, with pulp.
1 measure collagen peptides.
Marvelous! Thank you.!
I DID include a cup or more of kale!
Love it, Kent!! Hope you enjoyed. :)
I just bought a huge bunch of kale at the Farmer’s Market here in Georgetown TX, so your post was perfect timing.
If anyone is needing a more affordable blender that can take on kale, I recently bought this one on Amazon, and it’s handled anything I’ve thrown into it so far.
Ninja SS151 TWISTi Blender DUO, High-Speed 1600 WP Smoothie Maker & Nutrient Extractor* 5 Functions Smoothie, Spreads & More, smartTORQUE, 34-oz. Pitcher & (2) To-Go Cups, Gray
Hi! I just made this, and it looks beautiful and the flavor is OK, but it has a slightly gritty taste/texture. Any thoughts on what I have done to achieve that grittiness? i’m wondering if it’s my kale. But I just bought it and it’s fresh and came pre-washed. Thanks!
Hi Mariam! Did you use the chopped bagged kale with the stems still on? Those won’t fully blend like the leaves do. Also be sure you’re using a high powered blender.
I made it and I added a tablespoon of chia seeds for extra protein. It was yummy and really green!
Fabulous addition! I’m so glad you loved it, Kristi!!