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.
Looking forward to more healthy recipes!
I can’t wait to try this. I’m going to get the ingredients this weekend.
I am an anti-smoothie person because I don’t like the textures they sometimes have. I would be willing to try this if there is no textures and it really is smooth. Can you tell me if I can get this smoothie smooth with no added things left unblended? (if you know what I mean)
If you have a high-powered blender like a Blendtec, Vitamix, or even a ninja, your smoothies will be completely smooth!
Throw in half an avocado to make it super smooth!
I was just looking for an easy green smoothie recipe, and made it this morning! I used water instead of juice, and I added some Stur water enhancer for a little flavor here’s the link if you’re interested – http://www.amazon.com/Stur-ALL-NATURAL-sugar-free-calorie-free-preservative-free/dp/B00C1LXBFC/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457540470&sr=8-1&keywords=stur. The smoothie was delicious – thank you!
I looove mango in my green smoothies! Berries are always good too.
I keep telling myself that I’m going to start drinking smoothies, but that has yet to happen… Maybe I’ll start with this simple recipe. Thanks!
Yes! Finally a smoothie with NO bananas! Can’t wait to try this – thank you :)
This looks so good. The color is amazing! So GREEN for spring.
Fellow morning person in the house, er internet/blog :) You lost me at the mango. Do you have a suggestion for mango?
You could try frozen pineapple instead. They are sold right next to each other in the freezer section if you feel like giving mango a try (assuming there’s no allergy or anything!)
I love this smoothie so much, simple and clean. My daughter is allergic to mango, so I made it for her with frozen pineapple and it is delicious as well!
I am also a fellow morning person and not a mango lover. Would pineapple work?
Thats so pretty! Love only 4 ingedients!
Oh and my gosh! Look at that cute little sucker upper!!!! ;-)
Oh my gosh so this post reminded me that your Green Monster smoothie was the first blog post I EVER read. I was in graduate school at the time and my friend and I pioneered green smoothies every day for two months, the whole dietetics program was on board! So in December of 2013 you had at least 20 people making that smoothie daily! Thanks for a new one to be obsessed with!
That is amazing!! :D
Yum!! I have a green smoothie almost every morning! Mango is my favorite fruit in a green smoothie!
I love the simple ingredients and the color is stunning!