Best Green Smoothie Recipe

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This green smoothie is a fresh, healthy, and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings. It’s nice and slushy, naturally sweet, and a simple way to enjoy an extra serving of fruits and vegetables! 

Glasses of green smoothie.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why You’ll Love This Green Smoothie

I’ve been making this green smoothie recipe for decades, it’s my go-to! And while you can make variations to it (see my tips below), it really is an everyday green smoothie that you can turn to repeatedly. In fact, it might actually get you excited to get out of bed in the mornings to blend it up! So, what makes this recipe the best? 

  • It’s super simple: there’s just five basic ingredients. And you may have them already!
  • It’s well-rounded: with a combination of fruits and vegetables it’s packed with nutrients and quite filling. The key to a great green smoothie is choosing the right ingredients with the correct quantities. Proportions are everything, for both texture and flavor.
  • This one actually tastes good: Unlike other recipes, it’s not overly bitter and has a hint of natural sweetness. But it’s not too sweet. I’m quite confident you’ll love this green smoothie just as much as my green juice!
Ingredients for a green smoothie.

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 options 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 an easy leafy green superfood to add to green smoothies. Plus, those big containers of baby spinach are very budget-friendly. 
  • Fruits: You’ll need an apple, avocado, and a banana — a good balance of fruits and healthy fats. If you want to swap any of these, I’ve got ingredient substitutions listed below.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Green smoothie ingredients in a blender.

How To Make A Healthy Green Smoothie

It couldn’t be any easier! Just add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until it’s perfectly smooth and creamy. It should only take about 30 seconds! 

Tips & Substitutions

If you haven’t read my post on how to make the healthiest green smoothie, make sure to do that. But here are a few quick tips:

  • Switch up the greens: A few leafy greens that blend well are kale, spinach, or chard. But if you have celery, mustard greens, or romaine on hand, those are great options.
  • 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).
  • Make it thicker or thinner. If you want your smoothie a bit thicker, add another ¼ slice of avocado. If you want your smoothie a bit thinner, just add more liquid.
  • Mix up your fruits: A 2:1 ratio between fruits and vegetables is a good rule of thumb. Over time, you can increase to a 1:1 ratio for a lower sugar smoothie. Some of my favorite fruits are frozen bananas, strawberries, mangos, and pineapple.
  • Don’t forget about healthy fats: Healthy fats help you absorb all of the nutrients from vegetables and fruits. If you don’t have an avocado, add healthy fats from almond butter, or other nuts and seeds. 
Pouring green smoothie into a cup.

Common Questions

What if you can’t eat bananas or avocados?

Substitute the banana with mango or pear. For the avocado, try a tablespoon or two of almond butter. Alternatively, you can add frozen cauliflower or frozen zucchini to help bulk the smoothie.

Can you add protein? 

Definitely! I do this in my post workout green smoothie. Feel free to add a scoop of your favorite collagen, powder powder, or some Greek yogurt. If adding Greek yogurt, keep in mind that it’ll add a tangy flavor.

Can you meal prep green smoothies?

You can, but just be aware that anything with avocado will brown over time. So it may look a little murky the next day (though it’s still fine to drink!). But because this recipe is so easy, I usually make it fresh on the spot.

Green smoothie in a cup with a straw.

More Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Next time you’re at the market, grab a handful of seasonal ingredients and whip up these other smoothie ideas!

I hope this green smoothie recipe makes it into your weekly rotation! Once you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

A glass of a green smoothie.

Best Green Smoothie Recipe (5 Ingredients)

4.93 from 66 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This green smoothie is a simple, healthy and nutrient-dense recipe that will fuel your mornings! Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 ½ cup milk (dairy or dairy-free)
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 apple
  • ¼ avocado

Instructions 

  • Blend together. Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until creamy.
    Blending green smoothie.
  • Serve it up. Pour the green smoothie into glasses and enjoy!
    Green smoothie in a glass.

Lisa’s Tips

Nutrition

Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 2927IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best green smoothie recipe, Green Smoothie, green smoothie recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted Jan 2020, but updated to include new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.93 from 66 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




174 Comments

  1. 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!5 stars

  2. 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.5 stars

    1. 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.  2 stars

  3. 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!

    1. You can save the other half for the next day in the fridge. Just make sure to give it a stir before drinking.

  4. 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.

  5. 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!!5 stars

    1. This recipe is not so bad, and actually on the sweeter side with sneaky greens :) Glad you loved it!

  6. 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!5 stars

    1. You can also add in frozen cauliflower or zucchini, or other frozen fruits as well to help bulk it up.

  7. 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 videos5 stars

    1. 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!

  8. 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.

    1. 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.

  9. 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.5 stars

  10. Just made green smoothie in my new e310 vitamix. Lovely and mild tasting, looking forward to trying your other recipes.5 stars

  11. 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!5 stars

  12. 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 5 stars

    1. Wonderful! I’m happy you loved this green smoothie recipe, Belle! Swapping mango for the banana is a perfect substitute.

  13. 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!5 stars

  14. 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?

  15. WOW just made this and it’s delicious and creamy! Made two drinks but honestly I had them both because it was so good5 stars

  16. Another delicious recipe from Lisa! Added the collagen peptides that I first heard about from you as well!5 stars

  17. 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!5 stars

  18. 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??5 stars

    1. Hi Emese- I might recommend to use fresh spinach instead. But if you use frozen, I would defrost it a bit first :)

  19. 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!!  5 stars

  20. 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!!!

      1. 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! 5 stars

      2. 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!

  21. 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!5 stars

    1. 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 :)

  22. 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!5 stars

    1. 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!

  23. 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. 

    1. Hi Patricia – If you don’t have apples, you can always substitute with berries :) Your smoothie will just turn out more brown than green!

  24. When adding berries, how much do you add, what berries do you add and do you add them fresh or frozen?

    1. 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 :)

    1. 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.

  25. 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👌

    1. Hi Karen – Berries in this will taste amazing as well! Just might turn a bit more brown than green :)

  26. 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👌🏻🥳5 stars

    1. Hi Assem – I love the additional toppings you added to this! Sounds delicious and glad you enjoyed it :)

  27. 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. :)5 stars

  28. 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!5 stars

  29. 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!5 stars

  30. 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!5 stars