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If you’re new to green smoothies—or just want one that actually tastes good—this is the recipe to start with. This simple green smoothie blends spinach with banana, mango, and pineapple to create a naturally sweet, tropical drink that comes together in minutes. It’s proof that healthy can be easy, delicious, and something you’ll actually want to make again tomorrow.
Table of Contents
What is a Green Smoothie?
A green smoothie is a blended drink made with leafy greens, like spinach or kale, and naturally sweet fruit such as bananas, berries, or tropical fruit. The fruit balances the flavor of the greens, creating a smooth, refreshing drink that’s easy to enjoy. Green smoothies are a quick and simple way to add more fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your day in one glass.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Everything you need to make my favorite green smoothie recipe is found in a garden, farmer’s market, or the produce section of your grocery store. I’ve found that the closer we eat to nature, the better we feel. This green smoothie recipe is a great way to start that journey.
- Fresh spinach: Baby spinach is the most mild version to use in smoothies, and also the most easy to find. I suggest using organic spinach because it’s on the Dirty Dozen List.
- Pineapple: I buy frozen pineapple at Costco in bulk to make Frozen Meal Prep Smoothie Packs. If it’s on sale, I’ll cut up pineapple and freeze it myself.
- Mango: You’ll find frozen mango next to the ice cream in the freezer section. I love how it’s already peeled and cut for you and ready to add to the blender. If fresh mango is on sale, you can always cut the mango and freeze yourself. Check out my guide on how to cut mango.
- Fresh banana: Bananas add a creaminess to smoothies that is hard to replicate. It’s magic! You can also freeze bananas to use them in green smoothies, yet the best results come from blending with a fresh, ripe banana.
- Water: The liquid base in the smoothie is water. Use filtered water to avoid any unnecessary chemicals or pollutants.
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How to Make a Green Smoothie
- Blend 1 cup of spinach in a blender with 1 cup of liquid. Blend until all leafy chunks are gone.
- Toss in frozen mango, pineapple, and bananas in the blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If you want your smoothie to be extra chilly or possibly even turn it into a smoothie bowl, use more frozen fruit. (You can freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas, grapes, pineapple, or berries.)
- Add in superfoods once the smoothie is nice and creamy. Chia seeds, hemp hearts, and flax seeds are all great choices.
- In order to break down the cell walls of the plants, you need to blend at high speed. You shouldn’t have any leafy chunks or weird texture in your smoothie if your blender is powerful enough.
- Drink immediately. To get the maximum amount of nutrients from a smoothie, drink it immediately after blending it.
Recipe Tips
- Following a simple smoothie method in my How to Make a Smoothie guide helps balance greens, fruit, and liquid for a smooth, great-tasting blend. Tossing in random greens can lead to bitter flavors or a thin texture.
- Frozen fruit makes smoothies thick and creamy without ice, which can dilute flavor and strain your blender. I use a fresh banana for creaminess, plus frozen mango and frozen pineapple for sweetness.
- Invest in a high-speed blender for smoothies if you plan to make green smoothies a daily habit—it makes blending faster, smoother, and easier to stick with. A juicer or food processor won’t work to get you a creamy smoothie.
Ingredient Swaps
- Banana: You can substitute it with a quarter of an avocado.
- Mango: Swap with frozen pineapple, red apple or peaches for a fiber-rich alternative.
- Pineapple: Swap with a naval orange to get that juicy citrus flavor.
- Water: Use oat milk, almond milk, coconut water or orange juice depending on your health goals.
- Spinach: Swap for kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or any leafy greens of your choice.
How to Store a Green Smoothie
Store your green smoothie in the fridge with an air-tight lid (ex: mason jars are great) for up to 48 hours, yet I think it tastes best if consumed within 4 hours after blending. The longer your smoothie is exposed to oxygen, the more it breaks down and the nutrients deteriorate (aka: oxidation).
Green Smoothie Add-Ins
- Protein powder: You can turn any green smoothie recipe into a meal replacement by adding a serving of my Homemade Protein Powder to the blender.
- Natural sweeteners: Increase sweetness by using more natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, bananas, or dates. A smoothie can taste like dessert without any refined sugars.
- Chia seeds: A simple way to add more healthy fats and protein is to add 2 tbsp chia seeds. It won’t alter the taste, but drink fast or it will congeal. Some recipes suggest adding almond butter, yet that’s disgusting in a tropical green smoothie
- Collagen: Unflavored collagen is a simple way to add additional protein and support gut health.
- More vegetables: Try adding 1/4 cup frozen cauliflower for a fiber boost without altering the flavor.
More Green Smoothies
Here’s some of the most popular green smoothie recipes on my blog to try next:
- My son is obsessed with this Mango Orange Smoothie recipe.
- This Tropical Kale Smoothie will surprise even the pickiest smoothie drinkers.
- I love this Glowing Green Smoothie with spinach and romaine lettuce for digestive support.
- Escape with this tropical Detox Island Green Smoothie to heal from within.
Dietary Adjustments & Substitutions
Need to accommodate a food allergy? Click the button below for tailored suggestions just for you:
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 banana
Instructions
- Measure: Tightly pack spinach in a measuring cup.
- Add: Put spinach to blender with water. Blend together until all chunks are gone. (Should resemble green water when blended well).
- Toss: Pineapple, mango and banana to blender. I like to use frozen pineapple and mangos to chill the smoothie down and save time cutting and prepping. It’s a win-win!
- Blend: It all together until smooth and creamy. Depending on your blender, this could take as little as 30 seconds or as long as 2 minutes.
- Pour: Into a glass and serve immediately.
Video
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Try adding a serving of Homemade Protein Powder, it’s super clean and easy to make.
- Not a fan of bananas? Swap it for 1/4 avocado, additional 1/2 cup mango or 1/2 cup peaches.
- You can use 1 cup pineapple if you’re out of mango.
- Frozen fruit is recommended to chill the smoothie (and save time cutting and washing).
- Store in the fridge with a lid until ready to drink.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
You won’t be able to taste the spinach if you use the proper ratio of fruit to spinach (1½ : 1). This green smoothie recipe tastes like a mango pineapple smoothie with a hint of banana flavor.
For busy weeks, you can create Frozen Smoothie Packs that you prep on the weekend and enjoy all week, or month. It’ll only take you 5 minutes every morning to have a green smoothie ready to go. You can also blend your smoothie the night before and store it in your fridge until ready to drink.
Green smoothies are the healthiest fast food out there. Blending spinach and fruit into a smoothie is a great way to boost your immune system, increase fiber intake, and boost your energy levels. Adding kale or spinach in a smoothie has incredible health benefits with additional phytonutrients. What we eat can truly transform our body in powerful ways!
Most smoothies you buy or find online are made with just fruit and fruit juice. This makes them crazy high in sugar, which can cause inflammation and consuming excess calories. A green smoothie, on the other hand, is made with fruit and leafy greens, typically spinach or kale. They’re loaded with iron, potassium, fiber and vitamins galore.
Any blender will work, yet to get the creamiest green smoothie you’ll need a high speed blender. Check out my Best Blenders for Smoothies guide, where I reviewed countless blenders to find the best ones for green smoothies. The key is to get rid of leafy chunks, blend quickly and provide tons of value for the price. Hint: not all of them cost $400.
I tried this today, and added some unsweetened cacao powder cause I love my chocolate flavors and ran out of my caco nibs (don’t you just hate that?). I did it exactly as you said, adding those veggies and liquid together into my old ninja and I gotta tell you, absolutely awesome! Thank you for walking us through every step even down to the time for blending because I had me a silky green smoothie today! I’m exploring the rest of your recipes. You have been a God-send. Thank you!!
Seriously the best review, Grace! It really does make a difference when you blend the veggies and liquid together first. Keep rawkin’!
I make this daily. Today I added 2 lime slices and it went to a whole new level!! I plan to continue with lime slices.
Great idea to add some lime slices, Fran!
This tasted so good and was surprised by the sweetness.
This one definitely can definitely surprise you with how sweet it is, Michelle!
I love spinach or kale in my smoothies. The flavor was delicious and you have the best flavors in this smoothie. I am looking forward to tasting all the smoothies in this challenge.
Hi Barbara! Spinach and kale are definitely winners in smoothies, such a great way to get in some leafy greens!
I love spinach or kale in my smoothies. The flavor was delicious and you have the best flavors in this smoothie. I am looking forward to tasting all the smoothies in this challenge.
I hope you enjoyed all the smoothies in the challenge, Barb!
This is one of my favorites. I have made it many times for my grandkids too. Thanks also for the prep ideas and help. I prepped all seven smoothies following my shopping. Great idea to keep me on track. So easy to open the labeled day’s bag and throw it in the blender (step at a time of course). Much more likely to stick to it this way.
Love to hear that you’re using my prep tips! It definitely helps to keep you on track.
This was my first ever green smoothie! I was nervous, but I’m glad I tried it. I liked it. I subbed avocado for banana because I can’t eat bananas. I think that took away some sweetness that made me like it even more. I will make it again!
Hi Robin! Great swap! The avocado definitely changes the sweetness some, yet keeps the creaminess in this one.
Delicious as are all your recipes,! Sorry this is late! I internet that day!
No worries, Barbara! So glad you liked this one!
This one is so yummy! I love how the tropical fruit hides the taste of the spinach. I don’t have homemade protein powder so I added an organic plant based store brand protein powder. I also didn’t have bananas so I used avocado.
This one definitely has a tropical taste. It’s such a great way to get in your leafy greens, in a tasty way!
This recipe started me on my smoothie drinking journey during another challenge 4 years ago. I’ve had a smoothie almost every day since.
This one is definitely a great start for anyone new to smoothies! So glad you’re still rawkin’ with me, Manuela!
Oh so tropical! I love the pineapple and mango chunks in here. It’s not a harsh tasting drink at all – very smooth, creamy, and refreshing! I’m away on an island paradise while sipping, instead of the reality of being at the office. Ha ha!
Hi Kristie! So glad I can give you a nice little tropical break with this smoothie!
My friend introduced me to this smoothie and I loved it. I have been eating it for the last three weeks and am looking forward to the challenge tontey new smoothies.
Hi Beth! You have a great friend if they introduced you to this one! So glad you’ve been lovin’ it.
One of my favorite recipes. So creamy and yummy. It’s a go to recipe for me!
So glad this is one of your go-tos, Anissa!
This smoothie is a fam fav. A great introduction into green smoothies.
You’re so right, Renee! This one is great for beginners.
I think this is my favorite smoothie too. It’s the go to smoothie. It’s the smoothie that gets the first time fryer hooked.
This one is a go-to at my house too, Anita!
Delicious! I know why it’s called “Best Green Smoothie” 🙂
This smoothie is very refreshing and one I will keep in my rotation.