Carrot Tops Smoothie (Zero-Waste Carrot Greens Recipe)

Name: Carrot Tops Smoothie
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup spinach; 1 carrot (include carrot tops); 1 cup water; 1/2 cup pineapple (frozen); 1/2 cup mango (frozen); 1/2 banana

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Confession: for years, I peeled carrots, chopped off the leafy green tops, and tossed them straight into the compost without a second thought. Then I learned those “useless” greens are completely edible — fresh, herbaceous, a little like parsley — and I’ve been blending them ever since. If you buy carrots with the tops on anyway, this smoothie is basically free produce. And around here, we love free.

This carrot tops smoothie balances those bold greens with sweet pineapple, mellow mango, and creamy banana, so the finished glass tastes bright and tropical — not like a garnish. It’s the kind of zero-waste kitchen win that makes you feel quietly brilliant every time you make it.

2 glass jars of carrot tops smoothie with papers straws, surrounded by fresh carrots, mango and pineapple slices.

What's in this post

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Tops Smoothie
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make a Carrot Tops Smoothie
How to Store Carrot Tops
Common Questions
Carrot Tops Smoothie Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Tops Smoothie

Zero-waste magic. You’re blending the part of the carrot you used to throw away. One bunch of carrots now equals dinner prep and tomorrow’s smoothie.
Tastes tropical, not grassy. Tangy pineapple, mild mango, and ripe banana balance the herbaceous carrot greens beautifully. The flavor lands closer to a tropical green smoothie than anything “earthy.”
A fun twist on greens. Carrot tops bring a fresh, parsley-like complexity that spinach can’t — a little more character in every sip. (Rotating your greens keeps smoothies interesting, and this is the most satisfying rotation there is.)
Beginner-friendly ratio. Carrot tops are bolder than spinach, so this recipe uses a half-and-half blend of both. Feeling brave? Go full carrot tops and skip the spinach entirely.
Vegan, gluten-free, and 7 minutes flat.

Carrots are one of my favorite sneaky-sweet smoothie ingredients — my carrot smoothie puts the root front and center and my pineapple smoothie bowl is the spoonable tropical cousin of this blend.

Ingredients for a carrot greens smoothie with carrot tops, mango, pineapple, banana, and spinach.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Carrot tops are more flavorful than spinach, so I don’t fill the whole smoothie with them — the fruit keeps everything balanced. Here’s what’s blending:

Carrot (tops included!): The whole point. Scrub the carrot well — no need to peel it for a smoothie — and wash the greens like you’d wash any herb. The tops bring a fresh, parsley-like note; the root brings natural sweetness.
Spinach: The mild teammate. It fills out the greens without adding flavor, keeping the carrot tops from taking over. My leafy greens guide covers more swap options.
Pineapple: The balancer. Its tang stands up to the herbaceous greens — this smoothie doesn’t work nearly as well without it. My how to cut pineapple tips make prep easy.
Mango: The mellow one. It smooths and sweetens without competing. (I blend mango into almost everything — no regrets.)
Banana: Creaminess and sweetness in one. The riper, the better — spotty peels are smoothie gold.
Water: Zero-prep liquid. Swap in coconut water for a subtly sweet upgrade.

Want it heartier? Add ½ cup yogurt or a serving of my homemade protein powder — plus a splash more liquid, since both thicken things up fast.

free

Bowl of creamy vegetable soup with potatoes, carrots and fresh herbs

November 9-13, 2026

Jen’s Free Soup Challenge

I’d love for you to soup it up with me! For 5 days, I’ll send you a daily veggie-packed soup that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight and makes enough to freeze and pull out all winter.

Carrot tops with leafy green tops held together with rubberbands.

How to Make a Carrot Tops Smoothie

This is a green smoothie, so we’re using my no-fail two-blend method — it’s the difference between creamy and confetti:

Blend the spinach, carrot tops, and water first until completely smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides if needed — carrot tops are wispy and like to cling to the container.
Add the carrot, pineapple, mango, and banana and blend again until silky. This blend has a lot of different textures, so give it a full 60-90 seconds rather than bailing early.

Using frozen fruit? Let it sit out 15-30 minutes first — still cold, much easier on your blender. And if your blender fights you on the carrot, my smoothie blenders guide has options at every budget.

Carrot greens smoothie with papers straws, surrounded by fresh carrots, mango and pineapple slices.

How to Store Carrot Tops

Whether they’re from your garden or the grocery store, save those tops! Remove the greens from the carrots as soon as you get home (they pull moisture from the root if left attached), wash and dry them well, roughly chop, and stash them in a silicone freezer bag. They keep frozen for up to six months — a ready-to-blend greens stash that cost you nothing.

If you make this carrot tops smoothie recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.

Glass of blended carrot greens smoothie with carrot tops on counter.

Common Questions

Are carrot tops good for anything?

Carrot greens are edible and tasty! You can jazz up a recipe with carrot tops easily. Simply wash them well, chop them up and toss in to a soup, smoothie or salad. They have a very carrot-like flavor and the texture is a bit like parsley.

Is it okay to juice carrot tops?

You can juice the whole carrot from tip to leafy green. Just know that you will lose the fiber in them by juicing. If you want to focus on adding more fiber to your diet, then try blending the carrot greens into a smoothie instead.

Is it good to put carrot tops in a recipe?

I love adding leafy greens to my smoothies. They add fiber and other nutrients with little added flavor, depending on the type of greens you use. Just make sure you try a variety of leafy green vegetables in smoothie recipes so that you are overloading on one type.

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