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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.
Table of Contents
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 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.
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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.
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.
Carrot Tops Smoothie
Jen HansardIngredients
- ¾ cup spinach
- 1 carrot include carrot tops
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- ½ banana
Instructions
- Blend spinach, carrot tops and water until smooth.
- Add the remaining fruits and blend again.
Recipe Notes
- Wash carrot tops like fresh herbs — dunk and swish them in a bowl of water, then dry well. Those feathery greens trap grit the way cilantro does, and one sandy sip ruins the magic.
- Don’t peel the carrot. Scrub it well and toss it in — the blender handles the rest, and you save prep time. Chop it into a few chunks first if your blender is on the standard side.
- Thaw frozen fruit 15-30 minutes before blending. Still cold, way easier to blend — this recipe has lots of textures (wispy greens, dense carrot, frozen fruit), so a slight thaw helps everything turn silky.
- Carrot tops bolder than expected? Greens from mature or garden carrots can be extra herbaceous. Add a few more pineapple chunks or the other half of a banana to rebalance — sweetness is the fix, not more blending.
Nutrition
Equipment
Common Questions
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.
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.
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.
I have had many failed attempts at trying to use carrot greens. But I’ve never tried one of your smoothie recipes I didn’t like, so when I got the email about this one, I knew it was time to give carrot greens another try! I love that each serving contains one carrot and the greens attached to it! It’s a genius formula and came out so tasty! Recently frozen pineapple has been hard to find around here so I used double mango. Can’t wait to try again with pineapple!
I bet double mango was still a hit, April! Glad you decided to give this one a go!
When your recipes call for frozen cauliflower and carrots can these be from the freezer section or do you recommend fresh veggies that I will then freeze? Thank you!
Hi Dawn! I’d recommend from the freezer section, as that is easier!
Excellent smoothie! However I didn’t have regular spinach but did have Malabar spinach growing in the garden so I used that. Which was perfect cuz I don’t care for the mucilage in Malabar leaves but in a smoothie you can’t tell! I also added a tiny bit of fresh ginger for a little kick.
I’m always looking for ways to use veggies that are freshly harvested to get the most nutrients. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
These are helpful recipes for carrot tops! I am starting to harvest my winter carrots and hate throwing out the gorgeous tops.
Such a great way to use those fluffy green beauties, Olivia! Way to be resourceful!
I’ve been doing more and more with food waste and this is a great idea. I know I’d find a tasty recipe from ya’ll. Way to save my carrot tops!
Such an awesome way to use what we typically think of as waste – totally agree Dani! Not everything needs to be composted. 🙂