This post contains affiliate links.
Coconut oil has some amazing health benefits such as increasing metabolism and endurance— which is great if you need clean fuel while on the go. Coconut oil in smoothies is a quick + easy way to give your body these incredible benefits, and it also helps your body process the other whole food ingredients in smoothies as well.
Once I started adding coconut oil to my smoothies… I never turned back.

What is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is a natural fat made from the flesh of coconuts. In a smoothie, it’s used in small amounts to add healthy fats, create a creamier texture, and help keep you full longer while supporting absorption of nutrients from fruits and greens.
Adding 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a smoothie can offer a few helpful benefits—especially when you want your smoothie to be more satisfying and energizing.
- Helps keep you full longer. Coconut oil contains healthy fats that slow digestion. This can help your smoothie feel more like a meal, keeping hunger away and preventing a mid-morning crash.
- Provides quick, steady energy. It’s rich in MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), which your body converts into fuel faster than many other fats. That makes it a nice add-in for busy mornings or before a workout.
- Supports nutrient absorption. Fat helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from fruits and greens (like vitamins A, D, E, and K). A little coconut oil can help you get more benefit from the spinach, kale, or carrots in your smoothie.
- Makes smoothies creamier. Beyond nutrition, coconut oil adds a subtle richness and silky texture—especially helpful in fruit or green smoothies that might otherwise feel thin.
Save this Recipe
Enter your info & I’ll send it to your inbox.

Common Questions
No, not when used correctly. One tablespoon blends smoothly into the fruit and greens, adding richness without an oily texture. When paired with pineapple and banana, the flavor stays light and tropical.
You can use solid coconut oil straight from the jar. Blending it with the liquid and greens first helps it emulsify evenly, especially if your blender is high powered.
Yes. Coconut oil helps slow digestion and balance the natural sugars from fruit, which can prevent energy crashes. You can also swap part of the banana for avocado to lower sugar even more.
Yes. MCT oil blends easily and offers similar energy benefits, especially for workouts. Start with a small amount since MCT oil is more concentrated than coconut oil.

More Smoothie Recipes
If you’re new to green smoothies and want to make the creamiest, most delicious smoothies at home, learn how to make a smoothie with my easy guide. Looking for a refreshing drink to start your day? Check out more of my tropical smoothies and kale smoothies:
- Pineapple Green Smoothie
- Island Green Smoothie
- Tropical Kale Smoothie
- Margarita Smoothie
- Piña Colada Green Smoothie
If you make this coconut oil smoothie, 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.

Coconut Oil Smoothie
Jen HansardIngredients
- 1 cup kale fresh
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup pineapple frozen
- ½ banana
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, unrefined
Instructions
- Blend kale, water and coconut oil until smooth.
- Next add the remaining fruits and blend again.
Recipe Notes
- Use one frozen fruit to make smoothie cold.
- Can use a refined MCT coconut oil that will blend easier too.
- Swap 1/2 banana with 1/4 avocado to lower the natural sugar in this smoothie.
- Using one of my recommended blenders for smoothies will give you the creamiest smoothies in the shortest time.
- Save time by prepping and freezing ingredients in advance with my frozen meal prep smoothie packs guide.




















This was AMAZING ! Thank you so much LOVE your website
I just tried the recipe and it is delicious. I made a second batch and tried it with some ginger and that was great too. Thank you for the recipe. I really like adding the coconut oil, it will keep you feeling full longer. Similar to adding an avocado. This will be my “go-to” smoothie recipe.
Hi Clare,
YAY!! Thanks for sharing the green smoothie love! <3
Hard to find kale here.If do..Super expensive.
Can I replace with watercress/spinach/bokchoy/lettuce.. If yes, how much should I replace it with?
Hi Olivia,
Of course! Our recipes are here to inspire you, so please don’t feel like you need to follow them to a T. Learn more about our favorite leafy greens here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/leafy-greens
When i was a child my parents and i lived in Jamaica. They made their own coconut oil. They use it in their cooking a lot.
Hi Amber,
That’s awesome! We’d love to be able to make our own coconut oil!
Sorry to burst your bubble, but coconut oil, and no oil, for that matter, is “health” food. I’m not sure where coconut oil’s reputation as a “good fat” started, but it’s hogwash. If you don’t wish to research it yourselves, start with this video. Ain’t science grand?
Hi C. Demarais,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share nutritionfacts.org’s video.
We personally love coconut oil because 90 percent of coconut oil is composed of medium chain fatty acids (or Triglyerides), which are easily digested and sent right to the liver for energy production. By traveling directly to the liver, it is not stored as fat and actually can help boost your metabolism. These triglycerides also help keep skin smooth and moisturized by trapping the escaping moisture from pores.
Most of the medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil are lauric acid, which is only found in as high a concentrate in human breastmilk. This powerful acid actually helps increase immunity and fight infections, which makes it essential to our daily diets.
In addition, it’s antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial properties make it ideal for a facial moisturizer, deodorant and for soothing sunburns.
Learn more about why we think coconut rawks at the links below…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/coconut-oil-benefits
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/coconut-oil-benefits