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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.
Table of Contents
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.
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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
- Pour the water into a blender. Add the kale and coconut oil and blend until smooth.
- Add the pineapple and banana and blend again until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Blender Tip: If your coconut oil is solid, melt it first and blend it with the water and kale before adding the frozen fruit, so it doesn’t harden into bits.
- Ingredient Swaps: Refined coconut oil or MCT oil blends more easily and has a more neutral flavor.
- Lower Sugar: Swap the 1/2 banana for 1/4 avocado for a creamier, less sweet smoothie.
- Make Ahead: Portion the kale and fruit into freezer smoothie packs, then blend with the water and coconut oil when you’re ready.
Nutrition
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Smoothies to lose weight
That would explain how I could sleep in the bed next to my fiancé who had COVID and work as a nurse exposed daily and never test positive. On the weekend I always added coconut oil to my coffee twice a day! Who knew! Now it’s going in my smoothie
What a testament to the powers of coconut oil Suzette! Stay healthy and thanks for caring so well for others. We’re grateful for you!
The kale was a bit strong to me— so I’d swap with spinach next time. Yet overall I did enjoy the smoothie and appreciate getting in more healthy fats to help with my skin. Can i swap with mct oil in this or would it mess it up?
You can swap the coconut oil for 1 tsp of mct oil since it’s more concentrated. If you’re not used to mct oil you might start even smaller since it can irritate your digestive system if you use too much.
Can the pineapple be substituted for something else
For sure Gina! I’d suggest mango or frozen peaches… with a squeeze of lemon to still add some sweetness and cut back the kale taste. Citrus helps the kale flavors not be so strong, yet you can def modify like I mentioned above. Cheers girl!
Super good, this will definitely be one of my go-to’s!
I made a few alternations:
> 1/2 water & 1/2 oat milk (I wanted to see if I could make it creamier, either way I’m sure it’s fine)
> I also added juice from half of a lime and 1/4th tsp of vanilla extract (I got this trick from another smoothie recipe, I had my boyfriend try it with this addition and without, and he really enjoyed the lime and vanilla, it helps bring out the coconut-pineapple flavor!)
> 1 tsp of ground flax seed and 1 tsp of ground chia seed (for the added nutrition)
Thank you for this recipe!
Those sound like great tweaks, LeAnn! I bet it tastes awesome. Thanks for the tips! 🙂