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As much as I love a green smoothie, it’s important to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Blending the rainbow is one way I do that. This turmeric smoothie recipe is pure sunshine in a glass—using oranges, carrots and turmeric to create the color. It’s the perfect way to kickstart your day with tropical fruits and powerful, immune-boosting ingredients.
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
All of the ingredients in this turmeric smoothie are simple, plant-based whole foods you can feel good about:
- Turmeric (ground): This golden spice brings warmth and color to the smoothie. You’ll find ground turmeric in the spice aisle, or grab fresh turmeric root in the produce section if your store carries it.
- Honey: Complements the turmeric and ginger nicely. Look for raw honey or manuka honey, known for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
- Fresh ginger root: Adds a spicy-sweet kick that balances the creaminess of the smoothie. Look for firm, smooth ginger in the produce section, bonus points if it’s organic.
- Orange (peeled and zested): Bright and juicy orange makes the smoothie taste like sunshine. Pick up fresh oranges from the produce section.
- Frozen mango: Naturally sweet and creamy, mango gives tropical vibes in every sip. Find it in the frozen fruit section, perfect for thick, cold smoothies without needing ice. For instructions, you can also check out my guide on how to cut a mango.
- Frozen sliced carrots: A sneaky way to add veggies, fiber, and extra beta-carotene. You can buy pre-sliced frozen carrots in the freezer aisle or slice fresh carrots yourself and freeze them.
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How to Make a Turmeric Smoothie
My turmeric smoothie is quick, creamy, and full of benefits. Just blend a few simple ingredients and sip golden goodness in minutes.
- Add ginger, orange, and almond milk to your blender. These form the bright, creamy base that sets the stage for all the other flavors.
- Blend until silky smooth. Give it a good whirl so the ginger fully breaks down and the orange citrus flavor shines through.
- Toss in the frozen mango, carrots, turmeric, and raw honey.
- Blend one more time until thick and creamy. Pour into your favorite glass and sip immediately while it’s fresh.
Turmeric Hack
Long before it became the star of golden lattes, turmeric was cherished in Ayurvedic medicine for its powerful healing benefits. This golden spice has been used to soothe inflammation, aid digestion, and bring vibrant energy to meals.
To get the most out of turmeric’s benefits, try adding a tiny pinch of black pepper before blending. Black pepper contains piperine, which, when combined with curcumin, has been shown to increase bioavailability by 2000%.
Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
This smoothie is creamy, nourishing, and totally delicious as is—but don’t be afraid to make it your own! Here are a few simple swaps or tasty add-ins you can try:
- Milk alternatives: No almond milk? Try oat milk or add a tropical twist with coconut milk.
- Creamy: Add half a banana or a few slices of avocado to make the smoothie thicker and even more creamier.
- Sweet: Instead of raw honey, try pure maple syrup or Medjool dates for a vegan-friendly option. You can also check out my guide on natural sweeteners I like to use.
- Protein: Blend in a scoop of my Homemade Protein Powder, a spoonful of hemp hearts, or even a dollop of Greek yogurt to make this smoothie more filling.
Serving Suggestion
This turmeric smoothie recipe makes 16 oz—perfect for one adult. For kids, split into two 8 oz servings, and serve with a straw to make sipping easier.
More Recipes with Turmeric
If you’re digging the golden glow and anti-inflammatory benefits of this turmeric smoothie recipe, here are a few more turmeric recipes to try next:
- When I need something soothing, turmeric tea is my go-to—warm, cozy, and full of anti-inflammatory goodness.
- And when I’m craving creamy comfort, golden milk hits the spot. It’s turmeric, cinnamon, and plant milk blended into the perfect hug in a mug.
- When I want a quick boost, I make turmeric blender bombs—frozen cubes of turmeric, ginger, and healthy fats that blend into an instant wellness smoothie.
If you make this turmeric 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.
Honey Turmeric Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 inch fresh gingerroot peeled
- 1 tablespoon orange peeled and zested
- ¾ cup almond milk or other nut milk
- ½ cup mango frozen
- ½ cup sliced carrots frozen
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
Instructions
- Place ginger, orange and almond milk in blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy.
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Fresh vs. dried turmeric: Fresh turmeric root gives this smoothie a brighter, peppery flavor and extra nutrients, but if you can’t find it, ground turmeric works just fine.
- Add natural sweetness: If your smoothie tastes a little too zesty, add more honey, half a banana, a couple of Medjool dates, or a splash of maple syrup.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
About 1 inch of fresh turmeric root or ½–1 teaspoon of ground turmeric is a good amount for most smoothies. For those new to turmeric, starting with a smaller quantity is recommended before adjusting to taste.
Turmeric smoothies can be enjoyed any time of day. Many people prefer them in the morning for an energizing start, after a workout to support recovery, or in the afternoon as a refreshing pick-me-up.
To use fresh turmeric, wash and peel the root, then slice or grate it before blending with other ingredients. Frozen turmeric chunks can also be kept on hand for easy smoothie prep.
Turmeric works best when combined with ginger, black pepper, and naturally sweet fruits such as mango, pineapple, or banana. Black pepper enhances the absorption of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, making this combination both flavorful and beneficial.
Not my favorite. I don’t like carrots in my smoothies so I swapped them out for cauliflower. I probably wouldn’t make this again.
Great smoothie! I was worried the ginger and turmeric might be overwhelming, but they weren’t. This is a nice balance of flavors. I added honey a bit at a time and found I needed less.
I know honey is in the name but next time I will leave it out or use less-I thought the carrot made us sweet enough. Very good
This one is surprisingly tasty. Felt stronger after drinking all the vitamin C.
I love this one!
Very tasty, but I didn’t need that much honey to make it palatable.
Very tasty and refreshing!
Honey Tumeric: Okay — I only put in a teeny tiny itty bitty piece of ginger, just to say it was in there. I liked the combo of orange, mango, carrot. I’ve added carrot to lots of different combos in the past. This was an interesting new flavor with the tumeric. It was good.
This is a new favorite! Love that it has tumeric packed with health benefits. Taste amazing and is amazing for you. So good!!
How do you measure half a cup of carrots and the mango? Are you able to provide the weight (ie grams or ounces) of these ingredients instead?
I have this problem, too. Frozen produce come in different sizes so it’s hard to replicate the recipe as intended.
This has become one of our favourites….snuck in a handful of frozen cauliflower…..so very refreshing.
So glad you’re lovin this one! And way to sneak in the extra cruciferous veggie!! 🙂
I love this smoothie – I forgot to buy oranges, but I have clementines on hand – would 2 clementines be sufficient? Sometimes I feel they pack a little more punch than a full orange and am not sure how best to substitute them.
Hi Ka! I love subbing clementines for oranges in my smoothies. And yes, I use two clementines in place of one orange and that works great. Happy blending!
This was AMAZING. I drank this today because I have had some digestive issues this week, and I felt some instant relief. Thank you so much for the recipe! I’m making the watermelon and strawberry popsicles tomorrow, VERY excited for those!! Thank you for the wonderful additions to our freezer 🙂
I love this one also, Rebecca! It’s great for digestive problems and it also helps when I’m feeling swelling and/or inflammation in my joints. Definitely a great smoothie.
This was delicious and the color is so vibrant. I’m always looking for more recipes containing turmeric because I love its anti-inflammatory properties. And I love that there’s also ginger in this smoothie, which *always* makes my digestive system feel good. I added 1 tsp. of MCT oil and some fresh ground black pepper to make the turmeric more bioavailable and easier for my body to absorb. I think you could add those things and also a bit of cinnamon and have a kind of Golden Mylk smoothie. I felt great after drinking this and I plan to make it in batches and keep in 8-oz. mason jars in the fridge so I can drink some every day. Thanks for this recipe, Jen! 😀
Love the Golden Mylk smoothie idea!
I just made this, and I love it! Such a delightful surprise! Thank you for all that you do,
You’re welcome, Sadie! I love this one, also. 🙂
I have a question. This contains a lot of carbs. 45g of sugar. How would this work for someone who is a pre-diabetic or even a diabetic?
Hi Vercilla! I don’t know if this smoothie would be right for someone with those types of health concerns. I recommend speaking to your doctor and/or nutritionist before consuming this smoothie. They are better equipped to answer your question as they know you, your body, & your individual health concerns better than us. In the meantime, I think you will find this post on low-glycemic fruits for smoothies very helpful! 🙂 https://simplegreensmoothies.com/low-sugar-fruits
So do you zest the orange peel before peeling and add that to the smoothie as well? About to make it. Sounds delicious and I’m looking forward to getting some joint relief.
Hey Krista! Zest the orange and then peel it. Add the peeled orange + the zest to your smoothie. 🙂