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Whenever I buy a big bag of kale, my goal is simple: use every last leaf. That’s when I start getting creative in the blender. This Kale Banana Smoothie recipe is a great way to turn leftover kale into something crave-worthy.
It blends a mix of fruits—almost like a fruit salad—to soften kale’s bold flavor while still delivering plenty of fiber. I also add collagen to boost protein and support my body at this stage of life, because nourishing well now matters more than ever
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Kale: This leafy green is the nutrient backbone of the smoothie. It adds fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants while blending smoothly when paired with enough liquid and fruit.
- Almond milk: A light, dairy-free liquid that helps everything blend easily without overpowering the flavors. It keeps the smoothie creamy while staying low in calories. Check out the best almond milk brands to buy.
- Banana: Adds natural sweetness and a creamy texture that balances kale’s slightly bitter edge. It also contributes potassium for muscle and hydration support. You can also use frozen bananas.
- Frozen pineapple: Brings bright, tropical sweetness and a touch of acidity to keep the flavor fresh. Using it frozen helps create a cold, thick smoothie without ice.
- Frozen strawberries: Add natural sweetness, vitamin C, and antioxidants, plus a subtle berry flavor that pairs well with pineapple and banana.
- Collagen peptides: Boost protein content to make the smoothie more filling and supportive of muscle recovery. Using an unflavored option keeps the fruit flavors front and center.
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Kale Banana Smoothie Swaps
- Swap the kale with baby kale or spinach for a milder flavor that blends smoothly while still providing fiber and nutrients.
- Swap the almond milk with water, coconut water, or oat milk for a lighter texture or subtle sweetness.
- Swap the banana with ½ an avocado or frozen mango to keep the smoothie creamy with less natural sugar.
- Swap the collagen peptides with an unflavored protein powder to keep protein high without altering flavor.
Recipe Tips
Even though this smoothie is balanced and uses whole foods, the fruit can still be high in natural sugar. If you are sensitive to natural sugar, there are a variety of ways to help your body process those tasty sweet fruits:
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, blend the kale and liquid first to fully break down the greens and create a smooth, grit-free base.
- Use frozen fruit instead of ice to keep the smoothie thick, cold, and naturally sweet without watering it down.
- Balance the flavors with enough fruit or a squeeze of citrus to soften kale’s bitterness and keep the smoothie refreshing.
- Decrease sugar by swapping half the banana for a quarter of an avocado (or 1 whole banana with 1/2 an avocado). Your smoothie will be less sweet, but also lower in sugar.
If you’ve got extra kale after making this smoothie, don’t let it go to waste. Try blending it into other favorites like an Tropical Kale Smoothie, Mango Kale Smoothie or a refreshing Coconut Water Smoothie for easy, flavorful ways to use it up.
Kale Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 banana
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup strawberries frozen
- 1 serving collagen peptides
Instructions
- Place kale and almond milk in blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Add fruit and blend again.
- Add in collagen and blend on low.
- Pour in glass and enjoy.
Helpful Tools
Notes
- De-stem the kale before adding to your smoothie to cut down on the bitterness.
- Use at least one frozen fruit to make the smoothie cold or serve over ice.
- If you don’t like kale, swap for baby kale which is more mild. Or you can even replace with spinach.
- To lower the natural sugar, swap 1/2 banana with 1/4 an avocado. Or swap the whole banana with 1/2 an avocado.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
Yes! Wash the kale well, and massage the leaves while you wash it (this tenderizes them). De-stem before adding to your blender to cut down on the bitterness.
Massaging kale is an easy way to cut down on bitterness. You can also pair kale with a citrus fruit (like pineapple or lemon) to counteract the bitterness.
It’s important to have a balanced smoothie, so swap the collagen with another protein source like protein powder, chia seeds or silken tofu.
Great smoothie. Added in some blueberries that I had sitting in the fridge, but great.
I love this recipe!!! Although I tend to use a cup and a half of water rather than just one cup. I also add pumpkin protein powder. Delicious and easy to make.
To balance out the bitterness from kale, I add chocolate chips! Not as healthy maybe but tastes really good!
Delicious and refreshing! This will be perfect in the summer.
Hey Rachel,
This really is the best smoothie for a nice warm summer day. It makes me feel like I am laying by a pool on these cold days 🙂
Had this one for breakfast with a handful of cashews! Feel like I started my day like a rawkstar 😉
You are a rawkstar, Kelly!!! 🙂
Really great. Kale is a stronger tasting green but the pineapple and banana really sweeten it up.
The fruit really do help balance it all out!
If you are not a fan of the kale you can always swap it for spinach if that will help you love this smoothie even more!!
Simply delicious! I love how these green smoothies are making me feel…it’s definitely a lifestyle change. Thank you so much for this challenge!
Hey Tanya,
That is so awesome that this challenge made such a difference with your daily lifestyle. That is why we do what we do.
Cheers!!
What protein powder should I use to increase the protein to use the smoothie as a meal replacement
Hey Mary,
Here is a great protein powder that we love:
One word! Delicious!
Yay!!! That is definitely the perfect word to describe this recipe.
Thanks Clare!!
I loved this smoothie. It was a bit thick, so I added more water to it, and it made the perfect amount for me and my 4 year old. Yeah!
Hey Cecily,
Glad you were able to make the adjustments so your blender could blend it nice and smooth. Sometimes depending on what type of blender you have you might need to add in some extra liquid to get it started!
Liked this one. Had to use 1.5 cups coconut water to thin it out . Very easy.
Hi Bonnie,
YAY!! So happy to hear you loved this recipe!! 🙂 And we’re always ok with a little added coconut water, we love that hydration!
This truly is a simple green smoothie one of my favorites
How could a person go wrong with this smoothie – absolutely healthy and delicious too!
Hey Kathy,
That is so rawesome that you loved this smoothie so much! Yay!!!
I really like this one. I had to add a little extra water to get it to blend.
Hey Bethany,
Glad you were able to make the adjustments so your blender could blend it nice and smooth. Sometimes depending on what type of blender you have you might need to add in some extra liquid to get it started!
I vote 5 stars
Thanks Amelia!!!
I really liked the kale banana smoothie yum
Kale yeah, Amelia!!!
I am stoked that you liked this recipe so much!!
How much is a cup? In ml? How much should I put in?
Hey Jessie,
One cup is 8 oz and I believe it is 236 ml for the conversion. Hope that helps!