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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 freezing kale and getting creative with my green smoothies. This Kale Banana Smoothie 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
Kale Banana Smoothie Ingredients
- Kale: This leafy green vegetable 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, non-dairy milk 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. You can cut pineapple and freeze yourself, or buy it frozen.
- 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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Recipe 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.
How to Make Kale Banana Smoothie
- Start with the liquid. Pour the almond milk into your blender first. This helps everything blend more easily.
- Add the greens and soft fruit. Add the kale and banana next. Blending these first helps break down the kale so you don’t get leafy bits.
- Add frozen fruit. Toss in the frozen pineapple and strawberries for natural sweetness and a cold, thick texture.
- Finish with collagen. Add the collagen peptides last so they blend evenly.
- Blend until smooth. Start on low, then increase to high and blend until creamy. Add a splash more almond milk if needed.
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 smoothie 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. Learn more ingredient tips in my how to make a smoothie guide.
- 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, kale mango smoothie or a refreshing coconut water smoothie for easy, flavorful ways to use it up, and if you love banana in your green smoothies, my banana smoothie roundup has plenty more.
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.
Kale Banana Smoothie
Jen HansardIngredients
- 1 cup kale
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 banana
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup strawberries frozen
- 1 serving collagen peptides
Instructions
- Pour the almond milk into a blender. Add the kale and blend on high until smooth.
- Add the banana, pineapple and strawberries and blend on high until smooth, 45 to 60 seconds, adding a splash more almond milk if it’s too thick.
- Add the collagen and blend on low just to combine. Pour into a glass and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Kale Tip: Remove the kale stems before blending to cut the bitterness. Baby kale, spinach or another mild leafy green makes a gentler swap.
- Lower Sugar: Swap half the banana for 1/4 avocado, or the whole banana for 1/2 avocado.
- Vegan Swap: Collagen peptides aren’t vegan. Use a serving of plant-based protein powder instead.
- Storing: Best fresh, but it keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Shake before drinking.
I blended in a 1/2 oz of almonds with the homemade protein powder mix and greens, to take the place of almond milk. I added everything else as listed and it was great. I love to see berries in a smoothie.
Love how you used almonds in place of almond milk. Great idea!
This is my favorite kale smoothie! So tasty!
Yay! Thanks for the review!
This was a great smoothie! I added fresh strawberries because that is what I had, it gave the smoothie a great pop.
I love you added strawberries! Sounds yummy!
I enjoyed tho smoothie – nice change using kale when my go to is usually spinach. And it surprisingly wasn’t overpowering as I was expecting it to be. I make my own almond milk using Almond Cow, but will also try tho recipe again using coconut water for when I don’t have almond milk to hand. I think it will work just as well.
I love switching up kale and spinach! Kale is actually lovely in smoothies!
This one is delicious! Who would even know those delicious greens are hiding in there. So glad I found this during the 7 day Challenge!!!!
So glad you enjoyed the Kale Banana Smoothie!