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Pucker up and sip on this lovely lemon smoothie. Learn how to make a lemon smoothie with ease and enjoy all the brightness these vibrant fruits have to offer. This vibrant and refreshing smoothie is just what your body needs to stay energized and healthy. Frozen peaches, lemon, honey, ginger, and turmeric come together in a creamy, nutrient-packed drink that tastes like a burst of citrusy sunshine.
Why This Lemon Smoothie Recipe Rawks
This lemon smoothie is bursting with bright, zesty flavor and functional benefits. It’s refreshing, nutrient-packed, and incredibly simple to make. From digestion to immunity, each ingredient plays a role in helping you feel your best. Here’s why this smoothie deserves a spot in your blender:
- High in vitamin C: The lemon flesh adds fiber to help you feel full longer and a crazy dose of vitamin C to support your immune system and fight off colds and flu. Peaches are also a good source of vitamin C and may also prevent certain types of cancer and aid in digestion.
- Naturally sweet: Raw honey adds natural sweetness to balance the tartness and an energy booster. Unlike pasteurized honey, Raw honey does not undergo the heating process, and all of the nutrients are preserved. Raw honey has antioxidant and natural anti-bacterial properties that can help improve digestive system as well as help you stay healthy.
- Anti-inflammatory: Ginger contains the anti-inflammatory compound gingerol. Ginger also helps promote healthy digestion, lower blood pressure, and increased immunity. Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that works at the molecular level to tame inflammation.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This lemon smoothie keeps things simple and clean with just a handful of powerful ingredients. Each one plays a role in making the final blend refreshing, naturally sweet, and full of feel-good benefits. Here’s what to grab before you blend:
- Lemon (peeled): Choose bright yellow, firm lemons with smooth skin for the juiciest flavor. Organic is best—especially if you plan to use the zest—since citrus fruits can be heavily sprayed with pesticides, and those residues tend to linger on the skin.
- Water: Use filtered or spring water for the cleanest taste in your smoothie.
- Raw honey: Look for local or organic raw honey for the best flavor and nutrition; it adds a rich, floral sweetness.
- Raw cashews: Adding cashews (or any nut/seed) to a smoothie increases the protein, healthy fats and fiber to keep you full longer. Raw cashews are mild tasting, which is why I use them most often.
- Cauliflower, frozen: I’ve been on team cauliflower in my smoothies for years now. Why? It’s a sneaky way to boost the fiber and make the smoothie even creamier. Try it— you’ll thank me later.
- Frozen peach: Opt for unsweetened frozen peaches for a naturally sweet and creamy texture. I love buying these in bulk whenever I find them at the store.
- Fresh ginger root: Pick firm, smooth ginger with a strong aroma. Peel the skin from the ginger with a sharp paring knife before grating the flesh. Store in the fridge for freshness.
- Ground turmeric: Choose the most high-quality, vibrant yellow turmeric for the best earthy and slightly peppery flavor. If you don’t have access to fresh turmeric for your lemon smoothie, then you can swap in dried powdered turmeric. If using fresh, then use about a ½ tablespoon-sized knob. Peel the turmeric first, then grate before adding to the blender.
How to Make a Lemon Smoothie
This lemon smoothie is quite simple to make, especially if you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix). If you’re on a mission to get healthy and naturally energized, follow along to make this smoothie in minutes.
- Combine the frozen peaches, lemon, cauliflower, cashews, honey, ginger and turmeric in a high-power blender. If using a standard blender, you can soak the cashews to soften before blending.
- Blend until creamy and smooth. If you need a thinner smoothie you can add more water until you achieve the texture you want.
How to remove the rind from a lemon
Wash and dry the lemon before removing the peel. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind (like you would an apple). Leave as much of the white pith on the lemon as possible. This has the most vitamin C of the entire lemon! Discard the rind and cut the lemon into quarters. This fleshy part of the lemon contains the fiber, and adding this to your smoothie will keep you feel full longer.
Easy Swaps and Add-Ins
One of the best things about smoothies is how flexible they are. Whether you want to boost nutrition, adjust the flavor, or swap in ingredients you already have on hand, there are plenty of ways to make this lemon smoothie recipe your own. Here are some easy tweaks to try:
- Add more frozen fruit: Sweeten this smoothies with more frozen fruit or try a banana!
- Add protein: If you’re looking to turn this smoothie into a meal, then I recommend boosting it with a plant-based protein powder. My homemade protein powder recipe offers 10 grams of plant-based protein, along with 4 grams of healthy fat and 7 grams of fiber.
- Swap lemons: If you find lemons a bit too tart for a smoothie, then try buying Meyer lemons. I can seriously eat these lemons by themselves, they are so sweet and juicy.
- Swap honey: This smoothie can be made vegan by using maple syrup in place of honey and is just as sweet and tasty.
Common Questions
Lemon smoothies are packed with vitamin C, which helps boost immunity, support digestion, and promote glowing skin. They also contain antioxidants that fight inflammation, fiber for gut health, and natural enzymes that aid in detoxification. Plus, their refreshing citrus flavor makes them a delicious way to stay hydrated and energized!
Fruits that mix well with lemon include strawberries, blueberries, peaches, raspberries, mangoes, and pineapples. Lemon’s bright, tangy flavor pairs beautifully with sweet or juicy fruits, enhancing both taste and freshness in smoothies, salads, and desserts.
Absolutely! Lemon smoothies are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which help boost collagen production, fight free radicals, and brighten your skin. The hydration from the smoothie also keeps your skin plump and radiant, while ingredients like ginger and turmeric can reduce inflammation and support a healthy complexion.
Lemon smoothies can be a great addition to a healthy lifestyle. Packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, they support immune health, digestion, and hydration. When blended with other whole ingredients like fruit, ginger, or turmeric, lemon smoothies offer a refreshing and nourishing way to boost your daily wellness routine.
You can put a whole lemon in a smoothie, but it’s best to remove the rind to avoid bitterness. Using the peeled lemon—including the flesh and pith—adds bright flavor, fiber, and vitamin C. Blending the whole fruit (minus seeds and peel) gives your smoothie a fresh, tangy boost with added nutrients.
6 Lemon Recipes You Might Like
Here’s some more plant-based recipes on the blog that are for my lemon lovers…
If you make this Lemon 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.
Perfect Lemon Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 lemon peeled
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 1-2 tbsp raw honey
- ½ cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 cup peach frozen
- ½ inch ginger root fresh
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.
Equipment
Notes
- To make this smoothie vegan, replace honey with maple syrup.
- Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than traditional lemons, which can help if you don’t love the pucker or a lemon.
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Swap cashews for 1 serving of your fav protein powder.
Wow! I was curious if I could handle a lemon smoothie. I used almond milk instead of water, but it was way too tart for me. I ended up adding agave syrup to add some sweetness. Next time will try a Meyer lemon instead or adding a chopped date. It was very refreshing once the tartness was reduced.
Perfect for my giant bag of lemons from Costco! Yummy!
This was just what I needed today! It was so refreshing!
Delicious & refreshing!
Love how bright and refreshing this recipe is!
Wow! Delicious and so energizing. Thank you for sharing.
But I do wonder: is there a liquid ingredient missing in the recipe? I could not get it creamy ans smooth as explained in the recipe, it was just a few chunks flying around my Vitamix. I ended up adding quite a bit of water to get a smoothie consistency.
Do you think I could add yogurt or a nut milk to balance the tartness out a bit ?
So glad you gave it a blend, Sheryn! You are correct – the liquid was missing, but we’ve corrected that in the recipe. Next time you blend, be sure to add 1/2 cup of water to the mix. Adding yogurt or nut milk could help to balance out the tartness, yet you have to watch for processed sugars in those items. We’d opt for a bit of maple syrup in this case. 🙂
Thank you. I just made this lemon smoothie again and it is AMAZING as it is. And actually, no yogurt or nut milk necessary (I might try it some time just out of curiosity though)
So glad you gave it a blend, Sheryn!
I also had to add about twice the water. I like the notion of using a nut milk. Might make it more satisfying.
Love it….have to confess I felt a bit guilty about no veggies, so I added frozen cauliflower…..so tasty.
AH! I see you did suggest adding water. I had initially skipped to the recipe and skimmed the blog post.
How do you make this with no liquid? I put it in my Vitamix and had to add a bit of water just to get it moving. I don’t normally add water to smoothies but I didn’t want to change the flavor profile so I did.
Totally our bad, Eliza! We missed the 1/2 cup of water that should have been listed as an ingredient in this recipe. It’s been updated now. Way to have that great rawkstar instinct to add water when needed to blend!
Wow! I used pineapple because I cant find frozen peaches anywhere, and I had to blend it a second time because of the seeds (you might want to mention that in the recipe); it had plenty of juice to get it smooth without adding any liquid. YUMMY! One of the comments suggested suing the rind/pith and all – isn’t the pith bitter? Anyone try it with the rind?
I forgot to rate it! 🙂
Thanks Trish!
Way to rawk it with the pineapple, Trish!! Sounds yummy! The pith is great to keep in because of the added nutrients, so we always make sure to leave it in place. We’ve not tried it with the rind itself, yet if you (or anyone else here!) gives it a blend, def let us know what you think. 🙂
Refreshing and tart! I am a fan of tart things so this was lovely. Even my 13 month old liked it! I didn’t taste anything peach though. I feel like this belongs on the Summer Smoothie challenge!
Very tart. Very healthy. Very delicious! I added some peach juice and a small lime since my lemon was small. This has all the things I love to eat all rolled into one glass!
I like using lemons and enjoy them in drinks. I followed the recipe and found that it was not a smoothie but a chunked mess. I added half of a cup of water and that smoothed it. For my taste I would use half the amount of ginger and turmeric.
This recipe has no liquid like almond milk or water or ice cubes? I never made a smoothie w/o liquid like juice, plant based milk or water
Good catch Candice! Somehow we missed our liquid base in this recipe. It’s now been updated to include 1/2 cup of water. More liquid isn’t needed because of the natural liquid content in the lemon.
Ok to use the Peel also from ORGANIC LEMON, think of Lemon Zest.
Absolutely! I think that would be delicious!
I love that you are showing calories and nutritional info breakdown for your smoothies!
Thanks Barb. We realized the need was there for many rawkstars so have added it. I love the nutritional breakdown part— it’s fun to see just how much Vitamin C is in this smoothie— 46%!
So glad it’s helpful Barb!
Do you remove the lemon seeds somehow?
I don’t— I blend them up. I’ve never even noticed them when I drink it!
Awesome question! When using a high powered blender, there isn’t a need to remove seeds as they are emulsified in the blending process. If you feel your blender might not be up to the task, you could try removing some of the seeds beforehand, but generally speaking it isn’t necessary. Happy blending!