Most people either love or hate beetsβthereβs usually no in between. After several attempts at making a delicious beet smoothie, we have a recipe that even my kids will drink! A tall glass of this vibrant and refreshing cherry beet smoothie is the perfect summer treat.
From post-exercise recovery to liver detox to fighting free-radicals, this beet smoothie delivers major health benefits. And with a silky smooth texture and sweet, fruity flavor, itβs love at first sip. Letβs look at what makes this cherry beet smoothie so good for your health.
How to make a tasty beet smoothie
This beet smoothie recipe might be out of your comfort-zone, yet give it a blend! Beets are nutrient powerhouses, and should be a part of your diet. I was scared to try my first beet recipe too… yet it was so worth it. Here’s how to make your beet smoothie recipe a success:
Peel your beets- no need for that roughness to end up in your smoothie. If you want to lower the natural sugar content, swap the pomegranate juice with coconut water or plain water. If you’re using a non-high powered blender, then steamed beets will blend better. I’ve found already peeled + steamed beets in the refrigerated section at Costco.
I know bananas are a deal-breaker for some people when blending smoothies, so swap this out for 1/4 cup mango or pineapple… you want to keep a sweet fruit in this smoothie!
Preparing beets for a smoothie
Beet prep is easy! Simply peel the beet the same way you would an appleβuse a vegetable peeler to shave off the top layer. Cut the beet into small chunks so it easily blends up. If you donβt have a high powered blender, you can use cooked beets in this smoothie. Steam the beets for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Let the cooked beets cool before using in this beet smoothie recipe.
To make it even easier, you can buy beets that have already been peeled and steamed in the refrigerated produce section at most grocery stores and even at Costco.
Beet smoothie FAQs
Pretty much any red fruit pairs well with beets: cherries, strawberries, pomegranate… you really can’t go wrong. Because beets taste earthy, combine them with strongly flavored fruit.
I do! Beets have so much nutrition in the fleshy part, that the tough, wood-tasting peel isn’t needed to benefit. Just remember to use something that can be stained… cutting beets is MESSY and will stain whatever you use.
Yes, yes, YES. High in fiber, folate, antioxidants… beets are the whole package. Did you know you can even eat beet greens? So don’t pitch those stems!
Health Benefits of Beets
Beets are amazingly high in folate. So many mamas out there are trying to get pregnant or already have a baby on the way – Yay! – get your beet on! A cup of beets contain nearly half of your folate needs which help protect baby against birth defects.
Want to keep things moving? Reach for a beet! Beets are full of fiber which keep you full longer and also keep things moving on a regular basis. I drink this beet smoothie in the morning to start my day off right.
Beets also contain high amounts of naturally occurring nitrates which might help increase exercise performance.
Waste not, want not! The entire beet plant is edible – leafy greens and all.
Loaded with antioxidants like Vitamin C, beets can help increase your immune system and lower your risk of cancer and other chronic illnesses.
What about beet greens?
Yes! Just like any other green, beet greens are full of nutrition and are a great addition to smoothies. Detach the leaves from the stems and blend the beet greens along with the other ingredients in this smoothie. Beet greens are a great source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Boost your immune system, strengthen your bones and cleanse your kidneys and liver with beet greens. If you have a bunch of beets with the greens attached and youβre only using the beets, freeze the beet greens for later use.
You Can’t Beat Beet Smoothies!
Want more of that bright red goodness, you can only get from beets? Here are a few of the absolute best-ever beet smoothies that will soon become your favs too:
- Cabbage Beet Smoothie (while this uses golden beets, swap in red beets easily!)
Now, try the recipe below then leave a rating + review letting me know how your smoothie turned out!
Cherry Beet Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup beet, peeled and diced
- 1 cup cherries
- ΒΌ banana, frozen
- Β½ cup pomegranate juice
- Β½ cup water
- fresh mint, for garnish
- 1 serving Protein Smoothie Boost, optional
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Top with mint for garnish, if desired.
Notes
- To make it easier on your blender (and cutting board), look for steamed beets (not pickled) in the refrigerated produce section, freezer aisle, or in the canned food section of most grocery stores.
Nutrition
Plant powered recipes to fuel your life
Looking for more beet power, or just more creative ways to add plants to your diet? Here’s what you can find inside Rawk the Year, my plant powered meal planner:
Carrot Cherry Beet Smoothie
Raw Sprouted Salad
Sweet Beet Soup
Pretty in Pink Hummus
Blushing Berry Smoothie
Rainbow Kale Salad
I created this meal planner to help my family not only eat more plants, but enjoy them. Try a 14-day free trial today and gain access to hundreds of plant based recipes!
Great smoothie! I already had kale in my blender when I realized this recipe didnβt call for it, but decided to keep the kale. Used 1/2 coconut water and 1/2 water instead of the pomegranate juice as I didnβt have anything juice on hand. Also added protein powder and some ginger.
Way to save the smoothie Kim! So glad you tried it!
This has to be one of my favorites for not being “green”!
Agreed, Dawn! This one is so pretty and so delicious. π
Wow! This recipe came at the perfect time. I had some extra beets in the fridge I wasn’t sure what to do with. I find cherries a bit too earthy in smoothies, so I subbed a cup of a frozen antioxidant blend (cherries, berries & pomegranate). It turned out so beautifully bright and tasty!
Sounds delicious!
Can I give this 10 stars? I LOVE beets and cherries. I usually feel like a smoothie without greens in it doesn’t count (you have got me hooked, Jen), but after the stressful day at work, I needed a sweet pick-me-up. This is perfect. I doubled it to share some with my DIL and 1 year old granddaughter. The baby loved it as well. I didn’t use mint, but the rest was amazing. I bought the precooked beets in produce and they worked great and it was so fast to make. I have been following you for years and you just keep getting better and better. I recommend you to all my customers who are looking to make a change. Thanks for all you do and btw, the protein powder is phenomenal.
Awesome, Carol!! I love this smoothie, as well (beets + cherries = perfection!). Thank you for your kind words and all the love! I’ll make sure to pass this on to Jen. π
Follow up. This is my baby granddaughterβs special pre bed drink. She sees it and say num num num. she sleeps really well when she has this at night.
Love it! π
What can you use instead of the pomegranate juice? I don’t like to buy store juices because of the amount of sugar added.
Hi Yazmin, some store-bought juices (including some pom juices) are 100% fruit juice with no added sugars. A simple check of the nutrition label will tell you which is which. If that’s still too much sugar for your liking (juices are notoriously high in natural sugars), you can just use water. (That’s actually why just 1/2 cup of juice is used in the recipe.) π
I love beets in smoothies and as luck would have it, I had all the ingredients. I made this recipe and it was delicious!
So glad you loved it!
Do you have to put the pomegranit juice to this smoothie
Hey Maria. You can skip the pom juice and just use 1 cup of water if you prefer.
Excellent, thank you. I loved it and will make on repeat!
Kale yeah, Colleen! π
Love the idea..I’m going to give it a try/taste this week. But you just have me a nostalgic memory of my mother. Every summer she would make 2 gallons of juice(she had a juicer) using fresh beets, carrots, and oranges; she’d add some milk. And that was like heaven to me and my sister. Thanks for the recipe and reminding me of my mothers summer homemade juice.
You’re welcome, Johanna!
The mint threw me, I’ll have to add that to my next one. Can you use yellow beets too?
The mint really takes it up a notch! And I’m sure you can use any type of beet, your smoothie just may not be as vibrant reddish-pink if you use yellow beets. π
Is there supposed to be greens in this smoothie?
Hey Krista! Actually, this is one of our few smoothie recipes that does not contain greens. However, if you want to add greens, you def can! I’d recommend spinach so you don’t take away from the delicious taste of the cherry/beet/pom juice combo.
So you have a suggestion of what to add if you wanted to make this a meal replacement?
Hi Janelle! Here’s a link to our article on turning any green smoothie into a meal. π https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes/meal-replacement-smoothie
Wow! I never thought beets could taste so good. I made this today and it was absolutely gorgeous. Thank you guys – I love all your smoothies.
Hey Carla,
Yay!!! I love that this recipe helped you to enjoy beets.
Cheers!! π
Can you use beets that are already cooked and vacuum packed? New to all this. On the no gall bladder sirgery for me diet lol! Been eating clean and using smoothies for 43 days, lost 19 pounds and I feel great! I live in farm coun5ry and grow alot of my own veggies, so fresh beets are easily accessible.
Do you ever do anything with squashes or pumpkin in the fall?
Thank you for this wonderful site!
Joy
Hi Joy,
Welcome! I am so exited to have you blending with us! You can definitely use pre-packed beets, or ones fresh from your garden. The choice is yours!
Looking for yummy squash and pumpkin recipes? Here’s one of my fall favorites…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes/pumpkin-smoothie
I’m really interested in trying this recipe. However, is there an acceptable way of utilizing beets in their raw state?
Thank you!!!
Hi Layne,
You can definitely blend them raw too! I just them into chunks, or shred them before blending.
You could replace the Chard in this recipe with beet tops, it’s pretty much the same thing…
Great idea, Kent! We love that you can use the entire beet for green smoothies, leaves and all!
I just tried beets in my smoothie for the first time ever and 1) what a beautiful color and 2) I enjoyed the natural sweetness! It’s good to see how beneficial beets are and I didn’t actually know the entire plant was edible so I’m looking for beet greens recipes right now!
Hi Kassidy,
We love beets for so many reasons and we’re so excited you’ve enjoyed adding them to your green smoothies!
Cheers to health, happiness, + leafy greens!
Hi! I love your website, I am currently doing the 30-day challenge and I thought of doing this smoothie for Sunday, freestyle day π I have a question, to substitute the dates for bananas, how many should I put?
Thanx a lot!
haha i got confused of page, I meant the Red velvet Green smoothie.
Hi Melissa,
Great question! Banana is the perfect substitute for dates! Not only does it add sweetness, but creates a deliciously creamy smoothie. Try starting with one banana, you can always add a second if you’re looking for an extra sweetness boost!
I am fairly new to doing the shakes in the morning and tried the beets in them. I loved the taste, but noticed I was extremely tired the whole day. I could not wait to get home and go to bed. Is the tryptopan just in the leafy greens or is it in all of it. Would like to continue using them, just can’t go around in a fog all day at work.
Hi Jennifer,
Tryptophan levels are highest in the leaves, but you will also find that sleepy nutrient from the vegetable itself. Finding yourself extra sensitive to tryptophan? This may be the perfect bedtime smoothie!
I am new to the smoothies too but love, love them. I have a question about the beets, the info says 1/2-1/2cup of beets. Does that really mean a 1/4 cup?
Hi Gaylene,
Great catch! You’re right, we’ll update our page right away!
Hi ladies can I add raw Beet to the smoothies?
Hi Bhumika,
Of course you can!
Jadah and Jen, and rawkstar team….thank you for sharing this website with us! You are helping so many people! God bless each one of you!
Happy Easter β‘
Joyce,
Thank you so much for your sweet message!
Peace, Love, and Leafy Greens
Hi, I am new to Simple Green Smoothies. I have been reading the recipe at the top of this page, and it said, 1 cup of Chard. Can you please tell me what it is as I have no idea. Never heard of it here in Australia.
Thanks in advance,
I am enjoying all the recipes from Simple Green Smoothies.
Warm regards, Anneke.
Hi Anneke.
Welcome! Thanks for blending with us! Could it be called silver beet in Australia? π
So funny – I have wondered about this stuff called Chard for ages. Silverbeet, now I understand (from an Aussie living in Canada!)
Happy to help, Priscilla! π
Hi, I am new to Simple Green Smoothies. I have been reading the recipe at the top of this page, and it said, 1 cup of Chard. Can you please tell me what it is as I have no idea. Never heard of it hear in Australia.
Thanks in advance,
I am enjoying all the recipes from Simple Green Smoothies.
Warm regards, Anneke.
Chard is Spinach in Aus.
Best regards, Glenys
Hi Anneke. I think swiss chard is silver beet in Australia. π
Please, could somebody tell me how to freeze raw beetroot for smoothies. I thought maybe peeled and cut into cubes and freeze on a baking sheet (like bananas) and then put into a ziplock bag. Would appreciate any input. Thanks in advance, Glenys from Down Under
Hi Glenys,
Looking to freeze leafy greens, like beet root – check out our blog post here…
https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-diet/how-to/freeze-leafy-greens
I just bought a 10lbs bag of beets! Can I boil them and cut-freeze them for smoothies ? Would nutrition be less if boiled?
Hey Yolette.
I personally prefer steaming my beets best. Do whatever works best for you. π
STEAMED
In a steamer basket with a couple inches of water in pan, add scrubbed beet that has been cut in quarters (greens trimmed off) steam for about 15 minutes until just cooked through or a knife easily comes out. You now have amazing little beets with a super sweet taste that knocks an incredible punch to your green smoothies all week. The steaming brings down the βwhoaβ factor and mellows it to perfection. You can now add Β½-Β½ cup of roasted beets to any of our favorite green smoothies.
Do you peel the beets before or after steaming?
If you’re using organic beets, feel free to steam them peeled or unpeeled :). When using conventionally-grown beets, I prefer to peel them first.
I often put approx 1/3 raw beet into green smoothie, can’t really taste it; makes smoothie look chocolate (<%. Chops totally with my Nutribullet. I lOve cooked beets w/apple cider vinegar. My smoothie base is usually apple, pear, spinach & kale/swiss chard. I will now try beet greens.
Cheers, BonnieB! π
Can this be taken raw? What’s a good way to peel the skin without staining my self ?
Eating thr whole fruit including the skin?
Hey Jac. We like roasting them: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/plant-based-diet/how-to/how-to-make-vegetable-smoothies
I only cut skin off the section I’m using; means short exposure to stain. Keep remaining beet in crisper. I wash/rub fingertips immediately with dish soap – no stain, even on wood cutting board that I only wipe with water. Beet skin doesn’t blend so well. I splurged on a motion activated dishsoap dispenser, previously had a pump dispenser on the counter. Awesome is good word for this splurge (8.
Thanks for the comment, BonnieB. π
if you roast or steam the beets are you then able to freeze them for use at a later date?
Hey Alison,
I am sure that would be fine, just make sure you let them get to room temperature before you freeze them.
Fresh – cooked – use, would be best.
or
Fresh – cooked – freeze – use, would work too. π
My husband and I are so thankful for this site! We have almost made it to are 30 days ! But no way that we can stop now we love these green smoothies ! I added raw chopped beets ( I don’t like beets but had to give it a try) it was pretty good, my husband liked it too and he doesn’t eat beets either ! There are so many veggies and fruits out there that I have never tried ! What an eye opening experience ! Thanks so very so much !!
Thank you so much Mary Jo! Thank you for your feedback and I am so glad that you have had a positive experience with Simple Green Smoothies. π Keep blending those leafy greens! π
What about using the beet greens in place of spinach/chard? (In any recipe…..?)
Hey Emily! We haven’t tried that before, but go for it! Let us know how it goes.
OMG! Why did it never occur to me to sub avocados for bananas!!!
Hey Deanna! Did you try it yet? Hope you enjoyed it! π
yes! beets for tomorrow breakfast! i bought shredded beetroots last weekend, time to use them before they get spoiled so this is perfect! will be adding some raw soaked almonds instead of the nut butter and almond milk since i dont have those. It should work right?
Yep!
Is there anything that can replace the bananas? I am not a fan of the fruit, but this sounds like a great recipe1 =]
Check out this article, Sarah!
**took a risk (sorry)
I wasnΒ΄t sure about the beets but i take the risk and add them raw…I have to say this smoothie is definitely one of my top 5! SOoooo yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this with us! Regards from Uruguay!
So glad you loved it, Magdalena! Love that you’re experimenting and going outside of your comfort zone.
This was so yummy. Roasting brings out the sweetness in the beets
I’m just beginning to enjoy smoothies and was wondering can you add beets raw ? What’s the benefit of cooked vs. Raw beets ? Sorry if this is a dumb question !
You sure can! The reason we suggest roasting is because most people have a hard time with the taste of raw beets π