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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Kale Smoothie

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Give yourself a burst of energy in the morning by starting your day with this five-ingredient kale smoothie. Made with an ultra-flavorful combination of pears, apples, kale, almond butter, and almond milk, this fruit smoothie with kale is perfectly sweet, super satisfying, and you can’t taste the kale at all!

Healthy kale smoothie served in a glass with a straw and an apple on the side.

I feel like it’s next to impossible to have a bad day when you start off by drinking this fantastic smoothie with kale and apple. It’s naturally sweetened with apple and pear, but has all the health benefits of kale!

This really is the most delicious green smoothie recipe ever. And on top of that, you get the vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants from the kale, in a great smoothie that tastes like a sweet treat! We made this healthy kale smoothie recipe with apples and pears to sweeten it, but you could also make a kale pineapple smoothie for sweetness or customize it with other fresh fruit however you like!

This recipe makes a great vegetarian breakfast idea or healthy snack. If you choose to add the protein powder, you’ll get a well balanced drink that will keep you full for hours. Just throw everything into your blender and in minutes you have a meal in minutes.

This smoothie with kale and fruit is also excellent for those days when you need a healthy jump start. It’s a delicious way to add fruits and veggies into your diet and is a perfect breakfast or snack that you can enjoy on the go!

👩‍🍳 Why You Will Love This Kale Smoothie Recipe

  • Family-Friendly: The apples and pears give this kale fruit smoothie a natural sweetness, that completely disguises the taste of kale, making it a favorite with kids of all ages.
  • Budget-Friendly: Save yourself expensive trips to the smoothie shop with this recipe! With easy-to-find and common ingredients, this vegan kale smoothie with apple is much easier on your wallet.
  • Short Ingredient List: All you need are 5 ingredients, making this recipe a great one any time.
  • Healthy: Green smoothies are one of my favorite ways to make a healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert! This really is the best kale smoothie, as it’s packed with healthy ingredients and is a great way to eat your greens.
  • Vegan & Gluten Free: If you are looking for a delicious plant based smoothie, this kale apple smoothie recipe is for you! It’s made with all vegan ingredients, nutritious kale, sweet apples, and a few other good-for-you ingredients. It also happens to be naturally gluten free!

🥘 Ingredients

You only need 5 simple ingredients for this healthy green smoothie with kale, all of which can easily be found at your local grocery store! Here’s what you need:

ingredients for kale smoothie

Main Ingredients:

  • Kale: Curly kale is my preferred type of kale for this green kale smoothie recipe. But to save time, use pre-chopped kale or baby kale in this smoothie recipe.
  • Apple: Choose a sweet and tart apple. Some of my favorite varieties are Envy, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Gala apples.
  • Pear: The more ripe the pear, the better! Barlett pears are my recommended pick for this pear kale smoothie – they add just the right amount of sweetness to this kale drink recipe.
  • Almond Butter: Natural almond butter adds flavor, richness, and staying power to this drink.
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk: Choose unsweetened plain or vanilla almond milk to keep the added sugars at bay in this recipe.

Optional Additional Ingredients:

  • Baby Spinach: Add additional nutrition and make a kale and spinach smoothie by blending in a cup of baby spinach.
  • Water: Thins out this morning smoothie, making it smooth and creamy.
  • Ice: Cool down your smoothie and make it icy by choosing to blend in a handful of ice cubes.
  • Protein Powder: Use plant-based protein powder to keep this recipe a healthy high protein vegan breakfast. Otherwise, any unflavored or vanilla protein powder will work in this kale and fruit smoothie!

🍲 Substitutions

  • Leafy Greens: Any combination of tuscan kale, baby spinach, baby power greens, lacinato kale, or purple kale can substitute for curly kale or baby spinach.
  • Fruit: Any combination of sweet peaches, mango, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, or creamy banana can substitute for the apples and pears, making this a great recipe to use up any fruits you have on hand!
  • Nut Butter: You can use peanut butter, cashew butter, or even pumpkin seed butter instead of the almond butter.
  • Milk: Any type of plant-based milk or dairy milk will work in place of the almond milk in this recipe. Oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or pea milk are all fantastic options. You can also use regular cow’s milk if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan friendly. I don’t recommend using juice (like apple or orange juice instead of the milk – it won’t make this kale detox smoothie as creamy and fruit juice has too much added sugar).

🔪 How To Make A Kale Smoothie

Prep Ingredients: Chop the apple and pear into small cubes. Remove the spine and stem of the kale, and roughly chop. Add all of the ingredients to a high-powered blender.

All of the kale smoothie ingredients in a blender.

Blend: Blend until smooth (1-2 minutes). Serve this kale green smoothie immediately. Enjoy!

The kale smoothie blended up in a blender.

💭 Expert Tips

  • Add the Ingredients to the Blender in the Order Listed: Make blending a breeze by adding the ingredients for this apple kale smoothie in the order listed.
  • Add Water and Ice Only As Needed: Adding too much water or ice can dilute the flavors of the kale and pear smoothie recipe. Depending on the type of blender you have, you may not need any water at all. A high speed blender will easily break down the ingredients. Blend up the smoothie with the almond milk, veggies, and fruit first, and then blend in the water and ice as needed to reach the desired consistency. 
  • If Possible Use a High-Speed Blender: Using a Vitamix or other high-speed blender will make this smoothie preparation a breeze, resulting in a creamy smoothie without burning out the blender’s engine.

📖 Recipe Variations

  • Kale Protein Smoothie: To add extra protein to this instant kale shake, add 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder, ground flaxseed, ground chia seeds, hemp seeds, or yogurt (plant-based or dairy – Greek yogurt).
  • Add Healthy Fats: Amp up the heart-healthy fats in this green shake recipe by blending in an avocado to make a kale avocado smoothie. You can also double up on the almond butter for additional good-for-you fats!
  • Tropical Flavors: Make a kale pineapple smoothie by swapping out the apples or pears for and equal amount of pineapple. Or make it a kale mango smoothie by using diced mango instead of the apples or pears!
  • Other Mix-Ins: Add 1-2 tsp fresh ginger to this recipe for a kale ginger smoothie, or feel free to add a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice for a citrus twist!
  • Kale Berry Smoothie: Make it a strawberry kale smoothie or blueberry kale smoothie by switching out the apples and pears for either strawberries or blueberries. I recommend throwing in half to a whole frozen banana along with the berries as well, to help counteract some of the kale taste.
  • Kale Banana Smoothie: Whip in an overripe banana to make a simple kale smoothie with banana. You can use a fresh or frozen banana, which offers a natural sweetness and a delightfully creamy finish.
  • Make it Frosty: For an extra cool and frosty finish, freeze the prepared fruits and vegetables the night before, and then blend it straight from frozen in the morning!
  • Extra Sweetness: For a sweeter smoothie with no processed sugar, blend in a few pitted medjool dates or a tablespoon or two of maple syrup! You can also throw your favorite frozen fruit into this super kale smoothie for weight loss!

🫙 Storage Directions

  • Storage: This kale breakfast smoothie is best served immediately after blending. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, just place the ingredients in the blender and store it in the fridge for up to 4 hours or until blending.
  • Freezing: Freeze any leftover smoothie in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. For best results, de-frost the smoothie for 6-12 hours in the refrigerator before blending until smooth and serving!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve up a cool glass of this kale and apple smoothie on its own for a refreshing snack, light breakfast, or post-workout treat. It’s a great option year-round!

You can also serve it alongside toast, high protein overnight oats, these gluten free chocolate banana muffins, or vegan baked oatmeal for a satisfying and nutritious morning meal.

❓Recipe FAQs

Is it okay to put raw kale in a smoothie?

Yes, it is okay to put raw kale in a smoothie. It’s also okay to eat raw kale (like in a salad or side dish). Keep in mind, the texture of kale is very fibrous and tough. When you put it in a smoothie, the blender it breaks down which makes it very easy to consume. If eating raw kale leaves, remember to remove the kale stems, and massage the kale to make it easier to eat.

Is putting kale in smoothies good for you?

Kale in a smoothie is super good for you! Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods, and is definitely a healthy addition to smoothie. But, the most important thing to remember is that not all smoothies are created equal. A green smoothie you find at a restaurant may be filled with added sugars and sweeteners, making it much closer to a dessert than a healthy drink!

But when you make your smoothie at home, you can control how much sugar is added to it. Because of this, most homemade kale smoothies are going to be nutritious for you!

How do you thicken a vegan smoothie?

You can thicken a vegan smoothie recipe by controlling the amount of liquid you add to it. This recipe is made with only 1/2 cup of almond milk, making it a thicker smoothie to begin with. When making other vegan smoothies, you can always reduce the amount of liquid – or start with a smaller amount and add liquid as needed – to make the smoothie thicker, or to make a smoothie bowl.

What is the best kale for smoothies?

The best kale for smoothies is the type of kale that you like the best! Curly kale is my preferred type of kale, but baby kale, dinosaur kale, and purple kale all work great in smoothie recipes.

Kale smoothie in a glass against a white background with a green and white straw.

🍏 More Healthy Smoothie Recipes!

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🎥 Watch How to Make It

Healthy kale smoothie served in a glass with a straw and an apple on the side.
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Kale Smoothie

Give yourself a burst of energy in the morning by starting your day with this five-ingredient kale smoothie. Made with an ultra-flavorful combination of pears, apples, kale, almond butter, and almond milk, this fruit smoothie with kale is perfectly sweet, super satisfying, and you can't taste the kale at all!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Drinks
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 154.2kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1-2 cups kale or about 4 large kale leaves, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
  • 1 cup baby spinach optional
  • 1 scoop plant based protein powder optional
  • 1 small apple cored
  • 1 small pear cored
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • water to your desired consistency
  • ice optional

Instructions

  • Put all of the ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth. Blend in water to the smoothie as needed to reach the desired consistency. Drink and enjoy.

Notes

  1. Storage: This smoothie is best served immediately after blending. If you want to prepare it ahead of time, just place the ingredients in the blender and store it in the fridge for up to 4 hours or until blending.
  2. Freezing: Freeze leftover smoothies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. For best results, de-frost the smoothie for 6-12 hours in the refrigerator before blending until smooth and serving!
  3. Add water and ice as needed: blend up the smoothie with the almond milk, veggies, and fruit first and then blend in the water and ice as needed to reach the desired consistency. 
  4. Substitutions: 
    1. Milk: any plant milk (or dairy milk) can substitute for almond milk. If using dairy milk, however, the recipe will no longer be vegan.
    2. Fruit: Swap bananas, strawberries, pineapple, or mango in for the apple and pear to switch up the flavor profile or use other fruit that you have on hand. 
    3. Kale: Don’t have kale? No problem. The same amount of baby spinach can substitute for kale. Similarly, you can use a mixture of kale and spinach in this recipe. 
  5. Mix-ins and Variations:
    1. Add Extra Protein: By blending in 2 scoops of protein powder. Use vegan protein powder to keep this recipe plant-based.
    2. Make it Extra Creamy: Blend half of a ripe avocado in with the fruits and vegetables for an ultra-creamy kale smoothie that is rich in healthy fats! 
    3. Extra Sweetness: Add an extra sweet finish by blending pitted dates or maple syrup into the smoothie.
Note: Nutritional info does not include protein powder. If you add protein powder to this smoothie, each serving will have about 250-275 calories and 25 grams of protein.

Nutrition

Calories: 154.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.4g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 73.3mg | Potassium: 540.8mg | Fiber: 6.7g | Sugar: 14.3g

42 responses to “Kale Smoothie”

  1. I make a green smoothie for lunch almost every day. 🙂 I usually put just baby spinach in mine, but I will have to try it with kale too sometime soon.5 stars

    • Kale can substitute for baby spinach in just about any smoothie recipe and is a good way to add in extra nutrients! You can also do half spinach and half kale 🙂 I hope you love this recipe when you try it!

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