How To Make Kale Pineapple Smoothie
The recipe calls for only 5 ingredients. As the name suggests, kale and pineapple are in there. Plus, I used chia seeds for additional nutrition, unsweetened homemade almond milk as liquid, and a ripe banana for creaminess.
With that being said, I know some people do not care for bananas in green smoothies. If you are one of those people, you can easily switch banana with an avocado. In my opinion, pineapple is sweet enough that you wont need any additional sweetener. However, if you feel it needs some additional sweetener you can always add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. Though either way, I recommend giving it a taste first.
Key Ingredients And Swaps
You might already have all of these ingredients in your refrigerator – especially if you enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables. If not, they are easy to find. Here’s a bit more about what I used .
- Cucumber: Always use English cucumber in your smoothies. They are also called seedless cucumbers. If you use regular cucumbers, they will have seeds in them – which isn’t bad it alters the texture.
- Pineapple: If you use frozen pineapple, you don’t have to add ice to your smoothie. It also saves you time cutting up a fresh pineapple. If you use canned pineapple chunks, make sure it is completely drained, and then you’ll have to add ice.
- Banana: Always use very ripe bananas in smoothies. If it is very mature, it will mix in with the other ingredients easier.
- Coconut water or milk: Coconut water makes this smoothie extra hydrating and packed with antioxidants. Alternatively, you could also use unsweetened coconut milk.
- Limes: Make sure to use fresh limes! If you don’t have fresh limes, add some jarred lime juice.
- Spinach: Only use fresh spinach in the smoothie. Frozen or canned spinach does not mix very well.
- Kiwi: The kiwi is optional. If you use it, it will add more sugar and calories to your smoothie – but it also makes it taste amazing, so add some!
Ingredient Pineapple Whip Smoothie
This 3 ingredient pineapple whip smoothie recipe is a healthier smoothie version of the pineapple whip frozen dessert you can get at the Disney theme parks. Fresh pineapple is blended with almond milk and a touch of honey for a delicious frozen treat.
I havent been to a Disney theme park in almost 20 years, but standing in line to buy a frosty, thick, frozen pineapple whip is a really vivid memory of mine. The fresh pineapple was blended so smooth and thick that it was a toss up whether to try and drink it from a straw or dig into it with a spoon. Ive made several frozen drink recipes that I loved, like my orange creamsicle smoothie, but nothing quite tops the fresh taste of a pineapple whip smoothie!
I get my fresh organic produce box from Brewers Organics every Thursday. Because I fill out the list of what I want, Im always able to plan what recipes Ill make with the contents every week. However, in yesterdays box, there was really special surprise waiting for me. A perfectly ripe organic pineapple! When I saw it, making this pineapple whip recipe was the very first thing that popped into my head. Fortunately, I had some pineapple left over, so I think Ill be making this slow cooker BBQ pineapple chicken recipe that I found on Pinterest. It looks SO easy and yummi.
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Ingredients In This Pineapple Smoothie
This healthy pineapple smoothie has just a few ingredients, and its mostly fruit! There are no added juices or sweeteners. Heres what you need to make this creamy puree:
- Frozen pineapple: Use frozen pineapple to get that perfectly icy texture. You can use fresh too, but we prefer using that for snacking. Frozen pineapple is easy to find and store for whenever you have a smoothie craving.
- Banana: The banana helps to make a creamy texture and accentuate the sweetness.
- Water & Milk: A combination of water and milk together makes just the right creaminess. You can use any type of dairy or non-dairy milk .
- Ice: Ice makes the perfect frothy texture.
- Fresh lime juice: The citrus amps the flavors! You can also use fresh lemon juice.
Other Ingredients Youll Need
- Frozen pineapple chunks
- Orange: I used one whole orange, peeled and cut into segments. I have a high-powered blender that completely breaks down the segments, so if youre worried you can always just squeeze the juice from the orange and add a few extra chunks of pineapple or sliced bananas.
- I used unsweetened almond milk, but regular milk or half and half will work great, too.
- Ginger: I buy tubes of ginger paste because its super easy to measure and add to the smoothie, but the same amount of grated fresh ginger works, too. I love the flavor it adds to the smoothie sort of a zingy surprise!
This pineapple smoothie is a bright and fresh way to start the day and now with plenty of frozen fruit on hand, Ill be making this one a lot.
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Why Use Almond Milk In Smoothies
Almond milk is a dairy free, plant based milk thats made with almonds and water. Its great for using in smoothies because its a dairy free milk that helps to achieve a creamy texture. Here are a few notes about using almond milk in smoothies:
- Can you taste almond milk in smoothies? Not really! Most almond milk has a very neutral flavor, so its virtually imperceptible in a smoothie.
- Does almond milk make smoothies thicker? No. Almond milk is a good liquid that helps smoothies blend, but its texture is closer to water than milk. By itself, it does not lend creaminess to a smoothie. But in concert with other ingredients, it helps to form just the right smoothie texture.
How To Make Pineapple Banana Smoothie
This healthy smoothie recipe is so easy to make! You only need frozen pineapple chunks, half a banana and almond milk.
I also add chia seeds to add more fiber and sometimes add half water and half almond milk to make it lighter.
First, add the frozen fruit in a blender. Next, add the almond milk and 2 teaspoons of chia seeds.
If you want to increase your protein intake, you can add chocolate protein powder, and it will also give it a really good sweet taste.
Blend it all together for a minute and serve immediately.
I use Nutribullet Pro which is a powerful smoothie blender , perfect to crush the frozen fruit and make a nutritious smoothie.
So easy and delicious!
I hope this easy smoothie recipe makes you insanely happy!
If you try this pineapple breakfast smoothie, let me know in the comments. Or you can share your recipe photos with me on or . I cant wait to see what you make!
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A Few Helpful Tips For This Healthy Kale Smoothie Recipe
- Feel free to switch pineapple with berries or cherries when they are in season.
- I also love adding a tablespoon of hemp seeds when I have them at home. They dont have a very distinctive taste, but they are so nutritious.
- If you want to make ahead, you can prep pineapple chunks and kale in advance, place in a resealable bag and freeze until you are ready to use.
Tips To Make Green Smoothies
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Select Fruit To Balance The Greens
Finally pick a fruit to balance out the flavor of the leafy green. For a green smoothie, I recommend using pineapple, banana, mango, pear, kiwi, avocado, green apples, or any combination of these, or other yellow and green fruits. I love using frozen fruit when possible to get a smooth and creamy texture.
Those are the three essential ingredient types for making a green smoothie. Then you can addmore flavor, more sweetness, more texture, or more nutritional value with all kinds of added ingredients. This includes seeds, protein powders, natural sweeteners, nuts or nut butters, oils or spices.
Place all in ingredients in a blender and blend until its smooth with no chunks of leafy greens or fruits.
Dont forget to taste it! Here, you can decide if your green smoothie needs a sweetener, if its too thick or not cold enough or if it needs any extra ingredients. Some common adjustments I make are adding honey if the fruit wasnt ripe enough, adding lemon juice to cut the bitterness of some greens, or adding cinnamon to give it a warm flavor.
Then make sure to drink this green smoothie right after you blend it for the best consistency! Its the worst when a smoothie settles in the fridge and separates into parts. But if that happens just shake it up or mix it before drinking. If you have any left over, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Best Blender For Smoothies
Either a personal-sized blender, or a larger high-speed traditional blender will work for this recipe.
A personal-sized blender, such as a Nutribulletor Ninja, features the blade on the TOP. While a traditional blender, such as a Vitamix, has the blade on the BOTTOM.
Whichever blender you use, make sure to follow the order of loading the ingredients in relation to the blade.
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What Type Of Kale Is Best For Smoothies
There are two main varieties of kale available in most grocery stores: the curly kind and the broader flat-leaf variety. Curly kale is lighter in color and has frilly edges. The flat-leaf kind also called Lacinato, Tuscan, dinosaur, or black kale is darker in color, more tender, and has slightly thinner leaves, making it ideal for most cooking applications.
While both varieties can be used in this smoothie interchangeably, I find that buying a big bag of pre-cut curly kale in the salad section to be the easiest option. This way, if youre prepping multiple smoothie packs at once, you can add the leaves directly to your bags without having to stem and chop them.
This Pineapple Almond Smoothie Is Naturally Higher In Healthy Fats
And a little secret that you may not know dairy-free milks and yogurts are often lower sugar and lower carbohydrate than dairy-based ones! Dairy milk naturally contains a high amount of milk sugar , but unsweetened almond milk and unsweetened dairy-free yogurt are both sugar-free. Plain yogurt is used here for a little extra sweetness. If you opt for unsweetened dairy-free yogurt in this pineapple smoothie recipe, you may want to add a few drops of pure stevia if your pineapple isnt super sweet.
Fresh fruit is used in this pineapple smoothie recipe, but for a frostier, creamier treat, use frozen pineapple. Its fairly inexpensive and available year round at stores like Trader Joes, or you can flash-freeze your own chunks when pineapple is at its peak.
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What Do You Need To Make This Vegan Pineapple Smoothie
To make this pineapple smoothie, you need the following:
- Banana I freeze ripen bananas practically in bulk to have them ready for smoothies. This smoothie calls for a medium banana, but you can also use a small one, as it’s there mostly for texture.
- Pineapple this is the star ingredient of the smoothie and the flavour that you will feel the most because it totally overpowers the banana. I use fresh pineapple for this smoothie, but frozen would also work. If you use both frozen banana and pineapple, you may need to add a bit more liquid, unless you like your smoothies to have an ice-cream like consistency. You’re going to need the equivalent of 1 cup of pineapple chunks.
- Almond milk practically any kind of plant-based milk is just fine for this smoothie. I made it with oat milk and it was delicious, but for some reason I believe almond milk pairs better with the flavour of the pineapple. If you use coconut milk, you’re practically in for a tropical feast.
Recipe Tips And Ideas For Pineapple Smoothies
Follow these tips to ensure that this pineapple cucumber smoothie turns out sweet and smooth every single time!
- Instead of almond milk, use some unsweetened greek yogurt. This will make the smoothie extra creamy and thick and give it a protein boost. This works great to turn this into a smoothie bowl.
- Use coconut milk instead of coconut water. The coconut milk will make it taste just like a pina colada.
- Add a scoop of flaxseeds as this will add even more fiber and make the smoothie more filling. Hemp seeds and chia seeds are also great additions.
- You can omit the spinach if you like. I think the spinach adds a ton of nutrition, and you can’t even taste it after it blends together. If you want to leave it out, you can. This will make the pineapple smoothie taste even sweeter.
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Do I Have To Use Almond Milk
No, you do not have to use almond milk.
Any milk that you have on hand will work!
Whole milk, 2% milk, almond milk, soy milk, or any basic milk will work just fine.
It is the pineapple and banana that you will be tasting!
The only milk that may change the flavor much is coconut milk, but if you like coconut flavored things, that would give this smoothie a nice tropical twist so I say go for it.
If you do not have a high powered blender, you may need to add more liquid to the desired consistency.
Just adjust as necessary!
This is one recipe you will be making time and time again.
It is so easy, and the perfect pick me up to satisfy any sweet tooth!
Banana And Pineapple Smoothie
This pineapple banana smoothie is inspired by a cake from my childhood: the Pineapple Upside Down cake. While it may be based on a super sweet dessert, this fruit smoothie is loaded with health benefits too:
- Only sweetened by fruit, no added sugar here!
- thick & creamy thanks to the protein-rich almond milk + bananas
- 100% plant-based to give you the healthiest smoothie without any of the tummy troubles that dairy often causes.
- Naturally boosted with calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin D, which gives you some delicious health benefits.
No wonder this pineapple banana smoothie is such a fav among our fellow smoothie lovers! Seriously, this is a fun smoothie for newbies as well as veteran smoothie drinkers.
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How To Make Kale Taste Good In Smoothies
I get asked this question all the time: How do you make kale smoothies taste good? Though I think there is no one way, I found that the best thing to do is to find the best ratio of sweetness and creaminess that will balance the bitter taste of kale.
The ratio that works for me is to use 1 ½ cups of ripened fruit for every 2 cups of kale. While that formula usually works well, fruits like pineapples can be sweeter than other fruits so it is always a good idea to taste the fruit and adjusting the amount you use according to your sweetness preference.
Additionally, adding some fat into the recipe will help mask the bitterness coming from kale. In the recipe below, I used almond milk as the liquid. Since almond milk is high in fats, it helped quite a bit. If you try making this pineapple kale smoothie recipe using avocado instead of bananas, you will realize it will be even less bitter.
Alternatively, you can use different plant-based milk options like cashew milk or coconut milk.
A Kale Smoothie Recipe Thats Actually Delicious
If the idea of a vegetable as ferociously green as kale in your breakfast routine makes you wary, I am begging you to give this kale pineapple smoothie recipe a try.
Ive made dozens of green smoothies over the years, and this one is truly the best of all the healthy green smoothies in the land.
Thanks to the pineapple, banana, and honey, this healthy breakfast smoothie is sweet and creamy, and the kales flavor is mild.
Telltale green color aside, you wont even believe it contains kale.
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Is This Pineapple Banana Smoothie Healthy
Totally!
I love pineapple so much not only for its delicious taste, but because it has impressive health benefits.
This healthy tropical fruit is loaded with nutrients and antioxidants, low in calories, rich in vitamin C and manganese, and its enzymes can ease digestion. Plus, its the best fruit for weight loss!
This pineapple and banana smoothie recipe is so good that lately, I make it every other morning for a healthy breakfast .
Its a real treat!