Best Green Smoothie (4 Ingredients)
This tasty, tropical vegan green smoothie has only four ingredients, and it’s one of my favourite quick and easy breakfasts. Loaded with spinach, pineapples, orange juice, and bananas, it’s so creamy and deliciously smooth!
It’s January, and although it’s a little cliche, I’m starting the new year with this tropical green smoothie. This is one of my favourite quick breakfast recipes, and one of the best ways to kick my body into gear after indulging over the holidays. It’s easy to make in the blender, packed with delicious fruits and greens, and extra creamy while being 100% vegan.
What Makes This My Best Green Smoothie Recipe
- Vegan AND creamy. Even though this vegan green smoothie doesn’t contain dairy like milk and yogurt, it’s still silky smooth and thick, with an almost ice cream-like texture. My secret? Frozen bananas!
- 4 ingredients. You only need bananas, spinach, pineapple, and orange juice. That’s it. Of course, you can always customize this smoothie recipe with any in-season fruits, veggies, and your choice of add-ins.
- Super filling. Really. Frozen bananas make this green smoothie creamy, but they also make it sweet, filling, and satisfying.
Notes on the Ingredients
With only 4 ingredients (and easy ones to find, at that), this smoothie can be whipped up at pretty much any time of the year. I’ve included notes below, and you’ll find the full printable recipe in the recipe card after the post.
- Pineapples – Chopped pineapple adds body and a burst of freshness to the smoothie. I recommend using fresh pineapples over canned whenever possible. You could also use frozen pineapples.
- Fresh Spinach – Swap spinach with kale if desired, but spinach is my #1 choice because of how well it blends together. Kale tends to leave rougher chunks in the smoothie if you don’t blanch it first. Spinach also gives it that beautiful green colour.
- Chopped Bananas – Bananas keep you full while also adding natural sweetness to the smoothie, so you don’t need to add any sugar to the recipe.
- Fresh Orange Juice – I recommend choosing oranges that are more on the sweet side than tart. You can choose to freshly juice them or buy orange juice from the store.
How to Make This Vegan Green Smoothie (Step-by-Step)
Like my other smoothie recipes, making this vegan green smoothie is as easy as adding your ingredients to a blender and hitting “go!”
- Combine the ingredients. Start by adding the pineapples, spinach, bananas, and orange juice to a high-powered blender.
- Blend. Blend it all together until smooth, pausing to scrape down sides if needed. Done! I recommend drinking this immediately. However, this will last in your fridge for a maximum of two days.
Tips to Remember
- Use a high-powered blender. Good brands are Vitamix, Ninja, or NutriBullet.
- Use fresh fruit whenever possible. I highly recommend using fresh or frozen versions of these fruits over canned versions. It’ll yield the best taste.
- Make-ahead. If you want to meal prep the smoothie ingredients, you can freeze all of the ingredients (except the orange juice) and store them in a freezer-safe zipped bag. Pre-portion each smoothie in a reusable container, so all you have to do is pour all ingredients in the blender and turn it on.
Dietary Swaps and Substitutions
- Use kale instead of spinach. I used spinach for mine, but you could easily substitute kale if you want, like I do for my strawberry kale smoothie. I would recommend blanching the kale for one minute first, so it blends more smoothly and is easier to digest.
- Make a protein smoothie. If you’ve just finished a killer workout, add a scoop of plant-based protein powder. This will keep you full for longer.
- Make it extra creamy. Add in a scoop of coconut yogurt, homemade vegan yogurt, nut milk, or coconut milk (like my strawberry coconut smoothie) for an ultra-creamy, richer texture.
- Superfood add-ins. Add in chia seeds, flax seeds, more fruit, coconut shreds, berries, or anything else to your liking.
- Swap the orange juice. You could also use apple juice, mango, pear, or any juice you’d like. Coconut water would also be refreshing.
How to Store
- Refrigerate. If you have leftovers, keep the smoothie in the fridge tightly covered for up to 2 days.
- Freeze. You can freeze your green smoothie in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months and thaw it in the fridge before you sip it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thickening this smoothie is as easy as adding another frozen banana. Another option is to add chia seeds, which act as a natural thickener.
Other good fruit choices are strawberries, blueberries, and mango.
Yes. Serve this green smoothie in a bowl topped with coconut, granola, fresh fruit, and your favourite smoothie bowl toppings. Check out my green smoothie bowl recipe.
More Easy Smoothie Recipes to Try
Enjoy friends! If you make this Best Green Smoothie (4 Ingredients), please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
The Best Vegan Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped or cubed
- 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
- 2 small frozen bananas, whole
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Instructions
- Add the pineapples, spinach, bananas and orange juice to a high powered blender. Blend it all together until smooth, pausing to scrape down sides if needed.
- Serve and enjoy! This smoothie will last in your fridge for up to 2 days.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Thanks Chineka!
I am a big fan of green vegetables, they offer so many nutrients. I especially love juicing kale.
This is such a tasty, easy smoothie recipe! I had this after a yoga session and just felt so healthy haha. So delicious and so good for you at the same time. I love that it’s so few ingredients and not intimidating at all to whip up. Thank you for another great recipe, Jessica!
This is SO good. I added chia seeds and Maca. Thank you for another great recipe.
This is so delicious and I will be making it again. Thank you
Definitely earned its name. This smoothie is The Best. Thank you!
Thanks so much Sarah we really appreciate it!
Simple and delicious! Love getting those greens in through a yummy smoothie.
Thanks so much Lo. We’re happy that you’re happy.
I like a little creaminess and protein, so I added a spoonful of Greek yogurt and ginger for an immunity kick. 👌🏼
Thanks so much Mallory sounds like a great addition!
I substituted frozen mango and spinach for fresh pineapple and spinach, plus I used a fresh banana. It’s absolutely delicious! Oh! I also added a scoop of Vegan protein powder.