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Win the green smoothie game with this kale pineapple smoothie recipe. It’s made with just 5 ingredients, ready in minutes, jam-packed with fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants, and you can’t even taste the kale over the tropical, fruity deliciousness!
The Ultimate Green Kale Pineapple Smoothie
With a basic kale and banana smoothie recipe under our belt, it’s time to take your green smoothie game to peak level with this kale pineapple smoothie. It’s sweet, creamy, and packed with fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients, and you’d never even know the kale (or spinach) was there if not for the color!
Feel summery year-round while sneaking in nutrients with a combination of good-for-you ingredients like frozen pineapple and banana, orange juice, plant-based milk, and kale or spinach. Plus, there are no added sugars and several ways to adapt the recipe.
Not only will the flavor transport you to the beach, but this tropical green smoothie is loaded with fiber and nutrients to leave you feeling satisfied and energized as a nutrient-dense breakfast or snack. Oh, and did we mention it’s child-approved, too?!
Kale Pineapple Banana Smoothie Benefits
Pineapple is a highly nutritious ingredient, with impressive amounts of antioxidants (to protect our bodies from harmful free radicals) along with vitamin C (100% per 250ml cup!), manganese, copper, and vitamin B6, along with the beneficial enzyme ‘bromelain.’ This can help reduce inflammation and improve the immune system and digestive health.
Meanwhile, kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world. Along with plenty of fiber, this green is loaded with antioxidants, and particularly impressive amounts of vitamin C and K. These are beneficial for the development and healing of body tissue, immune system health, blood clotting, and bone health.
Bananas are also a great addition to this healthy pineapple smoothie. Along with fiber and antioxidants, they’re a great source of potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Potassium helps regulate fluid balance, improves nervous system health, regulates muscle and heart contractions, and may reduce blood pressure levels. Meanwhile, vitamin B6 is important for brain development, the nervous system, and immune system health.
The Green Pineapple Smoothie Ingredients
- Pineapple: We love frozen pineapple, but you can use fresh if preferred. Mango would also work, or combine both for a delicious green pineapple mango smoothie.
- Banana: Use frozen, slightly overripe bananas for a thick, sweet tropical green smoothie.
Check out this guide on How to Freeze Bananas to make making smoothies in the future a breeze!
- Greens: We love making this into a kale and pineapple smoothie with raw kale (ensure you remove the thick stems). However, you could also make a pineapple spinach smoothie or combine both.
- Orange juice: Or apple juice. Fresh is best or look for options without added sugars.
- Plant-based milk: Using some plant-based milk helps make a creamier pineapple green smoothie. We use vanilla plant-based milk, but you could use any unsweetened dairy-free milk (almond, cashew, coconut, etc.) and add ½-1 tsp of vanilla extract separately.
For a thicker smoothie, use dairy-free yogurt instead. For a lighter, healthy pineapple smoothie, use coconut water.
What Could I Add To A Pineapple Kale Smoothie?
There are plenty of ways to tweak this green pineapple smoothie recipe to your liking, both flavor and nutrient-wise.
- Sweetener: The fruit sweetness is enough for us, but you could boost it with maple syrup or 1-2 dates.
- Other fruits: Replace some pineapple with peach, mango, blueberry, or strawberries.
- Cucumber: Boost the detoxifying ‘greens’ with a pineapple cucumber smoothie by adding ½ cup sliced cucumber (skin on). It also contains plenty of phytonutrients with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
- Ginger: Add minced ginger (½ tsp) or ginger powder (small pinch) for added zing plus digestive and tummy soothing benefits.
- Lime juice: Just a little to brighten the kale/spinach pineapple banana smoothie.
- Avocado: Add ½ a small avocado for extra heart-healthy fats and creamy flavor. They’re also loaded with antioxidants and several vitamins and minerals.
- Oats: ¼ cup of rolled oats adds a ton of fiber to keep you full for longer.
- Seeds: Add 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seeds for added fiber, plant-based protein, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
- Seed/Nut butter: For added protein, fiber, and healthy fats, add 1 tbsp of peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.
- Protein powder: Add ½-1 scoop of vegan unflavored or vanilla protein powder to make more of a meal.
How to Make a Kale Pineapple Smoothie?
By relying on frozen ingredients, this green pineapple smoothie recipe cuts down on almost all prep for a smoothie ready in minutes and is enjoyable year-round!
- 1) First, de-stem the kale. Then, blend the juice, plant-based milk, and kale (or spinach) until well-blended.
- 2) Then, add the frozen banana and pineapple, and blend until smooth and creamy (for us, that took about 40 seconds in a high-speed blender).
- 3) Taste and add a little sweetener if preferred. Finally, transfer the pineapple kale smoothie to a glass, and enjoy!
FAQs
If you aren’t a fan of bananas in your smoothies, you could use half an avocado or some cauliflower (about ½-¾ cup) in its place to reduce the natural sugar content. Otherwise, add extra pineapple/ fruit.
Using too much kale can cause the pineapple healthy smoothie to become bitter. However, it’s an easy fix, as it’s just about finding the correct ratio of sweet fruit to kale. Adding fat, like avocado, nut butter, or higher-fat plant-based milk, also helps to tame any bitter flavor.
There are a couple of ways to meal-prep smoothies. The first is to create little smoothie Ziplock/Stasher bags in your freezer with the exact amounts of frozen ingredients you need for the recipe, ready to add to your blender with the remaining ingredients when needed.
You can also prepare and freeze smoothies. Leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight, before stirring and enjoying it.
Top Tips For The Best Results
- Fresh vs. frozen ingredients: It’s possible to use frozen greens for this green pineapple smoothie, too. Alternatively, omit all frozen ingredients. It won’t be as thick and dessert-like but is still creamy and delicious.
- Remove kale stems: They’re highly fibrous and can add an unpleasant texture to the pineapple detox smoothie.
- Adjust the consistency: Add more plant-based milk or juice for a thinner smoothie. For a thicker one, add some ice cubes.
- For the best blend: Add any liquids and soft ingredients to the blender first and any harder/frozen ingredients last.
- Make popsicles: Pour leftovers into a popsicle mold for a healthy frozen treat.
Storage Instructions
When using frozen ingredients, it’s best to consume the kale spinach smoothie immediately before it melts. When using fresh fruit, you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a day.
You can also freeze smoothies in Ziplock/Stasher bags (spread thin, excess air squeezed out) for up to 3 months. Leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight before shaking/stirring and enjoying it.
More Vegan Smoothie Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Kale Pineapple Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (you can substitute with apple juice)
- 1 ½ cups of vanilla plant-based milk
- 1 head of kale, destemed (or about 5 cups spinach)
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen pineapple chunks
Instructions
- Pour the juice and plant-based milk into a blender, add kale and blend on high until well-blended.
- Add frozen bananas and frozen pineapple and blend on high for about 40 seconds or until smooth and creamy.
Notes
- Fresh vs. frozen ingredients: It’s possible to use frozen greens for this green pineapple smoothie, too. Alternatively, omit all frozen ingredients. It won’t be as thick and dessert-like but is still creamy and delicious.
- Remove kale stems: They’re highly fibrous and can add an unpleasant texture to the pineapple detox smoothie.
- Adjust the consistency: Add more plant-based milk or juice for a thinner smoothie. For a thicker one, add some ice cubes.
- For the best blend: Add any liquids and soft ingredients to the blender first and any harder/frozen ingredients last.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.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. Plantbasedonabudget.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.
So bright and refreshing!
Right?! Such a great and nutritious smoothie too!
The best green smoothie! Not only is the color super appealing, but the taste is incredible. Yum!
Agreed! Super refreshing and jam-packed with nutrients too!
This kale pineapple smoothie is so fresh and refreshing … a perfect mid-morning pick-me-up!
One of my favorite smoothie combos! So good!
This smoothie is so refreshing and delicious!
Right?! Super refreshing and so healthy!
So refreshing and sweet!
This was delicious. I substituted the kale with chopped collard greens. Still quite delicious
I bet that it was just as delicious!
I have never tried kale in making my smoothie but this one looks so delicious!
You’ll love it!
I make alot of smoothies here and this recipe sounds both delicious and healthy! Great for the kids too)
Definitely a great way to sneak in greens into everyone’s diet!