Spinach Smoothie
A vibrant green smoothie that blends fresh baby spinach with frozen banana, mango, pineapple juice, and almond milk into a creamy, tropical-tasting breakfast that takes just five minutes.
Equipment
- High-powered blender - Vitamix, Ninja, or similar
- Liquid measuring cup - For measuring liquids
- Dry measuring cups - For measuring fruit and spinach
- Cutting board - For slicing banana
- Knife - For slicing banana
- Tall glasses or smoothie cups - With lids if taking to-go
- Reusable straws - Optional
- Baking sheet or plate - For freezing banana slices
- Parchment paper - For freezing banana slices
- Zip-lock bag - For storing frozen fruit and meal prep packs
- Spatula - For scraping down sides of blender if needed
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach - 60g, loosely packed
- 1 medium frozen banana - about 120g, sliced before freezing
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks - 140g
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks - 80g
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk - 240ml, or milk of choice
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice - 60ml, or orange juice
- 1 teaspoon honey - optional, adjust to taste
- banana slices - for garnish, optional
- fresh mint - for garnish, optional
- chia seeds - for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Peel a ripe banana with brown spots, slice into 1-inch coins, freeze in a single layer for at least 2 hours, then transfer to a zip-lock bag.
- Pour almond milk and pineapple juice into the blender first, add spinach, then frozen pineapple, mango, banana slices, and honey on top.
- Blend on low for 10-15 seconds, increase to medium for 15 seconds, then high for 30-60 seconds until completely smooth with no spinach flecks.
- Taste and adjust sweetness with extra honey or thin with more almond milk if needed, then blend briefly to incorporate.
- Pour into a tall glass and serve immediately with optional garnishes like banana slices, mint, or chia seeds.
Notes
- Use frozen fruit for the creamiest texture: frozen banana creates a milkshake-like consistency without watery ice.
- Baby spinach is best: it has a milder, less bitter flavor than mature spinach and blends completely smooth.
- Add liquid first: placing almond milk and juice at the bottom protects the blender motor and helps ingredients move toward the blades.
- For high-protein version: add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, or 2 tablespoons of almond butter.
- Make-ahead freezer packs: portion spinach, banana, mango, and pineapple into zip-lock bags and freeze. Just add liquid when ready to blend.
- Store leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to 24 hours and shake well before drinking as separation is natural.
- Freeze for later: pour into ice cube trays, freeze solid, then blend cubes with a splash of almond milk for a quick refresh.
- Switch it up: swap mango for frozen strawberries, peaches, or papaya, or replace pineapple juice with orange juice for a citrus twist.
- Clean your blender immediately: add warm water and a drop of dish soap, blend for 30 seconds, and rinse clean.
- If using a standard blender, let frozen fruit sit at room temperature for 2-3 minutes and add extra liquid if needed.