The Best Green Smoothie Recipe (with avocado!) | Ambitious Kitchen (2024)

A couple of years ago when I polled Instagram asking what kind of smoothie recipes you wanted to see on Ambitious Kitchen, many of you wanted some no banana smoothies, which I totally get. It seems like almost all creamy smoothies out there have bananas in them, am I right?

Well surprise all you cool cats and kittens (please tell me you get that reference), this green smoothie is proof you don’t need bananas to get a creamy and nutritious smoothie that’s still sweet enough to drink!

This beautiful green smoothie was inspired by my famous Immune Boosting Wellness Smoothie, and it has quickly become an AK reader favorite. It’s full of tropical flavors and is great for breakfast thanks to fruits, veggies and healthy fats to help keep you satisfied all morning.

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Ingredients in the best green smoothie recipe

This green smoothie recipe happens to be both vegan and dairy free, making it a great choice for just about anyone. Plus, there are no sweeteners added. Yep, that’s right, this green smoothie gets plenty of sweetness (and vitamin c) from tropical fruit so there isn’t any need to add unnecessary sweeteners. Just the fruits and vegetables, Mom!

• Frozen pineapple: did you know that pineapple is great for digestion? It contains an enzyme called bromelain which helps fight inflammation in the gut and body. I say, eat up!
• Frozen mango:instead of frozen mango you can feel free to use 1 frozen banana. I do like to stick to frozen fruits as they help keep smoothies cold and frozen.
• Ripe avocado: if you like smoothies with a creamy texture, avocado is a great add-in. Not only does it help enhance the color of this green smoothie but it also provides healthy fats, potassium, fiber and plenty of B vitamins. Don’t worry, thanks to the tropical fruit and ginger, you won’t even taste the avocado.
• Fresh ginger: this was another reader request and so delicious in green smoothies! Be sure to use fresh ginger (not powdered) and if you don’t have a high powered blender, I recommend grating the ginger to ensure even blending.
• Organic spinach: a great veggie to add to any smoothie. If you’re looking to get more greens in your smoothie, try adding a few cups of spinach is the perfect way to do so!
• Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like in my smoothie recipes according to your preferences. Almond milk tends to have a neutral taste in smoothies, coconut milk will add a more tropical and creamy flavor, and regular milk will add a boost of protein.

Simple ingredient swaps

In general, I suggest trying to stick to the fruit and liquid ratios to ensure this green smoothie stays nice and creamy. However, there are some easy ingredient swaps that will still keep this green smoothie delicious:

• Customize your fruit. If you’re out of pineapple or mango, feel free to simply add more of the other fruit or swap in a frozen banana.
• No avocado? No problem. This green smoothie will still be delicious without it, and you could add some yogurt for extra creaminess.
• Swap your leafy greens. Feel free to use kale in place of the spinach.
• Out of fresh ginger? I absolutely love the freshness (and tummy soothing properties) that ginger gives to this green smoothie, but if you don’t have any it will still be good without it.

Are green smoothies really that good for you?

Everyone’s health and nutrition needs are different, but because this green smoothie is packed with vitamins, minerals and even healthy fats I’d say YES it is very good for you! If you’re looking for ways to up your fruit and vegetable intake, this is the perfect breakfast or snack to enjoy.

Can you taste the greens?

Nope! The best part about this green smoothie recipe is that you get to sneak in tons of healthy greens that you won’t even be able to detect. This simple green smoothie recipe is made without banana and tastes tropical and refreshing thanks to the mango, pineapple and ginger.

Adding extra nutrition to green smoothies

You can enhance any green smoothie by adding additional nutritious ingredients to really make it your own. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little! Here are a few suggestions that you can add to this green smoothie:

• Matcha: if you’re a green tea lover, you can add a teaspoon of matcha to your smoothie for green color, antioxidants and earthy flavor.
• Flaxseed meal: this is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a little boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply. Usually a tablespoon is plenty! Here’s a brand I love.
• Chia seeds: feel free to add in a tablespoon of chia seeds to your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats and fiber.
• Hemp seeds: if you’ve been wondering what to do with those hemp seeds lurking in your cupboard, feel free to throw in a tablespoon into your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
• Protein: make this a post-workout smoothie and boost the protein by adding 1/2 cup greek yogurt or 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides or Bob’s Red Mill Plant Based Vanilla Protein Powder.
• Mint: do you love minty flavor? Add a few fresh mint leaves!

Tips for making green smoothies

Have you had a chance to check out my post about prepping smoothies and how to increase their nutrition?! If not, it’s a great resource! Here are a few more tips I like to share in regards to making the best creamy, healthy green smoothie:

1. Use frozen fruit. Using frozen fruit is best as it helps keeps the smoothie cold and thick. Sometimes ice doesn’t blend as well, so it’s best to skip unless absolutely necessary. If you only have fresh fruit, try adding 1 cup frozen cauliflower.
2. Add more liquid. Don’t be afraid to add more liquid if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend. High powered blenders tend to blend frozen fruit much better, so if you have a regular or personal size blender, you may need to add more milk.
3. Start low, go high. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally end with the blender on low speed.
4. Swap your greens. Feel free to use kale instead of spinach if that’s what you have on hand.

Meal prep this smoothie

That’s right, you can prep this smoothie ahead of time, freeze it, and enjoy it later! Get all of my tips and tricks for meal prepping smoothies here.

Favorite smoothie tools

• High powered blender
• Reusable straws
• Mason jars
• Ice cube trays
• Freezer-friendy bags

Check out more of our go-to kitchen essentials here.

More smoothie recipes to try

• Carrot Cake Smoothie
• Good Morning Coffee Smoothie
• Almond Cherry Smoothie (my favorite smoothie ever!)
• Peanut Butter Blueberry Banana Smoothie
• Snickerdoodle Tahini Date Smoothie

Get all of our delicious healthy smoothie recipes here!

I hope you love this delicious green smoothie recipe! Be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. And don’t forget to check out our guide on how to prep smoothies ahead of time. xo!

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by:Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on July 8th, 2019, republished on March 16th, 2021, and republished on March 6th, 2023.