This quick and easy Kale Apple Smoothie is full of good-for-you ingredients & will help get your day off to a great start. And for you banana haters out there, it's banana-free!
This Kale Apple Smoothie is super fresh and delicious. It's made with simple ingredients and is packed with goodness, containing 250% of your daily required Vitamin A, 273% of your daily required Vitamin C, 62% of your calcium, and 24% of your iron!
It's also pretty low-calorie although there is the option to add a dollop of almond butter if you want to get a good helping of healthy fat and protein. It also makes the smoothie a little creamier.
Yes, this kale smoothie recipe tastes of kale, but it isn't too kale-y. The sweetness of the apple and a burst of fresh lemon really work well to tone it down. Check out my green smoothie if you prefer a creamier smoothie that doesn't taste "green" though.
I get requests all the time for banana-free smoothies. It seems there are a lot of banana haters out there. And even as someone who loves bananas, there are some flavour combos that they just don't really work with.
Kale and apple is one of them. Without banana, the flavour of the apple really comes through well and makes the kale taste, well....less kale-y.
"Yay" say the banana haters!
To make this smoothie all you have to do is toss everything into a blender and blend. Any plant milk works so use whatever you have. I tend to use almond milk, soy milk or cashew milk.
A high-powered blender will do the best job of getting the kale super smooth. Then your power-packed green smoothie will be ready for you to enjoy!
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Kale Apple Smoothie
Author:Ingredients
- 2 large kale leaves , washed with stems removed
- 1 large apple , cored (no need to peel unless you want to).
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground flax seed , or whole flax seeds
- 1 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ medium lemon , juice only
- ¾ cup (180 mls) plant-based milk
- 5 ice cubes , OPTIONAL but will make it colder and a bit thicker
- 1 tablespoon almond butter , OPTIONAL - It's great with or without
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. I use the smoothie setting on my Blendtec.
- Check the sweetness and add a drop more maple syrup and if you prefer a thinner smoothie add a little more plant milk.
- Serve immediately.
NANCY DAHL says
My daughter wanted a smoothie but all I had was apples- grabbed some kale from the garden and whipped this up-super fresh and tasty. We both felt strong and energized after! I used some home brewed dragonfruit rooibos iced tea instead of the "milk" which worked nicely. Thanks for a smoothie that fit the bill!
A Virtual Vegan says
So pleased you both enjoyed it Nancy!
Cream says
Although I love bananas, I can't eat them because I'm allergic.
It's hard finding smoothie recipes without them as an ingredient. Thanks for this quick healthy recipe.
Suzanne McCarthy says
Melanie, this was a delicious smoothie! I used everything you suggested including the ice. However, I had no kale, so I used frozen broccoli instead! It still worked! :D
A Virtual Vegan says
Wow, I've never used frozen broccoli in a smoothie. Great idea though. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Yuko says
First time making a smoothie at home and loved this recipe!!
I've been a vegan for a long time but I've always bought my smoothies and cold-pressed juices at the store. For my first home-made smoothie, I knew I had to find the best recipe out there and when I came across yours and saw the 5-star rating, I knew I found "the one."
omg it was sooo good. I used cashew butter instead of almond butter and no flax seeds. The smoothie does have a kale-y smell but tastes fresh and delicious.
Now that I am confident that I can make a good smoothie at home, I will be trying more often. Thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! I can highly recommend my Lemon Cheesecake smoothie if you want a healthy one that tastes like dessert!
Janet says
Since kale grows like a weed at our place I'm a long time kale smoothie slurper. Lemon is the key to a good kale smoothie, and the apples are all I use for sweetener, so my version has a lot less sugar. I love your additions of almond butter, chia and flax, too, and it's great to have a banana break now and then.
Doreen says
Made it w/o chia, almond butter and maple syrup. Used unsweetened almond milk and golden flax. Found it to be the perfect balance. Refreshing. Will make tomorrow as well. Thank you for sharing!
Trinity Bourne says
Love this smoothie recipe. It's so refreshing and jam packed full of nutrition.