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Easy to make and ready in 5 minutes, this four-ingredient apple kale smoothie is a great way to pack in your greens and fiber. You just need simple ingredients like an apple, some kale, a banana, and orange juice to make it!
save this recipe!Nothing beats a refreshing and icy smoothie, especially when it sneaks in a serving of greens. It’s like a win-win: you get to enjoy a tasty drink, and your body gets to soak up all of those nice nutrients!
This smoothie uses only four ingredients to achieve a fruity flavor. It’s perfect for starting your day with some healthy vitamins, but it’s also a great mid-afternoon snack or post-outdoors cool-down treat!
You’re gonna want to add it to your go-to smoothie recipe list like, right now.
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Here’s what you’ll need
We’re keeping the ingredients easy-peasy in this smoothie. Keep reading for some variations you may enjoy! And jump to the recipe card for the quantities.
- Kale: Chopping it up first helps prevent any larger pieces from sneaking into the smoothie!
- Apple: Remove the core! You can use any variety.
- Banana: Frozen banana adds a thick iciness that makes this smoothie cool and refreshing.
- Orange Juice: This helps the ingredients blend up well while also contributing a delicious, tangy taste! You could always swap for water if you don’t want the extra sugar.
How to make an apple kale smoothie
This smoothie keeps things simple. Here’s a quick overview. Jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.
- Blend all of the ingredients until smooth!
- Enjoy immediately while cold for that refreshing flavor.
no frozen banana?
If you don’t have a pre-frozen banana, that’s a-okay! Simply add a handful of ice cubes in order to get that nice frosty consistency.
Switch it up a bit
I know the story: You find the perfect recipe to make, only to check your fridge and realize you’re missing just one key ingredient! The pain.
I like to include easy recipe variations just in case you find yourself in that situation! This smoothie has a few options:
- Kale: Not a leaf of kale in sight? You can use spinach or even collard greens in a smoothie! (Kale and spinach have similar nutrient profiles, but spinach has less flavor if you’re trying to “sneak” some greens into a smoothie!)
- Apple: If you don’t have an apple, turn it into a tropical kale smoothie with some mango or pineapple.
- Banana: Mangos can also work to sub the banana as they have a similarly thick consistency.
- Orange Juice: Finally, OJ can be substituted with essentially any fruit juice, like apple or pineapple!
get your greens!
Collard Greens Smoothie
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4-Ingredient Pineapple Kale Smoothie
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Tropical Watercress Smoothie
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Quick 4-Ingredient Apple Kale Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped kale, about a handful
- 1 apple, any variety
- 1 banana, previously sliced and frozen
- 1 cup orange juice, 236 mL
Instructions
- Blitz all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Too. Much. Sugar. Substitute water for OJ. Use 1/2 apple. A whole or half banana. Add ice to taste. The amount of sugar in your recipe is inflammatory and unhealthy. Defeats the purpose of the smoothie.
I switch the kale and apple to spinach and pineapple.
I only used frozen ingredients except the juice of course.
As you mentioned it made it taste a little tropical.
It’s very good, easy to prepare… but a bit sweet. I used Ambrosia apples, and combined with the orange juice, I think that overdid the sugar content. Gonna try a sharper apple next time. Also added a heaping tbsp of good fiber and that bulked it up nicely