Kale Smoothie
A green smoothie that actually tastes good — sweet enough that kids will drink it, packed with kale that you can barely detect. The trick is blending the kale with the liquids first (to break down the fibrous leaves), then adding fruit and ice. The frozen banana is non-negotiable.
Prep Time
17 min
Cook Time
15 min
Servings
6
Calories
363 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Kale1 ½
- Banana3
- Apple1 ½
- Milk1 ½ cup
- Ice1 ½
- Sugar¾ cup
- Yogurt¾ cup
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Kale1.5
- Banana3
- Apple1.5
- Milk1.5 cup
- Ice1.5
- Sugar0.75 cup
- Yogurt0.75 cup
Instructions
- 1
Strip 2 cups of kale leaves from their tough stems. Discard stems (they make smoothies grassy and bitter). Rough chop the leaves.
- 2
Add the kale to a high-speed blender along with 1 cup of cold liquid (almond milk, regular milk, coconut water, or apple juice — your choice). Blend on high for 60 seconds until the kale is completely pulverized — no leaf bits visible.
- 3
Add 1 frozen banana (peeled before freezing — peels are impossible to remove from frozen bananas), ½ cup frozen mango or pineapple, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup if needed, and 1 tablespoon nut butter (peanut or almond) for protein.
- 4
Add 4-5 ice cubes. Blend on high again for 45-60 seconds until completely smooth and thick. You should not see any green flecks — if you do, blend another 15 seconds.
- 5
Taste. If it needs more sweetness, add another teaspoon of honey. If too thick, splash in more milk. If too thin, add 2 more ice cubes.
- 6
Pour into a tall glass. Drink immediately — green smoothies separate and oxidize quickly. The longer they sit, the more they taste like grass. Top with a few seeds (chia, hemp) if you want a textured contrast.
Watch how to make Kale Smoothie
Plays the exact recipe video right here — no need to leave the page.
💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Blend the kale first. If you add kale with everything else, you get gritty smoothie with visible green flecks. Blending it with just the liquid pulverizes it completely first.
- 2.Frozen banana is essential. Fresh banana makes the smoothie watery. Frozen banana gives it the thick milkshake texture. Buy a bunch when they're ripe, peel, freeze in a bag.
- 3.Strip the stems. Kale stems are fibrous and bitter. The leaves are sweet by comparison. Don't be lazy on this step.
- 4.Drink immediately. Green smoothies oxidize fast — within 30 minutes the color darkens and the taste turns grassy. Make and drink, don't store.
🔬 Why It Works
Kale's two main barriers — fibrous texture and chlorophyll bitterness — are both managed in this recipe. Pre-blending with liquid breaks the cell walls and pulverizes the leaves. The frozen banana provides creamy thickness and natural sweetness that masks any remaining bitterness. Mango or pineapple add tropical sweetness and the slight tartness that balances kale's earthy notes. Nut butter adds protein and richness, turning the smoothie from a snack into something with staying power.
Frequently Asked Questions
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4.7
880 home cooks rated this
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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