This Green Apple Smoothie is a delicious combination of apple, pineapple, celery, and leafy greens. It's light, refreshing, and more delicious than you might think! Just 7 ingredients and 5 minutes! Vegan and gluten-free with no added sugar.
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Why You'll Love This Green Apple Smoothie
Light and refreshing - The flavors of this smoothie are very bright, light, and refreshing. Pineapple adds a tropical spin and helps to mask the flavor of any leafy greens you might add. Granny Smith apples are perfect for green smoothies because they're tangy and have less sugar and more fiber than other apples.
Inspired by fresh juices - I often buy a local raw fresh green juice with apple, pineapple, celery, and leafy greens, and since it's a popular combination that many people like, I wanted to turn it into a smoothie! It has all the same flavors, but it retains all the fiber, so it's more filling than a juice.
Versatile - You can make it your own by adding your favorite superfood powders, protein powder, or use it as an opportunity to use up a leftover box of greens! It's easy to double or prep ahead by freezing your ingredients in single-serving bags that you can just empty into your blender in the morning!
Ingredients
- Green apple - You'll need a Granny Smith apple for this recipe. I usually don't like them for snacking because they're too hard and tart, but they're perfect for smoothies! I added one cup of diced apple, which is a little less than 1 whole apple. I like freezing a few of them at a time so I always have them ready.
- Banana - Adding a frozen banana is optional, but I find it adds a little sweetness and makes the smoothie creamier. It only has ½ banana, and you can't really taste it all that much.
- Pineapple - Frozen pineapple adds tropical flavor and sweetness, and it cools and thickens the smoothie. If you've never tried a juice or a smoothie with both pineapple and celery, it's a very unique flavor combo, but one of my favorites in fresh juices, so I wanted to turn it into a smoothie as well!
- Celery - Both fresh and frozen celery will work. I used fresh celery this time, but I often freeze it to prevent it from going bad and use it in soups and smoothies. Celery is very potent, so just 1 stalk is enough, unless you really like the flavor.
- Leafy greens - You can use any fresh greens you have. My go-tos are baby spinach, kale (any kind), or mesclun mix. This time, I only had leftover green lettuce, so that's what I used.
- Coconut water - Coconut water is a great source of electrolytes; it's refreshing and perfect for green smoothies! I always recommend raw, unpasteurized coconut water (found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores). Most coconut water on the market is unfortunately shelf-stable, pasteurized, and doesn't taste like coconut water at all. My favorite has always been Harmless Harvest.
- Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice ties everything together. While the apple is already tart, the smoothie really needs the fresh lemon to balance the flavor of the celery and leafy greens.
- Flax seeds and chia seeds - I've been adding these to all my smoothies lately for a fiber and protein boost, but they're completely optional. I recommend always using ground flax seeds because the whole seeds are too hard and we can't properly digest them.
Variations and Substitutions
- Mango - If you don't have frozen pineapple, you can add diced frozen mango instead.
- Parsley - To add even more nutrients and give it a more "green" flavor, add a small handful of fresh parsley. Be careful with this because it has a strong flavor and it could overpower everything else.
- Green powder - To up the nutrients and greens, add your favorite superfood greens powder. My favorite has been the Dragon Herbs Tonic Alchemy for many years.
- Protein powder - You can add your favorite protein powder, but I recommend unflavored or maybe vanilla, if it's not too strong, because any other flavor would taste off.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Into a high-speed blender, add the coconut water, mixed greens, frozen diced apple, frozen banana, pineapple, celery, lemon juice, chia seeds, and ground flax.
- Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Add more coconut water to reach your desired consistency if needed.
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- Pour the smoothie into a tall glass and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks!
- Stick to frozen ingredients - I'm not one to add ice to my smoothies and always prefer cooling it down with frozen fruit. Using fresh fruit and ice yields a very different texture and can cause the smoothie to separate and be more icy and watery.
- Don't skip the lemon - If you don't have it, you can use fresh lime juice, but the smoothie definitely needs that sour citrusy flavor.
Storing and Make Ahead Options
The smoothie is best enjoyed right away while it's still cold and refreshing. If needed, you can store it in an airtight jar for up to 24 hours in the fridge. I don't recommend freezing it.
If you do want to prep it ahead, you can always make single serving freezer bags with all the ingredients for one smoothie in each bag. In the morning, just empty the bag into your blender and add coconut water. If you do this, I recommend either adding the lemon juice along with the coconut water, or freezing peeled lemon slices with the rest of the ingredients.
FAQs
You can use plain still water instead if you prefer. Pineapple juice would also be delicious! You might want to do half water and half juice to avoid the smoothie being too sweet. I don't recommend orange juice; it doesn't go with the other flavors.
You can in a pinch but the smoothie might have a slightly different flavor.
I don't recommend it because it changes the texture slightly, but if you really can't wait for it to freeze, just add a few ice cubes as well to cool it down.
Yes but you'll have to add less liquid to keep the smoothie thicker and only use only frozen fruit, not fresh. Add ½ cup of coconut water to start and use your blender tamper to help it blend.
Similar Recipes
If you want to try other fruity green smoothies, check out four of my favorites below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Smoothie Recipes!
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Print📖 Recipe
Green Apple Smoothie
This Green Apple Smoothie is a delicious combination of apple, pineapple, celery, and leafy greens. It's light, refreshing, and more delicious than you might think! Just 7 ingredients and 5 minutes! Vegan and gluten-free with no added sugar.
- Total Time5 minutes
- Yield1 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut water (or more as needed)
- 2 cups mixed greens, spinach, or kale
- 1 cup frozen diced apple (approx. 1 apple)
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp ground flax seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Into a high-speed blender, add the coconut water, mixed greens, frozen diced apple, banana, pineapple, celery, lemon juice, chia seeds, and ground flax.
- Blend on high until completely smooth. Add more coconut water to reach your desired consistency if needed.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Equipment
Notes
I recommend adding the liquids first to the blender, then the greens, and then everything else. This helps everything blend better, especially the greens.
Storing: I always recommend drinking your smoothies right away, but if needed, you can store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
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