Kale Apple Smoothie

This kale apple smoothie is packed with nutrition and absolutely delicious! The perfect 5-minute snack or healthy breakfast for busy mornings.

Smoothies have been a go-to snack for my family for years.

But ok. The green ones are a harder sell with the under-6 set. (Truthfully the apples don't fall far from the tree though, remember this sweet potato and baby kale salad post where I said I'd never eat kale 🙄?)

Well it turns out you can eat a full 2 cups of raw kale and never know it! That's the genius of smoothies.

Nutrition never tasted so good.

What's so great about kale?

My reservations notwithstanding, kale is truly an amazing food. A superfood if you will. This article on the health benefits of kale has all the details, but basically with this kale apple smoothie you can count on these things and more:

• busting through your minimum recommended daily intake of vitamins A,K, and C
• a very healthy dose of antioxidants
• bile acid sequestrants which can help lower cholesterol

Ingredient Substitutions

Kale

If you don't have or like kale, any green can work here. Try spinach, collard greens, chard, or even just regular ole lettuce.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Any type of yogurt will work, though Greek yogurt yields a thicker smoothie. If you use a flavored yogurt, which is usually sweetened, you can reduce the maple syrup a little.

Vegan dairy-free yogurt also works great. For another vegan solution, try using half a frozen banana instead of yogurt.

Milk

Any milk will work here, whether animal or plant-based. You can also use water, although I personally love the creaminess that milk adds.

Maple Syrup

Try honey or agave syrup instead.

Apple

I love a tart, juicy Granny Smith apple in this smoothie, but any apple works fine. Or use a cup of any fruit you like, frozen or not. Berries are nice.

Nut Butter

Natural peanut butter makes this green smoothie taste like that favorite after school snack of apple slices dipped in peanut butter, which I love.

But feel free to use almond or cashew butter, or even a seed butter like sunflower butter. You can also leave the nut butter out if you prefer.

How to freeze kale for smoothies

I love to use frozen fruits and vegetables for smoothies, since it helps keep it cold and thick, in addition to being super convenient.

I often purchase already frozen fruits at the grocery store for smoothies, but I prefer to freeze things like kale and spinach myself. It's quick and easy to do.

To freeze kale, first clean it with water and dry thoroughly. Remove the tough ribs and stems roughly chop it and spread it out on a lined baking sheet. It's very important to line the baking sheet or the kale will just get stuck to it as it freezes.

Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze for about 2 hours, then transfer to freezer bags.

Using this method, the leaves will not stick together (assuming they were well dried after washing), and you can pull out a handful as needed for smoothies.

TIP: My favorite thing to line the baking sheet with is these silicone liners . They're great for making cookies too, re-usable, easy to clean, and greener than disposable parchment paper.

Step-by-Step Kale Apple Smoothie

Preeeeeetty straigtforward.

1. Add all ingredients to the blender in the following order: roughly chopped apple, lemon juice, yogurt, nut butter, maple syrup, milk, and kale.

2. Increasing the speed gradually from low to high, blend until perfectly smooth, with no green flecks left.

3. Pour into a glass and enjoy! If you'd like it colder you can chill it for a few minutes in the refrigerator.

4. I like to add a little swirl of peanut butter to the top, but that's totally up to you!

More Favorite Smoothies

Mango Pineapple Smoothie

Triple Berry Greek Yogurt Smoothie

If you loved this kale apple smoothie I'd love to know! Tag me on Insta @ourhappymess or leave a comment and rating below!