This Apple Cucumber Spinach Smoothie is refreshing, loaded with nutrition, and ready in 5 minutes! Unlike a lot of green smootheis that can be bitter, the fruit and mint in this recipe add sweetness while the lemon and ginger are anti-inflammatory and add tons of flavor!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: "I love the idea of healthy smoothies but haven’t been able to get on board with them as I am not much of a fruit person. This smoothie I actually enjoy and feel good about drinking all these nutrients... I have this at least twice weekly. Thank you for a great smoothie recipe!" -Amanda
Before I became a dietitian, I worked at a smoothie bar throughout high school and college. And smoothies remain one of my absolute favorite ways to get in lots of nutrition! Suffice it to say, I've made a lot of smoothies so I've tried to sum up some of my top tips in this post in addition to the recipe. 😊
Besides actually tasting good, this vegan apple cucumber smoothie contains nutrients that can help lower blood pressure, support weight loss, and give you glowing skin. And it's full of ingredients that help support your immune system. So make this recipe in the hot summer months or early fall when sick season rolls around.
If you like this Apple Cucumber Smoothie, you may also enjoy my Blueberry Spinach Smoothie or Banana Date Smoothie.
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This Apple Cucumber Smoothie is made with simple ingredients. Below are ingredient notes. Check the recipe card at the bottom for measurements.
- Apple - apples provide dietary fiber and antioxidants. I use a green apple (usually a Granny Smith variety), but you can use any type of apple. I've made it with red apple too. If you prefer a sweet apple, try Honey Crisp or Gala.
- English Cucumber - Cucumbers are low calorie with a high water content to keep you hydrated. I love using English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers in green smoothies because they are slightly sweeter with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. No need to peel it.
- Celery - celery adds fiber, vitamins C and K, and iron.
- Spinach - spinach has so many health benefits and provides important nutrients including fiber, vitamin K, manganese, and antioxidants that are important for brain health. Feel free to substitute with kale which is less sweet than spinach and provides many of the same nutrients.
- Banana - frozen banana adds creaminess, sweetness, and more fiber and potassium. I suggest freezing your bananas. Just be sure to peel before freezing.
- Mango - mango adds vitamins A and C and compliments the flavor of the greens in this smoothie. I suggest using frozen mango. You can substitute it with pineapple or leave it out if you prefer less fruit in your green smoothies.
- Fresh Mint Leaves - adding fresh mint makes it more refreshing and mint also provides powerful antioxidants.
- Fresh Ginger Root - ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, both of which are important for overall health.
- Lemon Juice - fresh lemon juice contains vitamin C. If you prefer lime juice over lemon, that's a great option too.
- Milk - I use unsweetened almond milk but use your own milk of choice. Using milk makes this smoothie creamy, but you can substitute with coconut water if you prefer the flavor.
- Chia Seeds, optional - add heart healthy fats that also support brain health and skin health with some chia seeds.
- Ice Cubes, optional - If you like your smoothie a bit thicker and super cold, add a couple of ice cubes.
How to Make an Apple Cucumber Smoothie
Below are the instructions for how to make this healthy green smoothie. Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1 - Add milk and spinach to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Step 2 - Add your remaining ingredients including cucumber, green apple, celery, banana, mango, fresh ginger root, mint leaves, lemon juice, chia seeds, and ice cubes (if using). Blend for 40-60 seconds or until smooth.
Hint: Purchase your fruits and vegetables when they are in season and dice and freeze them so they are ready to toss in the blender when you crave this cucumber smoothie!
Video of How to Make Apple Cucumber Smoothie
Here's a video of how to make this Apple Cucumber Smoothie that I hope is helpful.
Variations
One of the best parts about a green smoothie is that you can easily customize it with different flavor combinations to your taste! Below are a few ideas for variations of a cucumber apple smoothie, but feel free to get creative.
- High Protein - add protein with Greek yogurt or protein powder. In addition to chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds are great options to add protein and fatty acids too.
- Veggie-Loaded - if you want to pack it with even more veggies, add cauliflower, carrot, beet chunks or broccoli.
- Coconut - add a tropical flare by replacing half the almond milk with coconut water which also provides electrolytes including potassium.
- Berry- if you like berries in your smoothies, add blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. They are all in season in the summer and you can always find frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries in the freezer section at the grocery store.
- Add Healthy Fats - healthy fatty acids are important for hormone health. Add seeds, avocado, cashews, or nut butters like almond butter or peanut butter to add more fats to this delicious smoothie. Sunflower butter is a good nut free option.
Green Smoothie Expert Tips
Here are some of my fool-proof tips for meal prepping for smoothies from my many years of experience working at a smoothie bar before I became a Registered Dietitian and years of making green smoothies at home.
- Freeze your fruits and vegetables when they're ripe. Buy frozen fruit and vegetables or get fresh ones from a local farmers' market or grocery store when they are in season and freeze them! All you have to do when you get home is wash them, cut them into blender-friendly pieces, and store them in your freezer in an airtight container. Then, when you are ready to make your Apple Cucumber Smoothie or other green smoothie, you have everything ready for you. Be sure to peel your banana before freezing it.
- Use less ice. Using frozen fruits gives you the option to use less ice so your smoothie will have all the flavors of the fruits and vegetables without being watered down.
- Put your liquid and greens in the blender first. I always blend my liquid + greens (spinach or kale) until smooth. THEN after blending the leafy greens into a puree, add the other ingredients. This helps to get rid of any chunky pieces of kale or spinach that you end up having to chew. Instead, everything will be smooth and creamy.
- Use plant-based milk as a base - I love using creamy plant milk in green smoothies. I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I know a lot of recipes call for coconut water or plain water, but I find that the extra creaminess from milk gives green smoothies a better consistency.
Equipment
A high speed blender works best for this cucumber smoothie recipe. I have a Ninja Blender and love it for making this green apple cucumber smoothie and other smoothie recipes.
Storage
- Refrigerator - if you want to make this green smoothie in advance, store it in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to 1-2 days.
Dietitian Tip
Although many people think cucumbers are vegetables, they are a fruit and most of the flavor comes from the seed. English cucumbers are the longer skinny ones and have a sweeter taste with smaller seeds and Persian cucumbers are smaller in size and also have a sweet taste with fewer seeds. Both English cucumbers and Persian have thinner skin so there is no need to peel them before adding them to cucumber smoothies like this recipe.
FAQ
You really don't need to add sweetener to green smoothies because you can sweeten them naturally with fruit. Apple, banana, and mango add sweetness to this smoothie, but if you want to add more, toss in some diced pineapple.
Absolutely! Use whichever you prefer. Both provide similar nutrients. Spinach will be a bit sweeter while kale is slightly more bitter. So if you are new to green smoothies, I suggest starting with spinach.
While healthy means something different to everyone, from a nutritional perspective green smoothies are a nutrient-dense option. While they are not a replacement for a meal, they are a great snack or meal accompaniment to add important nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support brain health. For example, this Apple Cucumber Smoothie with Celery contains vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, and iron. It also contains fiber to support hormone health and gut health.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with an Apple and Cucumber Smoothie:
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Apple Cucumber Spinach Smoothie with Banana & Mint
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ an English cucumber
- ½ an apple, cored and roughly chopped (I use Granny Smith, but any variety works)
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 banana (I suggest using a frozen banana)
- ½ cup mango (I suggest using frozen)
- 1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled (or ⅓ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 5 fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon, juiced (2-3 tablespoon of lemon juice)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- ice cubes (optional)
Instructions
- Add milk and spinach to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add your remaining ingredients including cucumber, green apple, celery, banana, mango, fresh ginger root, mint leaves, lemon juice, chia seeds and ice cubes (if using). Blend for 40-60 seconds or until smooth.
- Hint: purchase your fruits and vegetables when they are in season and dice and freeze them so they are ready to toss in the blender when you're ready to make your smoothie.
Video
Notes
- Freeze your fruits and vegetables when they're ripe. Buy frozen fruit and vegetables or get fresh ones from a local farmers' market or grocery store when they are in season and freeze them! All you have to do when you get home is wash them, cut them into blender-friendly pieces, and store them in your freezer in an airtight container. Be sure to peel bananas before freezing.
- Use less ice. Using frozen fruits gives you the option to use less ice so your smoothie will have all the flavors of the fruits and vegetables without being watered down.
- Put your liquid and greens in the blender first. Blend liquid + greens (spinach or kale) until smooth. THEN after blending the leafy greens, add the other ingredients. This helps to get rid of any chunky pieces of kale or spinach that you end up having to chew. Instead, everything will be smooth and creamy.
- Use plant-based milk as a base - I love using creamy plant milk in green smoothies. I know a lot of recipes call for coconut water or plain water, but I find that the extra creaminess from milk gives green smoothies a better consistency.
- Refrigerator - if you want to make this green smoothie in advance, store it in an airtight container like a mason jar for up to 1-2 days.
Kimberly
I literally didn't think a green smoothie could taste this good!!!! I'm gonna be making it all summer. Love the idea to buy fruit in season + freeze it.
Mallory
Hi Kimberly! Thank you for taking time to leave a review, it means so much to me to know that you loved the recipe. And yes, buying fruit and freezing is game changing! 🙂 Please let me know if there are any recipes/recipe ideas you want me to share, I love getting ideas from my readers!
Amanda
I love the idea of healthy smoothies but haven’t been able to get on board with them as I am not much of a fruit person. This smoothie I actually enjoy and feel good about drinking all these nutrients. It take some time to chop all the fresh ingredients. I usually make one and while chopping and preparing the ingredients double it and freeze a second batch (minus the coconut milk and lemon juice-I add that once I’m ready to use) to make it even easier the next time I make it. I have this at least twice weekly. Thank you for a great smoothie recipe!
Mallory
Hi Amanda, thank you SO much for taking time to leave a comment and review!!! It truly means the world to me and especially to hear that you typically don't enjoy healthy smoothies but liked this one! I love the idea of freezing a second batch, that's genius and I'm going to do that next time I make it for sure. Thank you so much again and I hope you have a wonderful day! -Mallory