This Apple Cucumber Green Smoothie with Mint and Celery is ready in 5 minutes! A refreshing way to get in lots of nourishing seasonal ingredients. And the best part is that this green smoothie will have your taste buds saying thank you, too!
Unlike a lot of green juices that can be bitter, the fruit and mint in this recipe add sweetness while the lemon and ginger brighten it up.
A dietitian posting a green smoothie recipe might be a bit cliché, but smoothies remain one of my absolute favorite ways to get in lots of nutrition at the start of my day! Plus, my first job was when I was 16 working at Smoothie Factory, and I stuck around there for nearly 5 years. Suffice it to say, I've made a lot of smoothies so don't miss the tips toward the bottom of this post. 😊
Besides having a great taste, this vegan apple cucumber smoothie also contains nutrients that can help lower blood pressure, support weight loss, and give you glowing skin. It's a great way to support your immune system so make this recipe in the hot summer months or early fall when sick season rolls around.
This recipe was inspired by my Immunity Booster Shot. I wanted something a bit sweeter. I recently went to the farmers' market in Austin and got some fresh vegetables and herbs. So I experimented a bit and came up with this unbeatable combo of smoothie ingredients. Whether you grab your produce from a local farmer or use ingredients from the grocery store, this refreshing Apple Cucumber Smoothie with Celery and Mint is a perfect way to add plenty of nutrition to your day.
Jump to:
- Video of How to Make Apple Cucumber Smoothie
- Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- How to Make an Apple Cucumber Smoothie
- Variations
- Green Smoothie Meal Prep Tips
- Equipment
- Storage
- Registered Dietitian tip
- FAQ
- More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes
- Perfect for Pairing
- Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
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! Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
*This Apple Cucumber Smoothie is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the printable recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- Apple - Green apples pair so well with the other ingredients in this smoothie. I use a Granny Smith variety, but you can use any type of apple. I've made this healthy smoothie with red apple too. If you prefer a sweet apple, try varieties like Honey Crisp or Gala.
- English Cucumber - Cucumbers have high water content and are low calorie. They add a crisp flavor and also help keep you hydrated. I love using English cucumbers in green smoothies because they are slightly sweeter with fewer seeds than regular cucumbers. Feel free to use Persian cucumbers or your favorite type of cucumber instead! No need to peel your cucumber.
- Celery - Celery adds fiber to this cucumber celery smoothie. It also contains vitamins C and K and iron.
- Spinach - Spinach has so many health benefits and provides important nutrients including vitamin K, manganese, and antioxidants that are important for brain health. It also packs a punch of fiber to keep your gut healthy and can help support heart health. Feel free to substitute with kale which is a bit 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.
- Fresh Mint Leaves - Is there anything more refreshing than fresh mint? Throughout history, mint has been used for several medicinal uses and although more research is needed, it can help with IBS symptoms and gut health. You can substitute it with pineapple or leave it out if you prefer less fruit in your green smoothies.
- Fresh Ginger Root - Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants, both of which are important for overall health. Ginger adds a bit of spice to this green smoothie!
- Lemon Juice - Brighten things up with fresh lemon juice which also contains vitamin C. If you prefer lime juice over lemon, that's a great option to add zesty citrus too!
- Almond Milk - Or your milk of choice. I use unsweetened almond milk and like Califia Farms brand. Using milk makes this smoothie more creamy than other green smoothies. 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. I use Nativas Organics brand.
- 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 Apple Cucumber Smoothie with Celery with some process shots that I hope are helpful! 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 a cucumber smoothie!
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, protein powder, or collagen peptides. 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 even more good-for-you veggies in this yummy green smoothie, 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- do you prefer berries in your green smoothies? If so, add your favorites! Blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries 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.
- Peach - peaches add even more sweetness and also go great in an apple cucumber smoothie.
- Sweeter - If you like your green juice and smoothies on the sweeter side, you can easily sweeten things up and also get even more essential vitamins by adding more fruit.
- 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 Meal Prep Tips
The easiest way to ensure you will stick with healthier habits is to make it easy for yourself and make it taste great! Here are some of my fool-proof tips for meal prepping for smoothies from my many years of experience working at Smoothie Factory before I became a Registered Dietitian, and from 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 and like Califia Farms brand. 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, but you can use a regular blender or food processor. I have a Ninja Blender and love it for making this green apple cucumber smoothie and other smoothie recipes. If you have more money to invest in a high quality blender, invest in a Vitamix Blender!
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.
Registered Dietitian tip
Did you know that cucumbers are 96% water and can have a purifying effect on the body? According to the Journal of Preventative Medicine and Hygiene, cucumbers contain antioxidants that can help reduce oxidative stress in the body and protect your liver. And they contain many compounds with anti-cancer properties!
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
For this apple cucumber smoothie with celery and mint I suggest using a green apple because it brings out the flavor of the other ingredients. If you prefer a sweeter apple smoothie, use a red apple. Honey Crisp, Fuji, or Gala all work great for smoothies!
If you're using an English or Persian Cucumber, I don't find there is any need to peel it because the skin is so thin. But if you use a regular cucumber, you may want to peel it since the skin can be much thicker and slightly bitter.
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.
More Nourishing Dietitian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with an Apple and Cucumber Smoothie:
Looking for Nutrition Education from a Dietitian?
Here are some of my posts you may enjoy:
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....I LOVE knowing there’s people out there trying out my recipes! 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Apple Cucumber Green Smoothie with Mint and Celery
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 (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 crave a green 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.
Nutrition
References: Mayo Clinic, Medical News Today, Journal of Preventative Medicine and Hygiene
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!