This healthy broccoli smoothie recipe turns the nutritious green vegetable into a creamy treat! It takes 5 minutes, tastes amazing, and packs in vitamins, fiber, and protein.
If you’re trying to eat more broccoli or eat healthy in general, smoothies are a great way to do it. This broccoli smoothie makes the nutritious vegetable taste sweet and creamy: you can barely taste it’s there!
I’ll be honest, though. My house is full of broccoli lovers who don’t need me sneaking veg in creative ways. But if you need a quick, healthy breakfast or snack, this broccoli smoothie is a tasty option. The secret is in the balance: creating harmony between the earthy vegetable and bright, sweet fruits!
Ingredients you’ll need
This broccoli smoothie combines fruit and yogurt with the green florets to make it taste amazing. My son sucked this down quickly and immediately demanded more.
Of course, there’s no real trick here. This smoothie is mostly comprised of fruit like apple, banana, and pineapple that make for a delicious treat. Here’s the short list:
- Broccoli: Chop it into small florets and throw it in.
- Apple: I like using green apples for their sweet-tart flavor and green color, but any apple will do.
- Banana: Banana is key to getting a creamy texture.
- Frozen pineapple: Frozen pineapple adds just the right frosty texture and sweetness. You can substitute frozen mango if desired!
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is great for smoothies because of the added protein and probiotics that are helpful for digestion and gut health.
Broccoli smoothie variations I love
If you want a greener smoothie or something cold and icy, here are a few variations on this broccoli smoothie:
- Spinach: Add 1 cup baby spinach to make an even darker green smoothie (I often do this here; you can’t taste the difference!)
- Ice: Add ½ to 1 cup ice for a fluffier, icier smoothie.
- Cinnamon: Spice it up with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Berries: Substitute frozen strawberries or blueberries for the pineapple. This will alter the color and make it slightly more tart, so you may want to adjust with a little maple syrup.
How to make it dairy-free or vegan
Like vegan smoothies? You can make this broccoli smoothie vegan by doing the following:
- Omit the Greek yogurt and use almond or oat milk instead of water. Start with ½ cup and increase as necessary to get the right blend and texture. You also may want to add a little ice to make it frothier.
- If desired, add protein via nut butter. Greek yogurt packs on the protein, so you may want to add a nut butter like cashew butter or almond butter as a vegan replacement.
Nutritional benefits from broccoli
This green vegetable is one of the healthiest you can eat! Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that is part of a vegetable family that includes cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and kale. Here’s why to throw broccoli into smoothies:
- It’s a great source of fiber. A cup of raw broccoli has 2.3 grams of fiber, or about 5 to 10% of your daily need.
- It’s very high in Vitamin C. Just a ½ cup has 70% of your daily value of vitamin C.
- It’s relatively high in protein for a green vegetable. A cup has 3 grams of protein (a similar level to asparagus and potatoes).
Storage and make-ahead tips
This smoothie is best eaten immediately, but it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours in a covered jar. Give it a good stir before drinking, as separation is natural.
You can also pour leftover smoothie into ice cube trays. These frozen cubes make nice additions to future smoothies or can be thawed for a quick snack.
Dietary notes
This broccoli smoothie recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan, see the notes above.
Magic Broccoli Smoothie
A broccoli smoothie makes eating this nutritious vegetable as easy! Blended with fruit and yogurt, it’s a deliciously healthy snack.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 large or 2 small smoothies 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Smoothie
- Diet: Vegetarian
- ½ cup Greek yogurt*
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup chopped small broccoli florets
- 1 large green apple, chopped
- 1 banana (room temperature)
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- Add all ingredients to the blender, adding the liquids first and breaking the banana into pieces.
- Blend until smooth.
- Eat immediately or store up to 1 day refrigerated in a covered jar.
Notes
*For a vegan smoothie, omit the Greek yogurt. If you’d like a creamy texture, use almond milk or oat milk instead of water, and add additional water as necessary to get it to blend.
More healthy smoothie recipes to try
If you love this broccoli smoothie as much as my family does, you’ll want to try these other nutritious favorites:
