This pineapple kale smoothie is made using simple ingredients and tastes like the tropics! Get in your servings of fruits & vegetables with this easy vegan smoothie recipe!
This post was originally published in July 2018. The post has been updated with more tips!
Where are my smoothie fans at? When the weather gets warmer, smoothies are my go-to breakfast or snack recipes. They are super quick to whip up, healthy, and I can really get my fruits and veggies intake.
From decadent chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies to super green smoothies, I’m here for it!
Ingredients for a pineapple kale smoothie
- Kale
- Pineapple
- Banana
- Almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
Frozen ingredients vs fresh ingredients for smoothies
Frozen ingredients will lend to a thicker milkshake-like smoothie. I typically keep frozen fruit on hand to use for smoothies. In the case that I have bananas or greens going bad, I will stick them in the freezer (peel and slice bananas before freezing) to save for smoothies! It really cuts down on my food waste.
I would consider this smoothie recipe more of a snack than anything because it only requires 4 ingredients! We’ll get into ways to beef up this smoothie in a moment to make it a delicious meal replacement.
How to make a pineapple kale smoothie
Blend almond milk, kale, pineapple, and banana in a blender and blend until smooth. I personally love this blender as it really blends the kale well!
Kale tips:
- Use any variation of kale you’d like! Dino, lacinato, etc. Make sure to destem the kale first and just blend the leaves.
- I use fresh kale for smoothies, but grocery stores sell frozen kale too! If you have kale that’s about to go bad, you can wash it and freeze it to save for smoothies!
Pineapple tips:
- Fresh, frozen, or canned pineapple will work for this recipe
- Frozen pineapple will yield a thicket smoothie (my preferred variation!)
- If you use canned pineapple, make sure to drain the pineapple from the juice
Benefits of pineapple kale smoothie
It’s no surprise pineapple and kale are packed with health benefits! Here’s a breakdown:
- Inflammatory rich food
- Natural detox for the body
- Great source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A
Kale:
- High in fiber
- Rich in antioxidants
- Is loaded with Vitamin K
What does a kale smoothie do for you?
Both kale and pineapple have great health benefits and when combined they make one powerhouse of a smoothie!
Adding kale into a smoothie is the easiest way to get your dose of healthy veggies in a delicious way. It’s also easier on the digestive system since it is completely blended up!
Variations of this smoothie:
Okay, now that we have the basics down, it’s time to customize this recipe!
- Add mango for an extra health boost (and a tropical punch!)
- Add ginger for a spicy kick
- Substitute banana with avocado for a creamy texture (and a banana free smoothie!)
- Add yogurt for a protein boost
- Add a scoop of protein powder to make it a healthy meal replacement. Vega is a great brand!
- Substitute kale with spinach, chard or another leafy green
- Add chia seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, or another superfood for a health boost
- Use coconut milk instead of almond for a more tropical flavor
- No banana? No problem! Substitute with 1/2 an avocado to still keep the creaminess.
Customize this pineapple kale smoothie recipe to your liking! Even if you can’t take that paradise vacation at the moment, we can pretend with this healthy smoothie.
How to prep a smoothie ahead of time
To incorporate this recipe into your meal prep routine, simply combine banana, kale, and pineapple in a bag or mason jar and place in the freezer. When ready to eat, add all the ingredients to the blender and add almond milk. Blend until smooth and you’re done!
If you tried this pineapple kale smoothie, let me know in the comments below and share a photo using #mindfulavocado. I’d love to hear from you! Want to see more recipes? Let’s get social! CONNECT WITH ME on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to see what I’m currently cooking up!
If you like this healthy smoothie, you’ll love:
Blueberry Acai Smoothie
Immune Boosting Orange Smoothie
Green Mango Superfood Smoothie
Vegan Pineapple Kale Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk can substitute with any plant-based milk
- 2 cups kale destemmed and chopped
- 1 cup frozen pineapple can substitute with fresh or canned
- 1 medium banana can be fresh or frozen
Additional Add-Ins (optional):
- 1/2 Tablespoon spirulina powder
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
- vegan protein powder
Tools:
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I would love to add more kale to our diet ! The last frozen smoothie mix I picked up had tons of kale but tasted awful ! This looks and sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing !
The key is balancing it out with a fruit with a strong flavor. Berries, pineapple, and mango do a good job with that! You can also try incorporating a little bit of kale and slowly adding more as you get adjusted to a green smoothie š
What an easy smoothy recipe! This has all the good stuff with lots of flavor. It is the perfect way to start the day.
Agreed! Thank you, Katie š
Oh my! Pineapple and kale are such a yummy combo! I’ll love one of these today! Perfect for a hot summer day.
Thanks, Julie!
This is a delicious combo. I love pineapple in smoothies- it gives it a nice exotic lift. Great recipe and superb pictures!
Thanks so much Ramona!
I make something similar and it’s a favorite – pineapple is a great way of balancing out the flavor of the greens. Yum.
I agree! Thanks, Caroline!
The combination of pineapple and kale sounds interesting. It is something different than the regular smoothie that I had tried. M curiosity will definitely make me try this delicious treat this summer. Thank you for sharing.
Yes! The sweetness of the pineapple helps mask the kale flavor!
I made this and I’m happy I made double portion. It’s tasty, summer-y and a good way to get the nutrients from greens. I used white beet leaves. Thank you for a great smoothie!
Beet leaves sounds like a great addition to this smoothie. Thanks so much for sharing!
I have made this my go to lunch smoothie. I use 2t of almond butter. I add hemp, chia and flax. I also use baby kale.
Sounds delicious! Love those modifications š
Thanks so much for this recipe, this is a great starting point for my cleanse. I tried this recipe this morning as I am on a parasite detox cleanse and wanted something nutritious to start the day, without the sugar and starchy carbs. I agree the kale is strong, try not using the stems, (de-vein) the kale, it will take some of the bitterness out; also use younger kale, the bag I have is older kale and tough. I also added about 1/2cp blueberries together with the pineapple. I subbed the banana with 1/2 avocado as it’s to high in sugar for my cleanse. I omitted the protein powder, and used oat milk instead of almond milk, as that’s what I had. Also, I added a small scoop of minerals, and 1/2tsp of combo wheatgrass, chlorella and spirulina. In future I will fuse frozen kale and fruits, it was still thick, and very tasty.