Add a healthy, yet delicious smoothie to your morning menu with this Blueberry Spinach Smoothie.
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It's that time of year that I can hardly go a day without a smoothie. This Blueberry Spinach Smoothie has been my most frequent make of the past few weeks, and for good reason.
This superfood smoothie is delicious, hydrating, cool, and full of healthy carbs, protein, and fats. It's the kind of smoothie that I start fantasizing about a few miles from the end of my workout. Just around the time that I'm winded, hot, and starting to feel hungry.
Somedays I sip this blueberry smoothie from a cup, possibly toasting some peanut butter toast to go alongside it; and other days I pour it into a bowl and top it with all my favorite smoothie bowl toppings.
It's a the-hungrier-the-better healthy blueberry smoothie. With plenty of toppings and a complete nutritional profile, it will stand up to your biggest appetites and fiercest recovery needs while satisfying your taste buds.
I had it this morning after an 11-mile run with a tempo workout in unusually high Colorado humidity. I'm not sure I've ever been so happy to have a recipe in my back pocket. Served alongside a piece of peanut butter toast, I felt rehydrated, rejuvenated, and refueled with one big mug... and a shower, of course!
How to make this recipe!
This Spinach and Blueberry Smoothie is...
- Hydrating
- A great recovery food after a hard workout
- Vegan & gluten-free
- Full of vegetables and fruit
- High in antioxidants & fiber
- A great source of plant-based protein
- A source of healthy fats.
Step up your flavor and nutrition game with these healthy, yet tasty blueberry smoothies you can feel oh-so-good about eating.
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What ingredients are in a Blueberry Green Smoothie?
- Milk - any type will do but I prefer almond or oat milk
- Cinnamon - cinnamon adds some sweetness to this smoothie without adding any sugar
- Baby Spinach - baby spinach adds the benefits of the leafy green while still having a light enough flavor to not overpower the other ingredients
- Hemp Seeds - these innocent looking seeds pack a pretty powerful punch of plant-based protein!
- Peanut Butter - adds richness, a delightful hint of salt, and more plant-based protein to the recipe.
- Banana - natural sweetness at its finest! This banana also ads potassium which your body loves after a hard workout!
- Medjool Dates - more natural sweetness! Go for the soft Medjool dates for the best experience.
- Blueberries (frozen or fresh) -- the star of the show, these beauties add nutrients as well as the namesake flavor of this drink.
- Ice - keep this smoothie nice and cool and refreshing with a large handful of ice!
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Substitutions or adaptations you can make for this spinach smoothie recipe:
- Medjool Dates: if you don't have Medjool dates, you can substitute in 1.5 tablespoons honey or maple syrup in this smoothie!
- Hemp seeds: you can omit the hemp seeds if you don't have them or add in protein powder or collagen powder instead. If your protein powder is sweetened, however, you may want to cut back on the number of dates you use in the recipe.
- Peanut butter: almost any other nut butter works pretty well in this recipe as well. Almond butter is delicious! If you're allergic to nuts you can use sunflower seed butter no problem.
- Baby Spinach: a baby power green (baby kale, baby swiss chard, baby arugula, etc.) mix should also work just fine in this recipe. Baby kale on its own is also delicious.
How to make this smoothie recipe:
Do you need to use frozen fruit for smoothies?
You don't always need frozen fruit in smoothies, but in this case, I recommend it for the blueberries. Not only are they easier to find year-round, but they also help keep the smoothie nice and cool and refreshingly icy.
Pro-tip: You can also use frozen baby spinach in this recipe! Simple freeze the bags of fresh baby spinach as soon as you get home from the store and you can later add the spinach to the smoothie directly from the freezer! Your greens will last longer and you still get the great flavor-- win-win!
What type of milk is best for smoothies?
Whatever type of milk you like best is great for this smoothie. I love almond milk, so I use that in this smoothie. Dairy, oat, coconut, or any other milk would be tasty in this smoothie, too.
Can you taste the spinach in a blueberry spinach smoothie?
Nope, you can't taste the spinach in this blueberry spinach smoothie! The flavor of baby spinach is so light and delicate that it just blends into the other flavors without making an unwelcome statement!
What is a good substitute for dates in smoothies?
If you don't have dates on hand, you can substitute .75 tablespoons honey (if you're not vegan) or maple syrup for every 1 date called for in the smoothie. So, for this recipe, just sub in 1.5 tablespoons either liquid sweetener in place of the dates.
If I have a high-speed blender, can I just use whole nuts in this smoothie recipe?
Yes! I grind most of my peanut butter in the high-speed blender anyway, so it's pretty much the same as throwing the whole nuts in with the smoothie. I do this pretty much every time I make the smoothie and love it. Just make sure to blend the smoothie long enough to pulverize the nuts.
How do you serve a green blueberry smoothie?
You can do like I did and serve it in a smoothie bowl with all sorts of delicious toppings, or you can go for more convenience and just pour your smoothie into a glass and drink!
On the days that I'm super hot and tired after my workouts, I'll just pour my smoothie in a cup and take it up to the shower with me!
Can I add protein powder to my blueberry smoothie?
Yes, you can definitely add protein powder to this smoothie! A whey-based or plant-based protein powder would do just fine, as would collagen powder. I recommend adding 2 scoops of the powder and adjusting or reducing the number of dates you use in this recipe if you powder is sweetened.
Can I use overripe bananas in this smoothie recipe?
Yes! I wouldn't use super brown or black-ish bananas, but bananas with just a fair amount of brown speckles on them work great in this smoothie!
What toppings are best for smoothie bowls?
There are so many great toppings for smoothie bowls, so feel free to great creative! Some of my favorite toppings are granola, nuts, hemp seeds, other seeds, honey, dried fruit, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, and bee pollen.
Other Easy Smoothie Recipes You Might Like:
- Creamy Raspberry Smoothie
- Mae's Mean Green Smoothie
- Pineapple Green Smoothie
- Pineapple Acai Blueberry Smoothie Bowl
Great Smoothie Bowl Topper Recipes:
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Blueberry Spinach Smoothie
A delicious smoothie with all the flavors of summer. It's complete with plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants, and more while being gluten-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup milk (dairy, almond, coconut milk, or other plant-based milk)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large handful spinach, or about 1 cup firmly packed
- 1 heaping tablespoon hemp seeds
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1-2 large pitted medjool dates (or 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup)
- 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 large handful ice, or about 3/4 cup
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in the order listed in a blender and run on medium or high until all the pieces of ice are broken down and the smoothie is liquid,
- Serve in 2 large glasses or serve in bowls with smoothie bowl toppings.
Notes
1. If you don't have Medjool dates, you can substitute maple syrup or honey. Honey will make this smoothie no longer vegan, however.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1/2 smoothie pitcherAmount Per Serving Calories 395Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 15mgSodium 238mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 9gSugar 31gProtein 16g
This nutrition breakdown is just an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.