Frozen Spinach Smoothie with Pineapple
This frozen spinach smoothie is a delicious way to get your greens! It’s refreshingly sweet with no refined sugar or dairy. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
Why Use Frozen Spinach:
This frozen spinach smoothie is a summertime staple. It’s packed with immune-boosting ingredients like leafy greens, pineapple, mango, and avocado! It makes me feel fresh and ready to tackle my day.
While frozen spinach tastes a tiny bit stronger than fresh spinach, I love using it in smoothies because it stays good in the freezer for months. I don’t always remember to buy fresh spinach!
In my experience, frozen spinach blends up even smoother than fresh, especially if you have a Ninja or budget-friendly high-speed blender.
Key Ingredients:
Avocado – For extra creaminess and feel-good nutrients! Use a ripe, Hass avocado for the best taste and texture. Avocadoes are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fiber, plus important nutrients like magnesium, vitamin B6, and folate.
Banana – I tested this smoothie with and without banana. It’s just so much better with! If you’re allergic to bananas, you can leave the banana out. It will still be delicious, just slightly less sweet/creamy.
Passion fruit juice – For a punch of citrusy sweetness! You can find it in a small carton in the juice aisle. I used Cere’s 100% juice blend. If you can’t find passion fruit juice, you can swap it with orange juice.
Almond milk – My favorite plant-based liquid base! It’s neutral in flavor with a creamy consistency. I always use unsweetened to avoid added sugar.
Frozen pineapple – Pineapple and greens are a match made in heaven! Not to mention, it’s sunny color doesn’t muddy the green color of the spinach. The result? A bright green smoothie! Pineapple is packed with vitamin C and enzymes that help with digestion.
Frozen mango – I tested this recipe with frozen mango and frozen peaches. Frozen mango is the clear winner. Frozen mango is brighter and sweeter.
How to Make a Frozen Spinach Smoothie:
This smoothie with frozen spinach is a breeze to make! It’s best to use a high-speed blender when using greens. Here’s what you need to do:
Combine ingredients: In the pitcher of your high-speed blender, combine the banana, avocado, passion fruit juice, almond milk, frozen spinach, frozen pineapple, and frozen mango. Be sure to place the soft ingredients closest to the blades. Doing so gets the ingredients moving for a smoother blend.
Blend: Blend until smooth and creamy. Don’t be afraid to blend the smoothie for a good 30 seconds.
Adjust: At this point the smoothie should be thick. Check the consistency. If it’s too thick, add almond milk a little at a time while blending, until you reach a pourable consistency.
Serve: Pour into two small glasses or one larger one and enjoy immediately! Green smoothies are best enjoyed fresh.
Recipe Tips:
- If possible, use a high-speed blender. A high-speed blender with a powerful motor gives you a smoother blend without little bits of spinach throughout your smoothie.
- Arrange the soft ingredients closest to the blade. This helps the ingredients get moving and ultimately gives you a smoother consistency! This step is crucial if you’re using a regular blender.
- Adjust the consistency as needed. I like my smoothies thick, so I blend them first then I adjust the consistency with more liquid if necessary. Add a splash more almond milk until you reach the desired consistency.
- Don’t thaw the spinach. Just throw it in the blender frozen. It helps thicken the smoothie and keep it frosty cold.
Variations:
- Fresh spinach – You can swap the frozen spinach with loosely packed fresh. Reduce the orange juice to 1/2 cup.
- Almond milk – Feel free to use any plant-based milk you like!
- No banana – If you can’t have bananas, just leave it out. The smoothie won’t be as creamy, but it will still taste delicious.
- Yogurt – Swap the avocado with Greek yogurt, or just add some in!
- Chia seeds – Add a tablespoon of chia seeds for plant-based protein and antioxidants.
- Nut butter – Add a scoop of almond butter for a nutty aftertaste and more protein.
- Protein powder – Add a scoop of protein powder to make this a green protein smoothie.
Storage:
Technically, you can store this smoothie in a sealed jar for up to 1 day in the refrigerator, but I don’t recommend it. The flavor and texture changes, and not for the better.
I recommend enjoying it fresh or storing it in the fridge for no longer than 4 hours. If you have leftover spinach smoothie, make it into smoothie pops! Pour it into popsicle molds, add popsicle sticks, and freeze overnight.
FAQs:
Defenitely! Frozen spinach lasts longer than fresh and it’s cheap too! I always keep frozen spinach in the freezer for green smoothies. It blends up smoother than fresh spinach, even with a budget-friendly blender.
Yes, frozen spinach is just as good for you as fresh spinach. Fresh spinach loses a lot of vitamins the first few days after it’s picked. Frozen spinach is flash frozen, which locks in the nutrients! Both fresh and frozen are super healthy options to add to your diet.
More Green Smoothies:
- Tropical Spinach Cucumber Smoothie – A spinach smoothie with tropical vibes and a hint of cucumber!
- Sour Apple Smoothie – This green smoothie features green apple, lime, and spinach!
- Kale Weight Loss Smoothie – A filling green smoothie with strawberries. pineapple, kale, and almond butter.
- Cilantro Smoothie – You will love this smoothie full of garden-fresh cilantro!
- Green Passion Smoothie – Panera Copycat – Tropical vibes with passionfruit and peach!
- Spinach Apple Smoothie – Spinach, apple, and mango!
Frozen Spinach Smoothie
Equipment
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- ½ banana peeled
- ½ avocado pitted
- ⅔ cup passion fruit juice
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup frozen spinach
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 cup frozen mango
Instructions
- In the pitcher of a high-speed blender, combine the banana, avocado, passion fruit juice, almond milk, frozen spinach, frozen pineapple, and frozen mango – in that order.
- Placing the soft ingredients closer to the blades helps everything get moving. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- The smoothie will be thick at this point. Add more almond milk, a little bit at a time, until it reaches a pourable consistency.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately!