Apple Cucumber Smoothie

Name: Apple Cucumber Smoothie
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 Granny Smith apple, chop and remove the core; 1 English cucumber, sliced; 1 cup fresh spinach; 1 kiwi, peeled; 1 frozen ripe banana, peeled and sliced before freezing; 1 cup water

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The apple cucumber smoothie pairs a green apple with a refreshing cucumber, tangy kiwi, fresh spinach, and a frozen banana.

Cucumber apple smoothie in a glass with a cucumber, apple, and a kiwi in the background.

The creamy beverage is naturally sweetened and packed with fruits and veggies. The apple and cucumber smoothie only takes 10 minutes to whip up and uses simple ingredients. For more dairy-free smoothies try a strawberry blackberry smoothie, a blueberry raspberry smoothie, or a beet and kale smoothie with frozen berries.

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Recipe features
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Tips
Variations
How to make an apple cucumber smoothie
Serving suggestions
Storage
Frequently asked questions
Related recipes
Recipe
Comments

Recipe features

Naturally sweet!
Plant-based and dairy-free!
It comes together in 10 minutes!
It's packed with veggies and fruit!
Add fresh spinach as a great way to increase your daily greens!
Kid-friendly and for the whole family!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Please see the recipe card below for the exact measurements for the cucumber apple smoothie.

A cucumber, green apple, kiwi, banana, and a bowl of fresh spinach.

Granny Smith apple - The recipe calls for one tart Granny Smith apple to pair with a refreshing cucumber and a sweet tangy kiwi. I only tested with green apples for this cucumber spinach apple smoothie but I’m sure most types of apples should work if needed.

English cucumber - No need to peel the cucumber, trim the ends off, and slice it. I prefer using an English cucumber; they have thin skin and tiny seeds so they don’t need to be peeled or de-seeded. If you use regular cucumbers, peel them before adding to the smoothie. For more smoothies and beverages with cucumbers try lemon cucumber mint water or a pineapple cucumber smoothie.

Fresh spinach - Fresh spinach can be substituted with kale. De-stem the kale, and tear it into bite-size pieces before adding it to the apple cucumber smoothie. If you are using baby kale (it has small leaves with tender stems) then there's no need to tear apart or remove the stems. If you want to change your greens in smoothies, try arugula in smoothies with pineapple and oranges.

Kiwi - Trim the root end of the kiwi and peel it before adding it to the smoothie. No need to chop up the kiwi, once peeled throw it into the blender. If you want to skip the kiwi, add half the juice from a lime for a little tang.

Frozen ripe banana - Use a ripe banana to add creaminess and sweetness to the smoothie. I prefer to use a frozen banana to chill the smoothie without needing to add ice. It won’t be completely cold since you only have one frozen component, but it will be cooler than not having any frozen fruit.

Peel the ripe banana then slice it before freezing. I like to slice the bananas into quarters so I know when I have a bag of frozen bananas four pieces will equal a whole. We use a high-speed blender, but if your regular blender has trouble with the frozen bananas being sliced into quarters then slice the pieces smaller before freezing. For another recipe using frozen bananas, try a carrot banana smoothie.

Water - One cup of water is needed to blend everything. Coconut water will work for a different variation.

Tips

To make it less sweet, use more greens or reduce the recipe's suggested amount of fruit.
If you are not using a frozen banana, try blending in ice cubes to have a cold smoothie (this may dilute the smoothie).

Variations

Use lime juice or lemon juice instead of a kiwi in this green apple cucumber smoothie.
Use coconut water instead of water.
Try adding fresh ginger to taste. Grate the ginger into the smoothie with the rest of the ingredients.
Add chia seeds or hulled hemp seeds, you may need to adjust the liquid if the smoothie becomes too thick.

How to make an apple cucumber smoothie

Start the healthy smoothie by peeling, slicing, and then freezing a ripe banana if you haven’t done so. If the banana is not frozen, you may need to add ice to chill the smoothie.

Wash the produce, core the apple and give it a rough chop. Remove the ends of the cucumber and slice it. Remove the root end of the kiwi and peel it. I don’t find chopping up the kiwi for the smoothie necessary.

A blender filled with sliced cucumber, chopped apple, kiwi, frozen banana, and fresh spinach.

Add the chopped apple, sliced cucumber, spinach, peeled kiwi, frozen banana, and water to a blender. Blend the smoothie ingredients until smooth.

Serving suggestions

Smoothies tend to be delicious but not very filling. I use them as an afternoon snack and not as a main meal. To enjoy this smoothie as a meal try pairing it with vegan avocado toast, vegan toast, overnight oats, or plant-based granola.

Storage

The cucumber apple smoothie is best if served immediately, but store the leftover smoothie in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator and consume it within 24 hours. If there is any liquid separation, stir it back in. Leftovers can be frozen in ice cube trays and used later.

Frequently asked questions

Are you new to adding greens to your smoothie?

If you’re new to adding greens to your smoothie and not sure if you’d like it, start with spinach. It has a milder taste than kale and it’s easier to cover up with fruit. You can also try adding half the amount of greens, then over time slowly increase the amount as you get used to them.

Is the smoothie too thick?

If the green apple smoothie is too thick, add a little more water to thin it out.

Is the smoothie too thin?

If the smoothie is too thin, add more frozen banana or more fresh spinach until the smoothie is thick enough.