Spinach Raspberry Smoothie
Spinach raspberry smoothies are thick, creamy and so delicious. This raspberry spinach smoothie is super satisfying and great for breakfast, snacking or even as a post workout meal! Easy to customize, this raspberry and spinach smoothie can even be made into a smoothie bowl!
Why you will love this recipe
- Simple ingredients – this smoothie is made with just 7 ingredients, most of which I consider to be freezer and pantry staples. If you don’t have an ingredient listed, be sure to check out the substitutions at the bottom of the post to find out what else you can add.
- Easy and great for on the go meals – smoothies are just so easy to make. Measure the ingredients and blend, so easy! This raspberry spinach smoothie is a great meal on the go, all you need is a cup with a lid and a straw and you get in a serving of fruit, veggies and some healthy protein and fats.
- Customizable – change up this smoothie based on what you have on hand or what you are craving. Make it more of a meal by serving it as a smoothie bowl with your favorite toppings (check out my favorite toppings below).
Ingredients
- Frozen raspberries – frozen raspberries are easy to keep on hand and you don’t have to worry about them going bad overnight in the fridge. Raspberries are slightly tart and are also low on the glycemic index. If you plan on using fresh raspberries, add about ¼ cup of ice as well.
- Frozen spinach – frozen spinach is great for smoothies. It’s easy to keep on hand, you don’t have to worry about it going bad and it’s already been partially cooked, so it’s a bit easier to digest. Frozen spinach has much more spinach per cup because it’s been cooked down already, so if you are going to use fresh baby spinach, you may want to double the amount indicated.
- Protein powder – use whatever protein powder you love for this recipe. I love using vegan protein powder because it not only adds protein but also helps to thicken the smoothie. I use vanilla protein, but you could also use chocolate, peanut butter or whatever you love. If you are not going to use protein powder that is sweetened, you will want to add the optional maple syrup.
- Almond butter (or whatever your favorite nut butter of choices is – peanut butter, sunbutter, tahini, etc.) – the almond butter helps to add some healthy fats to the smoothie but also helps to thicken the smoothie.
- Dairy free milk – use whatever your go–to dairy free milk is for this recipe. I usually love almond milk or cashew milk but you could also use oat milk, coconut milk (in the can or in the carton), flax milk, etc. If you are not dairy free, you could also use regular milk.
- Chia seeds – chia seeds are one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies because they help to thicken the smoothie as they absorb liquid. They are packed with fiber and healthy fats and really help to make the smoothie more filling. You can also use ground flax. Note: if your blender isn’t a high speed blender, you may want to use chia protein (ground chia seeds) to make it easier to blend.
- Maple syrup (optional) – adding maple syrup to the smoothie is completely optional, based on how sweet you like your smoothie. You could also use honey, banana or even pitted medjool dates in place of the maple syrup.
How to make spinach raspberry smoothies
- Start by measuring out the ingredients in a blender in the order listed.
- Blend until smooth and serve.
Top tips
- Use frozen fruit and frozen spinach for the best texture. If you are using fresh raspberries or fresh spinach, you will want to add some ice (between 1/4 – 1/2 cup) to ensure you get the best texture.
- If you want this smoothie to be green in color or if you want the smoothie to have a little less sweetness, increase the frozen spinach from 1/2 cup to 1 cup.
- Frozen spinach is blanched before freezing, meaning that it’s quickly steamed then put in cold water. This means that there is a lot more spinach in 1/2 cup of frozen spinach than fresh spinach (since spinach wilts down so much when it’s cooked). Because of this, you can probably use 1 cup of fresh baby spinach in place of the 1/2 cup frozen spinach.
- For a slightly sweeter smoothie, add the optional 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. You can also use 1-2 pitted medjool dates which will add a slight caramel flavor to the smoothie as well as sweeten it.
- Change up the flavor by using a different flavor protein powder. One of my favorite protein powders to use for this recipe is the Four Sigmatic peanut butter protein, but chocolate or vanilla would be great too!
Other additions
- Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom
- Coconut flakes
- Cacao powder or cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
- Maca powder
- Bee pollen
How to make a spinach raspberry smoothie bowl
This raspberry spinach smoothie is thick enough to be a smoothie bowl without changing up the recipe at all. If you want to serve it as a smoothie bowl, here are some great topping ideas:
- Fresh fruit – raspberies, banana, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, mango
- Nut butter – drizzle over almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, sunbutter or tahini
- Chopped nuts or seeds
- Granola or cereal
- Honey or maple syrup
- Coconut flakes
- Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
- Hemp hearts
- Bee pollen
Common questions
What if you don’t have protein powder?
If you don’t have protein powder, you can add 1/4 cup of rolled oats and an extra 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. You could also add greek yogurt for protein (add about 1/2 cup and reduce the milk from 1 cup to 1/2 cup). Another great option would be to add some hemp hearts.
Check out all the other ways you can add protein to smoothies for more ideas.
Can you make this smoothie nut free?
Yes! Instead of using almond butter, you can use tahini or sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) and use oat milk or flax milk as the dairy free milk.
Why do you add spinach to smoothies?
Spinach is added to smoothies to add in a vegetable which is packed with fiber and vitamins and minerals (spinach is a great source of Vitamin K, iron and folate).
Note: It’s often encouraged that you have a source of vitamin C when you have spinach so that you can extract the iron. Raspberries are a great source of vitamin C and help ensure that you are getting the most out of the spinach when added to a smoothie.
Can you taste spinach when added to a smoothie?
I find that when adding under 1/2 cup of frozen spinach or 1 cup fresh baby spinach, you do not even taste it when adding it to a smoothie. If you do find that you are very sensitive and do taste the spinach, add the optional maple syrup to add in just enough sweetness to offset any spinach flavor.
How to make this smoothie more filling
This spinach raspberry smoothie is already pretty filling. It’s got fiber, protein and healthy fats and it’s thick and creamy and really satisfying, especially if you sprinkle on a few toppings.
If you wanted to make this smoothie even more calorie dense and filling, you could add more fiber, protein or healthy fats. Some great options would be:
- Fiber – add 1/4 cup of rolled oats, 1/4 cup white beans or black beans or 1/2 an avocado
- Protein – add 1/2 cup of greek yogurt or 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
- Healthy fats – add 1/2 an avocado, use full fat coconut milk , add a handful of nuts or seeds
How to make a smoothie without ice
Using frozen fruit and vegetables instead of fresh will allow you to make a smoothie without ice that is still super cold and creamy. Because you don’t have to add any ice, the flavors from the smoothie don’t get watered down.
Is this raspberry spinach smoothie healthy?
This raspberry spinach smoothie without banana is packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats. It also gives you a full serving of fruit and vegetables and it is so yummy even your kiddos will love it.
The smoothies that you may get out at juice bars, smoothie shops or drive throughs, are often packed with unnecessary sugars and ingredients. Often, the base of the smoothie is something like apple juice or even frozen yogurt to add sweetness to the smoothie. This homemade raspberry smoothie is made with very simple ingredients and is naturally sweetened with maple syrup (which is optional). It’s very low in added sugars and will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Can you prep smoothies in advance?
Smoothies are really best enjoyed immediately. The flavors are the best and they are nice and cold and refreshing. With that said, this smoothie can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge in a cup with a lid or container until you are ready to enjoy. I recommend blending this smoothie with just a little ice right before enjoying, but that is optional.
You can also prep the smoothie in advance by putting all the ingredients except for the dairy free milk and maple syrup in a freezer bag (I recommend Stasher Bags) and freezing until you are ready to enjoy the smoothie. Then when you are ready, you can simply dump the ingredients in the blender, add the milk and maple syrup and blend.
Storing leftover
- Fridge: Store any leftover raspberry and spinach smoothie in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Simply stir before enjoying again or blend with a few ice cubes to make it super cold again before enjoying.
- Freezer: You can freeze leftover smoothie in ice cube trays or even make them into popsicles using popsicle molds. You can use those frozen smoothie cubes in other smoothies to add flavor or you can blend the cubes up with your favorite milk of choice to make a new smoothie.
Substitutions
- Frozen raspberries – you can use fresh or frozen raspberries in this recipe. You can also use strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bananas, dark sweet cherries (pitted) or mango in place of the raspberries. I recommend using frozen fruit if you can for the best texture.
- Frozen spinach – you can also use fresh spinach (you want about 1 cup) or you can use frozen kale. If you don’t want to turn your smoothie green (or give it a green hue), you can use frozen cauliflower rice in place of the spinach.
- Protein powder – use whatever protein powder you have on hand or you can omit it from the recipe. To get the same texture and sweetness, add ¼ cup of rolled oats and 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
- Almond butter – use whatever your favorite nut butter is here. You could use peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini or sunbutter in place of the almond butter.
- Dairy free milk – use whatever milk you have on hand. If you don’t have any milk, you can simply use water or you could use coconut water, which would provide some extra electrolytes to the smoothie.
- Chia seeds – you can replace chia seeds with ground flax or even with chia protein (ground chia seeds). If you don’t have these on hand, simply omit from the recipe.
- Maple syrup – the maple syrup is 100% optional depending on how sweet you like your smoothies. You could also use honey, date syrup, 1-2 pitted, medjool dates or ½ a frozen banana to sweeten the smoothie if you don’t want to use honey or maple syrup (maybe you are wanting this smoothie to be Whole30 friendly).
If you love this protein smoothie, you should try
- Blueberry Pineapple Smoothie
- Raspberry Blackberry Smoothie
- Banana Blackberry Smoothie
- Blueberry Raspberry Smoothie
Spinach Raspberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach
- 1 serving vegan protein powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup - optional
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Start by measuring out the ingredients in a blender in the order listed.
- Blend until smooth and serve.
Equipment
Notes
- Use frozen fruit and frozen spinach for the best texture. If you are using fresh raspberries or fresh spinach, you will want to add some ice (between ¼ – ½ cup) to ensure you get the best texture.
- If you want this smoothie to be green in color or if you want the smoothie to have a little less sweetness, increase the frozen spinach from 1/2 cup to 1 cup.
- Frozen spinach is blanched before freezing, meaning that it’s quickly steamed then put in cold water. This means that there is a lot more spinach in 1/2 cup of frozen spinach than fresh spinach (since spinach wilts down so much when it’s cooked). Because of this, you can probably use 1 cup of fresh baby spinach in place of the 1/2 cup frozen spinach.
- For a slightly sweeter smoothie, add the optional 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. You can also use 1-2 pitted medjool dates which will add a slight caramel flavor to the smoothie as well as sweeten it.
- Change up the flavor by using a different flavor protein powder. One of my favorite protein powders to use for this recipe is the Four Sigmatic peanut butter protein, but chocolate or vanilla would be great too!
