Green Smoothie with Spinach, Almond Butter, & Dates
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As noted in a recent post, a trend I’ve observed among the spring 2019 cookbooks is plant-based cooking. I’ve seen lots of vegetarian riffs on classic meaty dishes — buffalo cauliflower, moo shu vegetable wraps — and vegetables and legumes in general comprising the bulk of main course meals: zucchini noodle pad see ew, chickpea chopped salad, black bean and quinoa burgers.
Several of them bring a strong smoothie game, too, and two in particular — Healthier Together and Well + Good — have totally transformed my blending routine.
A few weeks ago, I shared the coffee smoothie recipe from Well + Good, which I’m still making and loving.
But I’ve been loving another one, too. In Healthier Together, Liz Moody offers a simple framework for making green smoothies and says the secret to making a smoothie truly filling, is to pack it with with healthy fats and protein. Feeling inspired, I started adding spinach, hemp seeds (a fat and a protein), and chia seeds (also a fat and a protein) to my longtime favorite smoothie recipe: Violet’s Big Blueberry Smoothie.
If you’ve ever added spinach (and perhaps other greens) to your smoothie, you know that the spinach essentially disappears, imparting a very subtle vegetal flavor. I found my new vegetable-packed smoothie just as satisfying as before with the added bonus of keeping me fuller longer.
After several weeks of making spinach + blueberry smoothies, I swapped out the blueberries all together for a heap (3 ounces!) of spinach instead. And to compensate for the missing sweetness lent by the berries, I added a date. Without the berries in the mix, this combination whirls into a vibrant green hue. It’s delicious, nutritious, and satisfying. Here’s the basic formula:
Green Smoothie Formula
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- a heap of spinach
- almond milk or milk of choice
- almond butter or nut butter of choice
- 1 date
- pinch of sea salt
- optional add-ins: chia and/or hemp seeds
- ice
Friends, are you into green smoothies? If so, what do you add to yours?
PrintGreen Smoothie with Spinach, Almond Butter, & Dates
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 smoothie
Description
A few tips/notes:
- I’ve gotten in the habit of slicing bananas and freezing them in an airtight container. I lay a sheet of parchment paper over the slices of one whole banana, so I know how much to use for each smoothie.
- Nut butter: use what you like. I always buy/use salted.
- Depending on the size of the Medjool dates, you may only need one. If you like things a little sweeter, you may need two. You may not need them at all. My blender is old and does not do a great job whirring ingredients into a smooth purée, dates in particular. If you have the time, you can soak the dates in the almond milk, which softens them and makes them purée more smoothly. I do this first thing in the morning: pour a cup of almond milk into a 1-cup liquid measure; break up my date and drop it in. (UPDATE: I splurged on a Vitamix, which makes the whirring process a whole lot easier.)
- I bought hemp seeds on a whim after reading about them in books and blogs, and I now add a tablespoon to each smoothie. Hemp is a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, contains iron, magnesium, and vitamin E, and is a complete protein.
- Chia seeds. I always have chia seeds on hand because of this muesli, but I now add a tablespoon of chia seeds to each smoothie as well. Chia seeds have a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, minerals, and are also a complete protein.
Ingredients
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen (unfrozen is fine, too)
- handful of ice
- 1 tablespoon almond butter or other nut butter
- pinch sea salt
- 1 Medjool dates, pitted and torn into pieces, see notes above
- 2 to 4 ounces spinach (I use 4 ounces)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, optional
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If blender gets stuck, stop it, jostle the ingredients with a knife, and purée again. If smoothie is too thick, add water or more almond milk till the purée is the consistency you like.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
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27 Comments on “Green Smoothie with Spinach, Almond Butter, & Dates”
I’m still excited about the coffee smoothie. It makes so much sense!
When I make smoothies, the only slightly unusual ingredient I sometimes use is homemade kombucha. It adds extra liquid, a little acid, and a little fizz.
Love this idea, Gemma! My husband has been on a homemade kombucha kick for about a year now, and it is SO nice to have on hand. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to add a splash to my smoothies. Will try this ASAP. Thanks!
I’ve been making this smoothie the past four nights for dessert! I’ve tried it with frozen spinach, as well as fresh kale, and both worked well. I also tried adding a small orange, which gave it a little more citrus kick. Great recipe! I love your blog so much. I first found you because of your peasant bread recipe but I am enjoying all your other recipes too. (I am vegan and appreciate the wealth of vegan options here!)
So happy to hear this, Priscilla! Love the idea of adding orange or other citrus here — will try that in just a bit, when I make mine 🙂 Thank you for the kind words. I am constantly inspired by vegan cooking, and though I am not a vegan, I am always amazed by how flavorful dishes can be without meat/dairy/eggs, etc. So glad you like the peasant bread, too!
I like to add a handful of fresh mint leaves and either a big spoon of cocoa powder or a scoop of Vega Chocolate Protein Powder. Can’t beat a chocolate mint smoothie!
I don’t add chia seeds or hemp seeds – not great (even blended) for my solo intestine (I only have my small intestine).
Vicki, I LOVE this idea!! Totally going to try something with chocolate and mint … I wonder if this coffee smoothie could be easily adapted to add some mint/cocoa … can’t wait to try!
I love reading about different smoothies and tips/tricks! If you add the chia seed to your milk when you throw in the dates, they will also soften by absorbing some of the milk therefore making them easier to blend.
It’s always a pleasure to read your posts! Thanks for staying here too in addition to Instagram. I love hearing your kids in the background of your Stories, SO CUTE!
Hi Kariane! I actually just read this, too! The article I was reading also said that they’re a little easier to digest and less likely to cause bloating (not that I experienced any of that, but still interesting to read).
Thank you for the kind words. And I’m so glad you find the background noises entertaining… thanks 🙂 🙂 🙂
hey..i really like your smoothie idea and is such a healthier with yummy, i was made this smoothie in night dessert and i also used fresh mint leaves….thanks for sharing….keep shared your new amazing recipes….!
Love this smoothie especially since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I have mostly skipped the seed component & have been doing unsweetened soy milk and a handful of almonds rather than a nut butter. Luckily I have a strong blender, which has turned me into a smoothie fiend! Excited to try your coffee smoothie soooooon
Forgot the salt once & definitely missed it & needed to throw it in. I think I included a handful of blackberries once and it was a nice add in here 🙂
Yay! So happy to hear this, Mary! Great to know re handful of almonds … I may be able to do that soon as I just ordered a Vitamix (Amazon Prime Day!). So excited. 100 percent agree about the salt. It’s essential! Hope you love the coffee smoothie. I find it addictive.
I was searching for a Spinach/Banana smoothie I use to make years ago but found yours instead. The only change I made was adding a scoop of vanilla protein powder which required a bit more almond milk. The madjool date is a brilliant ingredient.
Honestly, the most delicious smoothie I have ever tasted. Thank you.
So happy to hear this, Carolyn! I make this every day, and I find it so refreshing.
Loved the smoothie recipe, i had actually kept my laptop in the kitchen and was prepping for this. tried the spinach smoothie and absolutely loved it. Thank you. BTW which blender did you use? mine kind of left out some pieces of dates.
Wonderful! My old Waring blender would leave some small pieces of dates as well. I have a Vitamix now, which blends everything to a completely smooth purée.
Really delicious and easy to make!!!
Yay 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Really good smoothie, I replaced banana with frozen mango though, as I was out of banana today. Your food blog is so good – I am following it since several years and all recipes I tried so far (at least 20 or so) are so good, that I keep cooking the same thing for weeks! Please keep your recipes coming 😊 all the best from Switzerland 🇨🇭
Oh Barbara, yay! It’s so wonderful to hear all of this. Thank you for the kind words 😍😍😍 Means the world. LOVE the idea of using frozen mango here.
Delish! I just made this as the first green smoothie at home ever and love it. I used 2 dates instead of 1 and zero salt. Great recipe!
Wonderful to hear this, Alissa! I make this almost every day, and it just feels so nourishing.
THIS SMOOTHIE IS SO GOOD! I’ve been making it almost everyday for breakfast for weeks now. The proportions are just right. I even got my mom and dad hooked on it. I stuff the blender with so much spinach. I top mine with homemade granola. The date and a little almond butter makes such a difference.
So nice to hear this, Olivia! I start my day nearly every day with this smoothie. It’s sooooo refreshing!!
All my kiddos loved it 🤩
Thank you so much.
Oh yay! Wonderful to hear this, Ana 🙂 🙂 🙂
Made this and I’m having it now. The only changes I made were prunes instead of dates and no ice as I like my smoothies thicker. Just enough sweetness so it isn’t bland. Delicious. This will be on my smoothie rotation.
Great to hear, Annier!