Apple-Cinnamon Green Smoothie
Sweet from the apples and cinnamon and creamy and tangy from the yogurt, this smoothie is a refreshingly satisfying after-school (or anytime) snack. It tastes like apple pie in a glass, even with a hearty serving of greens!
Yield: about 16 oz. (1 large or 2 small servings)
VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE
Yield: about 16 oz. (1 large or 2 small servings)
VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE
Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen
Ingredients
- -- 1 tightly packed cup curly kale leaves (tough ribs and stems removed) and/or baby spinach leaves *
- -- ¼ to ½ cup cold almond milk (unsweetened, sweetened, vanilla—whichever you prefer), plus more as needed
- -- 1 large apple, peeled**, cored, and roughly chopped
- -- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- -- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
- -- 1 tablespoon almond butter (optional) ***
- -- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, or more (or less) to taste (optional)
Instructions
- If you are using a high-powered blender (e.g., a Vitamix), add all the ingredients except the maple syrup to the blender’s container, and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth. If you have a less-powerful blender (i.e., not a Vitamix), then here’s what I do to help ensure the smoothest consistency: Add the greens and almond milk to the blender’s container, and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth. (Start with ¼ cup of almond milk. If your blender has trouble getting traction to blend the greens, then add a little more milk.) Add the rest of the ingredients except the maple syrup, and blend again until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Taste, and if it’s not sweet enough for you (which can depend on the sweetness of the apple, almond milk, and almond butter used), add the maple syrup and blend again until combined. Pour into 1 or 2 glasses and sprinkle the top with additional cinnamon if desired. Serve right away and enjoy!
Notes
* I like to use a combination of kale and spinach when I make this smoothie, but you can use all kale or all spinach—whichever you prefer. If you're introducing your kids (or reluctant adults) to green smoothies for the first time, I’d recommend using the milder-tasting spinach, or a combination of spinach and baby kale, to equal 1 packed cup.
** If you’re using a high-powered blender (e.g., a Vitamix), then you can leave the apples unpeeled; otherwise, peel the apples to ensure the smoothest, creamiest consistency for your smoothie.
*** The almond butter is an optional addition, but I love the extra layer of flavor it adds to this smoothie, magically making it taste more like apple pie. My favorite almond butter is MaraNatha Creamy Roasted Almond Butter, which contains just one ingredient—dry-roasted almonds—but its sweet, nutty, complex flavor belies its simple ingredient list.
MAKE AHEAD:
If it helps to make your life easier, you can make a freezer smoothie pack to save yourself some time, especially if you’ve already gone through the trouble of washing and drying greens and/or peeling, coring, and chopping apples. Simply add a packed cup of greens and a peeled, cored, and roughly chopped apple to a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag; repeat for as many smoothies as you’d like to make ahead. Label the bag(s) and store in the freezer until you’re ready to make your smoothie. (They should safely keep for up to 6 months in the freezer, although my frozen smoothie packs are always used up well before then, usually within a week!) When it’s smoothie time, add the contents of the freezer bag to your blender, along with the other ingredients, and proceed as directed above. You will probably need the full ½ cup of almond milk to completely blend the frozen ingredients (especially if you’re not using a high-powered blender). I should also note that in my kitchen tests, my eager taste-testers unanimously agreed that the make-ahead freezer version of this smoothie was even better than the “original” version; it blended up thicker and creamier (and colder) even in my old, less-robust blender.
Recipe adapted from Best Green Drinks Ever by Katrine van Wyk.
** If you’re using a high-powered blender (e.g., a Vitamix), then you can leave the apples unpeeled; otherwise, peel the apples to ensure the smoothest, creamiest consistency for your smoothie.
*** The almond butter is an optional addition, but I love the extra layer of flavor it adds to this smoothie, magically making it taste more like apple pie. My favorite almond butter is MaraNatha Creamy Roasted Almond Butter, which contains just one ingredient—dry-roasted almonds—but its sweet, nutty, complex flavor belies its simple ingredient list.
MAKE AHEAD:
If it helps to make your life easier, you can make a freezer smoothie pack to save yourself some time, especially if you’ve already gone through the trouble of washing and drying greens and/or peeling, coring, and chopping apples. Simply add a packed cup of greens and a peeled, cored, and roughly chopped apple to a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag; repeat for as many smoothies as you’d like to make ahead. Label the bag(s) and store in the freezer until you’re ready to make your smoothie. (They should safely keep for up to 6 months in the freezer, although my frozen smoothie packs are always used up well before then, usually within a week!) When it’s smoothie time, add the contents of the freezer bag to your blender, along with the other ingredients, and proceed as directed above. You will probably need the full ½ cup of almond milk to completely blend the frozen ingredients (especially if you’re not using a high-powered blender). I should also note that in my kitchen tests, my eager taste-testers unanimously agreed that the make-ahead freezer version of this smoothie was even better than the “original” version; it blended up thicker and creamier (and colder) even in my old, less-robust blender.
Recipe adapted from Best Green Drinks Ever by Katrine van Wyk.
Recipe by Wholesome Family Kitchen at https://www.wholesomefamilykitchen.com/recipe-3-healthful-kid-friendly-snacks-featuring-apples/