This gorgeously green, energizing smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. My Green Tea Smoothie is loaded with antioxidant-rich ingredients that are easy to blend and lovely to sip on while you get ready. Or use it to recharge and give your brain a little boost in the afternoon.
Since coffee is my typical go-to in the morning, I don’t often drink tea. Yet the Simple Green Smoothies community has so many tea drinkers that I wanted to give tea a try! While it might not be my fav warm beverage, I love it in my smoothies! It’s a great sugar-free liquid base that gives me natural energy.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
5 ingredients are blended into a smooth ‘n fruity mixture to create this green tea smoothie. I chose ingredients that pair well together and hydrate your skin:
- Unsweetened green tea: Green tea can improve cognition, aid in digestion and help stabilize blood sugar. Choose your fav kind and get brewing!
- Fresh spinach: This leafy green is a mild one that is easy to toss into any smoothie. New to green smoothies? Then add just a bit to get started! You’ll be adding heaping handfuls in no time.
- Green grapes: You’ve heard people talk about drinking wine for the antioxidants? Well let’s get it straight from the source! Green grapes contain a variety of potent antioxidants.
- Green apple: Green apples contain slightly less natural sugar than red, as well as contain catechin, the same antioxidant in green tea that benefits the brain.
- Mango: I wanted to add a bit of sweetness + creaminess to this beverage while also making a banana-free smoothie, and mango is a great choice!
This smoothie puts the fresh in refreshing with its rawkstar list of green ingredients. I added in some mango for a touch of natural sweetness.
Easy Swaps
As always, smoothies can be made-to-order! You can swap in purple grapes and the apple variety of your choice. If you like the idea of adding tea yet don’t want the caffeine then swap out the green tea for an herbal one.
Use the leafy greens of your choice, Swiss chard is a great swap in this smoothie recipe. Mango can be swapped with a frozen banana for a sweet switch. To lower the natural sugar in this recipe, swap mango with 1/4 an avocado.
On the other hand, you might want to add a bit of sweetener to your smoothie if you want to mask the earthy taste of the green tea. Add a bit of honey, maple syrup, agave or the natural sweetener of your choice.
You can use green tea powder in place of brewed tea, just make sure to add in 1 cup of liquid (either water or dairy-free milk) to replace the liquid tea. You can also use matcha powder.
This smoothie is not as thick as some other recipes, so you can add in a few things to thicken it up: a scoop of coconut cream (the thick creamy part of canned coconut milk), a handful of raw cashews, or some plain greek yogurt (or vegan yogurt).
How to Make a Green Tea Smoothie
Blending a green smoothie is super easy yet I’ve got a few pro tips that will help you get the perfect blend every time:
- Start by blending just the leafy greens + liquid. Stop and scrape down the blender as needed to get all the leafy chunks and give your smoothie the best creamy texture. If you are using a matcha tea or other powder then add that into this first blend as well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. If you are using protein powder or adding in a sweetener like honey or maple syrup, add it in this step.
Even when you do “all the right things” sometimes that smoothie just doesn’t turn out quite right. I can help! Check out this guide to get your smoothie formula right and fix any blending mistakes you have.
FAQs
Green tea smoothies can be a great way to give your body a natural caffeine boost. Use whole fruits and vegetables without added sweetener for the best results. Boost with plant-based protein powder for a great breakfast or drink mid-afternoon for an easy snack.
My recipe includes unsweetened green tea, spinach, green grapes, green apple and mango. It sweet, not gritty and super refreshing.
Green tea has a whole host of health benefits and can be a daily habit for you. Just know that it is naturally caffeinated, as that might bother some people. Drink it hot, cold, iced or as the liquid base for a smoothie!
More Naturally Caffeinated Smoothies
Caffeine def has it’s place to give us an energy boost when we need it as well as help wake our brains up for a more focused productivity. Yet you don’t have to be a coffee or tea drinker to get it! Here are a few of my fav smoothies that are naturally caffeinated, naturally sweetened and just the boost you need today:
Don’t forget to rate + review this smoothie once you try it. I’d love to know what you think!
- Swap spinach with the leafy greens of your choice.
- Use at least 1 frozen fruit for a refreshingly cool smoothie.
- Swap green tea with the tea of your choice, water or coconut water.
- To lower the natural sugar in this recipe, swap grapes with berries like blueberries.
- Use a plant-based protein powder to add protein, healthy fat and fiber.
Calories: 203kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Sodium: 28mg, Potassium: 645mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 3854IU, Vitamin C: 49mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 1mg
