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Transform your day with this refreshing green apple smoothie! It’s naturally sweetened with dates and packed with spinach, this 5-minute healthy drink perfectly balances sweet and tart flavors.

Green Apple Smoothie

Looking for a delicious, naturally sweet healthy drink? Alex and I have created over 50 smoothie recipes over the past decade, many of which have turned out to be reader favorites. This is the smoothie that started it all!

This green apple smoothie is a delightfully sweet tart creation we still make to this day. Its refreshing flavor and wholesome ingredients make it a favorite of us and our whole family. Here’s how to make it!

Key ingredients in this green apple smoothie

This green apple smoothie transformed us from smoothie skeptics to believers. After years of failed attempts that turned smoothies either bitter or an unappetizing brown, we finally cracked the code to a genuinely delicious green smoothie that we actually crave.

The secret? It’s all about balance. Sweet Medjool dates complement the bright tartness of green apple, while fresh lemon juice adds that perfect zing. It’s packed with cashews for a hit of filling protein. This smoothie stays beautifully green with a handful of spinach – making it as social media-worthy as it is delicious!

Green Apple Smoothie

Smoothie storage

Pro tip: Enjoy this smoothie immediately after blending for the best flavor and color. The natural sweetness and vibrant taste tend to dull if refrigerated.

Dietary notes

This recipe is this green apple smoothie recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-based.

Frequently asked questions

Can I meal prep this smoothie?

While best fresh, you can prep the ingredients in freezer bags. Combine chopped apple, dates, and spinach, then blend with ice and lemon juice when ready to drink.

Why green apple instead of red?

Green apples provide the perfect tartness and lower sugar content, making this smoothie refreshingly balanced rather than overly sweet.

How can I make this smoothie more filling?

Add protein with a scoop of your favorite plant-based protein powder or 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. For healthy fats, try ½ an avocado.

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Green Apple Smoothie

Glowing Green Apple Smoothie | A Couple Cooks
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Transform your day with this refreshing green apple smoothie! It’s naturally sweetened with dates and packed with spinach, this 5-minute healthy drink perfectly balances sweet and tart flavors.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large smoothie (or two small) 1x
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Blended
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large green apple
  • 4 medjool dates
  • 3 cups spinach
  • 8 ice cubes
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Core the apple and cut it into chunks (do not peel). Remove the pits from the dates.
  2. Place all ingredients a blender and blend. Add lemon juice and blend for a few seconds again. Serve immediately.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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11 Comments

  1. J Abi Bravo says:

    I’ve recently stopped consuming meat and dairy, so I’ve been looking into juicing and blending as a means to clean and reboot my system. I wasn’t sure I would like this since I had never used dates in a recipe. It was surprisingly delicious! I will definitely include this smoothie as my top 10. Thank you!

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed!

  2. Michelle says:

    Just made this smoothie today! It is delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!

    1. Sonja says:

      So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thanks for trying it out :)

  3. Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life says:

    Oh yes, the ‘you must be so prepared and just so calm and do everything perfectly because you write a blog about healthy foods’. Um, no. And yes, sometimes healthy food bloggers do stand in their kitchen eating peanut butter and chocolate chips because that is life.
    Back to the smoothie – this looks perfect for a summer breakfast! Light and fresh and bright! I have just gotten on the smoothie train, and to be honest I am getting a little sick of bananas. This green apple and spinach smoothie sounds like just the change my breakfast needs :)

  4. Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says:

    I’ve gotten into a smoothie habit in the winter, and it honestly has transformed my life. I no longer feel weighed down by breakfast, nor do I get intense hunger pangs by mid-afternoon. I just make a two-serving smoothie and sip on it until about 2pm! That being said, most of my smoothies aren’t that inspiring, so I’m always on the look-out for new recipes. This looks great, and I’m always a fan of dates as sweetener. Thanks!

  5. taylor @ greens & chocolate says:

    As much as I’d love to be a smoothie person, I’m just not. I need some chew in my breakfast! But this smoothie looks super refreshing…we just went to the apple orchard yesterday so I’m thinking it’s time to give smoothies another shot!

  6. Katie @ Whole Nourishment says:

    I like that you say healthy eating is a process and each person’s journey is unique. I guess the downside of social media is that it makes everyone and everything appear perfect. Thanks for being real and honest – it’s one of the reasons I like your blog. :) And this is the most gorgeously green smoothie I have seen! Love its simplicity and brightness.

  7. Chrystin says:

    Yum! Trying this smoothie this week! I’ve been wanting to try a smoothie with dates in it for some time now. Now I just have to search for them at the supermarket!

    Kisses from Buenos Aires xx
    http://amateandarottweiler.blogspot.com.ar/

  8. Liz @ Floating Kitchen says:

    This smoothie is such a beautiful color! I love to put dates in my smoothies. They are so good and give them just the right amount of sweetness!

  9. Karishma says:

    I am very intrigued by this recipe! it’s funny what you said about people thinking healthy cooks are smoothie people, haha. I think it’s definitely true.

    I am really interested by the use of dates here! But I have a lot of spinach around, so I think I’m going to try this!