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This zesty and refreshing lemon smoothie is a citrusy way to kickstart your morning or as an afternoon snack! It’s loaded with vibrant flavors and nutrients.

Lemon Smoothie
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Craving the refreshing, zingy flavor of lemon? Try this easy lemon smoothie recipe! This frosty, pale yellow puree holds a secret: a super citrusy, sweet tart flavor owed to a load of lemon zest and juice. Whiz it up with frozen fruit and milk in a blender, and it’s one of the tastiest, most satisfying smoothies around! Here are a few tips to this fun lemon drink.

Ingredients in this lemon smoothie

Lemon is a unique flavor for a smoothie recipe: it’s more common to see berry flavors like a strawberry smoothie or bright green smoothies. But a lemon smoothie is a fun and refreshingly healthy way to enjoy fresh fruit! There’s no juice or loads of extra sugar: it’s lightly sweetened with a hint of maple syrup and made creamy with your milk of choice. Here are a few notes on the ingredients you need:

  • Lemon juice and zest: The best flavor in a lemon smoothie is from real lemon! You’ll use the zest from an entire lemon here, plus two tablespoons of the fresh juice (no substitutes).
  • Frozen pineapple: Frozen pineapple is essential for the frosty texture and it adds a nice yellow color.
  • Banana: Room temperature banana is all you need: no need to freeze it! It’s also essential for the creamy texture of the smoothie. (Alternatively, you could use fresh pineapple and frozen banana.)
  • Milk: You’ll need liquid for it to blend! Use your favorite milk here, dairy or non-dairy both work, making it a vegan smoothie option.
  • Maple syrup: Just 1 teaspoon maple syrup heightens the flavors and gives it the best, sweet tart flavor.
Lemon smoothie

Use turmeric for color

Turmeric is a root used in cooking, part of the ginger family. It is most often used dried and ground into a yellow powder, which has an earthy, almost mustard-like flavor. But more than flavor, turmeric is also often used for color in recipes: in fact, it’s what gives yellow mustard its bright yellow color!

You can use turmeric here to make an even brighter lemon flavor! It won’t be noticeable flavor-wise.

Ways to add more protein

This lemon smoothie isn’t protein packed, unless you use dairy milk (which has 8 grams protein in 1 cup). If you’d like, you can add even more protein: whether it’s dairy-based or a vegan smoothie. Here are some ideas:

  • Stir in Greek yogurt. Use ½ cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup milk for a significant dose of protein.
  • Chia seeds. You can add plant-based protein and fiber with chia seeds: 2 tablespoons chia seeds adds 4 grams protein and 11 grams fiber.
  • Vanilla protein powder: Protein powder works well too! We use this protein powder that has natural ingredients and a flavor that’s not too artificial. Just remember to dial back the maple syrup or honey, because protein powder adds sweetness.
Lemon Smoothie

Variations on this lemon smoothie

Want to change up this lemon smoothie with mix-ins instead? There are a few additions that go well with the tropical flavors here! Here’s what we’d recommend trying:

  • Add cashew butter. A way to add plant-based protein is nut butter; we recommend the flavor of cashews here to complement the lemon. Keep in mind this can also dampen the flavor of the smoothie.
  • Swap in frozen mango or peaches. Swap out a cup of the frozen pineapple for frozen fruit of another variety.
  • Throw in coconut. Throw in a handful of coconut (or toasted coconut) for a tropical vibe.
  • Add a handful of fresh mint or basil. Lemon mint and lemon basil are two tasty flavor combinations.

More smoothie recipes

This lemon smoothie is one of our favorite new smoothie recipes! Here are a few more we love:

Dietary notes

This lemon smoothie recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Lemon Smoothie

Lemon Smoothie
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5 from 1 review

This zesty and refreshing lemon smoothie is a citrusy way to kickstart your morning or as an afternoon snack! It’s loaded with vibrant flavors and nutrients.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large or 2 small 1x
  • Category: Smoothie
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: Drink
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale
  • Zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup milk of choice (or ½ cup Greek yogurt and ½ cup milk)
  • 2 cups frozen pineapple 
  • 1 banana (room temperature, broken into chunks)
  • 6 ice cubes
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1/8 to 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Blend until creamy and frothy, stopping and scraping down the sides as necessary, and adding a bit more liquid if necessary.
  2. Taste and if necessary, add another drizzle of maple syrup depending on the ripeness of your pineapple (you likely will not need it). Serve immediately or store in a covered jar in the refrigerator for 1 day.

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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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  1. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!