Get your vegetables in with this delicious, creamy zucchini smoothie. Almost all creamy smoothies out there contain a banana, right? Well, not this one! This green zucchini smoothie is creamy without any bananas.
One of the easiest ways to eat more vegetables is to add them to smoothies.
You might not think of vegetables when you first think of smoothies. When I first started making smoothies, I would almost always add bananas, berries, spinach, and bananas. Have I mentioned bananas?
While I love my fruit smoothies, there is something to be said for making smoothies based on vegetables. Frozen zucchini is one of my new favorite smoothie additions. With its mild and neutral flavor, zucchini can blend with almost anything.
I’ve noticed more people incorporating vegetables into their smoothies in recent years - spinach, kale, beets, and cucumbers are perhaps the most popular. But you would be surprised how well zucchini works in smoothies. In addition to being very neutral, it also adds the most amazing creamy consistency.
Tips for Making Zucchini Smoothie
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this zucchini smoothie are:
- Zucchini: look for small to medium-sized zucchini. Large zucchini tend to be pulpy and have large seeds. You can use green or yellow zucchini but always look for a vibrant, rich color. If you have time to prep the zucchini beforehand, I recommend freezing it for a chilly/frosty smoothie. To freeze zucchini, cut it into 1-inch cubes and freeze the cubes in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (so they don’t freeze together in a big clump). After about 2 hours, transfer the frozen zucchini into an airtight container.
- Avocado: this is another one of my favorite vegetables to add to a smoothie. I know, I know. Avocado is technically a fruit, but it is often labeled a vegetable in the culinary world. Avocados have a very subtle, almost grassy flavor. Some people even describe it as buttery. Even though the flavor is mild, the texture is quite dense and thick, making any smoothie incredibly creamy.
- Spinach: this leafy green is one of the mildest, right after lettuce. It's mild, slightly sweet, and because of its soft texture, it blends beautifully into any smoothie.
- Pear: the only fruit in this zucchini smoothie is pear. No banana. I highly recommend using a ripe pear since it's the only ingredient that will sweeten this smoothie. If the pear yields to pressure, it is ripe. My favorite variety for this recipe is Comice, which is exceptionally sweet and juicy.
- Lemon juice: a splash of acid makes this smoothie bright, fresh, and slightly tangy. You can also use lime juice.
- Light coconut milk: I love the mild coconut flavor in this zucchini smoothie, but if you don’t have coconut milk on hand, almond milk, oat milk, or any other plant milk would work just fine.
How to Make Zucchini Smoothie
The Vitamix blender is the best blender for smoothies and anything else you can think to blend. It produces the most luscious, silkiest smoothies, not gloppy or over-blended as you might find with other blenders.
I have been blending with Vitamix for more than a decade. I have all Vitamix models, from the entry-level E310 to the high-end A3500 and they all make the best smoothies. If you've ever been astonished by the texture of a coffee shop smoothie, odds are a high-power blender was responsible.
Vitamix is expensive, yes, but this brand is hard to beat for those looking to invest in a blender.
Zucchini Smoothie Variations
If you're intrigued by the idea of a zucchini smoothie, but need to swap some of the ingredients, here are my recommendations:
- Vegetables: not a fan of avocados? Use a banana instead. Out of spinach? Almost any leafy green - except for arugula - will be a good substitute. If you're starting with green smoothies, you might want to use baby greens, which are sweeter and milder than mature leafy greens.
- Fruit: swap the pear for any fruit you like. Just keep in mind flavor and color. For instance, Granny Smith apples will blend in beautifully in terms of color but won't provide much sweetness. Strawberries will sweeten the smoothie, provided they are ripe but will make the smoothie somewhat brownish.
- Liquid: as I already mentioned, you can use any plant milk you have on hand.
- Add-ins: enhance this zucchini smoothie by adding superfoods, including flaxseed meal (for extra fiber), hemp hearts or protein powder (for extra protein), matcha, or spirulina (for an antioxidant boost).
How to Store Zucchini Smoothie
- Refrigerating: transfer the green smoothie into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Freezing: transfer the green smoothie into an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
More Green Smoothie Recipes
- Apple spinach smoothie: looking for a perfectly balanced green smoothie? This smoothie is it! Slightly sweet, slightly tart, slightly creamy – vibrant, and great for any time of the day.
- Cucumber pineapple smoothie: tart-sweet, creamy, and refreshing. This pineapple cucumber smoothie is one of my favorite green smoothie combinations – not too sweet, not too thick, and super hydrating.
- Kale kiwi smoothie: kale can sometimes be overpowering in smoothies, but this smoothie is different. While it’s packed with dark leafy greens, it tastes fruity, slightly sweet, and perfectly tart. It’s a great morning pick-me-up.
- Detox Island Green smoothie: this is one of the most popular detox smoothies in the United States. It’s served at the Tropical Smoothie Café and continues to be their best-selling smoothie. This smoothie is the perfect combination of greens and tropical fruit.
If you’d like to learn more about smoothies – how to make a custom smoothie, fix a not-so-good smoothie, build a better (healthier) smoothie, etc. – you can refer to this smoothie guide.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Zucchini Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini , cubed and frozen*
- 1 avocado
- 1 pear
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 cup coconut milk **
Instructions
- Blend. Add the zucchini, avocado, pear, spinach, lemon juice, and coconut milk into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Serve immediately.
- Store. Leftover smoothie keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, though best when fresh. For longer term storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Ção Julião
I'll definetally will give a try on zuckini.
I already have green smoothies but with cucumber, celery, coriander, parsley, other green leaves of choice, apple, ginger, lemon juice, and coconut milk. It's yummi. But one have to get used to.
PetraScott
Thank you! I hope you like it. Zucchini is great in smoothies 🙂
Ção Julião
Yes I tried today ir os very good!!
PetraScott
I am so happy you liked it. I really appreciate the feedback.