Look no further: We have rated the best 11 Tasty Kale Smoothies we recently tried and tested! There’s no denying it — taste aside, kale is a versatile, pretty amazing vegetable. Full of protein, vitamins, fiber, and important minerals, and believed to help defend the body against everything from asthma to diabetes, and more, kale is in every way a superfood — except when it comes to flavor.

It's really unfortunate because most of us could use more of this dark leafy green in our diets and we’d be more than willing to supplement our meals with a healthy infusion of kale if it didn’t taste like a fistful of dirt. Well, hold onto your tongue, because we’ve located 11 kale smoothie recipes from around the web that manage to turn this bitter vegetable into some of the tastiest smoothies you’ll ever experience. Read on, and see for yourself just how delicious ‘nutritious’ can be.

Why Kale Smoothies Are Good for You

Kale is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals including vitamins K, A, C, and B6, manganese, calcium, and potassium. It’s also loaded with protein, fiber and antioxidants. All of these vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants help with things like bone health, nerve and muscle function, building a healthy immune system, and lowering cholesterol, just to name a few. A cup of kale also has only 33 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates; that adds up to a very healthy and easy way to add extra vitamins to your smoothie without too many added calories.

No one wants to drink a cup of blended up kale, so we’ve made sure the kale smoothie recipes below also include fruits and other items to mask the flavor of this nutritious vegetable. Adding fruit is a delicious way to mask the bitter taste of kale and add the additional vitamins and minerals found in these fruits. Read on and see for yourself just how delicious ‘nutritious’ can be.

1. Kale, Pineapple, and Almond-Milk Smoothie

Most kale smoothies make use of other sweet flavors to help mask the bitter tang of the kale, but the best kale smoothies use flavorful foods that work well together to create amazing taste. Such is the case with this particular smoothie, which tickles the tongue with a perfect complementary mixture of pineapple, almond-milk, and banana. Special thanks to Marthastewart.com for sharing this healthy treat.

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
½ cup pineapple juice
1 cup kale (chopped, packed)
½ cup fresh pineapple (diced)
1 banana

Directions

1. In a Blendtec blender, combine all ingredients and blend on high until smooth.

2. Kale-Ginger Detox Smoothie

The holidays are a time for celebration. Of course, ‘celebration’ is often just another word for ‘overeating,’ and by the time mid January rolls around, many feel as though it might be easier to just give up than it would be to try to get back into a healthy dietary routine. This is where the kale-ginger detox smoothie comes into play. By clearing all of that residual holiday cheer from your system and giving you a chance to start the new year off right, this smoothie may just be your first step towards a happier life... and it tastes good to boot! This one comes to us courtesy of Julia via Ohmyveggies.com.

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 banana (frozen)
½ cup blueberries (frozen)
1 tsp ginger (grated)
2 cups kale (chopped, loosely packed)
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
Raw honey (to taste)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a Blendtec blender. Blend on high until smooth.
2. If needed, add more honey and blend again.
3. Consider adding more almond milk if needed to achieve the correct consistency.

3. Pistachio Ice Cream Kale Green Smoothie Shake

For those who want something that tastes like a dessert, satisfies like a meal, and nourishes like a plate full of greens, this pistachio ice cream kale smoothie may just be perfect. And, did we mention that it’s completely vegan? Kudos to Tarashaun at Blenderbabes.com for discovering it.

Ingredients

¼ cup milk substitute OR filtered water
½ tsp ginger (finely minced)
2 bananas
1 cup kale leaves (chopped)
½ cup pistachios, hazelnuts, and/or raw cashews
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp agave nectar OR raw dates (pitted, chopped)
1 pinch salt
2 cups ice

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients together in a Blendtec blender. Blend on high until smooth.
2. If using frozen bananas, consider reducing the amount of ice to 1 cup.

4. Kale and Apple Green Smoothie Recipe

There’s just something about smoothies that makes them a perfect addition to the vegan lifestyle. This particular recipe, from Dara at Cookincanuck.com, uses apples to give it a subtle sweetness that is nonetheless strong enough to make you forget about just how nutritious the whole concoction is. And, like the previous recipe, this one is also totally vegan.

Ingredients

⅔ cup almond milk (unsweetened)
¾ cup ice
1 ½ cups kale (chopped, packed)
1 stalk celery (diced)
½ Gala apple (cut into chunks)
1 tbsp ground flax seed Agave nectar (to taste)

Directions

1. In a Blendtec blender, combine almond milk, ice, kale, celery, apple, and flax seed. Blend on high until smooth.
2. Taste smoothie. Add agave nectar if needed and blend again.

5. Chocolate Kale Smoothie

Chocolate may seem like the anti-kale, but with a little bit of know-how (and the right ingredients), the two can be combined into a mouth-watering smoothie that works equally well for any meal, or even after a strenuous workout! This one comes to us from Beth at Greenphillyblog.com.

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
6 large kale leaves
bananas (chopped, frozen)
2 tbsp chocolate protein powder
1 tbsp almond butter
Several cubes of ice Chia seeds and/or blackberries (optional, for topping)

Directions

1. In a Blendtec blender, mix almond milk, kale, bananas, protein powder, and almond butter. Blend on high until smooth. Add ice, and blend again.
2. Top with chia seeds or blackberries to serve.

6. Kale and Strawberry Energy Boosting Smoothie

Most of us could probably stand to have a bit more energy. But rather than crawl into a coffee pot, or resign yourself to a few hours of drowsy yawning, you can get all of the energy you need naturally. This recipe combines kale, strawberries, hemp seeds, coconut, and more to create a flavorful concoction that will help you stay alert throughout the entire day. Thanks to Nicole at Olahuna.com for sharing.

Ingredients

1 cup curly or purple kale (chopped, packed)
1 ½ cups strawberries (frozen)
1 coconut (young)
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup OR coconut nectar
½ cup cashews (optional)
2 drops strawberry extract
1 cup ice

Directions

1. Remove coconut meat. Save coconut water.
2. Combine kale, strawberries. coconut meat, hemp seeds, maple syrup/coconut nectar, strawberry extract, ice, and (optionally) cashews in a Blendtec blender. Blend together on high until mixture reaches desired consistency. Add coconut water if smoothie is too thick.
3. Use more or less ice to reach desired temperature.

7. Low Calorie Strawberry Banana Kale Smoothie

For a great green smoothie that is also low in calories, you can’t do much better than this banana kale smoothie, courtesy of Jordan at Thefitchen.com. It hits all of the nutritional expectations you might have for a basic green smoothie, but is also a pleasant experience for the pallet.

Ingredients

⅓ cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cups baby kale (chopped)
½ banana
1 tbsp hemp seeds
½ strawberries (frozen)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a Blendtec blender and blend on high until smooth.

8. Matcha Kale & Peach Smoothie

Here’s to another taste combination that you never knew you were missing. Green tea, kale, and peaches come together in this smoothie to create a unique taste that you’ll find yourself craving all day long. And, as Jeanine at LoveandLemons.com suggests, it also works well as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
2 tsp cooking-grade matcha
2 kale leaves
2 ripe peaches (pitted)
½ tsp ginger (grated)
1 banana
1 handful of ice

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a Blendtec blender. Blend on high until desired consistency is reached.

9. Coconut ‘Kale-Ada’ Smoothie

Even if you’re snowed in this winter, you can enjoy the taste of the sunny tropics with a coconut ‘kale-ada’ smoothie. With all the taste of a refreshing piña colada, and all of the nutrients of a hearty green smoothie, this special treat is just the thing to chase the winter blues away.

Ingredients

¼ cup canned coconut milk (full-fat)
½ cup water (more as needed)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup pineapple chunks (frozen)
½ banana (frozen)
1 kale leaf (stem removed)
1 cup spinach

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into a Blendtec blender and blend on high until smooth.

10. Cherry Vanilla Green Smoothie

Tammy at Organizeyourselfskinny.com has really outdone herself. Cherry? Vanilla? These are two flavors that just can’t miss, and when you experience what they can do for kale smoothies, you’ll wonder how you ever managed to blend without them. And, in addition to the health benefits from the kale, the cherries offer quite a few benefits themselves, including promoting restful sleep, reducing belly fat, easing muscle soreness, and more.

Ingredients

Water (for consistency)
1 banana
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
2 cups coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 cup kale (chopped)
2 cups dark sweet cherries (frozen)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a Blendtec blender and blend on high until smooth. Use more or less water to achieve desired consistency.

11. High Protein Blueberry Kale Smoothie

One of the best ways to boost your energy in the morning is to consume something with a lot of protein. If you’re looking for something quick and easy that will keep you fueled while you tackle the day, this recipe from The Lemon Bowl is the perfect recipe for you. It includes lots of protein and antioxidants, and is also filled with some delicious fruits, making it a tasty way to keep you full and satisfied.

Ingredients
½ banana
½ cup chopped kale
½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
½ cup plain low fat yogurt
1 scoop protein powder
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
½ teaspoon cinnamon
two handfuls ice or more to taste

Directions
Place all ingredients in a Blendtec blender and blend until smooth.

Mix & Match Your Own!

 The best part about smoothies is that you can truly add, eliminate, and substitute any ingredients that you want. It may not always turn out perfect on your first try, but you might discover something amazing!

You may have noticed that 8 out of our 10 kale smoothie recipes contain banana. There is just something about the sweet, smooth taste of a banana that does a great job covering up the often bitter, toughness of kale. If you start with kale and banana for your smoothie, you're probably close to something magical. 

If you make one of these tasty kale smoothies, or freestyle your own, let us know how it went! We'd love to share your experience and help more people discover their perfect blend. 

If you make any of these kale smoothies in your Blendtec commercial blender, let us know how it goes! Share your videos and pictures with us, or comment below.