A bright and refreshing lemon smoothie is the epitome of sunshine in a glass! Tart lemon is combined with sweet and creamy mango and pineapple for a refreshing tropical smoothie any time of year!
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When you think of lemons, you probably don’t consider adding them to your smoothies. After all, lemon juice is quite tart. But lemon is an excellent addition to your smoothies. It has a bright and refreshing flavor that makes a real statement when combined with other sweet fruit!
Fresh lemon zest and juice in smoothies also add quite a few health benefits. Lemons are high in the antioxidants such as vitamin C. These compounds help boost your immune system and improve your overall heart health while lowering cholesterol. So don’t wait! Add some lemon zest and lemon juice to your smoothie today!
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Smoothie
- Smooth and Creamy: It’s super rich and creamy like all good smoothies should be!
- Bright, Tropical Flavor: This smoothie has a bright, sweet, and tangy tropical flavor.
- Healthy: It’s dairy-free, plant-based, and contains vitamins and nutrients.
- Versatile: It makes a great breakfast or snack.
Ingredients and Notes
- Lemon: You’ll need one whole lemon for this recipe. You’ll use the zest and juice of one small lemon.
- Frozen Mango and Pineapple: With lots of tart lemon flavor, you need some natural sweetener to balance it out. Mango and pineapple do the trick.
- Banana: Use a ripe or frozen banana sliced into chunks. This adds additional sweetness and also improves the creaminess of the smoothie.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: With all the sweetness of the fruit, you don’t need sweetened almond milk. I prefer unsweetened plain almond milk to vanilla, so this smoothie recipe has more tropical flavors.
- Maple Syrup (optional): After you taste your smoothie, you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup if you think it needs a bit of extra sugar to balance the tart lemon.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Substitutions
- Use your favorite fruits to make different flavors of lemon smoothies.
- Use lime juice in place of lemon juice for an unexpected twist.
- For a protein boost, add a scoop of vanilla protein powder or two tablespoons of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
- Add ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric for a deeper lemon color and more health benefits.
- Add a ¼ cup of vegan Greek yogurt for added protein.
- Pour into a bowl and top with granola for a smoothie bowl.
How to Make This Lemon Smoothie Recipe
- Zest and juice one whole lemon, being sure to remove the seeds.
- Add the almond milk, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, and banana to a high-speed blender and blend on high until combined.
- Taste the smoothie, then add maple syrup or agave if you want it to be sweeter.
- Pour into a glass and garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!
FAQS
No. These days, those terms are used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same. A smoothie is made with fruits and usually a liquid like almond milk or fruit juice, while shakes are generally ice cream-based.
You don’t have to use a high-speed blender, but it helps. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll need to scrape down your blender vessel several times to ensure everything is thoroughly blended. `
High-speed blenders are heavier, faster, more robust versions of regular blenders. They have more horsepower and stronger vortexes, making them ideal for blending thick smoothies and milkshakes, crushing ice, and working with nuts and fibrous plants.
Expert Tips
- Keep your fruit in the freezer until just before you blend the smoothie. This helps make it as thick and rich as possible.
- Blend your smoothie until thoroughly combined, but be careful not to overblend it. The friction from the blades creates heat, which can warm up your smoothie too much if you overdo it.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, pulse your smoothie mixture for about 30 seconds, scraping the blender down between each pulse to ensure everything is fully combined.
Serving Suggestions
This smoothie is a sweet, tropical, healthy start to the day or an excellent afternoon snack.
This smoothie can also be part of a larger breakfast with recipes like vegan scones with fruit, silken tofu vegetable scramble, or vegan French toast sticks.
For a tasty mid-morning or afternoon snack, pair this smoothie with coconut bliss balls, vegan trail mix, or any of these delicious popcorn ideas.
Video
Storage
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. You can also make this lemon smoothie the night before and serve it for breakfast. I prefer a mason jar for ease of use.
😋 More Smoothie Recipes!
Recipe
Lemon Smoothie
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 1 lemon zested and juiced (seeds removed)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup mango frozen
- 1 banana chopped
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Add the almond milk, frozen pineapple, frozen mango, and banana to a high-speed blender.
- Zest and juice one whole lemon, be sure to remove the seeds. Add the zest and fresh lemon juice to the blender.
- Blend on high until all the frozen fruit is combined. Taste, and add the maple syrup or agave if you think it needs to be sweeter.
- Pour into a glass. Garnish with a wedge of a lemon, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you want your smoothie to have a deeper lemon color add a ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric. It will not only give your smoothie a bright and beautiful hue but will also add health benefits such as improved heart health.
- If you want to give this smoothie a boost of protein, add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, or 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds, chia seeds, or flax seeds.
- This lemon smoothie can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator covered overnight. I prefer to store my smoothie in a mason jar for ease of use. Store for no more than 2 days.
Laura
Absolutely love this! So bright and refreshing and easy to make. Have used this recipe several times. It’s a keeper!
Laura
Absolutely love this recipe! I make it often and it’s bright and delicious!
Neemi Sen
Super and helpful recipes thanks allot.
Sharon
Lemon lovers will go crazy for this creamy and frosty lemon smoothie. So simple to make too!
Nathan
This lemon smoothie is so refreshing, I had one for breakfast this morning and it was the perfect pick-me-up!
Nic
Holy yum! This lemon smoothie was so fresh and bright tasting. Great recipe!