This refreshing Kale and Blackberry Smoothie is made with just 5 ingredients and is an amazing source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and antioxidants. Plus, it’s packed with fresh fruit, you can’t even taste the kale! Naturally vegan, gluten-free, Whole30, paleo with low carb and keto options.
PIN HERE for later and follow my boards for more recipe ideas
Updated February 2022
Easy Kale and Blackberry Breakfast Smoothie
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a cold and refreshing fruit smoothie. On those mornings when we don’t feel like doing any work to enjoy a healthy breakfast, smoothies are always on the menu. And this recipe is a frequent daily special!
The sweet blackberries, the juicy blueberries and the tangy pineapple work together to mask the flavor of the kale in an utterly delicious way. Your kids won’t even believe that you snuck a vegetable in there! Heck, you’ll barely believe it yourself.
Are Kale Smoothies Healthy?
You bet! Even though this kale smoothie is yummy enough to be enjoyed for dessert, it’s extremely healthy. Kale packs a powerful nutritional punch, giving you plenty of magnesium, iron, copper, potassium and phosphorous. The fruits contain tons of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber to boost your immune and digestive systems.
Drinking smoothies on a regular basis keeps you hydrated and nourished, and it can even help clear up your skin. But for this to be the case, the smoothies must be made without processed sugars. That’s why it’s great to rely on healthy recipes like this one.
In addition to being all-around good for you, this smoothie is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, vegan, paleo and Whole30. It can also be made low-carb and keto with a single substitution!
What You’ll Need
One of the great things about homemade smoothies is how you can incorporate whichever fruits and veggies you have hanging out in the fridge (or freezer). With the handful of ingredients below, you’re 100% guaranteed to get a mouthwatering mixed berry smoothie!
- Water: Or coconut water.
- Kale: Be sure to use fresh kale with no black spots, sulfurous odors or discoloration. It should look fresh and leafy rather than soggy and wilted.
- Blackberries: These should be fresh as well.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen – either works.
- Frozen Pineapple Chunks: Use frozen riced cauliflower, frozen avocado chunks or frozen star fruit instead for low-carb and keto smoothies.
How to Make a Blackberry Kale Smoothie
Grab your food processor or high-speed blender and get ready to press some buttons! This smoothie is as simple as that.
- Pour in Water: You’re going to start by adding the water or coconut water to your high-speed blender.
- Add Kale & Berries: Next, add the kale, blackberries and blueberries. If you’re using star fruit instead of frozen pineapple chunks, add those too.
- Add Frozen Pineapple: Add in the frozen pineapple last.
- Blend: Blend everything together until the mixture is smooth.
- Adjust Consistency: If you want to thin out your smoothie at all, add one to two teaspoons of water at a time, blending to combine after each addition until you’re happy with the consistency.
Can I Make This in Advance?
While you can make this smoothie to completion up to 24 hours before serving it, I like to go a different route. I often measure out my kale, berries and pineapple chunks ahead of time and store them in an airtight storage bag in the freezer. That way, when I want to put my smoothie together, I just add the water, toss everything else in and blend it up!
Tips for Success
There are a few things you should note before you plug in that blender of yours. Here are my tips for making the ultimate kale smoothie:
- Use Coconut Water: Regular water works just as well as coconut water, but it doesn’t provide any flavor of its own. I personally love having that hint of coconut flavor in my smoothie.
- Add Water First: Having a liquid in the bottom of your food processor helps the solid ingredients blend more easily and speeds up the process.
- Add a Sweetener: There are a ton of sweetener options for smoothies that you can certainly employ in this recipe. Feel free to add in some pure maple syrup or raw honey to taste. If you’re on the keto or paleo diet, use coconut sugar, monk fruit sweetener, stevia, SWERVE or another compliant liquid sweetener.
- Fine-Tune the Consistency: Some people like their smoothies to be extra thick while others prefer a more liquid texture. To make your smoothie thinner, simply add more water according to the recipe instructions. It can be made thicker with the addition of any solid ingredient.
Variation Ideas
Whether you want to try out different flavors or make this a pre-workout protein shake, you’re going to love these easy variations!
- Use Almond Milk Instead of Water: If you want your smoothie to have a creamier consistency, you can use unsweetened almond milk in place of the water.
- Add Protein Powder: Pack even more protein into this drink by adding in a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
- Add Banana: Incorporating a ripe frozen banana into your smoothie not only adds flavor, but it also thickens it up.
- Sub Out the Kale: Any leafy greens you have on hand will work just fine.
- Add Seeds: Try adding chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds to your smoothie for added fiber and protein.
- Add Brewed Green Tea: If you want a little natural caffeine in your smoothie, go ahead and sub out some of the water for brewed green tea.
- Bulk it Up: Adding in some cauliflower is a super easy way to bulk up your smoothie and introduce more veggie goodness.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover smoothies should be stored in an airtight container or a sealed jar in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to 24 hours. Stir your smoothies very well before serving them.
Can I Freeze Kale Smoothies?
If you store it in a sealed freezer bag with all of the air completely removed, you can freeze this smoothie for up to 2 months. Be sure not to fill the bag too much, as the liquid will expand while it freezes. It’s super important to lay the bag down flat.
Thaw out frozen smoothies overnight in the fridge before enjoying them. Give them an extra good stir after freezing and thawing.
More Refreshing Smoothies to Try
I love experimenting with homemade smoothies. Below you’ll find a few of my favorite creations!
This refreshing Kale and Blackberry Smoothie is made with just 5 ingredients and is an amazing source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and antioxidants. Plus, it's packed with fresh fruit, you can't even taste the kale! Naturally vegan, gluten-free, Whole30, paleo with low carb and keto options.
- 1/2 cup water or coconut water
- 1/2 cup kale
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks OR sub with frozen riced cauliflower, frozen avocado chunks or frozen starfruit for low carb / keto
Add the water to a high-powered blender.
Add the kale, blackberries and blueberries.
Add the frozen pineapple.
Blend on high until completely smooth or until desired consistency is reached. Add more or less water as well as a sweetener of your choice depending on your preference.
Leave a Comment