Pineapple Matcha Smoothie

September 21, 2020 by Nicole Collins

It’s not easy bein’ green.

Ask Kermit. He’ll tell you all about being the color of the leaves.

I bet if you asked the green vegetables, they’d have some stories to tell too. People are always saying “eww” or “yuck” when they’re talking about eating their greens. And, I think that is a darn shame!

I’ve always been a green veggie lover…conditionally. If it’s raw, I’m in. If they’re cooked…ehh not so much. But, that’s not a green veggie thing. That’s an all the veggies thing.

I’m also a huge fan of green smoothies. Those also get a bad rap! So many people can’t wrap their minds around drinking vegetables. But I’m telling you, if you’re one of those people, you are missing out.

Green smoothies are basically the best of both worlds. You can get a full serving of vegetables that are totally hidden and that you can’t even taste. If you’re a veggie hater, why wouldn’t you want a green smoothie? You could make yourself a tropical drink, throw some kale in there, then pat yourself on the back for being so healthy. Doesn’t that sound amazing?

I know for many people, it’s less about the taste and more about the color when it comes to smoothies. I mean, there’s a reason purple ketchup was a VERY short lived fad, right?

Well, I’m going to try to change your mind about the green smoothie game with today’s recipe.

Today, we’re making Pineapple Matcha Smoothies!

Oh yeah, baby. Double the green today!

This smoothie checks all of the boxes. It’s quick. It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s filling. And, it’s super flavorful. And, isn’t that all we ever want out of a recipe?

This recipe starts with frozen fruit. I made this with a few different fruit combos, and pineapple was my favorite. But, you can also use frozen mango, frozen peaches, or any combo of the three fruits. They were all just as delicious. Since we’re pairing this with a concentrated version of green tea, we want to use a fruit that will compliment those earthy tea flavors.

So, let’s talk about the matcha for a minute. Matcha powder is ground green tea leaves. So, think about a soothing cup of green tea, then multiply the intensity of the tea flavor by a hundred. It’s earthy and grassy and definitely a strong flavor. If you’re not used to matcha or are sensitive to those sometimes bitter notes of a green tea, feel free to use a little less matcha than called for in this recipe. Then, build yourself up to the full tablespoon called for in this recipe. There’s enough other things happening to give us flavor in this smoothie that the veggie taste will still be hidden if you decide to reduce the matcha.

Speaking of veggies, we’re going to throw a whole cup of chopped kale into this smoothie. Of the leafy greens, I think kale is the most hated. But, I love it! Some people have an issue with the rough texture, and some think it’s too bitter. But like I said, you won’t even know it’s there. If the kale doesn’t do it for you, you can also absolutely substitute spinach in this drink if that’s what you’re more likely to have on hand. Both are full of vitamins and protein, so both can handle the job just fine.

To finish our smoothie, we need some liquid and a little sweetener. I like a lite coconut milk in this smoothie, but an unsweetened vanilla almond milk would work great here too. We’re going to use a little bit of super ripe frozen banana to help thicken and help sweeten things up a bit. But, we are also going to add a squeeze of agave syrup at the end to really balance out this smoothie. If you’d rather opt for honey, go for it.

All that’s left to do is push the button on the blender, let this process until everything is broken down and smooth, then kick back and enjoy. People often associate smoothies with breakfast, but I’ve enjoyed this one for lunch on many, many occasions. It’s sweet from the fruit, creamy from the coconut milk, and the green tea flavor really shines through. It’s so refreshing! And I promise you, you could hand this to anyone and they’d have no clue there was a big ol’ handful of greens in there.

That will be our little secret!

Ok, everyone! I’m going to continue campaigning for all of the under-appreciated green things in this world. And, I’m going to do it with one of these smoothies in my hand.

So, enjoy! And, let’s drink!

Pineapple Matcha Smoothie Serves: 1 Print

Ingredients: ½ of a very ripe banana, cut and frozen 1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup kale, stems removed and chopped

1 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp matcha powder (I used culinary grade)

1 tbsp agave syrup

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Serve immediately.

Recipe notes:

*I keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer at all times for smoothies. When the bananas are very ripe (more black on the skin than yellow), peel and chop them in to quarters. Space them out individually on a plate or or tray, and place them in the freezer. After a few hours when they're completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag until ready to use. Freezing them separately keeps them from clumping together in the bag and being frozen with an undetachable buddy. I'll do the same with any fruit when it's in season, and I have an abundance.

*You could replace the coconut milk with unsweetened almond milk.

*If you're not in to kale, you can swap it out for fresh spinach.

*This smoothie is also super yummy with frozen peaches, frozen mango, or a combo of pineapple/peach/mango as well!