Refreshing and sweet, this cucumber smoothie takes only 5 minutes to prepare. See how to make it with just 4 ingredients.
Recipe Highlights
- A cucumber smoothie is a cold drink made of pureed fruit and vegetables. It’s made in a blender in just 5 minutes.
- Perfect as a quick and easy nutritious breakfast or delicious afternoon snack.
- This green smoothie is naturally sweet from the pineapple juice and bananas. The raw cucumber adds a refreshing and cooling flavor.
RELATED: Spinach Smoothie
5 Cucumber Smoothie Benefits
1. Promotes Immune Function
Thanks to the cucumbers, spinach, and pineapple juice, this smoothie is high in vitamin C. This nutrient prevents sickness by helping your body fight bad germs.
2. Increases Hydration
All drinks can add to your daily your water intake. However, this smoothie is extra hydrating because it contains cucumber, which is high in water.
3. Contains Antioxidants
Drinking this smoothie is a great way to get more antioxidants. These are compounds that lower the risk of disease. In this smoothie, the antioxidants come from the cucumbers and spinach.
4. Manages High Blood Pressure
Cucumber is rich in potassium, a mineral that lowers high blood pressure, or hypertension. This is important because high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease.
5. Encourages Good Digestion
The fiber in banana can help your digestion. Fiber makes stool easier to pass, which can reduce constipation and other digestive issues.
RELATED: Benefits of Eating Spinach
Ingredient Notes
- Pineapple juice: Pineapple juice is the liquid base of this drink. It’s naturally sweet, so you won’t have to add sweetener to the recipe. The sweet and tart flavor balances the earthy taste of spinach.
- Baby spinach: Baby spinach is packed with vitamins and minerals. It has a mild earthy flavor, but it’s not overpowering. If you don’t have baby spinach, you can chop large spinach leaves.
- Cucumber: Seedless cucumbers with thin skin like English cucumbers are the easiest to blend.
- Frozen banana: Banana will thicken drinks while adding natural sweetness. Frozen banana is the best choice, since it will chill the smoothie without ice.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Variations
Protein powder: Add protein powder or collagen powder to make this smoothie more filling. For best results, use an unflavored powder and add ½ to 1 scoop per drink.
Seeds: Another filling add-in, seeds will add protein and healthy fats to your recipe. Tasty options include chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seed. Add 1-2 tablespoons to start.
Nut butter: If you like the combination of cucumber and nut butter, try adding 1-2 tablespoons of nut butter to the smoothie.
RELATED: Coconut Milk Smoothie
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Pour pineapple juice into the blender.
Always add liquids before heavier ingredients.
Step 2: Add spinach, cucumbers, and frozen banana.
Step 3: Blend until smooth. Start on a low speed, then increase to high.
Step 4: Pour smoothie into a cup. Serve immediately.
Photo Credit: amazon.com
Blender Tips
Load ingredients in the correct order.
To avoid air pockets, it’s important to put ingredients in the right order. Always start with liquid ingredients. Follow with any add-ins, like seeds, powders, or sweeteners. Add fresh fruits and vegetables, then finish with heavier ingredients like ice or frozen fruit.
Increase the speed slowly.
When making a smoothie in a blender, start at low speed. You can then increase it to high.
Use a tamper.
You can create a better blend by using a blender tamper. This is a tool that came with your blender. It’s used to push ingredients toward the blades (without touching the blades) as they’re moving.
Expert Tips
- Always slice the banana before freezing it. Avoid adding a whole frozen banana to your blender, which can damage the blades.
- Be sure to use ripe bananas. You can tell a banana is ripe if its peel is yellow with some dark brown spots. Bananas with green peels are unripe and bitter, so avoid using them.
- If the smoothie is too thick for your preference, add some pineapple juice and blend for 10 seconds.
- Store leftover cucumber smoothie in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The drink will lose nutrition and flavor over time, so try to enjoy it as soon as possible.
Questions You May Have
Taking out the cucumber seeds will make the smoothie smoother. The seeds are edible, so you can leave them if you’d like. To remove the seeds, slice the cucumber lengthwise first and scoop out the seeds.
For a less sweet smoothie, use coconut water. This is the water that’s found in a coconut. You can buy it in cartons at the store.
Unsweetened almond milk is a great alternative to pineapple juice.
Related
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Cucumber Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup baby spinach (about 1 handful)
- 1 cup cucumber (chopped)
- 1 frozen banana
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put pineapple juice, spinach, cucumber, and frozen bananas into a blender. Secure lid.Place ingredients into the blender in the order listed.
- Blend until smooth. Start the blender on LOW speed for 10 seconds. Increase speed to HIGH for a full minute.
- Pour smoothie into a cup. Serve immediately.
EQUIPMENT
NOTES
- Seedless cucumbers with thin skin like English cucumbers are the easiest to blend.
- Always slice the banana before freezing it. Avoid adding a whole frozen banana to your blender, which can damage the blades.
- Be sure to use ripe bananas. You can tell a banana is ripe if its peel is yellow with some dark brown spots. Bananas with green peels are unripe and bitter, so avoid using them.
- If the smoothie is too thick for your preference, add some pineapple juice and blend for 10 seconds.
- Store leftover cucumber smoothie in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The drink will lose nutrition and flavor over time, so try to enjoy it as soon as possible.