It’s true, you can use carrots in smoothies! This carrot banana smoothie has a beautiful color and delicious flavor, thanks to frozen carrots, tropical fruits, and fresh ginger. Hemp hearts and coconut flakes contribute protein and fat to round out this refreshing beverage.
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This DELISH carrot banana smoothie was inspired by a new book that I’m writing, in more ways than one. I had a big deadline for the book manuscript on Monday, so I spent the weekend writing and didn’t have time to get to the grocery store until later in the week.
As a result, our fridge was very bare at lunchtime on Monday. So, I threw together whatever we had and attempted to make a smoothie. It turned out SO good, and my Instagram audience answered “yes” to my poll about putting it on the blog. So here we are.
The other way that my upcoming book inspired today’s recipe is related to the ingredients. The book will be a guide to anti-inflammatory eating, featuring the top 50 foods that fight inflammation. As I whipped up my smoothie, I realized that I had just written about many of the ingredients, namely ginger, hemp hearts, and lemon, and nutrients found in carrots and mango (beta-carotene and vitamin C). Cool, right?
You may not be as excited about this fun example of nutrition coming to life in my kitchen as I am, but I hope you enjoy my carrot smoothie nonetheless! It tastes incredible and it does the body good. What more could you want?
Can you blend raw carrots?
Frozen carrots work much better than raw ones when making a carrot smoothie. You can blend raw carrots, but I find that their consistency is more fibrous and not as appetizing as blended frozen carrots.
It’s worth the extra effort to use frozen carrots to make the drink smooth and easy to drink. If you can’t find frozen carrots at the store, check out my tutorial on How to Freeze Carrots at home. Blanching carrots before freezing softens them just enough to make them easier to blend. I used homemade frozen carrots for this carrot banana smoothie and they were perfect.
Expert Tips
- You can make this smoothie in advance if desired. Keep it in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
- If you don’t have hemp hearts, sub flax or chia seeds. Ground ginger can also be substituted for fresh ginger.
- Feel free to experiment with the fruit. I’d recommend keeping the banana in the smoothie, since it contributes to the thick texture. But you could swap the mango out for frozen pineapple and/or berries. Berries would change the color, though.
- No lemons on hand? Try some orange juice!
- If you’re in the market for a good blender to make smoothies, I love my NutriBullet.
More Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Love this carrot banana smoothie? Check out the Strawberry Banana Beet Smoothie, Cherry Chocolate Cauliflower Smoothie, Avocado Mango Smoothie with Spinach, Tropical Swiss Chard Smoothie, and Green Pea Smoothie with Mint. You may also enjoy the Vegan Carrot Banana Muffins or Gluten Free Carrot Banana Bread.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
Carrot Banana Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen carrots
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 lemon - juiced
- 1 inch fresh ginger - peeled
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1.5 cups water
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Add more water as needed to promote blending.
Notes
- Feel free to sub chia or milled flaxseeds for hemp seeds. You can also swap mango for a different fruit and use orange juice in place of lemon juice.
- This smoothie will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Nutrition
Happy blending! – Lizzie
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