Apple Carrot Smoothie

This Apple Carrot Smoothie is perfectly sweet, is easy to make, and a great way to get all kinds of healthy ingredients into your belly. Perfect as a quick breakfast or snack, this vegan and dairy-free smoothie is made from carrots, apples, banana, citrus, and a hint of cinnamon.

There is a saying. What grows together goes together.

Meaning, basically, things that have a similar growing season often taste awesome together!

Take this Apple Carrot smoothie. It is currently October and it is root veggie and apple season hardcore here in Vermont. And, true to the saying, apples and carrots taste great together in recipes. However, people don’t often think about tossing carrots or apples into a smoothie….but they should!

This smoothie is made from ingredients that you might already have on hand or can easily find all year round. They are often affordable at the grocery store, making this a really great veggie smoothie recipe to try out without breaking the bank or running to multiple stores.

This recipe is…

Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, plant based, gluten free, and is easily adaptable. It is done in 5 minutes and makes for a great breakfast or veggie-loaded snack.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen carrots?

I haven’t tried but I like how you think! If you have a bag of those diced up frozen carrots that don’t have any seasoning, you might be able to toss those as a sub for the grated carrots. Because the carrots will be frozen and carrots can be a little tricky to break down in a blender, I would suggest combing the carrots and plant milk in the blender first and purring the carrots alone before adding the remaining ingredients to blend into this carrot apple smoothie.

Can I used dairy milk?

I prefer to use plant milk in this smoothie recipe because of the citrus. I find the acid in oranges and othr citrus fruits can cause dairy milk to split. It is edible but a bit visually unappealing.

What can I use to replace the banana in this apple carrot smoothie?

I find frozen mangos work great as a sub for bananas in smoothies! I’d use about 1-1.5 cups of frozen mango chunks in this apple carrot smoothie if you omit the banana.

Do I have to grate the carrots?

I highly suggest it for helping it break down evenly in this smoothie. Even if you have a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix). If you really don’t want to grate the carrot, cut the pieces small and blend them with the non-dairy milk alone so you can be sure they are throughly pureed before adding fruit.

Do you need to peel the carrot for this smoothie?

I just trim off the ends and and give them a good washing (since they are a root veggie), but I often skip peeling carrots in most recipes. Some people don’t like the taste of the peel or feel like their carrots are not clean enough with the peel on, so you can peel or not peel the carrots for this apple smoothie recipe….whichever you prefer.

Can you taste the carrot in this smoothie?

A bit but it is not overpowering. The fruit in the carrot smoothie plus the cinnamon really balance out the carrot flavor beautifully.

Suggested adaptations

• Replace the banana with frozen mango. I’d suggest about 1 to 1.5 cups of frozen mango chunks in this apple carrot smoothie.
• Sub the clementine with a small, peeled orange. Or you could use about 1/2 cup of orange juice.
• Add some Greek yogurt to boost the protein and thickness.
• Toss in some ground flax or chia seeds for extra healthy fats and omega-3s.
• Add a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter for some healthy fat.
• Replace the apples with applesauce. I’d suggest about a 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce in this apple carrot smoothie.

Tips and tricks

• Don’t skip grating the carrots. Yep, even if you have a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix). Grating helps the carrot break down in this apple smoothie evenly and easily. Otherwise, you might end up with chunks of carrot in a sip.
• If you are worried about your blender not being able to handle the grated carrot, you can use steamed (and cooled) carrots instead.
• Grate the apple or use applesauce to make it easier for blenders that don’t have a ton of oomph.

Other veggie-loaded smoothie recipes

• Simple Spinach Mango Smoothie
• Creamy Cauliflower Blueberry Smoothie
• Cherry Smoothie (with spinach)
• Blueberry Spinach Smoothie
• Vitamin C Immune Boosting Smoothie
• Pink Beet Smoothie

Loving this apple carrot smoothie recipe and now you’re hungry for more?

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