This Kale Berry Smoothie with raw or steamed greens is a sweet and healthy recipe that includes a serving of vegetables! This dairy-free and vegan green smoothie recipe is an energizing way to start the day. Cocoa powder adds a nice flavor of chocolate.

A kale berry chocolate smoothie served in a ball jar.

If you are looking for a delicious way to eat your greens, then I’ve got you covered with this vegan and dairy-free recipe.

This chocolate green smoothie with frozen berries is sweet, filling, and incredibly nutritious. This is my favorite breakfast smoothie of all time!

Smoothies are an excellent way to pack in nutrients that taste great too. Learn more about the health benefits of green smoothies.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredient Checklist
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 Other Healthy Smoothie Recipes You Might Like
7 More Smoothie Resources
8 Kale Berry Smoothie

Why You Need This Recipe

  • In addition to being perfect for chocolate lovers, this Kale Berry Smoothie recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and Whole30!
  • Kale is loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, K, and C. It’s also high in beta-carotene and cancer-fighting antioxidants. Kale is a nutrient powerhouse and an excellent way to start your day. See my list of the best cancer-fighting smoothies.
  • It’s refined-sugar free! Bananas, berries, and carrot juice are all you need to sweeten up this smoothie.

Key Ingredient Checklist

Ingredients for a chocolate berry kale smoothie on a table

Kale packs in nutrients without overpowering the sweetness of the fruit.

Carrot juice sweetens it up while adding the necessary liquid to get the smoothie blended. Carrot juice is high in beta-carotene and also vitamin C.

Banana is a great way to thicken up a smoothie while adding natural sweetness.

Frozen berries add a sweet berry flavor that accents the cocoa powder.

Cocoa powder adds a touch of chocolatey richness while adding antioxidants, too.

Recipe Steps

How to make a chocolate kale smoothie.

Step One

Remove the stems off the kale leaves. Rinse and dry them in a salad spinner.

Step Two

Steam the kale leaves on the stovetop or in the microwave and then set them aside.

You don’t have to steam the kale, but I find that it make the flavor milder and also makes the smoothie easier to digest. Feel free to leave the kale raw if you prefer.

Step Three

Add everything but the steamed kale to the blender. A high-speed blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix works best to fully blend the greens.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Four

Use tongs to transfer the steamed kale to the top of the smoothie mixture.

Blend the smoothie for 60 seconds until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

kale green smoothie made in a vitamix blender.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • One bunch of kale will yield about 3 cups of kale leaves when the stems are removed.
  • You can also use baby kale in this recipe, but you won’t need to steam baby kale as long as regular kale.
  • You can also substitute any other type of leafy green in this recipe for the kale including collard greens, bok choy, chard, or spinach.
  • A high-speed blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix works best to fully blend the greens.
  • Add protein powder to increase the protein content of this smoothie. See my list of the best paleo protein powders.
  • Feel free to use chia seeds instead of hemp seeds, if you prefer. You can also use almond milk, orange juice, apple juice, or coconut water instead of carrot juice.
  • If you’re serving this recipe to kids, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter to help mask the flavor of the greens. In that case, reduce the amount of hemp seeds to two tablespoons. This will alter the overall nutritional value, but not by much.
photo showing pouring a green smoothie into a jar.

Recipe FAQs

Do I have to steam the kale?

I strongly recommend it, but you certainly don’t have to. Steaming the kale makes the leaves softer and easier to blend which in turn makes the smoothie creamy and not gritty.

Steaming greens like kale also has the benefit of reducing the oxalate content which can be irritating to some individuals. Steaming the kale also helps make it milder in flavor and easier to digest.

Do I freeze the banana whole?

You can freeze the banana whole or in chunks. The important thing is that you peel the banana before you freeze it. See my guide for how to freeze ripe bananas.

Can I use frozen strawberries in place of frozen berries?

Yes frozen strawberries will work just fine. Frozen sweet cherries are also great in this smoothie.

Can I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?

Yes, you can use either one.

Berry kale smoothies served in three ball jars.

Other Healthy Smoothie Recipes You Might Like

Or, check out my entire list of dairy-free smoothies.

More Smoothie Resources

25+ Best Dairy-Free Smoothies

13+ Best Greens for Smoothies

15+ Best Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Recipes

15+ Health Benefits of Green Smoothies (Adults and Kids)

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

And, consider following me on social media so we can stay connected. I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube!

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A blender with kale smoothie in it

Kale Berry Smoothie

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
Print Recipe

This Kale Berry Smoothie with steamed greens is a sweet and healthy recipe that includes a serving of vegetables! This dairy-free and vegan green smoothie recipe is an energizing way to start the day.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 large bunch of kale (you can use curly kale or lacinato kale)
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 2 cups jarred or fresh carrot juice
  • 1 frozen ripe banana, broken in half
  • 2 cups frozen berries (I used a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao powder
  • 2 scoops unsweetened protein powder (optional, for added nutrition)

Instructions

  1. Prep your kale for the smoothie by removing the leaves from the stems. Place the leaves in a salad spinner or in a large bowl of water to rinse the leaves thoroughly. Spin the kale dry or shake the leaves to get rid of excess water.
  2. Place the kale leaves in a steamer basket or in a microwave-safe bowl. Steam the kale for 3-4 minutes on the stovetop in a steamer basket or for about 2 minutes in the microwave.
  3. Set the steamed kale aside while you prepare the smoothie. You don’t have to steam the kale, but I find that it make the flavor milder and also makes the smoothie easier to digest. Feel free to leave the kale raw if you prefer.
  4. In the pitcher of a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, combine the hemp seeds, carrot juice, frozen banana, frozen berries, cocoa powder, and protein powder.
  5. Then, use tongs to transfer the steamed kale to the top of the smoothie mixture inside the blender pitcher.
  6. Lock on the lid and then blend the smoothie for about 60 seconds, or until it is smooth and creamy.
  7. Serve immediately, or refrigerate any leftovers for up to 48 hours in a covered container.

Notes

  1. One bunch of kale will yield about 3 cups of kale leaves when the stems are removed.
  2. You can also use baby kale in this recipe, but you won’t need to steam baby kale as long as regular kale.
  3. You can also substitute any other type of leafy green in this recipe for the kale including collard greens, bok choy, chard, or spinach.
  4. Feel free to use your favorite frozen berries in this smoothie. Frozen sweet cherries are also great.
  5. Feel free to use chia seeds instead of hemp seeds, if you prefer. You can also use almond milk or orange juice instead of carrot juice.

Keywords: kale smoothie, steamed kale in smoothie, steamed greens in smoothie

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