Sneaky Broccoli Smoothie Recipe

In this sneaky pineapple broccoli smoothie recipe, you can’t even taste the broccoli! It’s naturally sweet, lusciously creamy, and loaded with nutritious goodness. A satisfying vegetable smoothie with only 5 simple ingredients. Learn how to make a green smoothie with broccoli, banana, pineapple, yogurt, and apple juice—no added sugar or sweeteners needed.

For more easy green smoothie ideas, try my Pineapple Kale Smoothie or Spinach Banana Smoothie!

I know eating vegetables throughout the day is a simple way to support my body and health. And sometimes I make things easier on myself by sipping on a sweet and creamy vegetable smoothie! Whether we enjoy them in their whole food form or blended into a healthy smoothie, those veggies are just as nutritious. Just like a side of steamed broccoli, this healthy broccoli smoothie recipe is loaded with nourishing fiber, micronutrients, and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Plus, with the natural sweetness of banana, pineapple, and apple juice, the broccoli is so subtle—it’s practically invisible! This is seriously such a tasty green smoothie recipe, with an irresistible tropical flavor and a luscious creaminess from the yogurt. Best of all, you can throw it in the blender and have it ready in under 5 minutes! A quick and nutrient-dense way to start any day.

Does broccoli taste bad in smoothies?

You can absolutely put broccoli in a smoothie, and you won’t even taste it! Especially when you’re adding broccoli to smoothies with sweet, creamy, tropical fruits like pineapple and banana, the broccoli flavor is hardly noticeable. It adds a mild refreshing taste, but mostly a satisfying green color that reminds me I’m sipping on wholesome veggie goodness! This 5 ingredient broccoli smoothie is one of my favorites because it makes it easy for me to eat a serving of vegetables on days when I’d rather not cook.

Broccoli Smoothie Benefits

With its high density of micronutrients per calorie, broccoli is considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world. All the more reason to try including more broccoli in smoothies and shakes! It’s part of the cruciferous vegetable family, with other nutritious foods like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens like kale.

Cruciferous veggies are well-known for their powerful cancer-fighting compounds, called glucosinolates. Sulforaphane is one of these cancer-fighting compounds, with incredible anti-inflammatory benefits—and broccoli is one of the richest food sources of sulforaphane! Along with its many other unique nutrients and antioxidants, broccoli is an antioxidizing, cancer-fighting powerhouse.

Just 1 cup of broccoli contains as much immune-boosting vitamin C as an orange! Also, broccoli offers bone-supporting vitamin K, folate for healthy cell growth, potassium for blood pressure control, and even some iron for healthy red blood cells. Combined with the energizing complex carbs in banana and pineapple, plus nourishing fats and protein from the yogurt, this creamy broccoli smoothie is a superfood way to start your day!

Pineapple Broccoli Smoothie Ingredients

• Frozen Banana. Instead of relying on added sugar or ice cubes, making your broccoli smoothie with frozen banana is a simple way to add natural sweetness and creaminess. If you’re not a fan of banana smoothies, substitute with another frozen fruit like mango or strawberries—or try frozen avocado, like in my Cucumber Smoothie Recipe!
• Frozen Pineapple. Since it’s one of the naturally-sweetest fruits, pineapple gives this simple smoothie an irresistibly sweet, bright flavor. If you want an alternative, try substituting with mango, peaches, or kiwi.
• Greek Yogurt. You can really use any variety of yogurt you prefer in this recipe. Personally, I like to make my broccoli smoothie with Greek yogurt (or Icelandic skyr) for a creamy protein boost! To keep this smoothie vegan, use a dairy free option like coconut milk yogurt.
• Apple Juice. A tasty liquid base that adds natural sweetness to your vegetable smoothie! If needed, you could substitute with pineapple juice, coconut water, regular water, or milk of choice.
• Broccoli Florets. I prefer to make my smoothie with raw broccoli florets, finely chopped for easy blending. You can also make this smoothie recipe with steamed broccoli if you’d like—just briefly steam the florets and allow them to cool before blending. Or, have fun with other cruciferous veggies and make a steamed cauliflower smoothie!

Can you put raw broccoli in a smoothie? What about steamed broccoli?

I’ve made broccoli smoothies with raw broccoli and with steamed broccoli, and both turn out tasty! My personal preference is raw broccoli for smoothies because it’s the simplest and least noticeable. In my experience, a smoothie with steamed broccoli has a slightly more noticeable flavor, but it’s still enjoyable. Also, some evidence suggests that boiling and heat exposure can destroy some vitamins and phytonutrients in broccoli. So, if you choose to steam, limit it to 3-4 minutes.

Is it safe to use frozen broccoli in smoothies?

You can also make this green smoothie recipe with frozen broccoli if you’d like. Although it won’t taste exactly the same as a raw broccoli smoothie, frozen broccoli is just as nutritious because the vegetables are flash-frozen at their peak freshness. The benefits of frozen vegetables are they’re convenient and easy to store for longer time periods, and they can add some bulk and thickness to your broccoli smoothie!

See how to make a broccoli smoothie in my Green Veggie Smoothie Recipes video!