Creamy Green Basil Smoothie

Smoothies are incredibly popular with folks trying to follow a healthier lifestyle. The *big* problem is that the vast majority of recipes are actually sugar-bombs – packed with fruits and bananas to make them sweet and creamy. And who can blame them? No one enjoys drinking liquid spinach or kale. No one. But this Creamy Green Basil Smoothie is a completely different story.

Those fruits and bananas pack an almighty carb load, which makes them super sugar-fests. Not what we’re after at all. This, on the other hand is packed to the brim with healthy fats and nary a {net} carb in sight.

Without the fruits and bananas, hiding the leafy greens and making a delicious drink is a whole lot harder.  With this smoothie, I didn’t even try. I decided to enhance the veggies instead of masking them. The result is a lovely fresh creamy drink, crammed with awesomely healthy fats.

This Creamy Green Basil Smoothie has a bright flavor that doesn’t taste in the least like spinach, and is creamier than the best banana smoothie out there.

Drink the whole recipe as a full meal, or drink half as a side with your favorite protein.  Perfect for on the go – just pour into a travel mug and head out.  Taking just a few minutes to whip up this Creamy Green Basil Smoothie might become your favorite fast-breaker, at whatever time that is for you.  No fruit required.

Creamy Green Basil Smoothie

Author: Carrie Brown | Prep time:  5 mins  |  Total time:  5 mins  |  Serves: 1 – 2

What You Need

• ½ cup / 4 fl oz. heavy cream
• ½ cup / 4 fl oz. water
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• ½ medium avocado, roughly chopped
• 4 oz. / 110g English cucumber, roughly chopped
• 4 large fresh basil leaves
• 1 oz. / 30g fresh spinach
• ½ cup / 4 fl oz. ice cubes

What You Do

1. Place the cream, water, lemon juice, chopped avocado, and chopped cucumber in a blender and blend on high until very smooth.
2. Add the basil, spinach and ice cubes, and blend again until smooth.

Top Recipe Tips

• To increase fat and nutrition, swap out the water with your favorite nut milk.
• To reduce fat, swap out ¼ cup of the heavy cream with your favorite nut milk.
• If you cannot get English cucumbers, peel your cucumber before blending to avoid making your smoothie bitter.
• If you super-love basil, feel free to add an extra leaf or two!

• Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links

• More smoothie recipes
• Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
• Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
• For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks! Available in both print and digital versions.
• Check out the categories in the left side bar and the tags at the top of the post to help you find more recipes using certain ingredients or from certain categories.

Podcast Episodes

• How and Why to Measure Food
• Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?

Substitutions

• Don’t. Just buy the correct ingredients and you, too, shall have a fabulous outcome!
• You can swap out thick coconut milk (or coconut cream) for the heavy cream. The flavor will be a bit different.