Yesterday I shared my favorite green smoothie recipe but today I wanted to share my daughter’s favorite – a dairy-free Pear Kale Smoothie!

Best Kale Smoothie Recipe

To be completely honest, I was disappointed that my daughter didn’t like my favorite green smoothie recipe – it tastes like a peanut butter banana milkshake! I already knew that she loved fruit-based smoothies, but I really wanted to find a green smoothie that she’d enjoy just as much.

Getting enough vegetables into kids’ diets can be difficult even without food aversions – especially if you have a slow eater like my daughter! Even foods that she likes can take sooo long for her to eat, so smoothies aren’t just about sneaking in vegetables for us – it’s about making them quicker for her to consume.

I often will make her a smoothie in the mornings since she is such a slow eater – it’s easier to take a smoothie on the go than scrambled eggs, and she actually has a fighting chance to finish her smoothie before drop-off time. I do sometimes make them for an afterschool snack if we’re going to have a later supper, but generally not if we’re going to have supper at 5pm because they really do fill her up!

My daycare kids love this smoothie recipe, too, so sometimes I’ll double it and split it up amongst them during snack time. It’s perfect for my picky eaters who won’t normally touch vegetables – although some of them don’t like it when I add banana to the recipe.

This smoothie recipe was the result of a lot of trial and error. During the course of experimenting with several smoothie recipes I discovered that my daughter disliked most of the smoothies with cow’s milk in them. It took her a couple of year’s to like cow’s milk at all, and there’s just something about it in a smoothie that she still doesn’t quite like so if your child is the same, you might find the almond milk is a hit! However, if your child is a fan you can definitely swap out the almond milk in this recipe for cow’s milk.

Pear was another unique addition – I find it works beautifully to balance out the kale, resulting in a sweet-tasting smoothie.

The first time I stumbled upon the kale-pear combination, I only had vanilla greek yogurt in the house and Ella loved it in this smoothie. When I tried to replicate it with plain yogurt – she protested! Since vanilla yogurt is often sweetened, I instead opted for a half teaspoon of vanilla extract and used half of a frozen banana to add in some natural sweetness and a thicker texture. (If your making this for your kids, try it with and without banana to see what they prefer.) This has the added benefit of making this smoothie dairy-free, if that’s a dietary need your child has.

Vanilla can be quite overpowering and it does take on a strong flavor profile in this recipe so make sure you measure it out to avoid over-pouring.

Kale Smoothie Benefits

Beyond getting 4 servings of fruit and vegetables and 2 servings of protein into your child’s day, this kale smoothie recipe also has a few other benefits:

• kale contains 2.5g of fibre per cup, so this kale smoothie recipe delivers a whopping 5g of fibre
• kale is a sneaky source of protein with 3g per cup – along with the almond butter and almond milk you’re getting 14g of protein in one smoothie
• kale is a great source of calcium, vitamin C and vitamin K, needed for strong bones, repair of body tissue, absorption of iron, and regulating blood calcium levels
• kale is also a great source of antioxidants which aid the body in removing toxins

Check out our quick recipe video for how to make your own kale pear smoothie, and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable recipe card:

Kale Smoothie Ingredients

• Kale
• Milk of choice <– we used almond milk
• Pear, chopped
• Banana, frozen
• Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
• Vanilla Extract <– can use Vanilla Bean Paste

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: adjust all ingredients as desired. 

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Smoothie-style blender

How to Make a Kale Pear Smoothie

Combine all ingredients in a smoothie-style blender (or a high-powered blender).

Puree until smooth. Add additional milk to thin out.

Pin this easy Green Smoothie recipe:

Grab your free printable recipe card for our easy Kid’s Green Smoothie recipe:

This easy Kale Pear Green Smoothie recipe is a favorite in our house and I hope it helps you get your kids excited to eat their greens!

For more delicious smoothie recipes, check out our peanut butter green smoothie recipe or our Peach Pie Smoothie Bowl recipe.

Check out our other Breakfast Recipes here:

Check out our other Vegetable Recipes here: