Avocado Green Smoothie Recipe With A Twist

Are you looking for a smoothie that's delicious, filling, and happens to be chock-full of healthy ingredients? Be excited, because you can check off all three of those boxes with this avocado green smoothie with a twist. This breakfast, small meal, or snack can be enjoyed any time of day and is also such a visually impressive treat. This nutritious smoothie that actually looks more like a dessert will please your eyes even before it satisfies your taste buds, so you can check off another box. And the best part of all is you only need a few minutes to whip this up.

The twist in this smoothie recipe is the two-toned presentation, and there's nothing complicated in the prep process or all that unexpected in the recipe. This colorful, tasty smoothie contains highly nutritious ingredients, with the only exception being the sweetener, which is maple syrup. But since maple syrup isn't a refined sugar, it's a better choice. And want to add some more health on the top, literally? "The garnish is actually hemp seeds," says chef and recipe developer Maren Epstein of Eating Works. "It's an optional garnish in the recipe [but] the hemp seeds add an extra nutritional boost and some crunch."

Just plan to enjoy or serve this delightful smoothie immediately after its prepared — given the differing chill temperatures of the two layers, and the avocado won't keep for long. But that's really no problem, as with one taste, you'll finish this yummy smoothie up fast.

One single smoothie serving is actually a generous serving, as it's nearly a meal replacement beverage. The ingredients you'll need to create this avocado green smoothie with a twist call for a small avocado, frozen mango, maple syrup, flax milk, Greek Yogurt, raw beets, and hemp seeds as an optional garnish.

There is a bit of flexibility here, for the record. "You can use any type of liquid sweetener in place of the maple syrup," says Epstein, adding, "Honey or agave nectar would work. [And] you can use regular milk. I wanted to keep this recipe plant-based so I chose to use [flax]. But regular [milk] will work just fine." So fine-tune this recipe to satisfy your own personal preferences, or even switch it up next time you make it if you happen to like several of the suggestions. Try honey or agave the next time you whip this up.

Okay, it's time to get started with the recipe. In a high-speed blender, combine the avocado, mango, maple syrup, flax milk, and Greek yogurt. Process these ingredients until they are fully blended into a smooth, combined mixture. Now pour half of the smoothie from the blender and into a clear glass, and ideally a thick, sturdy one that won't risk cracking in the freezer.

Place the glass with this green portion of smoothie in the freezer, and plan to leave it there for 10 minutes. Be sure to keep the glass there for this amount of time and not for much longer, as you don't want the contents to freeze solid. If it will fit, pop the blender carafe in the fridge while you're at it.

The next step in the process is to add the beet to the blender, along with a few ice cubes. (Note that half of the mixture you blended will still be in there.) Then, run the blender until the beets are fully combined and the mixture is a lovely deep shade of crimson. 

Now, you will grab the glass from the freezer, and gently pour in the rest of the smoothie, the portion with the beets, into the glass. Be careful not to blend the colors as you pour, because you want it to look as amazing as it tastes. Then, you can garnish the top of the smoothie with hemp seeds, if desired.

Guess what? You're done putting together your avocado green smoothie with a twist. Now, it's time to enjoy. Once you do, we're pretty sure this will be a favorite. It's quick to make, healthy to drink, and an awesome treat to take on-the-go if you're in a hurry — just be sure to snap a picture before you mess up the presentation and pour it into your to-go cup.

There's a lot of nutritional excellence going on in this smoothie. According to Healthline, just one serving of avocado delivers solid amounts of vitamin K, C, B5, B6, and E, it packs in potassium, and there's lots of "heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids." Not to mention, avocados are really yummy and add a great flavor.

As for the beets, Healthline reports that they're high in manganese and folate, they can help lower blood pressure, and they can lessen inflammation in the body. Greek yogurt provides an amazing source of protein as well as calcium. The hemp seeds also pack in iron, zinc, and other needed minerals, so if you like them, they really are a great garnish choice.

Now as far as the maple syrup is concerned? Yeah, that's just sugar. Oh well.