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    Home » Smoothies

    Creamy cashew kale smoothie with banana

    Published: Aug 29, 2022 · Modified: Mar 29, 2023 by Cadry's Kitchen
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Cashew kale banana smoothie. Hand holding green smoothie with glass straw.

    This cashew kale smoothie with banana is deliciously drinkable! It has a light, creamy texture and a beautiful matte green color.

    Packed with kale, cashews, flax or chia seeds, it’s full of phytonutrients, potassium, and protein.

    Great for breakfast, pre-workout snack, or an afternoon pick-me-up.

    Hand holding cashew kale shake with glass straw.

    You won’t believe there are four handfuls of greens in this mouthwatering kale banana smoothie.

    This smoothie was inspired by the Sweet Kale Shake at SunCafe in Studio City, California. 

    SunCafe was one of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Los Angeles.

    And their kale shake was a major draw.

    It’s a bright green shake that drinks like a dessert, not a typical green smoothie. 

    The first time I ever tried it, I was amazed.

    How could there be so much nutrient-dense kale smashed into this mouthwatering & decadent drink? 

    After I moved away from Southern California, I couldn’t bear to go without my favorite pre-workout drink that had powered me through so many Griffith Park hikes.

    So I started making it at home. 

    My version really captures the sweet mild flavors of banana, raw cashews, and a tiny dash of almond extract for cherry flavor. 

    To really complete the SunCafe experience, you can even garnish with goji berries and shredded coconut like they do.

    (Over the years, I’ve reduced the amount of banana & cashews I use. So you may notice that the amounts in the video vary slightly from what’s featured in the recipe card.)

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step by step instructions
    • Make it your own
    • More smoothies you’ll love
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this banana kale smoothie recipe.

    Labeled ingredients for kale banana smoothie.

    Bananas: Frozen banana chunks add sweetness. But best of all, they create a wonderful creamy consistency that’s almost shake-like.

    Non-dairy milk: Use any unsweetened non-dairy milk that you enjoy. Soy, cashew, oat, or almond milk will all work fine here.

    You can use plain or for extra dessert flavor, opt for vanilla flavored.

    Chia seeds or flaxseed: Chia or flax seeds lend a whippy viscosity to the smoothie. Plus, they amp up the omega 3’s and protein.

    Raw cashews: Raw cashews add so much delicious creaminess to the smoothie. They make it extra full-bodied.

    Kale: You can use any kind of kale you like. Curly kale is my favorite.

    It adds bright green color & nutrients to the smoothie. Be sure to remove the stems! 

    Almond extract: This ingredient is optional. If you’d like a touch of cherry flavor in your smoothie, add a tiny splash of almond extract.

    It’s delightful either way.

    Ice: Adding ice to the smoothie makes it freezing cold.

    The ice makes the smoothie texture even lighter. And it dissipates any lingering bitterness from the kale.

    Step by step instructions

    Here’s how to make the recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

    Ingredients for kale banana smoothie on table.

    Peel two bananas, and break them into chunks.

    Freeze the bananas in a freezer proof container. 

    Hands holding curly kale leaf in sink, removing leaf from stem.

    When you’re ready to make the smoothie, remove the kale leaves from their stems.

    Overhead blender with raw kale and other smoothie ingredients.

    Then put the following into a high speed blender.

    • Non-dairy milk
    • Chia or flaxseeds
    • Raw cashews
    • Frozen banana chunks
    • Curly kale
    • Almond extract (optional)

    Blend until completely smooth.

    If you’re using a Vitamix, you’ll want to get the tamper involved to push the greens into the blade. 

    (For tips on making this smoothie with a standard, non high-speed blender, see the notes in the recipe card and/or watch the video.)

    Blended kale banana smoothie in blender jar.

    Once the smoothie is completely smooth, add about 6 standard-sized ice cubes.

    Blend again until totally smooth.

    You’ll know it’s done when you stop hearing the sounds of ice crushing.

    Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy!

    Make it your own

    Hand holding kale smoothie over bright pink napkin.

    This kale smoothie recipe is rife with personalization opportunities! 

    Vary the kale

    Instead of curly kale, use lacinato (dinosaur) or purple kale.

    Or replace some or all of the kale with another dark leafy green like collards or spinach. 

    You can also vary the amounts.

    I use about four handfuls (or four small leaves) of kale. But you could do as little as one handful or as many as five.

    Keep in mind that if you have less bulk from veggies, you can also reduce the amount of liquid, so that the smoothie doesn’t get watery.

    Make it sweeter

    I prefer smoothies that aren’t overly sweet. And this one is just right for me.

    However, if you prefer a sweeter smoothie, add any of the following:

    • Another frozen banana in chunks
    • 1 or 2 pitted dates
    • A squeeze of a liquid sweetener like agave syrup or maple syrup
    • Use sweetened non-dairy milk

    Replace the almond extract

    If you don’t have or don’t like almond extract, omit it. Or use vanilla extract instead.

    Vary your non-dairy milk

    You can use any non-dairy milk that you enjoy like soy, almond, cashew, or oat milk.

    Or you can even replace the non-dairy milk with water. Since you’re adding cashews, it will still have plenty of creamy goodness.

    For more vanilla flavor, use vanilla vegan milk.

    You can also add more or less milk, depending on if you like your smoothie thinner or thicker.

    More smoothies you’ll love

    Hand holding light green kale banana smoothie over pink napkin.

    Keep the smoothies coming with any of these satisfying and refreshing smoothies.

    • Cherry smoothie
    • Blueberry banana smoothie
    • Peanut butter banana smoothie
    • Mango banana smoothie
    • Pumpkin smoothie
    • Sweet potato smoothie
    • Chocolate peanut butter smoothie
    Two glasses of kale banana smoothie on table with glass straws.

    📖 Recipe

    Two glasses of green smoothie on table.

    Creamy cashew kale smoothie with banana

    Author: Cadry Nelson
    5 from 4 votes
    This sweet & full-bodied green smoothie recipe is so creamy and refreshing. It was inspired by the sweet kale shake at Sun Cafe in Studio City, California. Great for breakfast, a late afternoon snack, or to drink before a long hike.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 3 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Course: Beverage
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Keyword: green smoothie, kale shake
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup non-dairy milk unsweetened, plain or vanilla
    • 2 Tablespoons chia seeds or flaxseed
    • ¼ cup raw cashews
    • 2 bananas peeled, broken into chunks, and frozen
    • â…› teaspoon almond extract optional
    • 4 small kale leaves about 4 handfuls with stems removed (Curly kale is my favorite)
    • 6 standard-sized ice cubes

    Instructions

    • Put the following into a high-speed blender: non-dairy milk, chia or flaxseeds, raw cashews, frozen banana chunks, almond extract (optional), and about 4 handfuls of raw kale.
    • Blend until smooth. (Stop to stir if necessary)
      If using a Vitamix, get the tamper involved to push all of the ingredients into the blade to blend completely.
    • Add about 6 ice cubes.
      Blend until smooth & there are no sounds of ice crushing.
    • Pour into two glasses & serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Instructions for standard blender
    If you don’t have a high speed blender, you’ll need to do some workarounds for a completely smooth drink in a standard blender. 
    1. Blend the kale with non-dairy milk on their own in the blender until totally smooth before adding other ingredients. (Stop and stir, if necessary.)
    2. Grind the raw cashews & chia or flax seeds in a clean coffee grinder until they’re the texture of flour or a smooth meal. 
    3. Add the ground cashew/chia mixture to the blender along with frozen bananas and almond extract (if using). Blend. Then add ice & continue blending until smooth.
    Optionally, you can use ground flaxseed or chia seeds. Then you won’t need to grind them before adding to a standard blender.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 933mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 7023IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 4mg

    Content, recipe, and photos updated August 29, 2022. Originally posted July 7, 2011.

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    • Hand holding smoothie in glass.
      Creamy peanut butter banana smoothie (vegan)
    • Pumpkin smoothie in glass by pumpkin, kale, and frozen bananas.
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      Chocolate peanut butter smoothie (vegan)
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    1. Ty

      June 01, 2012 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      I love this smoothie! I use almond milk and cashew butter but the flavor combo is amazing. And it’s weird how the kale actually makes it taste better than the banana and cashews on their own.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        June 04, 2012 at 8:34 am

        So happy to hear that you like it! That’s a good idea to use cashew butter for easier blending!

        Reply
    2. dkraven74

      April 18, 2012 at 5:42 pm

      looks very very interesting to make, i love kale as well. but never tried it in a smoothie. i was wondering can u make this the night before and just refrigerate it for the next morning. curious.

      Reply
      • admin

        April 19, 2012 at 11:50 am

        Sure, you could make it the night before. The viscosity might change a little bit. It may not have quite the same whippy consistency as it would fresh, but I’m sure it would still taste good. If you do it that way, let me know how it works out for you!

        Reply
    3. Earthfood Experiment (@ChandraNicole)

      February 23, 2012 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I made this again this morning for my daughter and my boyfriend. They’re in love.

      All I had was unsweetened coconut milk beverage though, so I used that then added a splash of Vanilla Extract and a tiny bit of Maple Syrup… Delicious!!

      I’m gonna have to get more bananas!

      Reply
      • Cadry's Kitchen

        February 25, 2012 at 10:34 am

        Excellent! I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Your add-ins sound very tasty! That’s the thing that’s great about smoothies – whatever adjustments you make or the ways that you variety it, it’s almost always still delicious!

        Reply
    4. Lauren

      December 18, 2011 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      I am obsessed with the Sweet Kale Shake! Because I live on the East Coast, I worked hard at recreating this amazing green smoothie so I could have one more than twice a year. I make the shake the same way you do but I also add about half a teaspoon of almond extract. It seems to be the secret ingredient! I have one for breakfast practically every morning.

      Reply
      • VallieGurl

        December 31, 2012 at 12:11 pm

        I remember smelling the almond extract the first time I had it with a friend! Glad to see it showed up in the comments. But, what about the decor on top of the original – is it hemp seeds or minced pistachio?? I’ll try and find out next time.LOL

        Reply
        • Cadry

          January 02, 2013 at 12:31 pm

          Yes, find out for me! 😀 There are definitely goji berries on top, and it looks like it might be shaved almonds. Whatever it is, that shake is downright addictive!

          Reply
          • Anonymous

            May 10, 2014 at 2:40 pm

            It’s shaved coconut and goji berries 🙂

            Reply
            • Cadry

              May 10, 2014 at 2:59 pm

              Great! Thanks for letting me know!

              Reply
    5. Sonnet

      December 16, 2011 at 9:12 am

      This has my name written all over it… I don’t have a coffee grinder so I will probably soak the cashews and then blend them in. Love it! 🙂

      Reply
    6. Suburban Snow White

      July 08, 2011 at 5:33 pm

      In the past week, actually, I’ve been putting kale in my morning smoothies and they’re delicious! A great way to get extra greens in too … I wash and cut up the kale as soon as I get back from the market and bag it. Then I can just grab a couple of handfuls each morning and throw them into my morning smoothies. Easy!

      Reply
    7. Amanda

      July 07, 2011 at 9:08 pm

      That shake looks like a creamy green dream! Slurp!

      Reply

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