A zippy Carrot Apple Smoothie with a touch of ginger and lemon for extra zing. This easy vegan recipe takes just a few minutes to whip up in your blender and will load you up with antioxidants and healthy plant-based fiber and protein.
Folks, can we talk about juice?
I'm straight up not into juice. Sure I'll have a splash now and then to flavour my water, but I'm not a drinker of juice and I'm certainly not a juicer. I know that there are plenty of benefits to a veggie-loaded juice, where you'll get loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in a little glass of juice, which is just great.
Buuuuuuuut, friends, have you ever cleaned out the inside of a juicer? I have, during a short stint working in an ill-fated juice bar and hippy shop 20-ish years ago, and, you guys, you throw away So. Much. Fiber.
Fiber is the cleaning crew for our digestive tracts. It keeps us regular, it helps keep our blood sugar in check, and it helps lower our blood cholesterol levels. Throwing that away? It makes me sad.
While I appreciate that juice can be dang tasty and it does have its benefits (we're talking veggie juice here, not fruit juice) I'm firmly on team smoothie. But! We can agree to disagree!
There's a middle ground, and that is the magic that I like to refer to as blended juice, or a veggie-forward non-creamy water-blended smoothie, like this Carrot Apple Smoothie with Ginger and Lemon.
Here's what we've got going on in this Carrot Apple Smoothie:
- Carrots! Can't make a carrot smoothie without carrots!
- Apples! Ditto for apples.
- Ginger - I like a big old chunk, but you do you.
- Lemon - this totally depends on your pucker factor, but a half to a whole lemon will do.
- Hemp seeds - because I gotta sneak some protein in there
- Ice cubes - to make it blend up nice and smooth
- Water - just because, okay?
How do you make this carrot apple smoothie?
Guys, are you ready for this?
Step 1: Put the stuff into your blender
Step 2: Blend it.
You're done!
I don't think my blender will blend whole carrots / apples.
Listen, I don't have a super fancy blender (I have this one, though I would looooooove to upgrade to this one!) and mine does just fine with the apples and carrots.
But if you're worried that your blender is on the flimsy side, I recommend chopping or grating the carrots and apple before they go in, then it'll blend up no problem.
I prefer a creamier smoothie.
Feel free to use a non-dairy milk in place of the water!
Do I have to include hemp seeds?
Nope, they're totally optional. But the smoothie won't have nearly as much protein without them.
Can I make this smoothie in advance?
I recommend you drink this one pretty much immediately, but if you do want to store it in the fridge for a day or so, give it a good shake or mix before drinking.
Hey Nutrition Lady, what's the deal with ginger?
What isn't the deal with ginger, friends? Ginger is a concentrated source of active ingredients, and you don't need to consume very much to reap all of the great benefits.
To start with, ginger can be very effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. It can help with the elimination of gas, but also helps to relax and sooth the intestinal tract.
It has antioxidant effects, can inhibit inflammatory compounds, and can also have direct anti-inflammatory effects.
Ginger is very effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness, and has been found to be safe and effective in the treatment of morning sickness during pregnancy.
Ginger extracts have also been shown to have anti-tumor effects on cells. Gingerols, the main active components in ginger, powerful antioxidants, and the compounds responsible for its distinctive flavour, may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells.
In addition to it's immune boosting powers, ginger can help promote healthy sweating, which can be helpful during colds and flus. Go ginger!
Other tasty smoothies you might enjoy:
Mango Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
Chocolate Black Bean Smoothie
Berry Fennel Smoothie
Cucumber Mint Slushie
Date Almond Smoothie
Chia Fresca
Carrot Apple Smoothie with Ginger
Ingredients
- 2 medium carrots scrubbed and peeled if desired, cut into chunks
- 1 large apple cored and sliced into quarters
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger A chunk about the size of your thumb
- ½ - 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoon hemp seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 - 1 ½ cups cold water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the jar of a blender with one cup water.
- Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Add more water to thin smoothie if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally published September, 2014. It was retested, rephotographed, and updated on September 25, 2018.
Janette Purdham
I've made this a few times now and love it but do make with variations. I really like it with pear instead of apple, but good with both. Way more creamy with oat milk added and my favourite but each variation works so good depending on what you're feeling like/how filling you need it to be.
Thanks for the recipe as previously I only ever made berry smoothies
Emily
This really hit the spot! I love how the hemp seeds make the smoothie a little creamy without needing to add milk. I did use half of a very large apple and only one carrot and it made plenty for me. I also subbed in frozen strawberries when I ran out of apples and that worked too (although your original version is the best)!
Melissa m.
This smoothie is incredible!! Yum yum yum! I didn’t have ice cubes or cold water, so I used frozen raspberries and cold guava juice. More fibre, but also more sugar... will be better prepared next time!!
joanna
Hi Katy, Where do all the calories come from - it looks like a pretty low calorie recipe to me - where are they all hidden. I
Katie Trant
Hi Joanna, the hemp seeds add quite a few calories to this smoothie, along with healthy fat and protein. If you leave them out you'll get a much lighter smoothie in the calorie sense, but one not nearly as satiating.
Maki
This sounds delicious 🙂
Would flax be an appropriate substitute? I don't have hemp but a Bulk Barn just opened nearby so I can be convinced to go buy some.
I have a Cuisinart single serve smoothie maker. It comes w/ 3 smoothie cups w/ lids & a small blender attachment. I use the single-serve cups so I don't have extra items to wash.
My usual smoothie is vegetarian/plant-based protein powder, greens superfood powder (helps w/ anxiety), inositol powder (helps w/ anxiety also), frozen berries/non-citrus fruit & water. If I get sick w/ the flu or cold, I double the greens powder & I notice that my symptoms go away for several hours.
Michelle
Excited to try this smoothie! It looks you used hemp hearts in the photo and not flax. Can you confirm?
Katie Trant
Haha, yep. I guess I've had the wrong seeds in the recipe for almost 2 years now. Whoops! Thanks for catching that 🙂
Jade
Can i replace hrmp seeds with chia? Would it be the same?
Katie Trant
You certainly can! It won't be exactly the same - because chia and hemp are not the same - but I think the end result will still be good. There aren't enough seeds in this smoothie for a swap to drastically alter the results. If you try it, let us know how it turns out with chia!
Layla
I'm having this smoothie right now!!! Wow!!! So good. The may sound silly, but how about milk in it??
Katie Trant
It's your smoothie, go for it!
Isra
Just tried this and the proportions make a LOT more than one serving, this made around 6 glasses. I accidentally added too much ginger so it just had a really bad taste. Couldn't even taste the cinnamon. I suggest cutting down the ingredients by at least two and adding lots of water to be able to get it down. Unfortunately, this was one of those things that are super healthy but just won't taste good enough to get you to put down something as good as fries. for example. So if you're looking to make healthy recipes that taste good like I was, this isn't one to try.
Katie Trant
I guess I like a lot of smoothie! I hope you'll try it again without the extra ginger you accidentally added - a little ginger goes a long way!
sera
Just tried this smoothie and found it to be incredibly sour from the lemon. I cant taste anything but lemon. I tried adding in yogurt and honey but now I can only taste honey and lemon. Not a fan. P.S Didnt add in the flax seeds , dont know if that makes a difference?
Katie Trant
The flax seeds shouldn't make a difference... maybe your lemon was a lot bigger than mine!
Grham
Just tried the smoothie. It tastes great !
Katie Trant
Glad you enjoyed it!
Chantelle
Hey, this smoothie looks a zillion times better than the juice version! Definitely would be a great way to get the blood flowing on these cold winter mornings 🙂
Katie Trant
I love the smoothie version, or think of it as like a blended juice if you will. Definitely good for the body on these winter mornings!
Monika
Mmmm this smoothie sounds very interesting and healthy, I will make sure to try it soon! Love the bright yellow color as well!
Katie Trant
It's a great colour and an even better flavour!
Trang
You visited my blog this morning and then I saw this recipe when I was going through the Tastespotting submission queue, I thought it looked familiar! he he ... It's up on the front page now 🙂
Katie Trant
Oh wow, are you tasked with the arduous job of going through the submission queue? You must look at so many photos! Thanks for letting me know the photo is up 🙂
Julia
YES, PUH-lease!!! I absolutely love ginger smoothies, and the apple/carrot combo is such a winning favorite. This is definitely the perfect cold remedy - I'm amazed at how well food can heal the mind, body and soul! Now I'm inspired to do some preventative maintenance and ward off any looming colds with this smoothie! xo
Katie Trant
You're right, food is amazing for it's ability to heal. We lost sight of that for a while, but it's good that we're shifting back to that perspective. Ginger for the win!
Kathleen@hapanom
I have a smoothie nearly every morning, so I always love a great new recipe! This sounds super delicious! I can't wait to try!
Katie Trant
I hope you try it! Let me know how it goes for you 🙂
Jenny @ BAKE
I had never thought of adding carrots to a smoothie (I'm team smoothie too!) I am so excited at the idea of recreating some of my favourite juices in smoothie form. This one in particular is sure to send any seasonal colds I am bound to pick up packing!
Katie Trant
Yeah team smoothie! Depending on your blender, carrots are great in smoothies. But like I said, if you don't have a powerful blender just grate them first.
Tina JUi
Yum! I love starting the morning with juices and smoothies! I usually do carrot-orange-ginger, but I'll give the carrot-apple-ginger a try next time 🙂
Katie Trant
Carrot orange ginger sounds great too! I often do a strawberry-orange-cucumber-spinach smoothie with hemp seeds as well. It's sooooo good!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I usually tend to start my mornings with a fresh juice or smoothie so this recipe is perfect for me. You can never go wrong with a classic carrot, apple and ginger combination. Thanks for the great recipe!
Katie Trant
I start most mornings with a smoothie as well. Usually a green one, but it's nice to mix things up from time to time, and yes, that carrot-apple-ginger combo is just so good!
Deena kakaya
Wow, go ginger indeed! Fortunately it tastes good too, I enjoy the warmth it fuels in the cooler weather. My mum makes a tonic with whole spices, millet flour, jaggery and ginger to fight a cold but I'm not so much a fan of millet flour. I will be trying your portable and sunny coloured juice out, particularly as I like the balance with a carrot and apple- lovely pairing x
Katie Trant
Millet flour in a drink? I'm not sure I'd be fond of that either. I've used it in baking before, but it isn't something I rushed back to. And yes, isn't ginger lovely? It's always nice to find something that's nutritious AND delicious!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors
Whoa your blender is a beast!!! This combination would surely help me feel better! I may throw something similar in the blender soon to help me recover from this run! Thanks for sharing!
Katie Trant
It is a beast indeed. I'm sometimes envious of the power behind a Vitamix (or similar) but mine was a birthday gift from the husband and he was so proud of it I didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't exactly what I wanted. But, I've been pleasantly surprised at what it can handle. Like I said, grating the apple and carrots is an option too if your blender isn't a beast!