Lemon Smoothie
Hello, sunshine in a glass! This refreshing lemon smoothie is packed with protein, fiber and healthy fat to give you the boost of energy you need to start the day. Plus it’s got one of my all-time favorite veggies to sneak into smoothies (it makes it extra thick & creamy without affecting the taste at all)! Highly recommend adding this quick & easy recipe to your breakfast rotation asap!
about this lemon smoothie recipe
I don’t know about you, but I love starting my day with a healthy smoothie recipe!
They make a super quick breakfast and are a great way to fit extra healthy fats, fiber, protein and veggies into my day.
It’s been an easy, happy habit to stack into my routine and I genuinely look forward to blending one up every morning – so I’m always looking to try new flavor combinations to keep that habit feeling fun and interesting.
And this light, tangy, and refreshing lemon smoothie is one of my newest obsessions!
It’s made with simple ingredients like lemon juice & lemon zest, traditional (or vegan) yogurt and a bit of turmeric for a deliciously energizing taste.
Plus it features one of my go-to veggies that blends in seamlessly with almost any smoothie – it makes this one extra thick & creamy but I promise it doesn’t affect the taste one bit.
process & tips
All you need to do is add all your ingredients to a blender and let it work it’s magic.
Before you know it you’ll be sipping on a delicious, nutrient dense smoothie!
The powerhouse combination of fiber, fat and protein in this smoothie makes it more filling and satiating than a smoothie that’s only fruit-based.
Plant-powered fiber comes in the form of the frozen cauliflower rice (that’s the secret veggie I was telling you about!).
Healthy fat comes in the form of Greek yogurt and your milk of choice.
And the protein can be found in the yogurt as well as the protein powder.
adding cauliflower to smoothies
Don’t be afraid of the frozen cauliflower rice!
If you’ve never used it before it might sound like a strange ingredient.
But trust me, it adds a nice creaminess without adding extra banana flavor and is a great low-sugar substitute.
It also adds some plant-based fiber (without adding any cauliflower flavor) to the final smoothie!
how to make a lemon smoothie bowl
You can also turn this recipe into a smoothie bowl by making the smoothie thicker using only 3/4 cup milk.
Also, make sure to use as many frozen ingredients (like frozen cauliflower) to help you get that thick consistency.
Once blended, pour into a bowl and add your choice of smoothie bowl toppings.
Some fun topping ideas would be nuts, seeds, sliced fresh fruit, granola, honey, cacao nibs and a drizzle of almond butter.
ingredients & modifications
Lemon juice and zest: The lemon adds some nice tartness and refreshing, bright flavor to this smoothie. Since it’s the namesake of this recipe, and the star ingredient, I also include the lemon zest to really punch up the lemony flavor.
Unsweetened Greek yogurt: A plant-based Greek yogurt can be used in place of traditional Greek yogurt for a dairy-free option, however it will decrease the total amount of protein in this recipe.
Turmeric powder: The turmeric powder adds a natural yellow color to this smoothie, plus a boost of anti-inflammatory power, but you can skip it if you prefer to not use it.
Frozen riced cauliflower: Riced cauliflower is one of the most underrated & easy ways to add a boost of veggies to your smoothies. The smaller riced size makes it easier to blend. Look for riced cauliflower in the fresh or frozen section of your store.
Unsweetened milk of choice: I often use almond milk when making this smoothie at home, but any milk will work great in this recipe. If you like a thinner consistency in your smoothies, add more milk.
Vanilla protein powder: You can use any protein powder you like the taste of. To keep this recipe paleo friendly, be sure to use a grain-free and dairy-free protein powder.
Maple syrup: The maple syrup adds a nice bit of sweetness that balances out the natural tartness of the lemon juice. You could also use another sweetener like honey or 2 pitted Medjool dates in its place. But if you prefer a lower sugar smoothie, feel free to omit it entirely.
Pure vanilla extract: Together with the maple syrup the vanilla extract helps give that extra dessert type of feeling to this sweet breakfast recipe.
Tip: If using fresh cauliflower rice in place of frozen, be sure to add extra ice to the blender for better texture.
this recipe is…
Gluten FreeNut FreePaleoVegetarian
more easy smoothie recipes
Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
Lemon Smoothie
Ingredients
- zest and juice from 1 lemon
- ½ cup unsweetened Greek yogurt, traditional or plant-based
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1 cup unsweetened milk of choice
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender. Blend on high until well combined.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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This is delicious. I didn’t make it exactly as the recipe called for because of food sensitivities. But it was so tasty and delicious.
Ellen, wonderful, so glad you enjoyed and that you were able to adapt it for your dietary needs. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
How can I make it more fat?
You’ll get some fat from using whole milk yogurt, but if you’d like to boost the fat even more you can add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil or MCV oil. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! Sorry if I missed it. Is the 104 calories for one serving? I assume the recipe makes 1 serving?
This recipe makes 2 small servings, so the nutrition information is for 1 of those servings. So if you have the whole thing, times the nutrition information by 2. As always, the nutrition information with differ drastically depending on the specific ingredients you use (including calories in the yogurt, milk, and protein powder) so if specific numbers are important to you, we always recommend using an online nutrition calculator and plugging in your specific ingredients.
Instead of riced cauliflower, I’m thinking oats or avocado would be a good substitution?
Yes, we’ve heard from other readers that avocado works well as a sub! I haven’t tried oats, but I imagine that would also create a creamy texture, you’d just need to add some ice in that case. Hope you enjoy!
I haven’t made it as yet , but, can I switch out the Cauliflower for something else
Hi Gemma, sure, the riced cauliflower adds creaminess and body to the smoothie (and doesn’t make the smoothie taste like cauliflower!) but you can skip it and add ice or use a frozen banana instead. If you use a banana the smoothie will taste more like banana than lemon, but it will have that smooth creamy consistency. Hope you enjoy!
Where do you buy frozen cauliflower rice or what can you use as a substitute?
Look for frozen riced cauliflower with the frozen veggies at your local grocery store. You can also sub ice (it will be less creamy, but still tasty), or frozen banana (will taste more like a lemon banana smoothie). Hope you enjoy!
Avocado is a great keto ingredient if you want to replace the cauliflower.
Oh, I haven’t tried it with avocado, thanks for sharing!
Delicious recipe! I used ice instead of riced cauliflower. Costco sells a big bag of frozen riced cauliflower. Not sure if it’s safe to use frozen riced cauliflower in a smoothie…?… wondering if it has to be cooked/microwaved for safety purposes? Which, of course, wouldn’t want to use cooked riced cauliflower in a smoothie. Any thoughts?
Hi Todd, frozen cauliflower rice is typically balanced (par-cooked via steam) and then frozen and is safe to eat. If you’re going to eat it as as side dish, it definitely tastes better if you cook it, but for this recipe it adds a creamy texture without tasting like cauliflower. If you’re unsure and want to try it without committing to a Costco sized bag, you can look for a smaller bag in the freezer section of your grocery store, or skip it and use ice like you did or a frozen banana.
Enjoyed seeing all the different recipes. Can’t wait to make them. Thankyou.
Yay, so happy to hear you’re enjoying all our smoothie recipe options. Cheers!
Good morning; I follow a low carb lifestyle and this was wonderful. I omitted the maple syrup; added some stevia for the extra sweetness which I will not add next time. The protein powder gives it enough sweetness. I might add some ice next time even thought I used frozen cauliflower rice. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed and good to know the protein powder provided enough sweetness for you. Also, great note on the ice! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
My husband is Greek and therefore LOVES lemon so I was excited to try this recipe! I swapped the maple syrup for a generous 3 tablespoons of honey (for that Greek honey lemon flavor), and then because I didn’t have cauliflower or protein powder I added used 1 cup of frozen spinach and a little under 1/4 cup of whole oats. It was green but still lemony and fantastic! Maybe in the future I’ll add more turmeric. The recipe made 2 cups of smoothie.
Hannah, I love your Greek-inspired adaptations to this one. Thanks so much for sharing and for leaving a review!
Great way to eat veggies in the morning. Loved the lemon taste, very refreshing.
Thanks for the recipe!
Oh yay, so happy you enjoyed this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!
Delicious! Refreshing and balanced, a wonderful start to my day!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Sarah! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
I liked the gentle lemon taste. Good idea to use the cauliflower. I’ll certainly do this again.
Wonderful, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
This is truly fantastic. I never would have thought of using riced cauliflower in a smoothie, but from now on it will be a staple. You really cannot taste it at all. What a great way to get a full cup of a very healthy sulfurous veggie into the day!
I did want a stronger lemon profile, so after tasting it as is I added almost a full teaspoon of lemon extract and had a total of four tablespoons of fresh juice and 1 teaspoon of zest.
I am avoiding all sugars, so instead of maple syrup I added 1 tablespoon of Swerve. I had to add another one for decent sweetness (total of two T). I also had one scoop of plain whey protein and 1 small scoop of vanilla collagen protein. I threw four ice cubes into it. On my Vitamix this turned into a pourable, lovely, silky concoction.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, especially the benefits of the “hidden” veggie cauliflower! I love all the modifications you made to make this one work for you. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Just made this LEMON Smoothie for the first time… why did I leave it so long before trying this.. its absolutely amazing, lovely texture, really refreshing and tastes great.
I will definitely be making this on a regular basis..
Debbie, yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, thanks so much for leaving a review!
Hi! My question is won’t the lemon juice curdle the milk? I’m actually looking to blend a whole lemon with my pre-made vanilla protein shakes from gnc. But everything I’ve read says the lemon will make it curdle. Thoughts?
Hi Morgan, I haven’t tested this recipe with blending a whole lemon with vanilla protein shake so I can’t say if that will work for you. If you follow this recipe as written and blend it in a blender you should be fine — no curdling!