Green Tea Berry Smoothies for Immunity & Digestive Health

Antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics – these dairy-free green tea berry smoothies have it all. They’re loaded with naturally sweet fruit, spiked with tummy-taming ginger and dairy-free yogurt, and thinned with cool green tea. Each cool sip is simply brimming with nutrition.

Dairy-Free Green Tea Berry Smoothies with No Added Sugars

This smoothie recipe was shared with us by the American Heart Association. They’re promoting a concept called “habit stacking.” It’s the idea that building tiny healthier practices into your daily routine can make it easier to establish good habits. They created these dairy-free green tea berry smoothies to address busy mornings or that afternoon slump, when you might be tempted to reach for sugary foods. I adapted their recipe slightly, and I’ve added health notes, tips, and options for each ingredient below.

Green Tea

The health benefits of green tea seem endless. It contains potent antioxidants that have been linked to better immunity, cancer prevention, anti inflammation, and more. Green tea also provides hydration and a hint of caffeine for energy. This recipe uses simple, inexpensive green tea bags. We usually buy them by the 100 count from Amazon. If you don’t have time to brew the tea, you can use matcha powder (a type of green tea powder) instead. It provides a deeper green hue to matcha smoothies, and has a bigger punch of antioxidants.. However, it is more expensive. If you decide to use matcha powder instead of brewed green tea, use about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons in these dairy-free green tea berry smoothies.

Berries

Also loaded with antioxidants, berries add bright sweet flavor with a minimum amount of sugar. Most grocery stores sell frozen mixed berries with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. But you can substitute frozen dark cherries, or my favorite, frozen wild blueberries. I don’t recommend using just frozen strawberries, as they tend to lack a bit in flavor.

Bananas

We often take this everyday fruit for granted, but bananas are a nutritional powerhouse. In addition to vitamins and minerals, they contain prebiotic fiber that helps feed the good probiotics in the yogurt. Since these dairy-free green tea berry smoothies don’t have any added sugar, it’s important to use very ripe bananas. The riper the bananas the more sweetness they will add. If you need banana-free smoothies, I would substitute 3/4 cup frozen mango. Frozen pineapple would also be delicious, but a little less creamy.

Yogurt

If you want to avoid added sugars, be sure to reach for an unsweetened dairy free yogurt. Several mainstream brands offer unsweetened options, including Forager Project, So Delicious, and Kite Hill. I typically buy Forager Project for for smoothies and other recipes. You only need a single serve cup for this recipe.

Ginger

This spice is best known for its digestive benefits, but it has many health attributes. Fresh ginger adds a very potent warm spice to smoothies. If the taste is too sharp for you, you can use dried ginger powder. I would start with just 1/8 teaspoon, since it’s also quite strong.

Seeds

Both flax seeds and chia seeds are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. I prefer to blend them into smoothies rather than sprinkling them on top, but it’s your choice. Chia seeds are also very high in non-dairy calcium. You can blend one tablespoon of them into this smoothie, and it will thicken the liquid even more. Hemp seed are another great source of omega 3s, but they have a more pronounced taste.

Special Diet Notes: Green Tea Berry Smoothies

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, added sugar-free, vegan, plant based, paleo, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose a dairy-free yogurt that suits your dietary needs.

adapted from the American Heart Association / Lipton

Dairy-Free Green Tea Berry Smoothies

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Green tea and berries are both loaded with antioxidants, and they have remarkably complementary flavors. Please note that the prep time does not include cooling the tea. I usually make a big batch of iced green tea ahead of time. See the post above for ingredient tips and options.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Calories: 136

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 ½ cups water
• 4 green tea bags
• 1 ½ cups ounces frozen mixed berries
• 1 medium banana broken in half and frozen
• ½ cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds or flax seeds optional

Method

 

1. Boil the water in a kettle, on the stove top, or in the microwave. Add the green tea bags and let the tea steep for 4 minutes.
2. Discard the tea bags and let the tea cool for 30 minutes.
3. Refrigerate the green tea for 2 hours or until cold
4. In your blender, process the green tea, berries, banana, and dairy-free yogurt until smooth.
5. Add the ginger and vanilla, if desired, and blend until smooth.
6. Divide the smoothie between two glasses. Sprinkle with chia seeds or ground flaxseed, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 8gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gSodium: 23mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18g

Notes

Protein Shake Option: For a heftier quick meal, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons plain or vanilla dairy-free protein powder. You can add more, but it will start to affect the texture of the smoothies. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons nut butter or seed butter to increase the creaminess, protein, and fiber in these smoothies.

Green Smoothie Option: Toss in a handful of baby spinach leaves. They blend seamlessly into the flavor and color. In fact, the smoothie won't look or taste very "green."

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Also Try Our Dairy-Free Frozen Matcha Latte Recipe!