One of the most requested flavors I get from AK readers for my recipes? LEMON. That’s right, AK readers literally go wild when I publish new lemon recipes. Cookies, breads, bars, you name it, I’ve made it for you. If you’re one of them, get all of my lemon recipes here!
I’m bringing back today’s beautiful smoothie recipe for all of you lemon lovers out there: this is my famous lemon blueberry smoothie.
I sort of experimented with this one because I wasn’t sure how tart the fresh lemon juice and zest would make the smoothie. The result was a refreshing, perfectly sweet and deliciously tart smoothie that reminds me of candy.
Also, can we just admire that beautiful color?! *heart eyes*
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Five ingredient lemon blueberry smoothie heaven
That’s right, this delicious lemon blueberry smoothie recipe is made with just five simple ingredients! It also just so happens to be dairy free, vegan and perfect for adding your favorite mix-ins. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Frozen blueberries: that beautiful color comes from delicious frozen blueberries! You can also use a frozen variety of mixed berries and keep the similar flavor.
- Frozen banana: a lot of the natural sweetness in this smoothie comes from frozen banana.
- Lemon: we’re using both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for that wonderful tartness.
- Almond extract: trust me when I say the almond extract takes the flavor to the next level.
Can I make it without banana?
We get a lot of questions about making smoothies without banana, and while this lemon blueberry smoothie does taste the best when you use a ripe banana, you could try blending in 2-3 large Medjool dates that have been soaked and softened. Let me know if you try it!
Is this lemon blueberry smoothie sour?
It might sound strange to be adding fresh lemon juice and zest to a smoothie, but trust me when I say the blueberries and banana add the perfect amount of sweetness to balance out the tartness. It has a lovely refreshing flavor without being overpowering! Plus, it tastes like candy. YUM.
Add a boost of nutrition
This blueberry lemon smoothie is a great base for adding in your favorite nutrition boosters. Here’s what I can recommend:
- Flaxseed meal: this is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies for a little boost of fiber and minerals, and is especially great for nursing mamas as flaxseed can help increase milk supply. Usually, a tablespoon is plenty! Here’s a brand I love.
- Chia seeds: feel free to add a tablespoon of chia seeds to your lemon blueberry smoothie for a boost of healthy fats and fiber.
- Hemp seeds: feel free to throw a tablespoon of hemp seeds into your smoothie for a boost of healthy fats, omegas and minerals.
- Veggies: if you’re looking to get more greens in your smoothie, try adding a cup or two of raw or cooked spinach or kale. You could also try adding some frozen cauliflower for another boost of veggies — you’ll never be able to taste it!
- Protein: Easily add more protein to a smoothie by adding 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. I recommend Vital Protein collagen peptides or Four Sigmatic Plant-Based Protein Powder.
Tips for making the perfect lemon blueberry smoothie
I have a few tips and tricks for making smoothies super creamy, cold and delicious:
- Use frozen ingredients. Using frozen fruit & veggies is best as it they help keep the smoothie cold and thick. Sometimes ice doesn’t blend as well, so it’s best to skip unless absolutely necessary.
- Add more liquid. Don’t be afraid to add more liquid if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend. High powered blenders tend to blend frozen fruit much better, so if you have a regular or personal size blender, you may need to add more milk.
- Start on low speed. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally, end with the blender on low speed.
- Sweeten it up. If a smoothie doesn’t taste sweet enough for your liking, you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of honey, pure maple syrup or another pitted Medjool date, but you likely won’t need it with this recipe.
- Use your fav milk. Feel free to use any milk you’d like in smoothie recipes according to your preferences. Almond milk tends to have a neutral taste in smoothies, coconut milk will add a more tropical and creamy flavor, and regular milk will add a boost of protein.
Prep this lemon blueberry smoothie ahead of time
Looking to meal prep this lemon blueberry smoothie? You can! Make it as-is or even double it and then try one of my three amazing ways to prep and store smoothies right in your freezer.
Recommended tools
- Lemon juicer
- Lemon zester
- High powered blender
- Reusable straws
- Mason jars
- Ice cube trays
- Freezer-friendly bags
Check out more of our favorite go-to kitchen essentials here.
More smoothie recipes to try
- Immune Boosting Wellness Smoothie
- Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
- Almond Cherry Smoothie (my favorite smoothie ever!)
- Coconut Chocolate Zucchini Smoothie (with sneaky veggies)
- Vitamin C Packed Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie
Get all of our amazing smoothie recipes here, and don’t forget to sign up for our 7-Day Smoothie Challenge!
I hope you love this delicious lemon blueberry smoothie recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Lemon Blueberry Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen blueberries (or mixed berries)
- 1 frozen ripe banana
- 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup dairy free milk of choice, plus more to thin if necessary
Instructions
- In a large high-powered blender, add in all ingredients and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are well combined. If necessary, add in more almond milk to thin the smoothie. Makes 1 smoothie. Garnish with lemon zest and more blueberries and granola.
Recipe Notes
2 cups spinach
1 scoop protein powder of choice (we love Vital Proteins)
1 tablespoon chia seeds Meal prep this smoothie: make it as-is or even double it and then try one of my three amazing ways to prep and store smoothies right in your freezer.
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on April 23rd, 2021, and republished on March 25th, 2022.
55 comments
Holy crap 😍 can’t wait to try this. So ready for smoothie season.
Yes!! Hope you love it!
Hi Monique – where does the frozen cauliflower and medjool date come in?
Hi! These are just optional add-ins if you’re looking for a boost of veggies or a different sweetener other than banana 🙂
This is delicious!! I added some kale and chia and topped with your superwoman nut + seed granola. Thank you for another great recipe!
Perfect! Love that 🙂
My teen son ate all of our frozen blueberries so I substituted frozen dark cherries and this was delicious. I love the addition of the lemon and almond extract. We’ll definitely try it again with blueberries.
That sounds amazing! Glad it was a hit 🙂
Nice little quick, maybe midday treat. Note I most always add flax/chia mix (4tbs flax seed, 4tbs chia seed. Mix together in about 12 oz filtered water. Let stand and mix until thick consistency). Keep in refrigerator, and add heaping spoonful of mix to most all smoothies. About 2 weeks of spoonfuls.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Super delicious! I made it this morning to switch out my regular green smoothie. It is definitely sweet and I think I would prefer it as a snack > breakfast, but nonetheless still delicious! I added a scoop of greek yogurt to get extra protein in and the smoothie was still a great consistency. Will definitely be making it again!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Amazing! Tastes like a starburst!
Doesn’t it?? Glad you loved it!
These look so tasty!!! Also, where did you get those amazing cups??
It’s delicious!! They belong to my photographer 🙂
Looking forward to having this. It shouldn’t be hard to make and probably tastes great.
It does! Hope you like it!
Is this smoothie ‘clean’? I am new to clean eating and not sure how to distinguish whether a recipe is considered clean or not. Thank you!
Hi Jen! “Clean” can mean so many different things – it just depends on what your personal nutrition needs are.
It was quite easy to make, and very tasty. I found though, after a while it starts to thicken, and you have to keep stirring to enjoy.
Glad you enjoyed! And that’s typical of many smoothies – feel free to just give it a quick stir 🙂
This is the most heavenly smoothie I’ve ever tasted!
So glad you enjoyed!
I have made this a few times now, and it is so delicious! I swapped out the blueberries for raspberries today and it was next-level tasty.
Love that! Glad you enjoyed!
Oh my goodness, this is amazing! I love it and my kids keep asking for it day after day. It is light, refreshing, and packed with good stuff! LOVE
So happy to hear that!!
Lemon zest with fresh squeezed lemon is a game changer!! Such a refreshing smoothie! I added some flax seed and protein powder to give it an extra boost. Thank you for another killer recipe.
Absolutely! Glad you loved this one!
This is so incredibly delicious…I made it yesterday for the first time and had to make it again today. It’s sweet and sour and perfect for a yummy, healthy snack!
So happy to hear that! One of my new favs, too 🙂
ohh my god its look amazing i have to try this thanks for this recipe
Can’t wait for you to try it!!
Loved! Added a handful of spinach, 1 T each of ground flaxseed and chia, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. So good! I would guess that the vanilla protein powder toned down the tang from the lemon, but still a yummy balance of the blueberries and lemon. Great for summer!! Also, no green from the spinach 🙂
Great additions! So happy you enjoyed it!
It is boiling hot in Southern CA, and this smoothie has been the perfect breakfast all week! So light and refreshing! I found that I needed to add a little honey to sweeten it, but I used small bananas so that may be why. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear! Good idea to sweeten to your liking 🙂 Hope things cool down soon over there!
Absolutely delicious smoothie, so refreshing for a hot summer’s day!
Right?! Love the summery flavors in here. Glad you’re enjoying it!
Been making these all summer!! My husband tried it and said, “YOU CAN SELL THESE!!” LOL
This looks amazing! Can I use almond butter instead of almond extract? Or would that not have a nice flavour? Would it impact texture?
Thank you!
Sure, you definitely can use almond butter! It’ll add some extra protein, too 🙂
This recipe is delicious! It tastes like blueberry lemon loaf in a smoothie. I added some vanilla whey protein powder and cauliflower for extra nutrition and to make it a meal.
Right?! Love those flavors! And those are awesome additions, happy you enjoyed it 🙂
A delicious recipe! Tastes like spring. I added collagen powder as an extra boost
I didn’t have blueberries so I made this today with frozen strawberries and added vanilla protein powder for my post-workout shake. I always add riced cauliflower for texture and sneaky veggies! I had to add more lemon juice to balance out the sweetness of my protein powder, and I threw in some chia seeds too. Delicious, as usual! Like a strawberry lemonade smoothie!
Haha that sounds just like my Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie!! Love those additions. Happy you enjoyed it!
I found I had to add another 1/2 c of oat milk to my smoothie to get it to blend well. Added more lemon juice so that I still got the lemon/blueberry combo flavor I was looking for. Also added collagen peptides for a little extra boost. Still delicious!
Totally fine to add extra liquid — blenders can be stubborn sometimes! So happy you loved it 🙂
This immediately became my favorite smoothie. So delicious it tasted like a treat, but still healthy and low cal to stick to my diet. I add collagen to get that boost each day, and occasionally some moringa powder for energy. I’ve made several times, and will keep in the rotation in the future!
This was very tasty. I used lemon extract instead of lemon peel because my peel was all bruised up (from my lemon tree). I use chia, hemp, spinach, and whey protein also.
I am so glad you enjoyed this smoothie and it turned out great for you 🙂
Where did you get these glasses?
Hi – they belong to our photographer so I am not sure. So sorry