This healthy vanilla mint smoothie is packed with nutritious ingredients like avocado, banana, and spinach yet tastes delicious. Get the recipe now! 

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Put down the Shamrock Shake and make this healthy vanilla mint smoothie instead

While I’ve never had an actual Shamrock Shake before, I have had plenty of mint chocolate chip ice creams and homemade shakes. 

So you can trust me when I say that this smoothie really does taste like vanilla mint chip ice cream in smoothie form. 

This vanilla mint smoothie has just the right balance of vanilla and mint

Now, there are two types of mint ice creams out there: the ones with really good vanilla ice cream that are creamy white in color with specks of chocolate and the ones with a very basic ice cream base that’s been tinted green.

Vanilla is one of my all-time favorite flavors, so clearly I’m biased towards mint chip ice creams and shakes with a strong vanilla flavor. 

I want to say that this vanilla mint smoothie with CBD is my healthier option when I’m craving that vanilla mint combo. But it’s not even like I’m settling for a healthier option.

I’ve come to crave this creamy smoothie all on its own and not just because it’s super healthy for me but because it’s so tasty. 

What you’ll need to make this vanilla mint smoothie

This vanilla mint smoothie is made with all whole ingredients and no added sugars.

However, if you need to make it a tad sweeter, keep reading for my tip for adding more natural sources of sugar. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

Frozen banana

The key to making this smoothie taste more like a milkshake is the frozen banana so do not leave it out! I find that slicing your bananas (or at least breaking them into fourths)  before freezing them makes it easier to blend. 

Avocado

It may seem odd, but trust me and just add the avocado. Not only do they contribute healthy fats, but it’s also key for making these smoothies super creamy. And don’t worry, you really won’t taste it! 

Spinach

For an extra boost of nutrition and green color, I add 1 heaping cup of spinach per 2 servings, but feel free to use less or more per personal preference. 

Oat milk

I love the nutty, slightly sweet flavor of oat milk. But you could also use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cashew milk, or organic whole cow’s milk. Both soy and coconut can be used but will likely affect the flavor. 

Peppermint extract

Make sure to use peppermint, not mint, extract. As there’s no actual mint leaves in this smoothie, this ingredient is key for getting that minty flavor. 

Vanilla extract

In addition to adding a vanilla flavor, vanilla extract also helps with sweetness. You can also use vanilla bean powder or fresh vanilla beans if you’re feeling extra fancy. 

CBD oil

I recommend using an isolate for this recipe so that you don’t get any hint of that earthy hemp taste.

However, if all you have is a broad or full spectrum product, go ahead and give it a shot. You may just need to adjust the amount of mint or vanilla extract – or add medjool dates. 

Salt

Another ingredient you don’t often see in a smoothie, I like adding the tiniest hint of salt to help balance out the sweetness. 

Like your smoothie on the sweeter side? Add 1-2 medjool dates. 

For a mint chip shake, add cocoa nibs or mini chocolate chips on top.

While cocoa nibs are dairy-free, you can also buy dairy-free mini chocolate chips. 

My go-to brand is Good for Life as they’re not only dairy-free, but free of all major allergens. 

How to add protein to green smoothie

Looking to have this as a meal replacement or post-workout drink? You can easily add some extra protein: 

• Hulled hemp hearts: 10 grams of protein per 3 tablespoons
• Whey or plant-based protein powder: 18-30 grams protein per serving depending on the brand
• Cashew butter: 3 grams protein per 1 tablespoon 

Additionally, using cow’s or soy milk instead of oat or almond will also add additional protein. 

Tips for making a green smoothie

The first time I ever made a green smoothie I was so grossed out. There were big pieces of spinach still left, the flavor was too earthy, and the texture was more watery than I’d like. 

After many years of playing around with these recipes, I’ve come up with a few essential tips for making a healthy green smoothie that’s thick, creamy, and super tasty: 

1. Use a high-powered blender.

If there are two appliances that I think are worth spending extra money on, it’s a blender and food processor.

I personally use the Ninja Kitchen System, which has the same motor for both and I can just attach either the blender, food processor, or individual blender depending on what I’m making.

2. Place spinach closest to the blade.

If you’re using a traditional blender, this means placing it at the bottom, or if you’re using a single-serving blender like the Ninja, you’ll want to add it to the top as the lid is usually where the blade is.

This will help make sure the spinach gets fully blended down.

3. Blend spinach and milk together first.

Depending on your blender, if it isn’t high powered enough you’ll likely benefit from blending the spinach and milk together first.

Once the liquid is completely smooth without any spinach pieces, add in the remaining ingredients

4. Use frozen fruit rather than ice cubes.

Unlike ice which will water down your flavors, frozen fruit will contribute flavor as well as help with texture. Bananas especially are great for making milkshake-like smoothies. 

How much CBD should I add? 

It depends on how much you usually take per day and whether you want a full dose at once or just want to add half your daily dose to this smoothie. 

Personally, for my anxiety I’ve had better results having a full dose in the morning, but I know for others they prefer splitting it up throughout the day. It’s worth playing around and seeing what works best for you. 

As for how much, I really can’t tell you how much you need. Research on CBD has a huge variation in daily dose, anywhere from 20 mg per day up to 1500 mg per day! 

If you’re new to CBD, then 20 mg can be a good starting point, and then just increase by about 5 mg per week until you start to feel improvements in your symptoms. 

For figuring out how much is in each dropper, head over to my article on how to calculate it. Or, simply buy a product that already tells you how much CBD is in each drop or full dropper. 

How much CBD I added to this vanilla mint smoothie

For this vanilla mint smoothie, I used 2 droppers of CBDistillery’s THC-Free Pure CBD Oil Tincture 1000mg, which has 33 mg of CBD per full dropper.

This means each serving of this smoothie had about 33 mg of CBD.

But again, make sure to add an amount based on your personal needs.

Nutritional benefits of this vanilla mint smoothie

Besides being reminiscent of one of my favorite ice cream flavors – cookie dough though will always be first – this vanilla mint green smoothie is also packed with good for you ingredients: 

• Banana
• Spinach
• Avocado
• Oat milk

Of course, there’s also CBD, which more and more research is finding is beneficial for reducing inflammation and chronic pain, as well as improving sleep and anxiety.

For more info on CBD, be sure to check out my previous articles here. 

Can I make this smoothie ahead of time?

Depends on how far ahead. 

Can you make this, go to the gym for 30 minutes and then drink it? Yes. 

But I don’t recommend letting it sit in the fridge for much longer than an hour as the mixture will start to separate and the avocado can go bad. 

Don’t Forget to Pin this Recipe for Later! 

Print Recipe

Vanilla Mint Smoothie with CBD

This healthy vanilla mint smoothie is packed with nutritious ingredients like avocado, banana, and spinach yet tastes delicious.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Healthy CBD recipe, Healthy green smoothie, Vanilla mint smoothie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 medium frozen banana sliced
• ½ small avocado
• 1-2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup unsweetened oat milk
• ¼-½ tsp peppermint extract
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 serving CBD oil I recommend using an isolate
• Pinch salt
• Optional 1-2 medjool dates for extra sweetness
• Optional: raw cocoa nibs or mini chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

• Place all ingredients, except for the optional cocoa/chocolate chips in a blender, with the spinach closest to the blade.
• Blend on high until mixture is creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness or extract per personal preference. Pour into two glasses, top with chocolate chips and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Notes: see notes in post for tips on deciding how much CBD oil to add to your smoothie.