I’m not really a green smoothie kind of person but I am very into this spinach pear smoothie. One, it doesn’t use bananas, which is always great, because we’re cutting down on them. Two, it’s a gentler flavour than most green smoothies, and tastes more like pear than anything else. Spinach is pretty neutral and the smoothie is a little sweet from the ripe pear and an added date.

Recipe Rundown: Pear Smoothie

• Texture: it should be smooth, but if your blender isn’t very strong you might get a bit of texture from the pear. Make sure to use a very ripe pear.
• Flavour: pear-forward. This is an easy green smoothie for beginners, with a strong fruit flavour and pretty sweet.
• Difficulty: very easy. The only slight difficulty might be knowing when your pear is ripe! It should feel pretty soft to the touch when it is ripe, as though it’ll bruise really easily if you press on it.

Ingredient Overview

• Pear: a fully ripe eating pear. Make sure you’re not using a cooking pear and wait for it to be really ripe and soft before making the smoothie.
• Spinach: frozen is great for an instant chilling effect, but fresh is better if your blender isn’t very powerful. Other greens can be substituted.
• Ginger: a little fresh ginger adds some spice to the smoothie and really brightens it. I personally don’t like dried ginger here but it can be used if you love it.
• Milk: any non-dairy milk for a vegan smoothie, or dairy if you’d like. Try cashew milk or homemade almond milk for a luxury option. For this recipe I do recommend using a good creamy milk and not water.
• Hemp hearts: these add a bit of protein and omega-3 to the smoothie. Be sure to use hulled hemp hearts and not crunchy hemp seeds.
• Date: to sweeten, and make sure you use a fresh, soft date so that it mixes in fully. Substitute a teaspoon or so of maple syrup or honey if preferred.

If you’ve got pears to use, also try my spiced pear cider made with pear juice and fresh fruit, and hazelnut pear crisp with chocolate.

Step by Step Photos

Step 1: add all of the ingredients to a blender or blending container.

Step 2: mix on high speed until very smooth and serve immediately.

Expert Tips for the Best Pear Smoothie

• Grate the ginger: most blenders won’t be able to handle big chunks of fresh ginger. Finely grate it before adding to ensure that it mixes in.
• Use frozen spinach: to chill the smoothie instantly, use frozen greens instead of fresh. Otherwise you can add an ice cube or two. If you want a room temperature smoothie for digestive purposes, choose fresh greens.
• Choose the best pear: this isn’t a recipe that will hide the taste of a dry, bland pear. It should be ripe, juicy, and in season. It’s a pear smoothie, you want it to taste like pear!
• Add extras: hemp adds some protein but you could mix in some of your favourite protein powder. A splash of vanilla is nice, as are other spices like cinnamon. I sometimes mix in a bit of cocoa for a chocolate version.

More Smoothie Recipes

Strawberry Mango Smoothie (no banana, with red lentils)
High Protein Chocolate Cherry Smoothie
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Blueberry Peanut Butter Smoothie