I’ve been taking cucumbers for granted as the boring, flavorless vegetable I occasionally dip my hummus in. That is, until recently when I rediscovered their impressive health benefits.
Go grab a cucumber and let’s put half of it in a smoothie, and the other half on our face, shall we?
This 6-ingredient, 5-minute smoothie was inspired by the wonder food that is cucumber.
Cucumbers are important to add to your diet because they’re 95% water and naturally detoxify your body; are high in Vitamins A, B and C; and contain phytonutrients that provide anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects.
They’re also a secret weapon for nails and hair, thanks to the nutrient silica, which helps them grow strong and shiny.
And because of their cooling and calming effect, they are excellent at calming stressed or sunburned skin and reviving puffy, dark under eyes – simply apply fresh sliced cucumber to soothe the affected area.
So whether you’re consuming cucumber or putting it on your face, the benefits are real, people.
I hope you all love this smoothie! It’s:
Refreshing
Creamy
Tart-sweet
Super healthy
Naturally detoxifying (thanks to fiber!)
Quick
& Delicious
This would be the perfect smoothie to add to your weekly line-up for breakfast or post-workout snacks. Pineapple and banana add citrusy sweetness, coconut milk lends to a creamy base, lime zest and juice offer plenty of bright citrus notes, and cucumber adds a subtle earthy flavor with a slew of health benefits (see above!).
If you try this smoothie, let us know what you think! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sliced cucumber (skin on // organic when possible)
- 1 heaping cup cubed pineapple (if frozen, omit ice)
- 1/2 large ripe, peeled, frozen banana
- 1/4 cup light coconut milk*
- 1/2 cup filtered water
- 1 medium lime, zested + juiced (~1 tsp zest // 2 Tbsp (30 ml) juice per 1 lime)
- 1 large handful greens (spinach or kale // organic when possible)
- 2-4 ice cubes
Instructions
- Add cucumber, pineapple, frozen banana, light coconut milk, water, lime zest, lime juice, greens, and ice cubes to a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- For a thicker smoothie, add more ice. For a thinner smoothie, add more liquid of choice. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime juice or zest for acidity/brightness, banana or pineapple for sweetness, coconut milk for creaminess, and greens for more intense green color.
- Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours, though best when fresh.
Notes
*For added protein, add 1-2 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) hemp seeds or chia seeds, or your favorite neutral or vanilla-flavored protein powder. I don’t have any favorite powders at the moment, but Vega Viva Vanilla is the closest thing to palatable I’ve found.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Liz Kolodziej says
I was worried but omg this was so good!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Liz! Thank you for sharing! xo
Athena says
Can I use regular 2% milk I stead of coconut milk?
We haven’t tested it that way, but we think it would work. Let us know if you try it!
Maia says
Cucumbers were on sale recently for 10 cents a piece, so I have a lot to use up… I was excited to try this recipe. We used oat milk and added an Avocado and some Cinnamon and used hemp seeds for the protein boost. It wasn’t quite smooth enough for my youngest, but everybody else loved it! Thank you♡
Your additions sound lovely, Maia. We’re so glad most of the family loved it. Thank you for sharing! xo
Janeen says
This was the most delicious smoothie I have ever tasted! I 100% recommend to anyone looking for a hearty and healthy way to say art off the day!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Janeen. Thank you for letting us know! xo
Paulette says
Delicious! Perfect proportion and ingredients. I might add mint from my garden next time, but cooling and refreshing as is, thank you!
Sounds delicious with mint! Thanks so much for sharing, Paulette. xo
Gemma says
Probably the most delicious smoothie I’ve ever had with veggies in it! Can’t wait to try your other smoothie recipes.
P.S. I peeled the cucumber beforehand and threw some mint leaves in.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Gemma! Thanks so much for sharing!
Christina says
half a banana, have a cup of pineapple a half of cucumber I half cup of yogurt how many calories…
Chelsea says
Wow! I was really sceptical it I’ve never had a green smoothie taste so good! I love this I made it with almond milk but that was the only change!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Chelsea. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
chris says
I’m not even a smoothie person and I love this! I had it today after a run instead of my usual almonds and I feel so refreshed. I used almond milk instead of coconut, vegan protein powder instead of banana (I was out of bananas), skipped greens/increased cucumbers instead. oh man I feel like I can go for another run! thanks for this awesome vegan recipe! (please make more vegan stuff)
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Chris! Thank you for sharing! xo
Sarah says
Can this be made without the bananas?
Yes! You can sub more pineapple or replace with mango. Hope that helps!
Jan says
INSANE. MAKE IT NOW. If you’re like me, you tend to tinker, add, exchange ingredients. MAKE IT AS WRITTEN at least once to get the REFRESHING TASTE promised. Adding things muddies it a bit – I added things I like in my smoothies -chia, hemp, protein powder- still good, but BEST as written. Thank you!
Woohoo! So glad you enjoy this smoothie, Jan. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Doreen says
Great smoothie!
I omitted the coconut milk and used Greek yogurt and coconut water. I do have quite a bit of bitterness aftertaste, is this normal? If it is I’m sensitive to bitter because I didn’t see it in any reviews.. LOL
Thank you for sharing, Doreen! Some cucumbers have especially bitter skin. Perhaps that’s the issue? You could peel it for next time!
Vandi says
I make a smoothie every day during my work week. This was a refreshing and delicious change in my routine. Love the lime and pineapple. Very refreshing on a summer day! I will make this again.
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review, Vandi. So glad you enjoyed! xo
Lulu says
Very tasteful! Added tblspn of chia seeds, 1/4 thumb of ginger & a scoop of skinny fit collagen powder. Substituted coconut milk with almond milk. So delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it, Lulu! Thank you for sharing!
Kat says
This is my current favorite smoothie! I keep pineapple, cucumber, and banana in my freezer, skip the ice, and add chia and hemp seeds
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing, Kat! xo
Traci says
This is such a great smoothie!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Traci! xo
Nyka says
I have been making this smoothie every morning for the past few weeks. It’s great I top mine with some coconut flakes or cinnamon. So good!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Nyka! xo
Laurie says
Great breakfast smoothie! Felt like I was on a vacation… I added 2 pitted, chopped dates for a little added sweetness. YUM!🙏🏻
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Laurie. Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Alexandra Wasserman says
Can I use Ripple milk (pea protein) if I don’t have coconut milk/water?
That should work!
Jamie says
Do you think frozen spinach would work?
If it is fresh spinach that you froze, yes. But we wouldn’t suggest pre-frozen spinach because it is blanched first and develops a different flavor.
Jamie says
I went to the store and got fresh spinach. I did sub the coconut water for the milk since a lighter smoothie sounded more refreshing. Holy moly this is the best smoothie!!!! I love it so much. I’ve tried many green smoothies and this one is the best. Oh also I was wondering why I kept having to add more coconut water and then realized the recipe called for additional water. Oh well, still delicious!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jamie. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Shanon says
I just made this and it is so good. Refreshing and just yum. Wow! I added a little fresh ginger.
Thank you for this great recipe.
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Shannon! xo
Kate Schultz says
After trying what feels like a MILLION vegan protein powders, I keep coming back to Terra Origin’s vanilla protein. It doesn’t have gums/stabilizers like a lot of them do and it’s just the right amount of vanilla. I feel like that would be good in this! I can’t wait to try! <3
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Kelly says
So so so good! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Kelly! xo
Alex says
Was hesistant to try cucumber in a smoothie but wow this was amazing!! I used canned pineapple since that’s what I had so i imagine it will be even better next time I make it with fresh pineapple. I also omitted the water and used extra milk (coconut/amond blend) to use up the last bit I had. Great recipe!!!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Alex!
Sarah Cook says
I also have lots of garden cucumbers and have always kinda made “meh” cuc smoothies – it paid to follow this recipe! I now have a new favorite! Thank you!
So lovely! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Cookie says
This was the best smoothie I have had. Truly, light and refreshing as noted. This is a keeper. Have made it several times. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Audrey says
This was delicious. I’ve made it twice and the second time I made it, I added avocado to make it more creamy. I love this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Audrey! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
p d says
I have a vegetable garden full of beautiful cucumbers. I had all ingredients on hand. Didn’t measure anything. Just added all ingredients according to taste. This is delicious and tastes oh so refreshing.
I also have mint growing and have fresh ginger. May add the next time.
Thanks
Nothing quite like fresh produce! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ashley says
My cucumbers are coming in and decided I had to make this smoothie! I added some mint and ginger as well, and it is so refreshing! Will definitely be making again!
Ooh- love those additions! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Ashley!
Heather Blalock says
I had some cucumbers I wanted to use up. So glad I found this recipe! Absolutely delicious! It will be a regular recipe in my weekly smoothie rotation.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Heather! Thanks so much for sharing!
Phyll says
What a fantastic way to start anyone’s day – yummy and healthy. Thank you and love, love your blogs.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Phyll!
Lauryn Rolle says
Tastes amazing and refreshing!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lauryn! Thanks for sharing!
Rosie says
I was looking for a healthy smoothie this morning after my workout. I just happen to find this and I happen to have all the ingredients. It was so delicious!! I will make again. Thanks.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rosie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Angelina says
Absolutely wonderful smoothie. So refreshing and a perfect blend of flavors.
My pineapple wasn’t frozen, but my cucumber was. I used almond milk instead of coconut milk (as it’s all I had) and coconut water instead of filtered water (and I only used 1/4 cup.) The smoothie was the right consistency with these measurements and ingredients :)
Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Regina says
I served this at my book club along with a tray of cucumbers and it was a big hit, the neighborhood kids taste tested it and loved it, my friends raved about it having just the right amount of creamy, sweet, and tang! My own very picky children loved it as well. The main character in our book this month was always eating cucumbers and drinking cucumber juice, so this was a fun refreshment and didn’t derail everyone’s January health goals!
Ah, thanks for sharing, Regina! SO kind.
Mariza says
Refreshing! I only had avocados instead of banana and replaced coconut milk with plain home made yogurt.
So glad you enjoyed it, Mariza! Thanks for sharing! xo
Jules says
I was looking for smoothies and recipes that are healthy while we’re stuck at home and this one was perfect for what we found in our last grocery store run! We loved the flavor and ingredients. It was so simple but delicious! I’ll definitely be making again but next time with more spinach because mine was a lighter green color.
Paige says
I omitted the banana and swapped coconut milk for almond milk, also lemon instead of lime juice and zest and double the water. Refreshing, light and perfect for an after workout snack!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Paige!
Stephanie says
I just made this smoothie today ! Love it !!!
So glad you enjoy it, Stephanie! Thanks for sharing! xo
Jeannie says
I swapped banana with avocado and used coconut water too! It was delicious and refreshing!
Janice K O'Brien says
This is my new go to smoothie this summer. Soooo refreshment! I did not want to open a whole can of coconut milk in case I didn’t like the recipe so I substituted almond milk. I am not a big lime fan so I substituted 1/2″ of fresh ginger. That gave it a real zing.
Thanks, Janice!!
L says
Just made this. Had everything but the coconut. Quite delicious and refreshing! Gonna buy some coconut milk for tomorrow
Debbie says
Can lemon be used in place of the lime? Thank you
Yes!
Rachel says
I didn’t have any pineapple on hand so I subbed frozen mango instead and it was delicious.
Karen says
This was most refreshing. I omitted the coconut milk and just used water as my liquid and added romaine lettuce. A great change from my regular smoothies.
Sarah says
This is definitely one of my new favorite smoothie recipes! I’m not a huge fan of cucumbers but I am drowning in them from my weekly farm box. This is the perfect way to use them up!
Jackie says
I legitimately made this for breakfast for a full week as the summer heat starting hitting my NYC apartment. So refreshing & as someone who doesn’t like sweet breakfasts, it had the perfect mix of tangy-ness to balance that out. I don’t have a high speed blender so the color didn’t look as beautifully smooth, could still see lots of green bits from the spinach, but it still tasted awesome.
Yay! We are glad you enjoyed it all week long, Jackie! :D
Liz says
I love this smoothie – it’s so refreshing and light! I’ve made it quite a few times now and find that adding a kiwi and some fresh ginger are great additions if you already have them in your kitchen!
Stephanie says
Wish it wasn’t so high in Carbs 52g is a lot of sugar.
Catherine Devine says
This was fantastic! We didn’t have coconut milk or water, so subbed soy milk and it was delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Catherine! Glad you enjoyed it :D
Allicia Westlund says
Excellent. So convenient, I can place all the ingredients into smoothie cup, blend and go!
Guro N. says
This was so good, thanks for a great recipe! Super refreshing with the cucumber in it
catherine says
Can you make some recipes for smoothies without banana? They’re so hard to find!
Hi Catherine! Most of the time you can leave the banana out, but I will add it to the recipe request list!
Eva says
Hi Dana,
I made this three times because I was so determined to get it right! I finally did – added a bit more banana to sweeten as you said and I love it! Such an easy way to get all these great fruits and veggies in!! Thank you as always!
Kathryn Tate says
The most refreshing smoothie I have ever had. I love cucumbers now!!
Thanks Minimalist!!
Noah says
What if life didn’t give me a lime or lemon?
Will using an orange work?
Pawan Raomail.com says
Fantastic and delicious smoothie! I added a scoop of Vanilla protein to it as well.
Becky says
I’m addicted to smoothies in the morning, and this is by far the best recipe I’ve found to date. I highly recommend making this! I’m disappointed I’m out of cucumber and have to wait until I shop on the weekend to make it again!
Jenn says
This was amazing! Followed recipe as written and I wouldn’t change a thing! Had it after my work out today and it was prefect for rehydrating and so refreshing. This will definitely be in my rotation more often!
Kaetlyn says
Just made this for the family and even the kids love it. IT’S SO YUMMY. My entire family are really trying to eat healthy and detox ourselves and it’s proven to be especially hard when we get a craving, but you’re recipes definitely help. Thanks so much for making such simple ones, it makes our lives easier :)
Terrin says
This reminds me of a more savory cucumber smoothie that i love- it’s one cucumber, a handul of cilantro, half a ruby red grapefruit, a tiny pinch of salt, and a few chunks of pineapple-i use frozen pineapple so the smoothie is cold without watering down with ice. It’s really refreshing and hydrating!
Afton says
This was delicious! I am not a fan of cucumbers and getting my kids to eat them is a challenge but this was a win all around! Thanks for a great recipe!
Angela says
This is my first green smoothie and Wow! I was so surprised at the amazing flavor. I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing!
Be says
I think I over did the lime zest a little but it was otherwise filling and satisfying. Thank you for this recipe.
Angela says
I made this for breakfast this morning. I absolutely loved it. Sporty liked it, but found it too tart. When I make it again for us I’m going to try using one lime instead of two and maybe some extra banana. Yummy! :)
candace says
The perfect light smoothie to go with our light lunch today. Yum. Yum. No mods needed.
Avery says
Do you think I could cook or omit the spinach? The cooked version is more digestible and nutritious than the raw one, unlike what most think. If I can’t do either, can I replace it with somethings else? Thanks!
Robin says
This is divine. I make it at least once a week now. I add a little more water and coconut milk because my vitamix won’t blend it otherwise. (Then again, it may be broken.) Thanks for sneaking green into my diet!
Brigid says
Ahhhh this smoothie is so delicious! Very refreshing and lovely lime-y. My kids found the lime flavour too strong so they didn’t want to finish it. Oh dear that meant I had to drink it all myself. Shame :)
It’s perfectly sweet without being sickly. I used coconut water instead of coconut milk and it worked a treat. A new smoothie for my favourites list.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Brigid!
Sarah says
Cilantro would be an excellent green in this smoothie as it pairs well with both pineapple and cucumber. (If you’re not one of those people who have an aversion to cilantro, poor you in that case.)
Cynthia says
So refreshing and not too sweet!
Barney says
If you have a “high powered” blender (Vita-Mix, Blendtec or other) don’t bother seating the lime. Just wash it really well and toss the whole (or cut into 1/4’s if you prefer) into the blender.
Great drink
Thanks Dana!
Bernadette says
Just made this awesome smoothie and it’s absolutely delicious- thank you!!
Crystal Liu says
I tried it this morning. It’s so refreshing and delicious. Love it!! Thanks!
Jenn says
I can’t wait to try this! Could I sub almond milk for the coconut milk?
Jes says
This was totally amazing! One of my new favorite morning smoothies for sure… I’ve already made it 3 times since you posted this…. :) Thank you, Dana!!
Margarita says
I just made this smoothie today! Yummy
Su says
I made this smoothie and Loved it!! I also added few pieces of ginger. Delish :)
Jess says
Yum! My bananas weren’t ripe so I used half an avocado instead and extra pineapple for sweetness. Also tossed in some shredded unsweetened coconut. Next time I’ll go easier on the lime. Perfect summer time treat!
Eric says
Awesome recipe! I had never tried cucumber in a smoothie before, a whole new world has opened for this green fellow in my kitchen now! :)
Cassie says
Sounds so detoxifying and delicious! I love the fresh flavors of the cucumber with the pineapple as well!
Ann S. says
Had one for breakfast this morning. Delicious! I used the lime zest but then just finished peeling the lime with a knife and threw half of it right in, no juicing.
Anita says
Just made this and it is really good and creamy and refreshing! Hubby liked it too!! Looking forward to getting your cookbook this coming week.
Lucy says
I’m having a real moment for pineapple in smoothies. I love that I could pretty much make all of this now, so breakfast tomorrow morning is looking a lot brighter!
Ana says
I want to make this but don’t have pineapple. What about mango? Would the flavors go? Need an alternative so I can indulge this morning!
Sarah says
This was a very tasty, cool, and refreshing smoothie. Trader Joes has the BEST organic cucumbers. Will definitely make this one again.
Ash says
Today is the second morning that I’ve made this smoothie – it’s deliciously refreshing! Perfect for the warmer weather :)
Ellen Lederman says
Meant to comment: I doubled the recipe since you said it was for one serving and we both wanted it. It made 36 ounces! Do you really drink 18 ounces as one serving?
Ellen Lederman says
I resisted using the cuke on my face (maybe someday I will do the thing with a cuke slice on my eyelids and pretend I am at a spa), but followed the rest of your instructions and got one delicious green smoothie! And green smoothies aren’t often my thing (but my husband and I trust you so much, thought we would try it). Our go-to whole fruit juice is what I call happy juice: 3 cups watermelon, 1 cup raspberries, squeeze of lemon and some agave. But now we will definitely alternate that with this.
How is it possible to love all your recipes so much? I really don’t need another cookbook, but will be ordering yours tonight because your stuff is just the trifecta: healthy, easy, and delicious plant-based.
Santana says
Just made one this morning and it’s so GD good that I want to cry. A new morning smoothie for sure!!
Silvia says
I am drinking it right now, so refreshing and delicious. I just ommited the lime :)
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Esther says
I Just tried out this recipe. It was delicious. Very refreshing and not at all sickly sweet. A perfect blend of flavors. Thanks!
Laura says
I have to try this, it looks so good!!
Bernardette @ The 20 Minute Kitchen says
Love this! It’s super healthy and filling, great start to your day!
Thanks so much!
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth says
I’m not generally a huge fan of cucumbers. Their texture is so odd to me, and I they occasionally leave a weird taste in my mouth. But I make an exception for smoothies. It’s always sooo good!
Amy says
I pretty much made this smoothie this morning without even realizing you had posted!!! haha I used pineapple, spinach, cucumber, celery (I actually don’t mind the taste), banana and chia seeds + water! I had coconut milk in the fridge I should have added that as well! Didn’t even cross my mind…
Debra Basch says
This was delicious! I added Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder from Arbonne and it was delicious! I only put in 1/4 of the banana though to keep the sweetness down with the addition of the pea protein.
Nice tip! This would be a great one for protein powder ;D
Carmen Aguilera says
I added protein powder too, really delicious!
liza says
How many scoops of arbonne protein did you use?
Emily@Robust Recipes says
This look delicious! I am wishing I had a cucumber on hand so that make this right now for my snack! I will need to make it soon.
Helen says
Wowza! This smoothie is Just what the doctor ordered! For once I had all the ingredients. It was So creamy and delicious that I even got my non vegan husband to try it. Guess who finished it up to the last drop. Yummilicious!
Btw, thanks to you and your sweetheart for all of your hard work. Big big fan. Your recipes rock.
So kind! Thanks Helen!
Tammy Thiele says
Yes to all of this! The health benefits, the flavor combos…all of it! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Tammy! xoxo Let me know how it goes!
Tiffany says
I just made this smoothie today and I love it!
Yay!
Janel | Peach and the Cobbler says
Yes yes and yes! Cucumbers in smoothies are thee best!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Well I’ve clearly been under appreciating cucumbers. I’m sorry cucumbers, let me drink you now!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
I just tried cucumber in a kiwi smoothie the other day. It’s so refreshing!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
Ok, that just reminded me of Pride and Prejudice when Miss Darcy states….”Let’s take a turn about the room, it’s so refreshing” But I could see them downing these delightful smoothies!