• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nourish Nutrition Blog

  • NUTRITION SERVICES
  • ABOUT
  • FREE GUIDE-Cooking for One
  • RECIPES
  • MEAL PLANNING GUIDE
  • FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • NUTRITION SERVICES
  • ABOUT
  • FREE GUIDE-Cooking for One
  • RECIPES
  • MEAL PLANNING GUIDE
  • FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipe Index » Breakfast

    Creamy Sour Apple Smoothie

    February 24, 2023 Updated April 24, 2024 By Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD Breakfast, Cooking for One, Drinks, Snacks

    Jump to Recipe
    green smoothie in glass with blue straw, ingredients behind

    This refreshing green sour apple smoothie is both sour and very creamy thanks to a granny smith apple, lemon juice, and yogurt, and a small amount of frozen banana. It's a great option if you like tart smoothies!

    green smoothie in glass with blue straw, ingredients behind

    [This sour apple smoothie recipe was originally posted in February 2023. It has been updated with cooking instructions, storage tips and substitutions, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    Table of contents

    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Storage Tips
    • Substitutions/Tips
    • FAQ
    • Other great smoothie recipes
    • What to do with leftover ingredients

    Drinkable breakfasts/snacks can really come in handy, you can drink smoothies like this sour apple smoothie in the car, while getting ready in the morning, and many other places.

    It is a lighter breakfast/snack, so it's great for when you're not very hungry.

    Not only are smoothies great to go, but they just take a couple minutes to assemble. For this sour apple smoothie, you'll need to measure out yogurt, chop an apple, and blend it all up, and you're ready to move to your next task.

    Also, I've been hesitant to try green smoothies/drinks because they've been completely taken over by diet culture. But in truth, with a good combination of ingredients, they can be tasty.

    So here's a green smoothie recipe without diet talk.

    Ingredients

    Scroll down to the sour apple smoothie recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.

    water, yogurt, apple slices, flax, spinach other ingredients in bowls
    • Plain Yogurt: This is essential to making your smoothie creamy, but it also adds in protein, and maybe fat to make your sour apple smoothie more filling and satisfying. Plain yogurt adds to the tart flavor in this sour apple smoothie.
    • Granny Smith Apple: Apples are great in smoothies, they add a nice flavor, but make sure to add yogurt or something creamy for a creamy smoothie. Leave the peel for extra nutrients and flavor in your sour apple smoothie.
    • Spinach: Spinach is usually a secret weapon in smoothies. Fresh or frozen spinach does a great job blending the smoothie flavors together. I don't have any scientific evidence of this, but it keeps some of the fruits/veggies from tasting too bitter.
    • Frozen Ripe Banana: A little frozen banana goes a long way. It adds sweetness, makes your smoothie creamy, and is delicious. If you like a less tart sour apple smoothie, add a full ½ frozen ripe banana.
    • Ground Flaxseed: Or chia seed works. I like adding either of these to smoothies for a bit of extra fiber. It doesn't change the flavor, and helps thicken up smoothies just a bit.
    • Water: I just used water to blend it up, but you could use orange or apple juice, milk, or coconut water. Water and orange juice would probably keep the smoothie the most tart. Add more if you like a thinner smoothie.
    • Lemon Juice: Adding in extra tart flavors to your sour apple smoothie.

    Instructions

    Scroll down to the sour apple smoothie recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.

    spinach, frozen banana, other ingredients in blender jar

    1. Add all ingredients to a blender jar: yogurt, chopped granny smith apple, spinach, frozen ripe banana, ground flaxseed, water, and lemon juice. Add yogurt first as it will help your smoothie blend more easily.

    green drink in blender jar

    2. Blend until smooth. Enjoy your sour apple smoothie immediately.

    Storage Tips

    Smoothies don't usually store well. If you don't mind it getting more liquid-y and separate, that's fine. Just store in the fridge for a few days.

    You could also pour leftover sour apple smoothie into an ice tray and freeze individual ice cubes. Add these to a blender to make another smoothie with more yogurt and liquid for a more mild flavored smoothie.

    Substitutions/Tips

    • This sour apple smoothie will still be good without the frozen banana, the texture might be less smooth, but it will work. Also, if it'is too tart, you can add ½ whole frozen ripe banana, or some honey or sugar too.
    • I like to add ground flaxseed to my smoothies, but it's not essential. You can substitute it for chia seeds if you have those. They're great add-ins to thicken up your smoothie a bit, without changing the flavor much.
    • You'll need to add some liquid to get a smoothie texture, I used water to get a nice tart flavor, but orange or apple juice, milk, coconut water, etc would also be good. Start with ⅓ cup and add more if you like a thinner smoothie texture.
    • Other great add-ins: You can add cashews, english cucumber, and/or protein powder to your sour apple smoothie.

    FAQ

    What is a sour apple smoothie?

    There's a non-food version and smoothie smoothie version. The smoothie smoothie version has a a variety of ingredients like a tart apple, plain yogurt, lemon juice, spinach, and liquids to make a tart smoothie.

    Are apple smoothies a thing?

    Apples are delicious in smoothies, especially tart apples. The only thing is that the texture of an apple smoothie can be somewhat gritty. A frozen ripe banana or yogurt will smooth it out.

    How do you make smoothies more sour?

    Add tart ingredients like a tart apple, lemon juice, and plain yogurt. Also, maybe add a bit less sweet ingredients like banana that may cut down on the sour flavors if you like them.

    green drink in glass with ingredients surrounding it

    Other great smoothie recipes

    • Spinach Apple Banana Smoothie
    • Triple Berry Smoothie with Granola
    • Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • Blueberry Tea Smoothie

    What to do with leftover ingredients

    When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.

    • Frozen Ripe Banana: Spinach Apple Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Banana Milkshake
    • Spinach: Lentil Spinach Curry, Thai Inspired Beef Bowl, and Spinach Strawberry Salad, Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie.
    • Ground Flaxseed: Baked Oats for One and Apple Pie Overnight Oats.
    • Plain Yogurt: the smoothies listed above, or Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip, and Overnight Oats with Yogurt.
    • Granny Smith Apple: Use in-place of the apple in these recipes: Apple Crumble Tart, Single Serving Apple Crisp, and Apple Cucumber Salad.
    • Lemon Juice: Lemon Herb Couscous, Lemon Carbonara, and Chicken Soup for One.

    Did you make this sour apple smoothie? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    glass full of green drink with blue straw in it

    Creamy Sour Apple Smoothie

    This refreshing green sour apple smoothie has a nice sour flavor thanks to a granny smith apple, lemon juice, and yogurt, and is very creamy thanks to yogurt and a small amount of frozen banana. It's a great option if you like sour foods and smoothies!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 person
    Author: Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN

    Equipment

    • Measuring cups, spoons
    • cutting board
    • knife
    • high speed blender

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup Plain yogurt regular or Greek or other type
    • ½ whole Granny smith apple cored, sliced or chopped
    • 1 cup spinach fresh or about 1-2 Tablespoons
    • ¼ whole frozen ripe banana
    • 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed or regular flaxseed
    • 1-1 ½ Tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice
    • ⅓ cup water or other liquid, add more if desired

    Instructions

    • Add ingredients to blender jar: ¼ cup plain yogurt, ½ cored and chopped granny smith apple, 1 cup fresh spinach, ¼ whole frozen ripe banana, 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed (or not ground), 1-1 ½ Tablespoon lemon juice, ⅓ cup water (or other liquid).
    • Blend until smooth. Add more liquid if desired. Blend again if needed. Enjoy immediately.

    Notes

    • Other sour apple smoothie recipes add cucumber and cashews. Both would be good additions, but make the smoothie less tart. You could add about 1 inch of english cucumber and ½-1 Tablespoon cashews if desired.
    • Swap fresh spinach for frozen, you can use about 1-2 Tablespoons of frozen spinach in this recipe. 
    • You can substitute the water for orange or apple juice, milk, or coconut water. If you want your smoothie more tart, add water or orange juice. 
    • Skip the banana and/or flaxseed if you don't have either. You can add sweetness by adding honey, or your favorite kind of sugar to this recipe. Or juice, adding juice will add sweetness.
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @NourishNutriCo or tag #NourishNutriCo!

    Want time saving tips to make recipes like this sour apple smoothie delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Cooking for One Time Saving Tips.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

    More Breakfast

    • five smoothies in a collage
      Single Serving Smoothie Recipes
    • bowl of oatmeal with toppings
      Single Serving Oatmeal
    • glass full of overnight oats with yogurt and cinnamon on top
      Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats Recipe for One
    • close up of chia pudding with orange slices
      The Best Chia Seed Porridge for One

    About Rebecca Clyde MS, RDN, CD

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian who has been cooking for one for over 10 years. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colleen says

      February 27, 2023 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      I never thought to use apple in a smoothie, but it was so good! A really nice change from my usual smoothie. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie says

      February 27, 2023 at 12:37 pm

      5 stars
      I love granny smith apples, and I am really excited to try this one. I can never seem to get enough of that apple flavor!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        February 27, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        right?! same here

        Reply
    3. Dana Sandonato says

      February 27, 2023 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      This was super tasty! Never did I think to include an apple in my smoothie. I loved it!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        February 27, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        it's so good!

        Reply
      • Rebecca says

        February 27, 2023 at 4:34 pm

        great to hear! it's delicious

        Reply
    4. TAYLER ROSS says

      February 27, 2023 at 11:09 am

      5 stars
      I made one of these smoothies for breakfast this morning and it was delicious! Definitely making often!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        February 27, 2023 at 4:35 pm

        great to hear!

        Reply
    5. Farah Abumaizar says

      February 27, 2023 at 10:46 am

      5 stars
      This looks wonderful! I love the idea of adding apple to a smoothie, especially with banana and spinach. Yum. Thanks for the inspo!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        February 27, 2023 at 10:50 am

        yes, its such a great addition!

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Rebecca in a kitchen making guacamole with chips and dips on counter

    Hi I'm Rebecca

    I'm a registered dietitian and solo cook. I'm here to help you make cooking for one easier and more fun!

    About Rebecca

    popular posts

    • chili with toppings and slices of bread on side
      Chili Without Tomatoes
    • glass jar with oats, chia seeds, and frozen berries in it
      Overnight Oats with Yogurt (5 flavor combinations)
    • glass bowl of red and green cabbage and shredded carrots
      Red Wine Vinegar Coleslaw
    • close up of beef, sauteed spinach, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl
      Thai Inspired Beef and Spinach Bowl

    spring recipes

    • close up of mushroom, green bean pasta in bowl
      Mushroom Green Bean Pasta for One
    • three rows of sliced beets on a plate
      Beets in a Pressure Cooker (Make as many as you want!)
    • close up of pasta with mushrooms, bacon, and chicken with a fork in it
      Chicken Bacon and Mushroom Pasta for One
    • pesto pasta with parmesan cheese on top
      Pesto Pasta for One

    EATING DISORDER NUTRITIONIST

    featured on

    logos of media outlets Rebecca of Nourish Nutrition Co has contributed to

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Free Guide

    • Click Here for your Cooking for One Time Saving Tip Sheet!

    About

    • About Rebecca
    • Nutrition Services
    • Cooking for One Recipes
    • Meal Planning for One

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe/Food Photography Services

    Salt Lake City based virtual dietitian | eating disorders | cooking for one

    [email protected] | 385-215-9458 | F: 385-259-7761

    Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service

    Copyright © 2024 Nourish Nutrition Co

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.