Packed with fresh flavor and easy to make, this Grapefruit Green Smoothie is a hit with kids as well. The pineapple and grapefruit create the perfect amount of flavor to ‘mask’ the greens making this an easy way to add more fresh fruits and veggies. It’s naturally dairy-free and there’s no banana in this one either, just a touch of avocado for creaminess!
True story… I have gone through 30 pounds of grapefruit making this smoothie every day for a few weeks. It’s really that good! And just like most of my green smoothies, this one came around by chance.
I was getting low on groceries, but I still really wanted to make a green smoothie. I’ve been craving all things super fresh lately. So I used what I had on hand, even though I thought it might be a strange combo.
It turns out pineapple and grapefruit is a great combination and my new favorite. Both pineapple and grapefruit are really awesome at cutting through any green flavor. Now lets jump right in and make this step by step!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pineapple – frozen works best here so your smoothie stays cold and creamy. You can use fresh, but I would recommend adding some ice in that case.
- Grapefruit – Is full of Vitamin C and antioxidants! I juice them using the glass juicer you’ll see in the photo below. But you can also use fresh grapefruit juice from the store. The advantage of juicing your own is you get way more pulp and fiber. I use pink grapefruit also known as ruby red grapefruit, but any grapefruit or citrus fruits like oranges, mandarins, etc. works here.
- Avocado – adds both creaminess and a healthy fat to the mix in this smoothie. You can also use a 1/2-1 cup Greek yogurt here in place of avocado. Or any dairy-free yogurt works.
- Spinach – is my preferred green in this green smoothie but you can use kale (to taste, it’s much stronger) if you’d like.
How to make this Grapefruit Green Smoothie recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by cutting the grapefruits in half and juicing them with a reamer. I recommend the ones like the above photo rather than the hand-held wooden ones because they’re easier and faster.
Step 2: Add the frozen pineapple, grapefruit juice, avocado, and fresh spinach to a high-powered blender.
Step 3: Blend until smooth and enjoy right away for the best flavor.
Ways to serve this
- I love this as an afternoon pick-me-up, or as a 1st/2nd breakfast. Since smoothies are on the light side, I’ll have a smoothie, then a couple hours later have a 2nd breakfast. It also makes a great grab-and-go kind of light lunch.
- For breakfast or brunch alongside other things like my Sausage Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, or Mexican Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls.
FAQ’s
Yes! You can add any protein powder you like the flavor of that is on the neutral side. For example, you wouldn’t want to add a chocolate protein powder here, but vanilla or plain would work well. I like to add Hawaiian spirulina to this smoothie.
I like to add Hawaiian spirulina to this smoothie. But barely grass juice powder or a sprinkle of bee pollen on top would be good as well. You can also add chia seeds or ground flax for added fiber. For more inspiration, check out my Superfood Smoothie Boosters post.
Yes, they can be, and this is a common question! I have seen this play out 2 ways, I personally have lost weight drinking green smoothies. I’ve seen others that were looking to gain weight and be able to with green smoothies. By adding more fruits and veggies to your diet it can change your body composition for the better! (Not medical advice just anecdotal observations.)
Storing leftovers
- To store – this smoothie is best right away but can be refrigerated for 4 hours or so.
- Make ahead – have your greens washed and you can even juice the grapefruit the night before. That way you can make this smoothie in under 5 minutes.
- To freeze – try making this recipe in a Freezer Smoothie Pack. Leave out the grapefruit juice and add it in fresh when you go to blend your smoothie. Also, you might need a bit more liquid when more ingredients are frozen.
Tips & Tricks
- Check out my How to Make a Smoothie for more tips as well as my Make Your Own Freezer Smoothie Packs and Superfood Smoothie Boosters.
- Try buying frozen avocado cubes to have on hand in the freezer. This way you never need to worry about your avocados going bad!
- Buy fresh bottled grapefruit juice as a super quick shortcut.
- And of course… pre-washed greens save the day for prep work!
More green smoothie recipe inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this Grapefruit Green Smoothie! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Grapefruit Green Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups fresh pineapple chunks - 1 1/4 pounds
- 3 grapefruit - about 2 1/2 pounds
- 1/2 ripe avocado - peeled and pitted
- 4 cups washed baby spinach - 4 ounces
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the pineapple chunks into a high powered blender.
- Cut the grapefruits in half and juice them, discarding any large seeds. You will have about 1 1/2-2 cups average.
- Pour the grapefruit juice over the pineapple, then add the avocado and spinach.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Serve immediately for best flavor. This smoothie keeps well for up to 24 hours, so you can easily make it the night before and take it to work.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2016, but has been updated with nutritional information, tips, and new photos in 2022.
I made this today instead of juicing the grapefruit I tossed them all in the blender. After blending it a bit then adding the rest of the ingredients it was a tight fit also I didnt have pineapple so I substituted for frozen mango and frozen blueberries. After it was a bit too grapefruity so I had pineapple juice added a can in and added chia seeds. It was yummy. Next time I’ll try juicing the grapefruit instead of putting the entire 3 grapefruits.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to write out your variations, sounds delicious!
That is FASCINATING about the avocado and how it keeps greens from oxidizing!
Looking forward to trying this
It works surprisingly well, I sure hope you enjoy this one!
Can I store this smoothie in the fridge overnight to drink in the morning?
This grapefruit smoothie does hold up pretty well for up to 1 day in the refrigerator compared to a lot of different combos I’ve tried, but I do have to say it always tastes better right away! I sure hope you enjoy it, and let me know if you have anymore questions!
The white part in citrus is called the pith. It is the rine of the fruit.
Thanks for clarifying!
I’ve tried this combination for a smoothie it’s great, I love it. But if grapefruit is not available try limes lemons or star fruit, it adds a nice citrus tart sweet flavor as well.
Thank you for the great suggestions! I rarely find starfruit where I live but I’ll be on the lookout to give that a try as well. 🙂
Hey, love this..What can one substitute the grapefruit with? Not, easily available in Nairobi Kenya.
Tender Rose
Grapefruit has a unique flavor, but you could try oranges as well. I’m not sure what you have available, so maybe you could let me know what you have and I can try to figure out what would work best! 🙂
Must try this smoothie!
I hope you do because it’s the most addicting green smoothie I’ve ever made!
Thought you might be interested in this…
Mercola Lemon Curd Smoothie:
½ organic pineapple
2 to 3 organic lemons
1 banana
2 avocados
Handful of organic greens such as spinach or watercress
1Tbsp. coconut oil
Blend in blender.
This sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, I have everything I need to try this out tomorrow!
This looks delicious Kari! My husband’s captain just gave us a gaggle of fresh-picked grapefruit, and I’ve been looking for ways to use it all up. I might have to give this a try! 🙂
This is definitely a great way to use up lots of grapefruit, I hope you enjoy it!
The green and pink contrast is beautiful! It would be fun to try this sometime 🙂
Thanks Heidi, I know you’ll love it whenever you get a chance to try it out! 🙂
I’m just loving all the green-ness of the smoothie if that makes any sense. So refreshing with the eye popping green. But my husband is a total sucker for grapefruit so I’ll be making this for him. Besides, maybe this smoothie will motivate him and I won’t have to nag him so much? Nah. Nevermind.
The grapefruit makes it really refreshing, so I hope you’ll enjoy it! I love the crazy green color too, I used to think green smoothies looked kinda gross until I tried one, and now I love the color!
I really like the look of this one! I always want to buy pink grapefruits when I see them but I find them a little too sharp to eat on their own – now I’ve got a reason to pick some up!
I find the same thing sometimes that they can be a bit acidic/bitter depending on the batch. Sometimes the grapefruits I get can be quite sweet, but either way the pineapple really rounds it all out so I hope you enjoy it!