A sweet and tart smoothie using raw rhubarb! This rhubarb smoothie has an incredible taste, it's creamy, with a punch of flavour, and made sweet with honey!
Growing up we had a big rhubarb plant in our backyard; every spring we would make delicious treats and snacks from it. I love that rhubarb is an affordable fruit and easy to grow in the backyard! After making this smoothie I recommend trying my recipe for the childhood rhubarb muffins we would make!
Why you'll love this smoothie:
- Quick and easy to make with no need to cook the rhubarb first!
- No added refined sugars or juices.
- It uses seasonal fruit (spring, early summer) - rhubarb please!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love this smoothie:
- Ingredients Needed
- Danika's Nutrition Insight
- Fruit Smoothie Nutrition Tip
- Instructions
- Recommended for smoothies
- Top tips for a rhubarb smoothie
- Variations and add In's
- Where to get rhubarb:
- What to keep in mind about your rhubarb plant
- Other healthy recipes to try!
- Rhubarb Smoothie
- Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
Ingredients Needed
Shown below are the ingredients you will need to make this smoothie, you will find all the quantities in the recipe card below.
What to know about the ingredients:
- Rhubarb: You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb for this smoothie! If using frozen rhubarb, just increase the milk by ¼-1/2 cup.
- Milk: Any kind of milk works!
- Beet: I use a small piece of raw beetroot for pretty color and vibrance in the flavor. However, if you don't like the taste or don't have beets - leave it out! For other beet smoothies try this strawberry smoothie with beets or this tasty kale beet smoothie.
Danika's Nutrition Insight
Rhubarb Health Benefits
Rhubarb supports the removal of toxins from the body and helps with blood circulation. The bright pink, red, and green colored stalks are a great source of antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber.
Fruit Smoothie Nutrition Tip
High-fruit smoothies can spike blood sugar levels, therefore I like to add healthy fats and protein to these smoothies (avocado, oats, quinoa, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds). This gives a balanced energy level and will keep you full longer!
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step photos from my kitchen to make your own bright pink rhubarb smoothie blend!
First place the honey, oats, beets, and almond milk into the blender container. This is a layering method to support the blades (instead of placing frozen/big chunks of hard fruit right on the blades) and it will blend more easily.
Next, add any optional seeds or supplements. Lastly, place rhubarb and frozen banana on top of the soft foods. Secure the lid.
Start the blender on low and then increase to high speed for 30 seconds to 1-2 minutes, until everything is fully blended and there are no chunks. Turn the dial back to low before stopping the blender.
Pour this bright pink smoothie into glasses. This makes one large smoothie or two medium smoothies.
Recommended for smoothies
For a thick smoothie, a good blender is key! I use my Vitamix blender daily and think it is the number one purchase for making healthy food in the kitchen!
Top tips for a rhubarb smoothie
Use a high-power blender to make all the rhubarb and raw beet fibers blend together well. This ensures a creamy smoothie.
For a thicker smoothie, use frozen rhubarb or add 5-6 ice cubes!
Rhubarb can be bitter, especially if it's later in summer or the stalks are quite large, so add honey as needed!
Variations and add In's
I like to add some nutritional boosters to all my smoothies. Here are some ideas to add to this rhubarb banana smoothie!
- Cinnamon or ginger: Add a teaspoon of the dried spice for a delicious treat.
- Vanilla Extract: Make the smoothie pop with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
- Sweeten: Add more sweetness with more honey, or by adding dates or maple syrup.
- Seeds: Add 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts, 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, or 1 teaspoon of flax seeds to increase healthy fats and give the body extra energy.
- Swap beets for pomegranate juice: Adding ⅓ cup juice will give the smoothie a pretty color!
- Fennel: Have you ever had the fennel and rhubarb experience? It's delicious. Add ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds. If you don't have a high-power blender, grind them first.
- Love strawberry rhubarb combo? Add 1 cup of strawberries, frozen or fresh, to make the flavor come through stronger and skip the beets.
Where to get rhubarb:
- Grocery store in the produce section
- Farmers market
- A local friend or family who is growing some!
- A marketplace connection to get some stalks for free
- I've also seen people offering a rhubarb plant on facebook marketplace (you could grow it in your backyard - it comes back every year with low maintenance)
What to keep in mind about your rhubarb plant
Rhubarb season starts in spring and extends through early summer. The plant may continue to grow late into summer, however it will become bitter with heat - let it take a break until next year.
- Rhubarb that's thick is bitter.
- To harvest it: twist and pull, don't cut. Then cut the leaves off the stalks as they are poisonous (probably from the high oxalic acid content).
- You want to leave some of the plant so the roots remain.
- Rhubarb freezes well and stays well in the fridge for a long time when stored properly.
Other healthy recipes to try!
Still have rhubarb?! Make strawberry rhubarb fruit leather, banana rhubarb muffins, oatmeal rhubarb cookies, or these incredible rhubarb strawberry popsicles!
If you made this rhubarb smoothie recipe, would you take 30 seconds to give a star rating and review just below the recipe? It would mean so much to me and I read every comment!!
Rhubarb Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup chopped rhubarb
- 1 frozen bananas pieces
- 1 cup almond milk or any milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 inch piece of beet (⅓ of a raw beetroot)
optional for more protein:
- 2 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 3 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Place the milk, oats, honey, and beet in the bottom of the blender. Add the optional seeds if using. Then place the rhubarb and banana on top.
- Secure the lid. Start the blender on low speed and increase to high speed. Blend until everything is completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Pour into 2 medium glasses and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Danika Vanderpyl says