For the coldest months of the year, add a little sunshine to your routine with a vibrant and delicious Citrus Carrot Ginger Smoothie.
This plant-based smoothie recipe comes together in a high-speed blender in five minutes, featuring orange, lemon, carrots, banana, ginger, hemp hearts, and a touch of turmeric (fresh or ground). It’s an easy way to start the day on a delicious and refreshing note! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
Fresh and Vibrant Winter Citrus
I’ve been making this smoothie during citrus season for years. I love it in the morning, or I’ll whip it up for lunch. Sometimes, I add a few romaine leaves to it, similar to this Citrus Ginger Mint Smoothie, to get more greens in.
I find juicy seasonal citrus to be a favorite ingredient in smoothies during Winter. Adding ginger and carrots creates a smoothie I can feel good about. Its sunny color, alongside sweet carrots and punchy ginger is a balm. It adds a little sunshine to these cold, gray days.
This Recipe Is
- made with simple ingredients
- fresh and vibrant
- dairy and sugar free
If you love homemade smoothie recipes, you’ll enjoy this easy-to-make Carrot Ginger Smoothie.
About the Key Ingredients
What I love about smoothies is you can easily adjust them to taste or dietary needs. I’ve added a few substitutions below if needed.
- Orange – you can use just about any variety of orange here, from Naval to mandarins. My favorites are Cara Cara and satsumas. Simply peel and remove any seeds and toss them into the blender pitcher.
- Lemon – you’ll add just a small slice of lemon here. You can leave the peel on or remove it. I always remove the seeds. If preferred, leave the lemon out and add more orange.
- Carrots – no need to peel, but they’ll need to be sliced into large chunks.
- Frozen Banana – freezing the banana helps create a super creamy smoothie. It also adds a hint of sweetness to balance the ginger and turmeric. You can substitute two pitted dates for sweetness with a tablespoon of nut butter or more hemp hearts for creaminess.
- Fresh Ginger – just a small nob of fresh ginger adds spice and a gingery kick. No need to peel.
- Hemp Hearts – add creaminess to this smoothie. If preferred, substitute with a handful of nuts like soaked cashews.
- Turmeric – use ground or fresh turmeric – it goes with the color theme! It has an earthy, somewhat bitter flavor. Fresh can sometimes be hard to find. There’s no need to peel.
I’ve included ground black pepper as an optional ingredient. Just a pinch is all you need.
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How to Make a Citrus Carrot and Ginger Smoothie
step by step
Making Smoothies a New Habit?
I’ve used VitaMix (affiliate link) for almost 19 years and it is by far the most used electric in my kitchen. It’s a workhorse!
Making recipes like Homemade Cashew Milk, Tomato Red Pepper Soup, Mexican Chipotle Salsa, Fresh Pina Coladas and smoothies are just a few of the things I use it for. I can’t recommend it enough!
Traci’s Tips
- Use a High-Speed Blender for a silky smooth texture. I use and recommend VitaMix.
- Add more water to adjust the smoothie consistency.
- For Freshest Flavor, enjoy shortly after making the smoothied.
5 Minute Citrus Carrot Ginger Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 Large Navel or Cara Cara Orange or three small oranges such as mandarin or satsuma, peeled, seeds removed
- 1 Thin Slice of Lemon leave skin on, seeds removed
- 2 Medium Carrots chopped into chunks, no need to peel
- 1 Banana peeled, sliced into chunks, frozen is preferred for extra creamy
- 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) knob of Fresh Ginger make this 1 1/2 inches if you looove ginger, leave skin on
- 3 tablespoons Hemp Hearts or a small handful of preferred nuts such as cashews or nut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric * (see notes)
- 1 cup (235 grams) Water
- Pinch of Black Pepper optional
Instructions
- Into the pitcher of a high-speed blender (I use VitaMix) add the orange, lemon, carrots, banana, ginger, hemp hearts, turmeric, water and optional black pepper.
- Start the speed on low and increase up to high. Blend until all the ingredients are smooth, about 45 seconds. Add more water to thin if desired – reblend.
- Pour into glasses and top with a sprinkle hemp hearts. Enjoy right away.
Delicious and nutricious! I didn’t have carrots today, but it was still great – added a little tehina paste (raw) instead of hemp seeds – and a tablespoon of homemade granola and got a whole breakfast out of it! Thank you!
Hi Audrey! Thank you for your note and sharing your subs. So glad you enjoyed the smoothie!
Delish! And perfect timing, since I’m trying to ward off a cold!
Hope you’re feeling better! Thank you for your note, Kristine!
I was SHOCKED at how delicious this was!
Almost like dessert! Thank you for your note, Gina!
OMG. I just made this yesterday for breakfast. I added 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1 Tblsp. chia seeds but no banana. It was delicious and the perfect smoothie for cold and flu season.
This was so tasty! Always good to know exactly what to put in to avoid to running or thick.
Just make sure you blend for long enough to avoid bits.
Hooray! I totally agree, Beau. Thank you for your note and giving the smoothie a go!
I’m going to try this amazing smoothie tomorrow and hope to succeed. Thank you for sharing this!
OMG delicious and so healthy, LOVED this recipe. Definitely will make again :)
Hooray! Loved reading your note, Simone. SO happy to hear!
This smoothie tastes delicious, I added half a soft avocado that needed using up. I think the good fats also help with absorption of the turmeric. Also added about 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Thankyou
Great recipe! I have made it yesterday and everyone in my home sweet home totally loved it! Thank you Traci for your awesome recipe.
Hey Kate! Thank you for your note. This is one of my favorite smoothies of all time. So many delicious and nourishing ingredients. So happy y’all enjoy it too!
What a great smoothie! I made this often this winter during the height of flu season. Really refreshing and nourishing!
Hooray! Love reading this Susan. Citrus is my favorite winter food! So happy you’re enjoying it in this smoothie!
Such a sweet surprise, Jean! I hear you about drinking something cold during the coldest months of the year. But I find ginger to be warming, if that makes sense, even when drinking a cold smoothie. If you like, you can cut back on the banana, for a little less sweet. Oranges vary widely in how sweet they are too. I hope you enjoy the smoothie, Jean and thank you for your kind words!