I love making healthy smoothies, it’s a great way of loading with ingredients full of benefits while enjoying a refreshing drink. If you have tried my Spinach Pineapple Banana Smoothie, Mango Spinach Smoothie, or Zucchini Smoothie, you know what I mean! Like these others smoothies, this blue spirulina smoothie makes me feel energized, reinvigorated, and ready to tackle the challenges of the day. I like to have one after a tough morning workout to refresh.
Why Adding Spirulina?
Spirulina is a cyanobacteria (I know it sounds a bit scary), an algae that has been consumed by humans for centuries. It was already cultivated by the Aztecs before Europeans landed in South America. Blue spirulina contains phycocyanin pigment extracted from green spirulina. Phycocyanin is a plant pigment that gives a blue color to spirulina. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, also acting as a cholesterol-lowering agent. Compared to green spirulina, which has more nutritious properties, blue spirulina powder doesn’t have seaweed aftertaste, making it a fantastic antioxidant booster in smoothies. So if you are after a healthy smoothie to boost your immune system while serving a fun blue-colored drink, this is the recipe you need. I have noticed that when I take blue spirulina, I tend to feel more awake, more energized.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The best combination of fruit to make a thick Blue Spirulina Smoothie is:
Frozen Banana – The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie. Make sure your bananas don’t show too many dark spots on their flesh before freezing them to keep the smoothie color light blue. Frozen Pineapple Coconut Milk or any non-dairy milk you love, like oat milk, cashew milk, or soy milk, for extra added proteins. Blue Spirulina Powder – You can play with the amount of spirulina. Since it’s flavorless, it won’t impact the smoothie flavor. The more you add, the darker blue the smoothie colors turn out. Coconut Yogurt or any plant-based plain Greek yogurt style you love made from soy, oat, or almond. Maple Syrup or any natural sweetener you love.
How To Make Blue Spirulina Smoothie
Blue spirulina powder has no flavor, so it can basically be added to any smoothie recipe. However, to keep its vibrant blue color, it’s better to select light color fruits.
Flavor Variations
You can use this recipe to create a range of blue spirulina smoothie flavors. For example, feel free to add:
One scoop of protein powder and increase the milk to 1 cup. Frozen mango as a swap to one of the fruits. 1-2 teaspoon of chia seeds to add healthy fats. A handful of spinach, cucumber, or kale – but this turns the smoothie green. A tablespoon of nut butter like cashew butter or coconut butter.
Serving
Serve the spirulina smoothie with any toppings you love including:
Banana slices Shredded coconut Drizzle of cashew butter or coconut butter. Homemade granola like my protein granola recipe. Oats Seeds and nuts like hemp seeds or slices of almonds.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredients swaps options if you need them.
Coconut-Free – Swap the coconut milk for almond milk, and replace the coconut yogurt with soy yogurt or any other coconut-free plant-based yogurt you love. Blue Spirulina – If you only have green spirulina at home, you can use it in this recipe. While green spirulina is higher health benefits, it also has a strong seaweed flavor. As a result, you may like to decrease the amount in the recipe to 3/4 teaspoon. Banana-Free – You can replace the banana for mango or more frozen pineapple. Gluten-Free – Blue spirulina is extracted from blue-green algae and is naturally gluten-free, like all the ingredients in this smoothie recipe.
Here are my answers to your most common questions about this blue smoothie.
More Smoothie Recipes
If you like this recipe, you’ll love these other smoothie recipes.
