This Healthy Rhubarb Smoothie is light, creamy, and has a unique hint of licorice flavor. It's quick and easy to make, and you can use either frozen or fresh rhubarb; no strawberries required! Spring calls for rhubarb, and this Rhubarb Smoothie is the perfect way to celebrate! It's quick and easy, packed with nutrients, naturally creamy, and bursting with the unique flavor of rhubarb. It's a simple way to enjoy a healthy and satisfying breakfast or snack.
This recipe is popular during rhubarb season, which is early spring to early summer. This rhubarb smoothie is also a great way to enjoy your rhubarb for breakfast. This recipe was inspired by my Raspberry Gingerbread Smoothie and makes a quick and healthy breakfast. And be sure to check out these 15 Rhubarb Breakfast Recipes!
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If you have your own rhubarb plant, you are lucky! But if you don't grow your rhubarb, you can get it at a grocery store or local farmer's market.
🥘Ingredient Notes
Most recipes for rhubarb smoothies use either frozen or fresh strawberries, but this recipe is straight-up rhubarb, and it's straight-up delicious on its own, without strawberries!
The creamy milk, yogurt, and bananas balance the tangy rhubarb, as does the fennel flavor. You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- 1% milk, Plain Greek yogurt, and Bananas. The creaminess of the milk, yogurt, and bananas balance the tangy rhubarb, as does the fennel flavor. I use non-fat Greek yogurt and low-fat milk to keep the fat and calories down.
- Fennel seed or ground fennel. Fennel adds a welcome hint of licorice! *Add more or less to your liking. Fennel is easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Frozen rhubarb. Frozen rhubarb is ideal for this recipe because you want the smoothie to be really cold. But you can use fresh or stewed rhubarb (if using stewed, just skip or reduce the amount of agave).
- Agave. I use agave because it's stronger, and you can use half the amount of honey. However, you can use honey instead (you'll need to double the amount) or another sweetener such as maple syrup
- Garnish: chia seeds and additional chopped rhubarb. This combination makes a pretty, as well as healthy, garnish.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Fennel - You can use fennel seeds or ground fennel. You could also substitute anise or licorice root.
- Lactose-free- Use lactose-free milk and lactose-free Greek yogurt
- Vegan - Use plant-based milk like coconut milk, soy milk, oat, or almond milk instead and non-dairy yogurt (i.e., coconut milk yogurt). To boost the creaminess, opt for coconut milk or oat milk for a naturally creamy texture without the yogurt.
- Yogurt - You could sub vanilla yogurt for regular Greek yogurt or use plain yogurt instead of Greek, but it won't be as thick or have as much protein
- Make it a smoothie bowl - For a thicker version, reduce the milk slightly and pour the smoothie into a bowl. Top with granola, nuts, coconut flakes, or fresh fruit for extra crunch.
🔪How to Make a Rhubarb Smoothie
Making this smoothie is as simple as putting everything in a blender and turning it on!
Add all smoothie ingredients (except chia seeds) to a blender and process until smooth (about a minute).
Expert Recipe Tips
- Freeze Your Rhubarb First. Frozen rhubarb helps create a colder, thicker, and more refreshing smoothie without needing extra ice, which can water it down. And since rhubarb has a fibrous texture, freezing helps break down its structure, making it blend more smoothly.
- Adjust Sweetness Gradually. Rhubarb can be quite tart, so start with a smaller amount of sweetener and taste before adding more. Agave, honey, or maple syrup can all work, but their sweetness levels vary.
- Use a High-Powered Blender. A good-quality blender will make a big difference, especially when blending fibrous rhubarb and frozen ingredients. If your blender struggles, let frozen rhubarb sit for 5 minutes before blending.
- Toast Fennel Seeds for Enhanced Flavor. If using whole fennel seeds, lightly toast them in a dry pan before grinding. This deepens their licorice flavor and adds warmth to the smoothie.
- Add Extra Protein or Fiber. To make the smoothie more filling, mix in protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or a scoop of nut butter.
🌡️Storage
Store this smoothie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. However, keep in mind that the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the banana flavor takes over and the banana will make it brown, as well.
My blender came with these great smoothie drinking/storage cups!
👪 Serving Size
This banana rhubarb smoothie recipe makes 4 (8 oz) servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
This tasty smoothie recipe is also Weight Watchers friendly @ 3 WW points!
Top tip
It's best to use ground fennel seeds. If you don't have ground, you can grind them with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can leave smoothies in the fridge overnight in an airtight container. However, if you have banana in your smoothie, you'll want to use it as soon as possible, as the banana will start to turn the smoothie a brown color and the banana flavor will become much stronger.
No, raw rhubarb works perfectly fine in this smoothie. However, if you prefer a milder flavor, you can lightly stew the rhubarb before blending. If using stewed rhubarb, reduce the amount of agave or sweetener.
Bananas add natural sweetness and creaminess, but if you want to avoid them, you can use avocado or a combination of frozen mango and a bit of extra sweetener.
Yes! Pour the smoothie into an ice cube tray or freezer-safe container. When ready to enjoy, blend the frozen cubes with a little extra milk.
So, if you love rhubarb and are looking for a morning smoothie, then give this Healthy Rhubarb Smoothie a try!
And if you're looking for additional healthy smoothie recipes, give my Apple Pie Smoothie, and my Vegan Blueberry Cookie Smoothie a try!
More Rhubarb Recipes
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📋 Healthy Rhubarb Smoothie recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed or ground fennel *you can add more or less to your liking
- ½ cup Greek yogurt *I use plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (0%)
- 2 whole bananas (small to medium-sized)
- 2 ½ cups frozen rhubarb
- 4 tablespoon agave syrup
Instructions
- Put all ingredients (except chia seeds) in blender and blend until smooth (about 1 minute) *Add additional sweetener to your liking, if desired.
- Garnish with chia seeds and chopped rhubarb and a stalk of rhubarb, if desired.
Notes
-
- Freeze Your Rhubarb First. Frozen rhubarb helps create a colder, thicker, and more refreshing smoothie without needing extra ice, which can water it down. And since rhubarb has a fibrous texture, freezing helps break down its structure, making it blend more smoothly.
-
- Adjust Sweetness Gradually. Rhubarb can be quite tart, so start with a smaller amount of sweetener and taste before adding more. Agave, honey, or maple syrup can all work, but their sweetness levels vary.
-
- Use a High-Powered Blender. A good-quality blender will make a big difference, especially when blending fibrous rhubarb and frozen ingredients. If your blender struggles, let frozen rhubarb sit for 5 minutes before blending.
-
- Toast Fennel Seeds for Enhanced Flavor. If using whole fennel seeds, lightly toast them in a dry pan before grinding. This deepens their licorice flavor and adds warmth to the smoothie.
-
- Add Extra Protein or Fiber. To make the smoothie more filling, mix in protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or a scoop of nut butter.
- Fennel - You can use fennel seeds or ground fennel. You could also substitute anise or licorice root.
- Lactose-free- Use lactose-free milk and lactose-free Greek yogurt
- Vegan - Use plant-based milk like coconut milk, soy milk, oat, or almond milk instead and non-dairy yogurt (i.e., coconut milk yogurt). To boost the creaminess, opt for coconut milk or oat milk for a naturally creamy texture without the yogurt.
- Yogurt - You could sub vanilla yogurt for regular Greek yogurt or use plain yogurt instead of Greek, but it won't be as thick or have as much protein
- Make it a smoothie bowl - For a thicker version, reduce the milk slightly and pour the smoothie into a bowl. Top with granola, nuts, coconut flakes, or fresh fruit for extra crunch.
Terri Gilson
This Rhubarb Smoothie is such a refreshing twist on traditional fruit smoothies. You'll be amazed at how the creamy milk, yogurt, and bananas perfectly balance the tangy rhubarb. The hint of licorice from the fennel is unexpected but absolutely delicious. It's become my favorite way to enjoy rhubarb from my garden during the spring and early summer months.