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Enjoy the flavors of mango, bananas, and orange juice in this easy, vibrant Carrot Smoothie. It’s packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins, and it’s ready to sip in 2 minutes with just 5 ingredients.
Shortly after I got my blender, I was paging through the accompanying cookbook and saw a recipe for carrot juice. How bad could it be, right? It’s just carrots and water, whizzed up into a healthy drink.
Guess what it tasted like? Carrots and water. Yeah. Shocking, I know, but it was not nearly as tasty as I thought it would be. This got me thinking, though, “Is there a way to drink carrot juice that wasn’t quite so, well, off-putting?”
I let my mind wander while I scouted through my refrigerator and pantry when it hit me: mangos would taste great with carrots. I paired those two with bananas for creaminess and orange juice for a sweet-tart mixer and the result is a healthy smoothie recipe my picky eater kids and I can totally agree on.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Carrots: To substitute fresh carrots and/or fresh mango (peeled and chopped), add ½ cup ice or more to the blender.
- Mango: Similar to an avocado or a peach, a ripe mango will give slightly when you squeeze it. It should smell fruity at the stem when ripe, too.
- Protein powder: You can use either Greek yogurt or protein powder in this smoothie. (Use vegan protein powder to make a dairy-free smoothie.) Protein powder is never a one-size-fits-all solution, but I wrote extensively about the Best Protein Powders for Smoothies because it’s something I care about. If you don’t currently have a favorite, you might be able to find one in the list.
Step-by-step instructions
- In the bottom of a blender, add orange juice, banana, mango, and carrots.
- Blend until smooth and serve.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups of smoothie, enough for 1 serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Some separation may occur, so shake or stir to combine before enjoying.
- Flax, hemp, or chia seeds: Add 2 tablespoons of flax seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds for an extra boost of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. You can soak the chia seeds in water for 5 to 10 minutes if desired, but it’s not required. Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite brand for these.
- More mix-ins: Fresh ginger, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, or a splash of your favorite regular or dairy-free milk, like almond milk, work perfectly in this gluten-free smoothie.
- Beet Smoothie: This raw Beet Smoothie is sweetened with plenty of icy strawberries so you can enjoy all the beet benefits without the raw root taste. Add your favorite protein powder or Greek yogurt and a squirt of honey for a smoothie almost too pretty to drink.
- Caribbean Passion Smoothie: This Jamba Juice copycat is sweet, refreshing, and easy to make at home. It tastes EXACTLY like the real thing!
- Mango Smoothie: This simple smoothie is flavored with mangoes and bananas with Greek yogurt for protein and milk for creaminess.
- Peach Smoothie: Packed with protein and vitamins, this Peach Smoothie is a nourishing breakfast or snack idea anytime.
- Peanut Butter Smoothie: Even with a no-sugar peanut butter, this 4-ingredient protein-packed Peanut Butter Smoothie recipe tastes sweet and light while keeping you full.
- Spinach Smoothie: Fresh spinach, banana, pineapple, and yogurt make for a super simple, totally delicious way to eat more greens.
- Strawberry Smoothie: This 3-ingredient recipe is packed with protein and low-sugar berries for a quick and easy breakfast or snack anytime.
- Strawberry Citrus Ginger Smoothie: Quench your thirst with this refreshing and fruity treat perfect for crushing your sweet cravings.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, your blender may find frozen fruit and ice challenging. Especially if you notice that your blender errs on the weak side, but really a best practice for all smoothie-makers, start by adding the liquid portion of the recipe, then add the frozen fruit and ice on top. Or let the fruit thaw a bit before blending. Check out my guide to the best blenders.
If you enjoy your smoothies on the thicker side, try using a frozen banana. If you prefer a juicer, straw-sippable smoothie, blend in fresh fruit and veggies.
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Carrot Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 medium banana
- 1 cup frozen carrots (about 4 ounces, see note 1)
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks (about 4 ounces, see note 2)
- 1 scoop protein powder or ½ cup Greek yogurt (see note 3)
Instructions
- In the bottom of a blender, add orange juice, banana, carrots, mango, and protein powder or Greek yogurt. Blend until smooth.
Notes
- Carrots: To substitute fresh carrots and/or fresh mango (peeled and chopped), add ½ cup ice or more to the blender.
- Mango: Similar to an avocado or a peach, a ripe mango will give slightly when you squeeze it. It should smell fruity at the stem when ripe, too.
- Protein powder: Use either your favorite vanilla protein powder or ½ cup Greek yogurt.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups of smoothie, enough for 1 serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Some separation may occur, so shake or stir to combine before enjoying.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Let me begin by saying that I LOVE your recipes. In the latest one I’m reading, the Carrot Smoothy, when you mention substituting fresh carrots, are the fresh carrots raw or cooked?
I love carrots, and drink a lot of the Bolthouse Farms Organic Carrot Juice. I’m eager to try your smoothy.
Thanks so much!
Pam
Hi Pam! You’re so welcome! The carrots for the recipe are the raw frozen type, but you can substitute fresh carrots and/or fresh raw mango (peeled and chopped) instead and add ½ cup ice. I hope you love it! Please write if you have anymore questions. – Meggan
I add a few tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to all my smoothies for some added protein.
Hi Beth, that’s a really great idea. I have a learned a lot more about smoothies recently and a lot of them are straight-up sugar bombs. You do really need Greek yogurt or protein powder or something in there to make it a complete meal vs. a fruity snack. Good call. Thank you for your comment. -Meggan
I juiced my carrots 🥕 first because my blender isn’t that smooth lol. Everything else I did as per the recipe and in my opinion it’s a smoother smoothie especially with a grainy vegetable like carrot.
Thanks for the tip Kiki, so glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
This was great! It got my toddler to happily ingest a vegetable – yay! Will be making again.
Thank you Marilyn! -Meggan
Great!!
I just made this mango carrots shake this morning and it is si refreshing …
This was really fresh and super good. I added a teaspoon of ginger and which add a nice twist to this exceptionally delicious treat!
I have a lot of carrots that I need to use and trying to find creative ways to eat them. I came across this recipe and was very surprised with how tasty this smoothie is! I did not make any adjustments to the ingredients, but I did use raw carrots that I blend up with water so they were not shredded or frozen.
I could not taste the carrots at all! Next time I’m going to add more carrots and a couple chunks of pineapple. Thank you so much! 🙂
Hi Alisha, I’m glad you loved it!
What an great tasting smoothie that I can have before my morning workout.
This is soooo good. Decided to add frozen chopped beets, teaspoon of turmeric and a sliced frozen piece of ginger I had (I like to make ginger tea). This was awesome
WOW.Mango Carrot Smoothie is very delicious. and I think this is also good for health. Thanks for your recipe.
This is an awesome power drink! Love it!!!
Woow…so delicious!!
Thank you for the review, Melanie!
I do raw shredded carrots and they blend so well!
Such a great tip Taylor, thank you! I’ve been meaning to try out other options in case somebody doesn’t want to do the frozen carrots. I really appreciate you! Thanks again and take care.
Hey! Thanks for that. I wondered if it would work!
Hi Megan,
How far in advance can I make this smoothie? How many days does list last refrigerated?
Hi Katrina, if I were going to make them in advance, I’d keep them in the freezer and pull one out the night before to defrost. Having said that, for food safety purposes you’ll be good making them 4 days in advance and keeping them in the fridge. Some separation may occur, so just shake vigorously to recombine! Thanks, I hope this helps!
This is delicious! Â I partially thawed the mango but it was still frozen enough to act like ice. Â I used a fresh, raw carrot and had no problems with it blending. Â Also added a little yogurt for protein. Â I gave some to my three-year-old too…he’s not a fan of carrots but he’ll definitely drink them! Â Thanks!
These are great tips! Especially adding the yogurt, that makes it a lot more filling. Great idea. I love how you can trick kids into drinking veggies! 😉 Thank you!
Have you tried steaming the carrots first? I used to make my baby food by steaming and sticking in ice cubes. Either that or maybe just juicing and making ice cubes as well? I’m going to try. But then again I actually enjoy carrot juice so I might not have the right results, lol.Â
Hey Melissa! I haven’t tried steaming the carrots. Or making carrot juice. I was going for something quick and easy… LOL! Sounds like a great idea though! And kudos to you for making baby food. I tried that for about… one day. 🙂 Thank you!
Do you buy frozen cooked or raw carrots for this mango carrot smoothie? Please clarify. Also, just wondering if the carrots should be put in first and pureed a bit before adding the other ingredients. Maybe less likely to have pieces of carrot? I will try it.
Hi Melissa, I used frozen carrots, the idea being convenience. You could try blending them up first, that might help. I was thinking it might help to thaw them, like the mango, but if I did that then we’d have to add ice. It’s worth playing around with. If you try it, I hope you love it! Thanks for your comment.
Delicious! Â In fact, all of your smoothies have me wanting a tall glass! Â I will probably add some dairy free protein powder to hold me over until dinner!
Thanks for sharing!
Would it be easier to just shred your carrots and then freeze then? It seems it would blend easier? I am very new to all the smoothies blending, so i really don’t know. I have been trying out all of your smoothies though, and i’m anxious to try this one! I’ll let you know how it goes for me. Lol Thank you for posting all these fabulous and delicious smoothie recipes! =) Â I am on a roll to getting fit and being healthy!Â
P.S. I use my coffee bean grinder for my flax seeds. 😉 Works like a charm!Â
Hi Kandie, I’m so happy to hear you are trying some of my smoothies! That’s so lovely to hear. Back to the carrots, I do wonder if shredding them would work better. Thing is, though, personally I would probably never spend the time to shred carrots. I might buy shredded carrots though! Ha ha! And thanks for the tip on the coffee grinder. I have one of those too but normally just use it for spices. Great idea!
Great combo!
This sounds much better than just carrots and water. I’ve seen that juice recipe in the blender book and am glad didn’t try it! This smoothie is on my list now 🙂 Will make it in the afternoon 🙂
Another wonderful spring drink you got here Meggan. I love mango so much and I will definitely try this smoothie. 🙂
Mango is one of my favorite fruits! When it’s in season, I can’t get enough! This smoothie sounds perfect for the morning!
Thank you, Kathleen! I love mangos too, so does my toddler! We eat them all the time, smoothies or otherwise. 🙂
I still haven’t bought a Blendtec yet. I think I must be waiting for my Breville to burn up, which is any day now. Why do I never think of adding veggie to my smoothies? Carrots are going in the next one, this sounds delish.
If the Breville happens to fall out of an 8th-story window, I promise not to say anything. 😉 But seriously can you see how obsessed I am with my Blendtec? Yep. I am always stuffing veggies in there as a means of coercing Calvin (or Jim) into vegetable-eating. Sneaky. Can’t be trusted. 🙂