Lemon Smoothie (Sunshine in a Bottle!)
This Lemon Smoothie is like sunshine in a bottle! Yogurt, lemon, honey, ginger and turmeric offer numerous health benefits, and the flavor will wake you up on a sleepy morning.
“I’m not a huge lemon person AND this smoothie is one of my absolute favorites! It truly is sunshine in a bottle- the taste is so bright and refreshing. Dang tasty. I make it in big batches, pour it into individual jars, freeze them, and then thaw a jar when I want a tasty drink.”
—MPW
Is there anything harder than getting out of a warm bed on a cold winter morning? Especially when you live in a 100-year-old drafty house. Let me tell you, I struggle!
The only thing getting me out of bed lately is knowing that this Sunshine in a Bottle Lemon Smoothie is only a few minutes away once I get downstairs.
Quite obviously, lemon is one of my favorite flavors (I make a mean lemon margarita and lemon creme brulee), so it’s kind of like I’m waking up to my favorite food.
Just like my carrot cake smoothie, every single ingredient in this smoothie (well, except the ice) has been selected for maximal bright, zingy flavor and health benefits.
The yogurt base gets you started on your probiotics for the day, while the honey adds a natural sweetness and energy boost (keep the honey bear out for dinner for honey mustard pork chops).
Turmeric could help fight off any cold or illness you might be dealing with, and ginger can be used as a natural pain reliever for muscle soreness.
But the real star, of course, is the lemon. Just like in my lemon pancakes and lemon filled cake, I use both lemon juice and lemon zest for the most amount of citrus tang.
Let’s walk through how to make this lemon smoothie recipe, and everything you need to know about substitutions, making it vegan, and add-ins.
“Just tried this lemon smoothie! WOW! Love it! Love all the ingredients, too. Great combination. Sunshine in a bottle is a perfect name.”
—Cynthia
What you’ll need for this lemon smoothie recipe:
- yogurt – I prefer low fat French vanilla yogurt, but if you have plain Greek yogurt on hand from making Greek chicken meatballs or healthy buffalo chicken dip, that will work, too! So will regular plain yogurt. If you’d still like some vanilla flavor, simply add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract when using plain yogurt.
- lemon – you’ll need 1 fresh lemon, and you’ll be using the zest and the juice from it. Buy an extra lemon so you can make my citrus dressing or roasted Parmesan broccoli, too!
- honey – this sweetens the smoothie. If you don’t prefer honey, I discuss alternatives below.
- ginger – nothing beats the bright zing and slightly spicy flavor of fresh ginger. It’s truly the best wake up call in the morning!
- turmeric – this is what gives the smoothie (and my sweet dumpling squash soup) it’s bright yellow color, and it also adds an earthy flavor and a bit of spice. It pairs very well with the lemon and ginger flavors, and has so many health benefits.
How to make a lemon smoothie vegan:
This lemon ginger smoothie is so easy to make vegan! First of all, get rid of the dairy by simply using a non-dairy yogurt alternative (such as yogurt made with almond milk or soy milk) in place of the yogurt.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send it to your inbox.
Then, since honey is not considered vegan, you can substitute maple syrup or agave nectar to add sweetness and keep it vegan. Agave nectar is also the star of my agave lemonade!
Can I make a lemon smoothie without yogurt at all?
I strongly prefer this smoothie WITH the yogurt. Without the yogurt, you’re basically going to be left with a blended lemonade. The yogurt is what gives the smoothie body and makes it filling.
But, an alternative to yogurt would be a banana. This will add creaminess and body to the smoothie. Make frozen chocolate covered bananas with the rest of the bunch of bananas!
What if I can’t find fresh ginger?
I almost always have fresh ginger in my fridge, because orange chicken marinade and miso ginger dressing are staples in our meal plans. But, if you don’t normally have it or can’t find it, I have an alternative.
While the flavor won’t be quite as bright and fresh without fresh ginger, ground dried ginger can be used in place of fresh ginger in this recipe. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger will do the trick.
Can I make a lemon smoothie with spinach?
This is one of my favorite tricks to get more veggies into my diet! I’m willing to add a handful spinach to just about any kind of smoothie I make, and I’ve added spinach to this lemon ginger smoothie recipe quite often.
Of course, the smoothie will become a vibrant green color instead of the sunshine-y yellow you see here, but personally, I don’t find that the taste changes all that much. The bright flavors of the lemon and the ginger cover up the spinach flavor, in my opinion.
If you’d like to add blueberries, check out my blueberry lemon smoothie.
Can I make one serving of this lemon ginger smoothie?
Sure! The recipe is written for two servings because my husband and I will usually each have one smoothie when I make this recipe. You can also double or triple this recipe and include it as part of a brunch menu (don’t forget to put some bacon in the oven)!
But I also make a single serving just for me on occasion. If you want to make one serving, simply halve the ingredients like this:
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- pinch of ground turmeric
More Foxes Love Lemons Favorites
Lemon Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup low fat French vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice be sure to zest the lemon first!
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- In blender, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
WOW! I made this and it’s a burst of sunshine in the morning. I love it.
I modified the recipe slightly. I used lemon yogurt instead of plain. I used agave syrup instead of honey. I found the honey sticks to the blender because of the cold ice. Agave syrup mixes in really well and gives it a bit of sweetness; even though not really needed.
This is now my morning smoothie.
So glad you liked it, Jackie!
This is straight up the best summer treat of all time – PEFECT lemon smoothie!
Thanks so much, Steph!
I’m curious what you could do if you don’t have fresh ginger? I never buy it.
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger will do the trick!
It was delicious! I used lemon flavored Oui yougurt, and it was soooo good!
I’m so glad to hear that, Lisa!
Lemon is my favourite flavour too, this is so tempting, excellent photographs..
I’ve been tinkering with smoothie recipes and thought I had created the ultimate lemon smoothie until I tried yours. The tumeric wasn’t on my radar at all and really adds a nice note. I used maple syrup instead of the honey for a little different taste. I also pop the yogurt in the freezer the night before and don’t use ice, lube the blender with a small touch of almond milk. The ratio of all the things is completely on point.
Hi Christine – so glad you loved it! I think the turmeric really is the magical ingredient. Love the idea of freezing the yogurt first – so smart!
Hi there. I will make this smoothie tomorrow morning but will use Kefir Milk that I make instead of the yogurt.
Regards Frances from Sunny South Africa
I saw this on your Instagram last week and I finally found time to make it. It’s so delicious and refreshing!!!
I am so glad to hear that, Helen! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂
Hi Lola – I don’t offer nutritional information for my recipes. I would recommend plugging the ingredients into an online calculator such as My Fitness Pal.
Hi, Lori. I finally found the time and made your incredible smoothie to the whole family. It was an absolute hit, incredible. Can’t wait for your next recipes, thanks.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Sara. Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
I’m an absolute lover of smoothies, but have never tried lemon smoothie before. I guess it’s a must for me now. Next weekend is the lemon smoothie weekend! (:
Awesome! Enjoy, Sara!
I am swimming in lemons over here and this is a great way to use them! I am doing a round up! Can I use a photo in a collage that links back here?
Hi Jacqueline – As long as it’s a photo a linkback (and not the full text of the recipe), I’d love to be included. Thanks!
Yum! I have lemon trees and this winter I have had more lemons than I know what to do with. I like finding creative ways to use them and this sounds like a neat way to squeeze some lemon (pun intended) into breakfast/snack time. Thanks for the recipe!
Sooooo jealous of your lemon trees, Melanie!
A lemon smoothie?!? Why didn’t I think of this? Must try soon 🙂
Haha, thanks Megan!
This looks delicious! I’m such a smoothie girl but have never thought of making a lemon smoothie! It’s genius and I can’t wait to try it!
xx, Caitlin
Thanks Caitlin!
Oh yum, this looks and sounds delicious!! This winter has been so strange – just when I think spring is around the corner, we get a string of cold, dreary days. Luckily this smoothie looks like it can counteract even the dreariest of days!
I think Spring IS just around the corner…finally. Let’s hope 🙂