For something cold, creamy, and hydrating, this cucumber smoothie skips the banana: avocado gives it the thick, smooth texture instead, at 5.6g net carbs. I blend peeled cucumber, avocado, ice, nut milk, and sugar free honey until the ice is fully pulverized, and I pour it right away while it's coldest.
Avocado is the reason this cucumber smoothie works without a banana. Cucumber brings a cool, mild flavor, but it needs something creamy alongside it. I use avocado for that body, then blend in nut milk and ice until the drink is smooth and frothy.
That was the idea behind my original cucumber smoothie video: a creamy green drink without banana, pineapple or other sweet fruit doing the thickening. The cucumber stays the main flavor. A little sugar-free honey rounds it out without turning it into a fruit smoothie.
Peel the cucumber and measure the pieces after peeling. The card uses 100 grams, because “half a cucumber” can mean very different amounts depending on what you buy. A large, seedy cucumber can be scraped out with a spoon; an English cucumber usually has smaller seeds. Cut it into chunks that your blender can handle.
I use 50 grams of avocado, about a quarter of a medium fruit. It is enough to give the liquid some body without making this a bowl of avocado puree. The two cups of nut milk keep it pourable, and the ice makes it cold and frothy. Blend until the ice is fully broken down, then pour right away while the texture is at its best.
The base recipe makes one smoothie, estimated at 206 calories and 5.6g net carbs. Those numbers depend on the milk and sweetener you use. Choose unsweetened nut milk and a honey substitute intended for low carb recipes; regular honey and sweetened milk change the calculation.
Ways to change the flavor
Start with the base recipe so you can taste the cucumber, then add one flavor at a time. A few mint leaves give it a fresh finish; a small squeeze of lime adds tartness. Grated ginger brings warmth, so begin with a little and taste before adding more.
For a berry version, blend in a small portion of strawberries or raspberries and adjust the sweetener afterward. Berries change both the color and the carbs.
Unflavored or vanilla protein powder is another option. Its sweetness and thickening power depend on the product, so start with part of a serving and adjust the liquid as needed. These are optional variations, rather than additions included in the listed nutrition.
Storage and meal prep
This smoothie is best just after blending. The ice melts and the mixture can separate as it sits, so it will lose some of that frothy texture.
To prepare ahead, portion the peeled cucumber and avocado into a freezer container. Add the nut milk, sweetener and ice when you blend; start with less ice if the produce is frozen, then adjust to the texture you want. Use a blender designed to handle frozen ingredients.
If you need to save a blended portion, cover and refrigerate it promptly at 40°F or below, then stir or blend again before drinking. Preparing the produce ahead gives a fresher texture than storing the finished smoothie.
How to make a cucumber smoothie
Prepare the produce. Wash the cucumber before peeling, then weigh 100 grams of the peeled pieces. Measure 50 grams of avocado.
Blend. Add the cucumber, avocado, one cup of ice, two cups of unsweetened nut milk and one tablespoon of sugar-free honey to a blender suitable for crushing ice.
Check the texture. Blend until smooth with no pieces of ice remaining, then pour and serve right away.
What each ingredient does
Cucumber provides the fresh flavor; avocado supplies the creamy body. Ice chills and thickens the drink, while the nut milk keeps it sippable. I used macadamia nut milk in the original recipe. Unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk beverage are alternatives, but thick canned coconut milk is a different ingredient.
The sugar-free honey is for sweetness. You can leave it out or adjust to taste after blending. A concentrated sweetener is not a tablespoon-for-tablespoon substitute for syrup; follow its label.
Wash and peel the cucumber, then weigh 100 g of peeled pieces. Add to a blender with the ice, avocado, unsweetened nut milk and sugar-free honey. Use a blender suitable for crushing ice.
2
Blend
Blend until smooth and all of the ice is pulverized. Pour and enjoy right away.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 smoothie
Calories
206
Fat
16.4g
Protein
3.6g
Total carbs
23.9g
Net carbs
5.6g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between an English cucumber and a regular one?
I use English cucumbers for this recipe because the seeds are so small you can't taste or feel them once blended. Regular cucumbers have bigger, more noticeable seeds that can add a slightly bitter taste. If you only have regular cucumbers, I scrape the seeds out with a spoon before blending. Either way, always peel them first.
Is cucumber low in carbs?
Yes, and that's a big part of why I use it. A half cucumber (about 100g) has roughly 4g net carbs, so it's one of the lowest-carb vegetables you can put in a blender. I reach for cucumber over fruits like pineapple or mango specifically because I get that fresh flavor without the sugar hit.
Can I add protein powder to this smoothie?
I do this all the time when I want it to be a full breakfast. One scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder blends right in without changing the taste. I've tried chocolate protein powder too, but it fights with the cucumber flavor, so I'd stick with vanilla or unflavored. If you want a smoothie that's built around protein, my chocolate peanut butter smoothie is a better fit for that.
What's the best substitute for avocado if I don't have any?
I've tried a few alternatives. Plain Greek yogurt is my go-to swap because it still gives you that creamy texture and adds some protein. Full-fat coconut cream works too if you want to keep it dairy-free. The smoothie won't be quite as thick without the avocado, so I add a few extra ice cubes to compensate.
Can I freeze cucumber chunks ahead of time for smoothies?
I peel and chunk the cucumber, spread the pieces on a baking sheet, freeze for about an hour, then transfer to a bag. When I blend with frozen cucumber, I cut the ice in half. The texture comes out thicker and you get a stronger cucumber flavor because the frozen chunks don't water it down the way ice does.
Can this smoothie help with bloating?
I've noticed this settles my stomach better than fruit-heavy smoothies, and I think the cucumber deserves most of the credit. Cucumber is mostly water and has a mild diuretic quality, so I reach for this when I feel puffy or overheated. This is not medical advice, but between the hydration from the cucumber and the healthy fat from the avocado, I feel lighter after drinking this than I do after most keto breakfasts.
How many calories are in this cucumber smoothie?
The way I make it (with macadamia nut milk and a quarter avocado), it comes to roughly 200 calories and about 6g net carbs per serving. Most of the calories come from the avocado and the nut milk, so if you switch to a lower-fat milk or use less avocado, the number drops. I've never stressed over the calorie count on this one because it keeps me full for hours.
Can I make this without a high-speed blender?
I've made this in a basic blender and it worked fine. The key is to peel the cucumber (skin jams up cheaper blades) and cut everything into small chunks. I also blend in two rounds: ice and liquid first, then add the cucumber and avocado. It takes a little longer but you still get a smooth result. If your blender really struggles with ice, frozen cucumber chunks actually blend easier than fresh because they shatter apart faster. If you enjoy cold blended drinks, my cold brew coffee is another one that doesn't need fancy equipment.
Is this the same as a cucumber shake?
People search for this drink both ways, and I treat them as the same thing. Whether you call it a shake or a smoothie, in my kitchen it's cucumber and avocado blended with nut milk and ice until thick and creamy. The avocado gives it that milkshake-like body , so this cucumber shake recipe drinks a lot richer than the thin, watery versions you might expect. When I want it closer to a frozen shake, I add a little more ice and pull back on the nut milk to keep it thick.
What fruits blend well with cucumber?
Strawberries and raspberries are my favorites here. I toss in 1/4 cup sliced berries and skip the extra sweetener because they bring enough of their own. A couple tablespoons of fresh lime juice works too. I skip pineapple and mango because the sugar defeats the low carb point of this smoothie.
Is cucumber in a smoothie good for you?
Cucumber is about 96% water, so it makes this one of the most hydrating things I blend. The full smoothie comes in at 206 calories and 5.6g net carbs, and the quarter avocado adds the fat that keeps me full until lunch instead of hungry an hour later.
Bit of a confession, I bag the cucumber and avocado in portions on Sunday so I can dump one straight in the blender before work. Under two minutes, done. Thanks.
You can use dairy milk, but calculate it in place of the nut milk rather than adding its carbs on top of the full original estimate. Milk labels vary; two cups of regular milk typically contribute about 24g total carbs from lactose. Use the label on your carton for the substitution.
Peeling the cucumber all the way (not just partway) makes it cleaner tasting, worth the extra minute. I was skeptical about cold avocado in a smoothie, but the fat keeps it from tasting like cucumber water and actually gives it body. First smoothie I’ve seriously wanted to make again. Does the cucumber-to-avocado ratio matter or is it pretty forgiving? Only smoothie I’ve bookmarked in two years, Annie.
The ratio matters, but it’s forgiving going up on avocado and less so on cucumber. Add more cucumber without more fat to balance it and you get watery smoothie again. I’ve tried it with 75g avocado and it goes richer, almost mousse-y, but still drinks fine. Quarter is the sweet spot for actual smoothie texture. Full peel is smart. I’ve been lazy with partial peel, going to switch.
I’ve never put avocado in a smoothie before and I’m a little hesitant. If I use less than the quarter it calls for, will the texture still come out thick, or does it need the full amount?
My daughter has been skeptical of anything green since she was about five, so when she asked me to make this again the next morning I almost fell over. She kept calling it ‘the cold avocado drink’ and I didn’t correct her. I was honestly surprised how thick it got from the avocado, I expected something watery but it blended up creamy and smooth in under two minutes like the recipe says. We’ve made it three times this week.
Couldn’t see how cucumber would work in a blender without tasting like salad water, but the avocado completely transforms it. Thick and creamy, nothing vegetal.
Made this maybe five times now and this last batch I used less nut milk than the recipe calls for (forgot to check before I poured) and it came out thicker, almost a soft-serve texture. Not sure if that’s just me but I kind of prefer it that way.
I stopped making smoothies when I went keto because every recipe I had started with banana. Finding out that avocado gives you the same thick, creamy texture without the carbs felt like getting something back I’d actually missed. Been making this every spring morning since.
Spring mornings are exactly when I pull this out. If you haven’t tried freezing the cucumber chunks ahead of time, it’s worth it – peel, chunk, freeze on a sheet pan, then bag. Keeps it colder without watering it down.
Swapped nut milk for canned coconut milk, just because that’s what I had. Completely different texture. Way richer, and the cucumber actually came through instead of getting buried. Didn’t expect much without banana but it works. Might add lime next time.
Hey, canned coconut milk has way more fat than nut milk so that richness makes sense. Cucumber not getting buried tracks too. Lime before blending, just squeeze it in.
Cucumber in a smoothie sounded like a punishment to me, but the avocado makes it so thick and creamy it barely registers there’s no banana. Had it this morning and I’m already thinking about tomorrow’s.
Tip that made a difference for me: freeze your cucumber chunks ahead of time and cut the ice in half. It comes out thicker and the cucumber flavor actually comes through more. Tried it on a whim this week and I won’t go back.
Same. Spread them on a baking sheet first so they freeze individually instead of in a clump. The cucumber flavor thing is real, most people don’t notice until they try it.
I made this on a whim Sunday morning when my daughter was complaining nothing sounded good, and she is the kid who will flat-out refuse anything that looks green. She took one sip and went quiet. Not disgusted quiet, thinking quiet. Then she said ‘wait, is that cucumber?’ like she was trying to solve a mystery. She drank the whole thing and then asked me to write down what I put in it so she could make it herself. I couldn’t believe the avocado makes it that creamy without any banana. I’ve been putting banana in every smoothie for years thinking that was the only way to get that texture. I’m obsessed with this.
Ha, the ‘is that cucumber?’ thing is exactly how I felt the first time I made it. The avocado replaces banana so well it kind of broke my brain. She’s got good taste.
