Orange Ginger Sunshine Smoothie

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Ginger gives me goosebumps.

Not in weird way. More in like an “oh snap, I just got a delightfully surprising mouthful of zesty goodness” kind of way.

Vertical oblique overhead image of glass filled with a smoothie garnished with a thin orange slice, on a white surface with a black background, printed with orange and white text in the top third and at the bottom of the frame.

My mom is a natural healer, so using food as medicine has always been a familiar concept in my kitchen. Sure, I’ve popped a few pink tablets or cracked a bubbly lemon-lime soda when a stomachache has hit.

But this is not my go-to.

Not only is my produce drawer never without a handful of knobby ginger roots, but occasionally, I’m packing.

What? You don’t carry smashed slivers of medicinal rhizomes on you?

Oblique overhead shot of a smoothie in a glass with a thin slice of orange for garnish, on a white surface with a black background.

Particularly after a long night of one (or four…) too many boozy beverages, I often head out the door with a water bottle full of the spicy nuggets, to get a little spark in my Saturday step.

Often, when I’m just craving a comforting oomph of ginger’s herbaceous notes, I steep it in hot water with lemon and honey. No tummy troubles required (thought it can certainly help to ease those as well). I sprinkle fresh ginger’s sharp flavor all throughout my cooking (seriously, I wouldn’t whip up a stir-fry without it), but adore it equally when it is on its own, plain as can be.

Ginger settles me and grounds my mind in a way that practically no other ingredient can. Even if I simply feel like hopping on the health train and doing my insides a solid, you better believe fresh ginger will make an appearance in my morning smoothie.

Vertical oblique overhead image of a glass filled with a smoothie and garnished with a fresh orange slice, on a speckled gray surface.

In a pinch, I’ve undoubtedly used high-quality orange juice to buzz up this frothy fruit-bomb – but there’s nothing like the sweetness of fresh, juicy oranges or something homemade like our strawberry mint orange juice for even more flavor.

Not to mention, if you’re sourcing the fruit straight from, well, the fruit, you’re in charge of the sugar. I skip the OJ, and opt for a few extra squirts of honey if I’m craving something more on the sweet side.

Almond milk adds a nutty, creamy factor that can easily be swapped out for your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk of choice. If your hydration game isn’t so strong, trickle in some coconut water for a refreshing twist.

Also, a few pineapples never hurt nobody (and only bring out the lively yellow hue of this vibrant beverage even harder).

Vertical oblique overhead image of a glass filled with homemade smoothie, with an orange slice for garnish, on a white background.

This tropical drink is dubbed “sunshine smoothie” thanks to its vivacious golden glow. If something in me is screaming for a salad first thing in the a.m., I like to toss in a handful of kale. You won’t get the same brightness in the color, but your body will thank you nonetheless.

I prefer to hide kale. Even from myself.

High-powered blenders do a number on macerating the ingredients, but since ginger tends to be fibrous, I occasionally slide my finished product through a super fine strainer and pour the whole thing over ice.

To each his own.

It doesn’t matter how the sunshine smoothie sets, as long as it goes down.

… or something more eloquent. Anywho, bottoms up!

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Overhead horizontal closely cropped image of a frothy smoothie in a glass with a thin slice of orange on the rim for garnish.

Orange Ginger Sunshine Smoothie

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  • Author: Fanny Slater
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 cups 1x
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Description

Invigorate your taste buds with this vibrant nutrient-packed smoothie. It’s gushing with juicy oranges, spicy ginger, and honey.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 large seedless navel oranges, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2-inch wedge ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 banana, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup crushed ice

Instructions

  1. In a high-powered blender, pulse the oranges, ginger, almond milk, banana, honey, and ice until very frothy and smooth.
  2. Taste for sweetness and if needed, add more honey. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a vegan version, substitute agave syrup for the honey.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Smoothies
  • Method: Blender, No-Cook
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: smoothie, orange, ginger

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Peel and Chop the Oranges

Trim the ends off of the top and bottom of the oranges so they sit flat on your cutting board. Using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, remove the skin.

Horizontal image of an orange with about half of the peel sliced away, on a blonde wooden cutting board with more whole fruit in soft focus in the background.

Slice the orange in half and roughly chop the flesh. Remove any seeds.

Horizontal overhead image of orange supremes in the bottom of a clear plastic blender canister, on a gray surface.

Place the oranges into a high-speed blender.

Step 2 – Peel and Chop the Ginger

Using a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife, peel the skin away from the ginger root.

Horizontal image of an orange and a knob of ginger on a wooden cutting board.

You can also use the back of a spoon to scrape off the skin.

Closeup overhead horizontal image of a thinly sliced peeled piece of fresh ginger, on a tan wooden cutting board.

Roughly chop the ginger and place it into the blender with the oranges.

Step 3 – Add the Remaining Ingredients

Pour the almond milk over the oranges and ginger.

Horizontal overhead image of sliced banana and orange supremes in a blender with a clear plastic canister, on a kitchen countertop.

Add the banana.

Closeup vertical image of honey being squeezed from a clear plastic container with a yellow top into a blender filled with sliced oranges and banana.

Drizzle honey over the top. Then add the ice.

Overhead horizontal image of crushed ice and fruit in the clear plastic canister of a blender, on a gray kitchen countertop.

You want to be sure to add the ingredients in this order, starting with liquids and layering on harder ingredients like ice so they are the furthest from the blade. If your smoothie loads from the bottom, add your ingredients in reverse order.

Step 4 – Blend

On high speed, pulse the ingredients until they are very frothy.

Horizontal closely cropped overhead image of a frothy pale orange smoothie in the bottom of a clear plastic blender canister, on a beige surface.

Taste for sweetness and add more honey if needed. Divide between two tall glasses and drink immediately.

Vertical image of a homemade smoothie being poured from a clear and black plastic pitcher into a glass, garnished with a slice of fresh fruit, on a gray kitchen countertop.

For a super smooth version of this smoothie, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any small particles of ginger and enjoy over ice. Keep in mind that this will remove some of the healthy dietary fiber, which helps to slow the absorption of sugar from the fruit in the body.

Sunshine You Can Sip

You don’t need to have the sniffles to treat your body to this vitamin C-heavy smoothie. But if you are under the weather, the ginger will help to settle your stomach, and the orange will offer a boost of immunity.

The fact that it’s delicious also doesn’t hurt.

A little green is always a good idea for a boost of healthy nutrients, so sneak in some spinach or kale when no one’s looking.

Overhead horizontal closely cropped image of a frothy smoothie in a glass with a thin slice of orange on the rim for garnish.

I can’t get enough of ginger’s healing properties, and my body agrees. If your fridge is overloaded with the spice like mine is, try whipping up these recipes featuring the magical root:

I’m a sucker for vanilla almond milk, but the liquid possibilities that you can add to smoothies are endless. Pineapple juice, coconut water, soy milk… the list goes on and on.

What do you use to thin out your icy creations? Share your go-to’s in the comments below! And don’t forget to give this recipe a five-star rating if you loved it.

Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on March 14, 2015. Last updated: May 30, 2023 at 13:28 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Fanny Slater

Fanny Slater is a home-taught food enthusiast based in Wilmington, North Carolina who won the “Rachael Ray Show” Great American Cookbook Competition in 2014, and published her cookbook “Orange, Lavender & Figs” in 2016. Fanny is a food and beverage writer, recipe developer, and social media influencer. She was a co-host on the Food Network series “Kitchen Sink,” was featured on Cooking Channel’s longtime popular series “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” and continues to appear regularly on the “Rachael Ray Show.”

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7 thoughts on “Orange Ginger Sunshine Smoothie”

  4. I don’t tend to like heavy + creamy smoothies so the idea of a frothy, icy treat is much more appealing. Especially that colour!

    Reply

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