This yummy mango banana smoothie is sweetly spiced with cardamom and cinnamon and gets a boost of hidden veggies from cauliflower…but it tastes like a treat!

If I’ve made it to 3PM and realize I’m behind in the fruit + veg department (yes, this happens to dietitians too) I love a mid-afternoon smoothie to help me catch up.
And this sunny mango smoothie, blended with banana, cauliflower and cardamom, feels like a sweet treat to help power you through the rest of your day instead of raiding the candy bin and crashing out in 30 minutes.
I think of this as more of a snack smoothie, as it doesn’t contain a protein source…but you could totally add a protein powder – I recommend vanilla! – and enjoy this tropical treat for breakfast or post-workout.
As much as I love my green smoothies, it’s fun to change it up every once in a while, so I wanted to sneak a bit of veg in with cauliflower instead.
I was thinking of mango lassi when I decided to add cardamom to the mix – if you’ve been here a while, you KNOW I love cardamom! – and spices help to mask any off flavours from the cauliflower while also dialling up the flavour a notch. But there’s no yogurt in this smoothie – instead, the silky texture comes from banana – so it’s totally dairy free.
You could totally play around with add ons like rosewater, saffron or even a tiny bit of clove (a little goes a LONG waay!). I love adding spices to my smoothie, as they’re packed with beneficial phytochemicals and they’re sitting in your drawer anyways so you might as well use them, right???
Looking for more plant-based recipes with the flavour dialled waaaaay up? Grab a copy of my latest cookbook Plant Magic!
A couple of hot tips about this mango smoothie with cauliflower
As with most smoothies, you want at least one frozen element for the best flavour and texture. If you’re using fresh mango (lucky you!) then use frozen banana and/or cauliflower. And vice versa.


More yummy veggie smoothies:
- Cherry Beet Power Smoothie (23g protein!)
- 5 Minute Raw Carrot and Fresh Ginger Smoothie
- Cucumber Smoothie with Kiwi + Mint
- 5 Minute Turmeric Ginger Smoothie with Greens
- Blueberry Spinach Smoothie (Iron-rich!)

Quick Mango Cardamom Smoothie with Cauliflower
Equipment
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High Speed Blender or a strong bullet blender!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk I like vanilla
- 1 cup mango chunks fresh or frozen
- ½ medium banana fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup finely chopped or riced cauliflower use up to 1/2 cup if you like!
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional
- your favourite sweetener to taste, if your mango isn’t sweet!
Instructions
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Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 60 seconds, until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness with your favourite sweetener, if needed!

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