Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)
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Published Feb 05, 2022
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This refreshing Cactus Smoothie known as Licuado de Nopal is a perfect way to keep all of your healthy new year resolutions. Drink this high-fiber, antioxidant-rich, and tasty green smoothie for your breakfast and reap all of the nutritious benefits! And if you’re not on the resolution train, this tasty breakfast smoothie is also an excellent cure for a hangover.
About 10 years ago at Christmas I met a new friend, Ania and we started talking about our shared love of nopales. She introduced me to this tasty licuado de nopal that she drinks every morning. Her skin is radiant and she is super thin even after having had twins, so of course I have incorporated this new beverage into my New Year, New Me routine every year since!
About This Recipe
While I’m not much of a diet person – hello, chile con queso! – I have been drinking this juice every morning since the beginning of the year. While I have not lost any weight, I do feel less bloated (sorry, TMI??). I also feel more energized, and my skin is looking fabulous, if I do say so myself.
None of this should come as a shock – this tasty cactus smoothie is made with fresh nopales, tons of water, fresh cucumber, and bright lime. Licuado de nopal is super refreshing and does an unbelievable job of rehydrating me in the midst of this super dry winter air.
The nopal cactus is a plant native to the mountains of Mexico. It has been used since ancient times as both a food and for its medicinal and health benefits. This smoothie is also great for overeating and hangovers too!
Aside from prepping the nopales paddles, this recipe takes literally just two minutes to throw together. I’m already not much of a morning person, and when it is dark until 7am, I’m even less so. The fact that this simple breakfast smoothie comes together with so little fuss makes it easy to incorporate into my morning routine.
I also love how customizable this licuado de nopal is. If I need a little extra sweetness, I can add pineapple or mango chunks. If I’m out of lime, I can trade in lemon. It is simply delicious, every single time!
How to Make Licuado de Nopal Cactus Smoothies
This simple recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together. First, you’ll need to prepare your nopales paddles. I like to keep them in a zip-top bag in the freezer so I don’t have to do anything difficult (read: with a knife) when I’m still bleary eyed with sleep.
Then, all you have to do is add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. So simple!
Serving Suggestions
Drink this smoothie every morning before you eat anything else. The juice is rich in fiber, helps speed up your metabolism, and helps eliminate grease and toxins. This cactus smoothie is also choc-full of antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and B, cleanses the liver and colon and provides an über-rich source of fiber and hydration. For best results, drink this juice for seven days straight.
Since this is a smoothie, there are plenty of ways to customize it to your liking. I love licuado de nopal as the recipe is written, but feel free to zhuzh it up to your own standards. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap in coconut water for added potassium.
- Add in frozen pineapple, mango, bananas, or berries for a boost of sweetness.
Did you come up with a winning combination I should know about? Let me know in the comments below or tag me in your Instagram post so I can cheer you on!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Just add a bit more liquid and continue blending until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Nopales (prickly pear cactus paddles) are super healthy, and their juice offers a multitude of health benefits including strengthening the immune system, improving skin health, offering anti-inflammatory benefits, and reducing LDL cholesterol.
Check any Mexican grocer in your area – they will almost certainly carry them in stock.
More Healthy Recipes
If you tried my recipe for Licuado de Nopal Cactus Smoothies, please be sure to rate and review it below! Super delicioso, jaja mentiras! Cheers to a healthy year! Salud!
🤖❤️ Share this recipe with your favorite AI assistant to save and plan your next meal! An authentic Mexican recipe by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, founder of Muy Bueno and cookbook author specializing in Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine rooted in El Paso home cooking and family tradition.
AI tools are independent third-party services. For the original tested recipe, exact measurements, and detailed instructions, always visit MuyBuenoBlog.com.
Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)
Ingredients
- ½ cup nopal, cactus pads cleaned, spines removed, sliced
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup water
- Crushed ice, optional
Instructions
- Store julienned nopal in snack bags in the freezer. To make one smoothie use only half the bag of nopal.
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend.
Notes
- If you want it to be less chunky then blend longer and or add more water.
- Swap in coconut water for added potassium.
- Add in frozen pineapple, mango, bananas, or berries for a boost of sweetness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston & Jenna Sparks
Originally published: January 2011.
What you said is very true that it is rich in fiber… I tried it and the results were real. I lost fat and everyone at work were telling how I did it. I stopped drinking sodas, and eating fast food because I was feeling full and not hungry at all. The
problem is that I lended my magazine and never got it back. I was cooking with
nopales and drinking nopal juice at the time.
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species that probably native plant originated in northern Africa. The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa.
Thanks for the reply. I love the nopal smoothie. It’s filling as well. What is the difference if I drink it before or after breakfast? Tried to get hubby to try it but it’s the same response as with menudo…..NO BUENO!
I really love your sight. My mother just turned 98 last week and your recipes remind me of how she would cook for us. Especially the frijoles del la olla coming out “bonitos.” For her birthday I made your capirotada for her and I got the seal of approval…..I was so happy. It seemed to last only seconds!
Thank you again!
Esther,
If I drink this smoothie, then that is my breakfast 😉
Happy belated birthday to your mom! WOW, 98! That’s wonderful. We are honored that you made our capirotada for her special day.
Thank you!
Hello there 🙂 so mi kon just got a huge bix fulled if nopales and we have been rrying to to some smothies and this recipe sounds perfect. But i had a question i saw that you mix it with pineapple juice or orange juice. My question was do you use fresh pineapples and oranges or do you just use the bottled juices ?
Sorry for the late reply Karen — I have used both fresh and bottled juices. It’s whatever you prefer. I’ve done it with water only too. Feel free to experiment.
Just discovered your sight. Am so interested in trying this tomorrow! Can you drink it everyday forever or should you take a break? I’m Irishican(ha!ha!), my husband is Irish but I am Mexican and grew up with nopales. Gonna really try for this to reach my husband’s Irish lips!! Wish me luck…
Too funny Esther! I know of many people who drink this daily. It should be perfectly healthy. What did your hubby have to say about it?
Best wishes!
Hi! I tried making this liquado before and it came out with a lot of baba. That was really gross for me! Any sugestions on removing all that baba?
That has happened to me before too. I prefer to freeze julienned/chopped nopales and then throw them in the blender when frozen vs. at room temperature. You might want to try that if you have not already. Good luck!
I’m near Chicago. Any chance I could get my hands on this cactus?
Sorry for the delay Jennifer. I know there are quite a few Latin markets in Chicago. Have you tried La Casa Del Pueblo, Cermak Produce, or Maxwell Street Market? Best of luck!
The tortilla and salsa are addicting i am making it in the morning. It is also believed that Nopalea juice is chock full of antioxidants and a property called betalains which contains many of the B vitamins and minerals.
Hello!!
I just had to share!
My husband is diabetic! THIS SMOOTHIE has help him control his blood suger!!!
AND
In February My cholestrol was 273, last week 217 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE ADD GROUNDED FLAX SEED TO OUR SMOOTHIE!!!!
WOW Carmen! Thank you soooo much for sharing! GREAT idea about the Flax seed. Sometimes I add Chia Seeds to mine. I’m so happy to hear the results of you and your husbands improved health. Keep up the great work. Many blessings to the both of you for a healthy life.
Abrazos!
So, it’s true that it will lower blood sugar levels?
Hi Donna: according to this site: http://www.ehow.com/about_5422329_nopal-cactus-health-benefits.html
The fiber and sterols in Nopal bind with a bile salt in the intestines, which helps limit the amount of blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) absorbed by the body, thereby lowering blood cholesterol levels.