Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie)
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Updated Oct 05, 2026
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This refreshing Licuado de Nopal (Cactus Smoothie) is one of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh nopales beyond the savory Mexican dishes I grew up eating. Made with raw nopal, cucumber, fresh lime juice, and water, it’s light, tart, and comes together in just 2 minutes.
I first learned about this simple licuado from my friend Ania more than a decade ago, when we discovered our shared love of nopales during a Christmas gathering. She told me she drank a nopal smoothie every morning and shared her simple combination with me. I’ve been making my own version ever since.
Why This Is Muy Bueno
What I love most about this cactus smoothie is its simplicity. My version uses just four ingredients: fresh raw nopal, cucumber, lime juice, and water. There’s no added sugar, dairy, or complicated prep.
I also like to clean and slice several nopal paddles at once, portion them into freezer bags, and keep them frozen for smoothies. That little bit of prep makes this 2-minute licuado especially easy to blend in the morning.
Ingredients
You only need four simple ingredients to make my licuado de nopal:
- Nopal: Use a fresh, cleaned cactus paddle with the spines removed. You can use it fresh or frozen. Learn how to clean and prepare nopales.
- Cucumber: Peel and chop it before blending.
- Lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice gives the smoothie its bright, tart flavor.
- Water: Use more as needed for a thinner consistency.
- Crushed ice, optional: For a colder, frostier smoothie.
How to Make Licuado de Nopal
This cactus smoothie takes just a couple of minutes to make. If you’re starting with a whole cactus paddle, first clean and prepare the nopal by removing the spines and trimming the edges. You can use the nopal fresh or use some that you’ve already sliced and frozen.
Step 1: Add the ingredients. Place the nopal, cucumber, fresh lime juice, water, and crushed ice, if using, in a blender.
Step 2: Blend. Blend until smooth, adding a little more water if needed to reach your preferred consistency.
Licuado de Nopal Variations
I love this licuado de nopal as written, but it’s also easy to customize depending on what you have on hand or how sweet you like your smoothies.
- Adjust the consistency: For a thinner smoothie, add a little more water and blend until smooth.
- Coconut water: Replace the water with coconut water.
- Add fruit: Blend in frozen pineapple, mango, banana, or berries for natural sweetness.
- Lemon instead of lime: Fresh lemon juice works well if you don’t have lime.
Have you tried another fruit combination with nopal? Let me know in the comments. I always love hearing how you make these recipes your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. I use cleaned, raw nopal in this licuado. There’s no need to cook it first. If you’re starting with a whole cactus paddle, be sure to remove the spines and trim the edges before washing and adding it to the blender. See my guide to preparing nopales for step-by-step instructions.
I like to cube and freeze my cleaned nopales before making this smoothie. Blend the ingredients thoroughly, and add a little more water as needed until you reach your preferred consistency.
Look for fresh nopales in the produce section of Mexican or Latin markets and many well-stocked supermarkets. You may find whole cactus paddles with the spines intact or nopales that have already been cleaned and trimmed.
I enjoy this licuado as written, but you can blend in pineapple, mango, banana, or berries for natural sweetness.
More Nopal Recipes
Did you make this Licuado de Nopal? I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below.
Ingredients
- ½ cup nopal (cactus paddle), cleaned, spines removed, and sliced
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 cup water
- crushed ice, optional
Instructions
- Add the nopal, cucumber, lime juice, water, and crushed ice, if using, to a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Add additional water as needed to reach your preferred consistency.
Notes
- Meal-prep tip: I like to clean and slice fresh nopales, portion them into freezer bags, and freeze them for smoothies. You can blend the nopal straight from frozen.
- Consistency: For a thinner licuado, blend longer or add a little more water.
- Coconut water: You can replace the water with coconut water if you prefer.
- Sweeter smoothie: For natural sweetness, blend in frozen pineapple, mango, banana, or berries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jeanine Thurston & Jenna Sparks
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.