Can You Juice Microgreens? 5 Beginner Recipes That Actually Taste Good

Why microgreens juice so well

Microgreens are young vegetable greens harvested at 7–21 days old, and they punch far above their weight. Research has found they can contain many times the vitamins and antioxidants of their mature counterparts. For juicing, they have three big advantages: they are tender, so they press easily without jamming your juicer; they are mild, so they blend into the background of stronger flavors; and a small handful goes a long way — you don’t need a salad’s worth to get the benefit.

Best varieties for juicing — and one safety note

Reach for: sunflower (nutty, substantial, the beginner’s best friend), pea shoots (sweet and mild), broccoli sprouts and microgreens (the nutrition heavyweight), radish (peppery kick), and wheatgrass’s milder cousins like barley grass.

Skip: anything you wouldn’t eat raw in quantity, and be cautious with very potent varieties like mustard microgreens — a little goes a long way.

The 5 recipes

Sunflower Microgreen Pineapple Juice

The signature blend — sunshine in a glass

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sunflower microgreens
• 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger
• Ice, to serve

Steps:

1. Rinse the microgreens and produce well.
2. Juice the pineapple and cucumber first to build liquid in the collector.
3. Feed the microgreens through in small handfuls, alternating with ginger.
4. Stir well, pour over ice, and drink within 20 minutes for peak freshness.

Pea Shoot Apple Ginger Zinger

Sweet, mild, and kid-approved

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pea shoots
• 2 green apples, quartered
• 1/2 lemon, peeled
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger

Steps:

1. Juice the apples first.
2. Add pea shoots in handfuls, then the lemon and ginger.
3. Stir and serve immediately. Add a splash of sparkling water for a lighter spritzer.

Broccoli Sprout Citrus Cooler

The nutrition heavyweight

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup broccoli sprouts
• 2 oranges, peeled
• 1/2 grapefruit, peeled
• 1/2 cucumber

Steps:

1. Juice the citrus first.
2. Follow with cucumber, then the broccoli sprouts.
3. Stir well — citrus keeps this one bright and balanced. Drink fresh.

Radish Watermelon Refresher

Peppery kick meets summer sweet

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup radish microgreens
• 3 cups watermelon chunks (rind removed)
• A few fresh mint leaves
• Squeeze of lime

Steps:

1. Juice the watermelon — it produces plenty of liquid.
2. Add radish microgreens and mint.
3. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve ice-cold.

Sunflower Cucumber Mint Cooler

The green reset button

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sunflower microgreens
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 green apple
• 6–8 mint leaves

Steps:

1. Juice the cucumber and apple first.
2. Add microgreens and mint in alternating handfuls.
3. Serve over ice with an extra mint sprig. Clean, crisp, done.

Storing and growing notes

Fresh juice oxidizes quickly — drink it within 20 minutes for maximum nutrition, or store it airtight in the fridge (filled to the brim to minimize air) for up to 24 hours. And here’s the best part: you can grow your own microgreens on a windowsill in about 10 days with a tray, some soil, and seeds. Sunflower and pea shoots are the most forgiving for beginners, and home-grown tastes noticeably fresher than store-bought.

Want all of these organized with step-by-step guidance? The KJW Juice & Wellness app keeps guided juice recipes, microgreen growing guides, and wellness tips in one place — no account needed.

Masticating vs. centrifugal: does your juicer matter?

For microgreens, yes — quite a bit. Masticating (slow) juicers crush produce at low speed, which is ideal for delicate leafy greens: they extract more juice from microgreens, produce less foam and heat, and rarely clog. Centrifugal (fast) juicers work by spinning produce against a shredder basket; they handle hard produce brilliantly but tend to fling lightweight microgreens around the basket instead of juicing them, giving you lower yield and wetter pulp. If you only have a centrifugal juicer, you can still make every recipe here work — just pack the microgreens into tight little bundles, sandwich them between chunks of apple or cucumber, and feed everything through together. The firm produce acts like a plunger. But if you plan to juice greens regularly, a masticating juicer earns its counter space quickly.

Where to get microgreens (or grow your own)

Grocery stores increasingly carry sunflower and pea microgreens in the salad section, and farmers’ markets are a goldmine — fresher, cheaper, and the growers will tell you exactly when they were cut. For the freshest option, grow them yourself: it is genuinely one of the easiest gardening projects that exists. You need a shallow tray, potting soil, seeds, and a sunny windowsill. Soak sunflower seeds overnight, spread them densely on damp soil, cover for two days, then uncover and water daily. Harvest with scissors in 8–12 days when the first true leaves appear. A single tray yields several juicing sessions, and the cost per batch drops to pennies. Pea shoots are even more forgiving for first-timers.

Microgreen juicing FAQ

Can I juice microgreens every day?

For common varieties like sunflower, pea, and broccoli microgreens, daily juicing in normal recipe amounts is fine for most people. As with any concentrated food, variety is smart — rotate your greens through the week rather than juicing the same one every single day.

Do I need to wash store-bought microgreens?

Yes — a gentle rinse in cold water, then a spin or pat dry. Even pre-washed greens benefit from a quick rinse, and home-grown trays can carry bits of soil or seed hulls.

Can I blend microgreens instead of juicing?

Absolutely. Blending keeps all the fiber, which juicing removes. The trade-off is texture: blended microgreens can taste grassy and feel pulpy, so smoothies need a creamy base (banana, mango, yogurt) to carry them. Juicing gives you a cleaner, more refreshing drink; blending gives you more fiber. Both are valid — pick the texture you will actually drink regularly.

How long do fresh microgreens last?

In the fridge, wrapped loosely in a dry paper towel inside a container, most microgreens stay crisp for 5–7 days. Once they go slimy or smell off, compost them — do not juice them.