Learn how to make aloe vera juice at home with 2 ingredients. With just a few easy steps, you can enjoy a homemade elixir that captures the essence of aloe vera's nourishing properties. I share how to cut an aloe leaf plant to get the gel and how to use it to create an aloe vera drink that suits your taste and diet.
Crafting your own aloe vera juice not only ensures the freshness of the ingredients but also allows you to customize the flavor to your liking. Whether you seek a refreshing detox drink or wish to incorporate more natural remedies into your routine, learning how to make aloe vera juice is a step toward embracing the holistic qualities of this remarkable plant.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: None, just a 1 minute blend
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 1
- ⚡ Calories: 7kcal per serving without sweetener, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: 1 aloe vera leaf and filtered water or coconut water, with optional honey, agave or maple syrup and lemon or lime juice
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Light and clean, like an aloe water drink
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a knife, a spoon and a blender
Quick Answer
Wash 1 aloe vera leaf and slice off the top, bottom and spiky sides. Peel open the leaf or slice off one side, then scoop out the clear gel with a sharp knife or spoon and rinse it under water until perfectly clear. Discard the green skin and any yellow or green colored gel. Add 2 tablespoons of the clear gel to a blender with 1 cup water or coconut water, plus optional sweetener and citrus juice, blend 1 minute and enjoy right away.
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Be sure to use this recipe in our other healing juice recipes like celery juice, parsley juice, and beet juice.
Why You Rinse the Gel So Carefully
Click to see why it works
- The green skin and any yellow or green colored gel is toxic so make sure to remove that and wash it again after opening and completely discard the skin.
- You want the gel to be perfectly clear. Hold it with your hands under water or rinse it in a bowl with filtered water.
- Oxidation starts right away. Once the aloe plant is cut it can start to oxidize immediately, so cut about 2 inches off the whole leaf at a time and store the rest in the refrigerator.
- Aloin sits between the leaf and the gel. Be cautious when handling this yellowish sap, as it can cause skin irritation for some individuals and be toxic causing a laxative effect.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple and rewarding. Making aloe vera juice at home allows you to harness the natural benefits of this versatile plant.
- Easy to do and costs way less than store-bought aloe vera.
- Only 15 minutes, plus tips on how to cut an aloe plant properly!
- Use any extra gel for homemade hand sanitizer.
- Renowned for its potential health advantages, ranging from soothing skin irritations like sunburn to supporting digestion. Many people enjoy an aloe juice drink for hydration and digestion.
Drink Ingredients
Only two ingredients are needed and a spoon or knife to scoop out the aloe gel from the inside of the leaves.
- One large aloe vera leaf - organic optional.
- Fresh water - or coconut water.
- Optional - 2 tablespoons of honey, agave or maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice for flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Choose an Aloe Leaf
- Size and Color: Choose a leaf that is large, plump, and vibrant green.
- Thickness: Look for leaves that are thick and fleshy. Thin or shriveled leaves may indicate dehydration and might not contain as much gel.
- Consistency: The leaf should be firm but slightly yielding. Avoid leaves that feel excessively soft or mushy.
- Leaf Appearance: Look for leaves without blemishes, spots, or discoloration.
- Base of the Leaf: Choose a leaf that is cut cleanly from the plant rather than torn.
- Age of the Leaf: Select leaves from the outer part of the plant, as these are generally older.
- Avoid Yellowing: Avoid leaves that are turning yellow, as this may indicate over-maturity or potential deterioration of the gel.
What Is Aloe Vera
The aloe vera plant is a succulent with amazing medicinal properties which you can learn about aloe genus plants here. When the clear gel is ingested internally like in an aloe vera drink, it may offer some benefits as it has antibacterial properties, enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and may help settle an upset stomach.
Benefits of Aloe Vera
Aloe also acts as a laxative as it contains aloin, known as barbaloin, which is the yellowish-brown found in between the leaf and the gel used to stimulate bowel movements and treating constipation. Although, too much can have toxic or severe side effects and is no longer allowed to be sold over-the-counter.
As a topical healer, pharmacologically aloe provides active ingredients for soothing sunburn and irritated skin, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties.
Internally: Aloe vera is being studied for its anti-inflammatory properties and its role in blood sugar and cholesterol. It also contains extremely high antioxidant compositions, which help protect cells from free radicals.
Aloe is being studied for its antibacterial properties and may help promote digestion and soothe an upset stomach.
Externally: When aloe is applied externally it regenerates damaged skin, and acts as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal healer. Use it to heal wounds and soothe sunburn. It can also promote hair growth (yes add it to gel and conditioners!).
Drinking aloe vera is a wonderful way to get all these benefits. My favorite being that it is a refreshing detox drink that supports digestion and hydration!
How to Make Aloe Vera Juice
1Prepare the leaf. First, wash the aloe leaf and using scissors or a knife, cut off the top and bottom ends off of the aloe leaf. Then slice the spikey sides off, removing the stings or thorns. From there you can peel open the leaf into two halves, or use a knife to slice off one side.
2Extract the gel. The green skin and any yellow or green colored gel is toxic so make sure to remove that and wash it again after opening and completely discard the skin. Using a sharp knife or spoon, scoop or scrape across the bottom of the plant to remove the clear slimy gel. Remove gel from the plant leaves and discard the leaves.
3Rinse. Hold the gel with your hands under water to rinse it off or rinse it in a bowl with filtered water. You want the gel to be perfectly clear.
4Blend. Add 2 tablespoons of the aloe vera gel to a blender with 1 cup of water, lime juice, and maple syrup or agave sweetener. Blend for 1 minute to combine. Pour the aloe vera juice into a cup and enjoy right away.
Alternately, you can use more aloe, and fill the blender with more water for aloe water or a favorite juice. See this measurement conversion chart for making cups into liters and gallons. I like to use this blender to make all my juices. It is high powered and great for any juicing recipes.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- How much to drink. A little goes a long way so I suggest drinking one glass per day of this aloe vera drink recipe for its health benefits. I keep it to one glass a day. Aloe can have a laxative effect, so start small, and check with your doctor first if you are pregnant, nursing, or take medication.
- Is aloe vera juice bad for kidneys? Side effects of consuming aloe vera gel are the skin of an aloe leaf contains toxins that can cause kidney failure. This is in an extreme version, or if there is an allergy to aloe. Make sure to discard and not consume any of the green or yellow from the aloe plant before using it in an aloe vera drink.
- Make it juicier. Add your favorite juice, coconut water, or more fresh lime or lemon juice and sweetener with the aloe gel. Or use coconut water in place of water for potassium and extra hydration.
- Refrigerate. If you've extracted aloe vera gel from a fresh leaf, store it in the refrigerator. Add a 1:1 ratio of honey to gel or use 500 mg vitamin c to ¼ cup of the gel (no water or added liquid) to preserve its freshness. I am able to store fresh aloe vera juice in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze. Add leftover gel to a one-inch ice cube tray to freeze and cover until ready to use. Freezing preserves the nutrients from oxidizing.
- Use the gel on skin. Moisturize skin and relieve sunburn, rub on the face to treat and prevent acne, and treat cuts, burns, and bee stings.
Ways to Use Aloe Vera Gel
You can add aloe vera gel to water with lemon or lime and a sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, Stevia sweetener, or juice. Alternatively you can add it to other juice recipes such as Orange Pineapple Juice, Mango Juice, Watermelon Juice, Detox Beet Juice, and Green Machine Juice.
Freeze any extra aloe vera gel or this aloe vera drink into small cubes and add it to smoothies such as Blueberry Banana Smoothie, Acai Bowls, Matcha Smoothie Bowls, Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie, and this Green Smoothie Recipe.
Be sure to try any aloe gel in this Hand Sanitizer Recipe.
Related drink recipes you may enjoy: Detox Beet Juice, Detox Water Recipes, Green Juice, Celery Juice Weight Loss Recipe, Carrot Juice for Skin and Grapefruit Juice.
Aloe Vera Juice FAQs
Use only the clear gel. Discard the green skin and any yellow or green colored gel, then rinse the gel until perfectly clear.
Add 2 tablespoons of the aloe vera gel to a blender with 1 cup of water, then blend for 1 minute.
It has a slight taste similar to an aloe water drink. Add your favorite juice, coconut water, or lime or lemon juice and sweetener to make it juicier.
I am able to store fresh aloe vera juice in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Yes. Add it to a one-inch ice cube tray to freeze and cover until ready to use, then add the cubes to smoothies.
Choose a leaf that is large, plump, and vibrant green, firm but slightly yielding, without blemishes, spots or yellowing.
More Fresh Juice Recipes
Try Detox Beet Juice, Green Juice or Celery Juice next. I hope you enjoy this homemade aloe vera juice! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Aloe Vera Juice Drink Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 aloe vera leaf (use 2 tablespoons for this juice recipe)
- 1 cup filtered drinking water or coconut water
- optional to add 2 tablespoons of honey, agave syrup, or maple syrup and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice for flavor
Instructions
- Wash the aloe plant and slice the top and bottom ends off of the aloe leaf using a knife. Then slice the sides off, removing the stings. From there you can peel open the leaf into two halves, or use a knife to slice off one side. The green skin and any yellow or green colored gel is toxic so make sure to remove that and wash it again after opening and completely discard the skin.
- Using a sharp knife or spoon, scoop or scrape across the bottom of the plant to remove the clear gel. Hold the gel with your hands under water, or dip it into a bowl of water to rinse it off.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the aloe vera gel to a blender with 1 cup of water (and any sweetener and citrus juice if desired - see notes below). Blend for 1 minute to combine and enjoy right away.
Elena says
After read your blog every one can easily know all the benefits of aloe vera Juice. thank you so much for sharing this useful information with us
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You're welcome!
Farha Khan says
Thanks for an amazing support that how to use aloe vera how to make aloe vera drink and important tips n suggestions.. thank you
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You are welcome! So glad you find this article helpful!
Hannab says
I was wondering how long this stays for in the fridge?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
This will last for about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. It is more potent in nutrients for the first 24-48 hours.
Fatima Chavez says
I did not know about the toxins in the skin and yellow juice. Excellent information. Thank you.
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You are welcome and glad it is helpful!
Kim Carlson says
THANKS for posting a simple recipe for using aloe vera gel!
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You are welcome Kim! 🙂