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Sweet and creamy Banana Smoothies are a great breakfast or snack, and their rich consistency even makes them perfect to enjoy as dessert. The best part is that when you combine them with different fruit and other ingredients, the flavor possibilities are endless. So here are over 15 banana smoothie recipes, plus helpful tips to make them extra delicious!
Why You’ll Love Banana Smoothies
Smoothies made with bananas might just be my favorite. Oh who am I kidding? Banana smoothies are absolutely my favorite. Just like all smoothies, they are cool and satisfying, but packed with wholesome ingredients. And you can enjoy them any time of the day, from a quick breakfast to a sweet dessert, or a snack any time in between. Here’s why they are the best…
- Just as good as ice cream. Adding frozen bananas to your blender makes smoothies that have a rich and creamy consistency. It’s almost like drinking a milkshake, but better for you!
- Sweet on their own. By letting them get overripe before using them in a smoothie, they add a natural sweetness so that you may not even need to add any extra sugar or other sweeteners.
- Endless flavor possibilities. Make it taste like dessert with chocolate, peanut butter, or other nuts. Go fruity with strawberries and blueberries. Take trip to the tropics by pairing it with mango or pineapple. Or let the flavor of the banana fade into the background and just use it as a creamy base for flavors like chai, mint, or pumpkin spice.
What You’ll Need
The main ingredient in a banana smoothie is, of course, bananas. While there are some smoothies recipes that call for just overripe bananas off of your counter, freezing them is what makes the smoothie thick and smooth. You can either freeze your bananas whole and cut them into chunks once frozen, or freeze the chunks. I’ve got all the details in my article about How to Freeze Bananas.
Besides the bananas, common smoothie ingredients include:
- Greens – unless you are specifically making a green smoothie, these are usually optional. You can use spinach, kale, or other dark leafy greens. Baby spinach tends to blend the best and have the most neutral flavor.
- Liquid – I prefer unsweetened almondmilk, but use your favorite non-dairy or dairy milk. Occasionally a recipe will call for water or fruit juice as the liquid.
- Powders and other dry ingredients – this is a great time to sneak in some extra nutrition or superfoods, and asjust the flavor.
- Even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, you can always add protein powder, flax or chia or hemp seeds, powdered sweeteners, collagen powder, and more.
- It never hurts to add a tiny pinch of salt to enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit or the nutty flavor of any nut butters you add.
- You can add a bit of honey, maple syrup, Stevia, Swerve, or your favorite sweetener if needed. This depends on how sweet your fruit is.
- Soft ingredients – yogurt, cottage cheese, nut butters, and cream cheese are all ways to add richness and a creamy texture to your banana smoothie, plus some added protein.
- Fresh fruit – some fruit flavors you may want to add to your smoothie don’t freeze well, so you can always add them fresh.
- Frozen fruit – besides your frozen bananas, you may want to add other fruit flavors. Using frozen fruit ensures you get a nice, thick smoothie.
- Ice – you’ll always want to adjust the amount based on how thick or frosty you like your smoothie. The more frozen fruit you add, the less ice you’ll need.
How to Make Banana Smoothies
You will typically want to add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed above. However, if you are using one of those blender cups that you flip upside down before blending, generally you’ll want to reverse this order.
- Start with leafy greens and liquid. It is best to add them first to ensure they are able to be broken down completely because they get submerged in the liquid.
- Add-ins and soft ingredients go next. This is because they break down and distribute in the liquid.
- Frozen fruit and ice are last. You do this to ensure they blend just enough to keep a thick texture and don’t melt completely.
- Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass, add a straw or some garnishes. Then enjoy!
The Best Banana Smoothie Recipes
Banana Smoothie
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Chai Smoothie
Blended Cold Brew Coffee Smoothie
Shamrock Shake Mint Smoothie
Chocolate Banana Pistachio Smoothie
Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
Chocolate Mint Smoothie
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie
Matcha Swirl Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Swirled Blueberry Banana Smoothie
More Recipes for Banana Smoothies
- Green Monster Smoothie – the surefire way to get in your leafy greens is this recipe from Shugary Sweets.
- Pineapple Banana Smoothie – this is a true taste of the tropics from Noble Pig.
- Avocado Banana Smoothie – enjoy something super satisfying with this recipe from Simple Green Smoothies.
Banana Smoothie Bowls
If you prefer to eat your smoothie with a spoon, maybe you prefer a smoothie bowl. They are blended up extra thick, poured into a bowl, then dressed up with your favorite toppings.