Banana Smoothie
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Published Jun 16, 2023, Updated Jan 21, 2024
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The best banana smoothie, made with just 5 simple ingredients. It’s super creamy, easy to make and packed with protein, fiber and potassium.
Sharing another new smoothie recipe with ya! And this one is for all my banana lovers out there!
This banana smoothie has a super creamy texture and plenty of natural sweetness thanks to the frozen bananas and some added protein thanks to the addition of Greek yogurt. The week I tested this recipe I made it every day for a mid-afternoon snack. It’s seriously so delicious, refreshing and easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Smoothie
- Simple ingredients: You only need 5 simple ingredients to make this smoothie!
- Customizable: This is the perfect base recipe for a banana smoothie, but feel free to make this smoothie your own!
- Healthy: Bananas are rich in fiber, antioxidants and several essential nutrients such as potassium and vitamin C. The Greek yogurt adds a good amount of protein, making this a balanced and healthy smoothie option.
- Delicious: The combination of bananas, Greek yogurt and almond milk creates a smoothie that’s rich, creamy and naturally sweet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- unsweetened almond milk – the liquid base for this smoothie. I like using unsweetened almond milk as it’s light in calories and doesn’t have an overpowering taste, but feel free to use your favorite dairy-free or regular dairy milk. Coconut milk, oat milk, cashew milk or soy milk are all great options! I just recommend using unsweetened milk since the bananas add plenty of sweetness to this smoothie.
- frozen bananas – the star ingredient! Using frozen ripe bananas is key for this recipe and what gives this smoothie its thick and creamy consistency. They are also a great source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B6. See below for tips on freezing bananas or follow my full guide for how to freeze bananas.
- plain greek yogurt – adds creaminess and protein to this smoothie. I like using plain full-fat Greek yogurt but feel free to use your favorite type of yogurt. You could use a flavored variety like vanilla yogurt or a dairy-free yogurt if you need this recipe to be vegan.
- vanilla extract and cinnamon – both are nice flavor enhancers and complement the sweetness of the bananas nicely.
How to Make
This banana smoothie couldn’t get any easier to whip up. Just place all your ingredients into a high-speed blender like a Vitamix and blend until smooth.
Pour the smoothie into a glass and top with fresh banana slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired. Enjoy!
How to Freeze Bananas For Smoothies
The key to getting the perfect creamy ice cream like texture in your banana smoothie is to use frozen bananas. Here’s how I usually freeze my bananas for smoothies:
Peel – The most important step is to peel your banana before freezing! I’ve frozen whole bananas with the skin on before and it was such a mess to get the peel off. Trust me, you’re going to want to peel first.
Slice – After you peel your banana you can either cut the fruit in half or into large chunks. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure the pieces of banana are arranged in a single layer and that they are not touching each other so they can freeze without sticking together.
Freeze – Freeze for 1-2 hours or until the bananas are frozen solid.
Transfer – After the bananas are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe storage container for more efficient storage. I typically like to store frozen bananas in my Stasher bags. You can also toss your bananas into a bag without freezing first, but this usually causes them to stick together and makes it harder to pull just one or two pieces out at a time.
Banana Smoothie Variations
The mix-ins are endless when it comes to this simple banana smoothie recipe! Here are some ideas:
- Chocolate banana: Add a scoop of cocoa powder for a chocolate banana smoothie.
- Peanut butter banana: Peanut butter + banana = the best flavor combo ever! Add a scoop of peanut butter for a delicious peanut butter banana smoothie.
- Strawberry banana: Add a handful of fresh or frozen strawberries or follow my recipe for strawberry banana smoothie or strawberry banana protein smoothie.
- Add greens: Turn this into a green banana smoothie with more nutrients by adding a handful of spinach or kale to this smoothie.
- Add more protein: For an extra protein kick, add a scoop of your favorite protein powder.
- Add superfoods: Mix in a tablespoon of chia seeds, flax seeds, or a teaspoon of spirulina for added nutrition.
- Make it sweeter: If you want more sweetness you can add a touch of honey, maple syrup, stevia or 1 medjool date.
- Vegan: Swap Greek yogurt for your favorite plant-based yogurt.
- Make a smoothie bowl: If you want a thicker smoothie start with only 1/4 cup milk and add more as needed. Transfer to a bowl and add toppings of choice!
- If you’re looking to add a light crunch with plenty of nutrients, try adding this homemade muesli to your smoothie!
Smoothie Storage Tips
- Store the smoothie in a glass container with an airtight lid (I like to use wide mouth mason jars, but a thermos would probably work really well too). Seal the container and place in the fridge as soon as possible.
- Try to fill the container to the top to avoid extra air which will cause the smoothie to oxidize.
- Take the smoothie out of the fridge when you’re ready to drink it. Give it a good shake and enjoy.
- Plan to drink the smoothie within 24 hours – it probably won’t keep much longer than that. For longer storage, consider freezing the smoothie in ice cube trays. When you’re ready to enjoy pop a few cubes out and add them to your blender with some liquid and blend until smooth for an easy snack!
More Healthy Smoothie Recipes
- Snickers Protein Smoothie
- Sweet Potato Smoothie
- Cottage Cheese Smoothie
- Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie
- Tropical Green Smoothie
- Green Protein Smoothie
- Grapefruit Smoothie
- Tahini Smoothie
- How to Make Protein Shakes
Be sure to check out all of the banana recipes as well as the full collection of smoothie recipes on EBF!
Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 frozen bananas
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Dash of vanilla
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Ice cubes, if needed
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour smoothie into a glass and top with fresh banana slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This smoothie was delicious! I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It tasted like a banana milkshake!
YUM! Sounds amazing and I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe, Angela. Thanks for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
What can I use for replacement for the greek yogurt? My mom & sister can’t have dairy.
Thank you! I love your blog and I like the name “Eating Bird food”.
Claire- aka a baker
You can swap the Greek yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt of choice or more liquid if you don’t have any yogurt on hand.
Can you use unfrozen bananas?
Hi Maggie – Using frozen ripe bananas is key for this recipe and what gives this smoothie its thick and creamy consistency. I have tips above on how to easily prep and freeze your bananas. Hope that helps and you enjoy this recipe!