Banana Smoothie Recipe: 5 Variations on Banana Smoothies

A banana smoothie is a rich and creamy mixture of blended bananas and other simple ingredients—like other fresh fruits and milk. Many people enjoy banana smoothies as on-the-go meals, but you can also enjoy a banana smoothie as a breakfast smoothie or as a snack between meals.

While a banana smoothie is not always a low-calorie food, you can customize your shake to maximize its nutritional benefits. Bananas are high in potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and B6. If you choose add-ins such as ground flaxseed or protein powder, you can boost the nutrients in each shake.

How you select and prepare the main ingredient—bananas—for your banana smoothie will affect the finished product. Here are a few tips:

1. 1. Freeze the bananas. If you freeze bananas, the frozen fruit will create a cool smoothie without adding extra ice, and using frozen bananas increases the thickness of the smoothie.
2. 2. Choose ripe bananas. Ripe bananas have a stronger banana flavor than green ones, and they have a creamier consistency.
3. 3. Use sliced bananas. If you have time, peel and slice the bananas before you freeze them to make blending them easier later.

It’s easy to customize smoothies to control their sweetness, texture, and flavor. In addition to mixing different types of fruits and milk, you can also experiment with easy recipes that feature spices like cinnamon or with add-ins like a spoonful of flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seeds. Here are variations to try:

1. 1. Greens and banana smoothie: If your favorite smoothie is a green smoothie chock-full of veggies, try adding bananas to your usual recipe to make it sweeter. You can also add a few teaspoons of cocoa powder to enhance the flavor further.
2. 2. Peanut butter banana smoothie: Use peanut butter or another nut butter, like almond butter, in addition to bananas, yogurt, and milk for calcium and an extra-rich and thick smoothie.
3. 3. Protein smoothie: To add a boost of protein to a banana smoothie, include protein powder to the banana mixture and blend everything together.
4. 4. Strawberry banana smoothie: This is a combo of fresh strawberries, bananas, your choice of milk, yogurt, and any optional add-ins To make it a healthier banana smoothie, select a milk with a lower fat content.
5. 5. Vegan strawberry banana smoothie: To create a dairy-free, vegan smoothie, swap out the cow’s milk yogurt and regular milk for non-dairy yogurts and milk, such as almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk.