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I’m always on the lookout for quick, healthy, and delicious breakfast or snack I can drink on the go. And let me tell you, I’ve struck gold with this Avocado Banana Smoothie. It’s packed with nutrients, super easy to make, and tastes surprisingly amazing, even with the spinach! Don’t let the green color scare you โ this smoothie is a creamy, dreamy avocado banana delight.
Why this Smoothie Rawks
This avocado banana smoothie recipe is a winner for anyone who craves a delicious, healthy, and easy breakfast or quick snack. It’s the perfect balance of creamy and refreshing, with the sweetness of mango and banana perfectly complementing the subtle earthiness of spinach and the richness of avocado.
It’s a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins, healthy fats, and fiber to fuel your day. Plus, it’s incredibly versatile โ easily customizable with ingredient swaps to suit your taste and what you have on hand. Whether you’re a smoothie newbie or a seasoned pro, this recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Ingredient You’ll Need
This avocado banana smoothie recipe is perfect for those busy mornings when you need something fast and nutritious. It’s also a great way to sneak in some extra greens, especially if you’re not a big fan of salads (I’m not really either). Plus, the combination of avocado and banana creates a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture that’s hard to resist.
Fresh Spinach
For the smoothest spinach smoothies, start with a good blender for smoothies and add liquids first to create a vortex. Don’t overpack the blender; add spinach gradually, and avoid using store-bought frozen spinach if possible since it’s often blanched and has a weird flavor. Blend until completely smooth, removing stems beforehand, and consider using milder baby spinach. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice can brighten the flavor of the smoothie if you’re still terrified of spinach. If you don’t like spinach, try another leafy green.
Water
Ditch the almond milk drama and the yogurt yuppies โ water is the unsung hero of the smoothie world. It’s cheap, it’s readily available, and it lets the actual flavors of your fruits and veggies shine. Plus, it keeps things light and refreshing, perfect for a post-workout boost or a sweltering summer day. So, embrace the H2O, my friend, and let your blended creations truly shine.
Avocado
Avocado in a smoothie? Absolutely! This creamy, green powerhouse isn’t just for toast. Adding avocado transforms your average green smoothie into a nutritional superstar. Its healthy fats provide sustained energy and a satisfying richness that keeps you full longer, while also helping your body absorb all the vitamins from your leafy greens. Learn how to cut an avocado like a pro.
Banana
Bananas are the perfect partner for spinach in a smoothie. Their natural sweetness beautifully complements the sometimes earthy or slightly bitter notes of spinach, creating a balanced and delicious flavor profile. Beyond taste, bananas lend a creamy, smooth texture that transforms even the most fibrous spinach into a drinkable delight. This creamy consistency also helps to mask any lingering “green” taste that some find off-putting.
Mango
Mangoes contribute a luscious, creamy texture, transforming your smoothie into a velvety smooth treat. This creaminess helps to mask any lingering “green” taste, making it perfect for picky eaters or those new to green smoothies. Plus, mangoes are packed with vitamins C and A, boosting the nutritional profile of your drink and adding an extra dose of healthy goodness to your already vitamin-rich spinach. Check out this post to learn how to cut a mango.
Fresh VS Frozen Fruit
Fresh fruit in smoothies offers the potential for the brightest, most vibrant flavors and may contain slightly higher levels of certain heat-sensitive vitamins. However, fresh fruit can be more expensive, requires more prep work, and can spoil quickly, leading to food waste.
Frozen fruit, on the other hand, is often more affordable, readily available year-round, and pre-chopped for convenience. It also helps create a thicker, colder smoothie without the need for ice, which can dilute the flavor.
Helpful Ingredient Swaps
Feeling adventurous? Let’s get creative with this smoothie! Here’s a few suggestions to help you swap ingredients or even add to the smoothie based on what you have on hand.
- Sweetness: Mango or pear (instead of banana).
- Creaminess/Protein: Greek yogurt.
- Avocado Replacement: Cashews or coconut cream.
- Mango Alternatives: Pineapple, peach, or berries.
- Liquid Base: Try coconut water or cashew milk instead of water.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are helpful step-by-step instructions for your avocado banana smoothie:
- Prepare your ingredients: Wash your spinach thoroughly if it’s not pre-washed. No need to chop it too finely, as the blender will take care of that. Halve your avocado and remove the pit. You can roughly chop it to make blending easier. Have your frozen mango chunks and half a banana ready.
- Combine liquids and greens: Add the water to your blender first. This helps create a vortex and ensures the spinach blends smoothly. Then, add the spinach.
- Blend the greens: Secure the lid on your blender and start blending. If you have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix blender), blend on high until the spinach is completely liquified and no chunks remain. With a regular blender, you might need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times to ensure everything is blended. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the avocado, frozen mango, and banana to the blender.
- Blend until smooth: Secure the lid again and blend until everything is completely smooth and creamy. Since you’re using frozen mango, this might take a little longer in a regular blender. Again, stopping and scraping down the sides might be necessary.
- Check the consistency: If your smoothie is too thick, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time, and blend again until you reach your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, you can add a few more pieces of frozen mango and blend.
- Taste and adjust: Give your smoothie a taste. If you’d like it sweeter, you could add a little honey or maple syrup. If it needs a little zing, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice can be a great addition. Blend again briefly to incorporate any additions.
- Serve immediately: Pour your smoothie into a glass and enjoy immediately. Smoothies are best consumed fresh.
Avocado Banana Smoothie Add-Ins
Feel free to experiment by adding other ingredients to this smoothie. Here’s a few I would suggest trying with this avocado banana smoothie recipe:
- Chia seeds: A tablespoon or two adds a boost of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein. They have a mild flavor and thicken the smoothie slightly.
- Kale: Don’t be afraid to add more greens! Kale is a nutritional powerhouse with vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium and antioxidants.
- Ginger: A small piece of fresh ginger adds a zesty kick and has anti-inflammatory properties.
- Protein powder: add a plant-based protein powder to thicken your smoothie and make it extra creamy.
Common Questions
Add more liquid, such as water, milk (dairy or non-dairy), or juice, a little at a time, and blend again until you reach your desired consistency.
Yes, as long as the avocado isn’t overly brown or mushy. A slightly soft avocado is fine for blending.
While the banana contributes sweetness and creaminess, you could try using mango, pear, or even a bit of honey or maple syrup for sweetness. The texture might be slightly different.
Yes, frozen avocado chunks are available and work well in smoothies. They also help make the smoothie colder and thicker.
Yes! The bananas and avocados lend a creaminess to the whole smoothie while boosting the fiber and adding some natural sweetness for a quick energy boost. Avocados are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, reducing cardiovascular disease risk. They’re also rich in potassium, essential for balancing blood pressure.
They sure do. Bananas and avocados blend into a creamy, subtly sweet mix, ideal for smoothies. The banana’s sweetness masks the avocado’s mild flavor, creating a delicious and nutritious combination.
Avocado + Banana Resources
Avocado Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- ยฝ avocado
- ยฝ banana
- ยฝ cup mango frozen
Instructions
- Blend spinach and water togetherย until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients andย blend again.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Use at least one frozen fruit to makeย the smoothie cold or serve over ice.
- If this creamy smoothie is having a hard time blending well in your smoothie then add a bit more water until the blades turn easily on their own.
- Add in a serving of Homemade Protein Powder to have a clean superboost
First of all, thank you for sharing your recipes. I just finished making the 1st smoothie. My brother and I both enjoyed it very much. The mango and banana toned down the avocado and spinach, esp. the spinach, where it was not bitter but made it sweeter.
Once again, thank you.
Leslie Geer
I liked it! My daughter loves mango and I buy them for her all the time but I donโt know why I didnโt think to ever toss pieces into my smoothies. I think I will only use a quarter of the banana (probably) next time, as it was a tiny bit too sweet for me but other than that this was a great smoothie. I did add protein powder for extra !
Yummy, so creamy and delicious. I love Simple Green Smoothies, this particular one I modified a bit, I used coconut water instead of plain water and I added 1/4c of cauliflower just to get more plant-based foods into my diet. I did add the optional protein powder, in my case a whey-isolate vanilla flavored. It was very mild in taste however I could pick up the mango notes. Did I mention I used locally sourced mangoes? I live in Miami FL and tis the mango season.
Wow, Dora! You really loaded your smoothie up with more plants – you rawk! It’s awesome that you get locally sourced mangoes in mango season. I bet they are the best! yum!!
Not my favorite. The banana and avocado and both mild so I felt it didnโt have much flavor.
Okay, but a bland. I added a whole banana, but not enough to add flavor. Next time, will probably double the mango, too.
This Avocado Banana Smoothie is absolutely awesome. I made it for my husband and I and all 7 of our children, ages 2-13 and they all loved it. Anytime I find a recipe with such great nutrients, that everybody loves, it is a tremendous blessing. It was so creamy and filling, we will definitely make it again.
Hi Michelle – Wow! You made 9 smoothies – you RAWK!! I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed their green smoothie today!
Ahhhmazing! Was not sure what to expect!! So excited for the rest!
Tried this as part of the 10 day Challenge – it was really good and creamy! Only thing I changed was I added protein powder so it would be a meal replacement.
I was pleasantly surprised at how creamy the avocado made the smoothie! Iโm not a huge fan of avocado so was a little worried I wouldnโt like it but it was very good. I substituted coconut milk for the water.
Of course this smoothie is delicious! Such good ingredients. I often add a tablespoon of almond butter for nut protein.
This is a tropical, creamy delight! A perfect start to a smoothie challenge!
Just made day 1 smoothie. It is delicious! Full of flavor and creamy. I used coconut water, added protein powder, hemp seeds and lucuma powder for a hint of caramel. Looking forward to the next recipe.
Really good! I wouldnโt have thought of putting an avocado in a smoothie but I like this. I added coarsely chopped walnuts to the top of my smoothie.
I realized AS I WAS MAKING the smoothie, I had NO MANGO!!!!! and I had no peaches, either!!! Believe it or not, I substituted frozen dark sweet cherries! And it was delicious! And I did not taste the avocado! One of the smoothies I had the other day, I could taste the avocado, and was not crazy about it. I like avocados fine, but I don’t like their flavor to come through in a smoothie. But, I will continue to use them, because I want their potassium!!
Obviously, I will have to make it again when I have mangos!!
You still made it happen and that’s awesome, Diane! I’m glad it tasted good with cherries, too!
I thought that it sounded really good but after tasting it i think it has too much banana in it. all i could taste was banana.
This creamy, tropical smoothie is a delicious way to get your greens, potassium, healthy fats, and vitamin C!