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One of our most popular recipes is our Pineapple Banana Smoothie, which we fondly call the Pineapple Upside Down Cake in my smoothie recipe app, Daily Blends. It’s dessert-level good! Before you run from the sight of spinach—give this a shot…. TRUST ME! This smoothie not only tastes amazing, it also has some added health perks that you’ll definitely enjoy.
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Banana and Pineapple Smoothie
This pineapple banana smoothie is inspired by a cake from my childhood: the Pineapple Upside Down cake. While it may be based on a super sweet dessert, this fruit smoothie is loaded with health benefits too:
- Only sweetened by fruit, no added sugar here!
- thick & creamy thanks to the protein-rich almond milk + bananas
- 100% plant-based to give you the healthiest smoothie without any of the tummy troubles that dairy often causes.
- Naturally boosted with calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin D, which gives you some delicious health benefits.
No wonder this pineapple banana smoothie is such a fav among our fellow smoothie lovers! Seriously, this is a fun smoothie for newbies as well as veteran smoothie drinkers.
Smoothie Ingredient Swaps + Protein Boosts
If you need to lower the sugar, then replace the banana with a half cup frozen cauliflower, or 1/4 an avocado. That way you keep the creamy texture while cutting down on the sugar.
Want to turn this pineapple banana smoothie into a meal? I love adding in a scoop of natural almond butter, for a hint of nuttiness + a load of healthy fat.
If you want a protein boost without any change in flavor, then try a clean, plant based option. My completely plant-based, organic protein powder recipe is a quality way to add protein to any smoothie you make. It gives your smoothie 10 extra grams of protein + healthy fat, without changing the flavor! That means this pineapple banana smoothie goes from 4.2 grams of protein to 14.2 grams, #kaleyeah!
What Almond Milk Should I Use in Smoothies?
While water is an easy base to swap in for almond milk in this pineapple banana smoothie, I love the flavor + creaminess that the almond milk adds. You can either make your own almond milk (which is what I do!), or you can buy some from almost any grocery store. If you choose store bought, don’t forget to check out my report on the best almond milk brands currently on the market.
Liquid swaps for pineapple banana smoothie
If almond milk isn’t your thing, no worries! Green smoothies are SO versatile, and I’ve got some great swaps for you. Honestly, you could swap in almost any dairy-free milk you want (cashew milk and oat milk are my top choices for this pineapple banana smoothie).
The thickness + texture changes depending on the liquid used, so keep that in mind. If water is your base of choice, then add in a tablespoon of hemp hearts so you don’t lose the protein.
More Healthy Smoothies
Pineapples are a sweet, tropical ingredient found in many of my smoothie recommendations for beginners. They are flavorful and bright, as well as loved by many. If you’re looking for more pineapple smoothie options, then I’ve got some great recipes for you!
- Pineapple Ginger smoothie
- Mint Pineapple smoothie
- Pineapple Kale smoothie
- Clear Skin smoothie
- Citrus smoothie
- Perfect Pineapple smoothie
What are some of your fav pineapple smoothie combos? Share in the comments so that we can all try some new flavors together!
Healthy Pineapple Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup almond milk unsweetened
- ½ cup pineapple frozen
- ½ cup cherries frozen
- ½ banana
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Blend spinach and almond milk until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Use at least one frozen fruit to make smoothie cold.
- Cherries can be substituted with berries.
- Use the leafy greens of your choice.
- Use the dairy-free milk of your choice.
Tropical, refreshhing, delicious
Glad it was healthy because there was something about the flavors that didn’t meld. Pineapple and cherries sounds tropical but the almond milk threw it off.
I hear ya Dawn! For some of us, the combo of citrus + milk don’t sit well— I’m the same way. Yet coconut milk doesn’t throw off the flavors to me— you can def swap to that (like I do). Yet most people have no issue with the almond milk.
A nice, simple and tasty smoothie. A good combo of fruit that goes well together. I can see addind a little chocolate to it to!
I absolutely love cherries in my smoothies, but never tried it with pineapple before. It was delicious.
Any smoothie with pineapple and banana and I’m in love. They give a smoothie the flavor I love. The cherries and greens are a bonus.
I didn’t have cherries on hand so I used blueberries, it was refreshing but I found the berries overpowering, will need to try with the cherries one of these days.
Perfect combination. We have a variety of tastes; however everyone in my house liked it.
Delicious! Hubby likes it also! Looking forward to making this again in the near future.
Love this combo!
The pineapple & cherries are the perfect combination!
Love it! Very refreshing!
This is a winner for me. I love the creaminess added by the banana, The cherries add a nice balance to the strawberries (for me at lleast), I am not the biggest fan of strawberries, I don’t hate them, I just have a mild sensitivity to them and I think that affects my taste buds for them).
Ooops – I mixed up my reviews. No strawberries in this one. The cherries were a nice balance to the pineapple.
Feel free to swap any recipe that has strawberries for another berry… or even cherries Deborah.
I waited until after my workout this afternoon to make this. A little sweeter than I would like for breakfast, but an excellent afternoon snack.
This was a huge winner at my house today. Both my daughter and I chugged it right down! So good.
I looovveeeee this one!! My favorite so far! I’m a huge cherry fan, so I was looking forward to trying this one. It’s smooth and sweet, and I love the blend of flavors with the pineapple and cherries!
Love the cherries in this! Yum