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When I want a creamy smoothie, I turn to cashews or bananas. Well, I went a little crazy with this banana smoothie recipe and added BOTH. Get ready for a super creamy, super protein-charged smoothie that can jumpstart your day.
Table of Contents
How to Make a Banana Smoothie Recipe
When making a green smoothie I recommend blending the leafy greens + liquid first. Yet for a non-green smoothie, feel free to blend all your ingredients at once!
If this smoothie is too thick for your blender blades to handle, try adding a bit more liquid, stirring up the ingredients, then blending again. This should help.
If cashew milk isn’t your thing, then use the plant based milk of your choice! Oat milk will produce an equally creamy smoothie, while almond milk will make this smoothie a bit thinner.
Health Benefits of Bananas
This easily accessible fruit is incredibly versatile and delicious. Use it to naturally sweeten baked goods, make that smoothie creamier or naturally more sweet-tasting, or as a simple healthy snack dipped in almond butter.
Bananas are great sources of fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin B6, and manganese. Bananas, while sweet, are actually a lower glycemic (low sugar) fruit. Unripe bananas have a GI (glycemic index) score of 30, while ripe bananas have a GI score of around 60. So if you want your banana smoothie to be naturally lower in sugar, use a less ripe banana!
Tips for storing bananas
Living in Florida means my bananas ripen in two days tops. I love having them on hand for a quick snack or easy smoothie ingredient, yet they turn brown too quickly! So I’ve learned a great trick- freeze them.
I leave bananas on my counter until they are the perfect ripeness for me (which I’m finding is different for everyone). Then I line a baking sheet with parchment, peel the bananas, and line them up on the baking sheet. Freeze for 1-3 hours, then toss those lovely frozen bananas in a freezer-safe bag.
Now I’ve got the perfect ingredient ready to go. If you don’t have gallon-sized freezer bags, then cut your bananas in half before freezing to maximize space. Prepping smoothies ahead also saves produce!
Low Sugar Swaps
While the sugar in this recipe comes from whole food, it might be a little high for some. If you need a lower sugar option, then here are some great swaps:
- Use plain cashew yogurt or swap for 1/4 cup cauliflower
- Swap yogurt for in 2 tbs cashews
- Swap banana with 1/4 cup cauliflower or 1/4 avocado
Make sure the collagen or protein powder you use doesn’t have any added sugar. Read the label on the yogurt you use as well! There are many great plant based yogurt brands on the market now, yet lots are loaded with added sugar.
FAQs
Yes, just make sure that smoothie is full of only whole food ingredients. No fillers, chemicals, added sugar, or fake ingredients!
I recommend changing up your daily shake or smoothie, so you can benefit from a variety of fruits and veggies. Bananas are a great regular addition though!
Bananas are a great source of fiber, and often help settle stomach issues naturally.
No! Well… it depends what you put in them. Strawberry banana is a popular smoothie flavor at restaurants, yet those smoothies are usually pre-made mixes full of processed sugar and chemicals. Stick to strawberry banana smoothies with real, whole food ingredients and soak in all the benefits.
8 More Healthy Banana Smoothies
I know that bananas are a polarizing fruit. People either love ’em or hate ’em. If you enjoy bananas in your smoothies, then check out some other delicious recipes below:
- Banana peach smoothie
- Strawberry banana smoothie
- Chocolate banana smoothie
- Banana oatmeal smoothie
- Avocado banana smoothie
- Pineapple banana smoothie
- Kale banana smoothie
- Berry banana smoothie
If you are a banana fan then be sure to make this smoothie! Don’t forget to rate + review once you’ve tried it.
Creamy Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 bananas frozen
- ½ cup vegan yogurt plain
- 1 cup cashew milk
- 1 serving collagen powder or 1 serving homemade protein powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth
- Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy!
Equipment
Video
Notes
- To make this smoothie vegan, swap 1 scoop of collagen powder with 1 serving of homemade protein powder
- To reduce the natural fruit sugars, use 1/4 avocado and 1 banana
- You can swap in any kind of yogurt, just choose one that’s plain or with limited sugar
- The cashews can be swapped for almonds or oats
- The cashew milk can be swapped out for the dairy-free milk of your choice
Definitely not my favorite. I used all frozen ingredients. Added in flax seeds, 1/4c cauliflower, spinach and Maple syrup. I did not use the full cup of liquid. The consistency was great. I’m just not a big fan of banana as the main ingredient.
Edited to correct the modifications: 1tbsp cocoa powder + 1/4c cauliflower + spinach
I totally understand, Carissa!
Nice and creamy, o also added some coconut peanut butter
Yum! Sounds like a great addition, Suzie!
The title is spot on. This smoothie is very smooth and the flavor is delicious. Will definitely be making this smoothie one of our regulars.
Thanks, Mark! So glad you’re adding this to your list of regulars.
Not bad. If you love bananas this is the smoothie for you.
You’re so right, Melissa! This one is definitely for the banana lovers.
Wow!! I think this is my favourite! So creamy like a banana milkshake. Could drink this everyday!
Yeahh!! I’m always down for a healthier version of a banana milkshake, Amanda!
I made this smoothie with soy milk and soy yogurt and combined it with the homemade protein powder recipe. It was so creamy and delicious, I couldn’t even taste the protein. It was like banana nice cream dessert in a cup!
Sounds like you made some great swaps, April!
Needed to rate! So yummy
So glad you liked this one, Carol!
Love this one! Spinach is so healthy and makes you feel good with the sweet fruit and coolness of this smoothie.
Woo hoo! Love to hear that, Julie!
Day 3 smoothie banana
Original recipe, using red bananas
I could stop here. Chalkiness is less pronounced with add: cherries, Jen’s seed mix, & powder. I feel like this is a win!
Great additions, Brooke!
Okay, but too much banana for me so I cut it down and added veggies. Smoothies are very forgiving!
You;re so right, Tonya! Smoothies are super forgiving so you can always add some veggies or leafy greens.
Very good with hint of vanilla and so easy to make.
Hi Julie! You’re so right, the hint of vanilla really makes this one.
Day 4 Green Smoothie. I like it!!
Rawkin’, Le! Glad to hear you like this one!
This is a great smoothie, I added spinach and a few pieces of frozen cauliflower for veggies and couldn’t taste the veggies over the creamy smoothie. Yum
Rawkin’ idea, Nicole! The creamy banana will definitely hide any veggies you’re wanting to add to this one.
Delicious! Tasted more like a dessert than a smoothie.
Right?! Almost too good for it to not be a dessert, Karen!
So good! Plus it can easily be changed up with cinnamon, vanilla, cacao powder, and/or peanut butter, etc for endless variety!
Yes! This one is so easy to change up depending on what you’re feeling that day, Allison!
Super creamy- day late posting. Sorry! This mama was busy yesterday but not to busy to make the smoothie and take a pic
Way to rawk, Maxine.. even while being a busy mama!