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GET IT NOWWhen my girls want a quick healthy breakfast or snack, I throw together this banana smoothie. They’ve been requesting it every week since first sip, and even made it themselves once. With just a few easy steps and simple ingredients, you (or your kids) can whip up a creamy, thick smoothie that everyone will love. Blitz this banana smoothie recipe with me on a busy morning, or for a quick refreshing treat on a hot day!
Why You Need My Banana Smoothie Recipe
- Thick and creamy – My ratio gives that perfect texture. And if you plan ahead, freezing the bananas in advance makes this banana smoothie so thick that it tastes like a frosty milkshake!
- Sweetened with fruit – The ripe bananas make this smoothie sweet enough all on their own. No sweeteners needed.
- Perfect way to use up ripe bananas – This is my go-to recipe when I have bananas starting to brown. Your smoothie will taste great even when they are a bit too ripe to eat plain.
- Easy to make – With just 5 simple ingredients, my banana smoothie comes together in minutes. You can find time for it even on busy days!
- Great for all ages – I drink this as a pre-workout snack, while my girls enjoy it for breakfast. Your family will love it, too.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my banana smoothie recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Bananas – The bananas I buy are typically 6 oz each with the peel, so that’s what I use in my recipe. I list the weight with peel so that you know what to look for at the store. But if yours are larger or smaller, this recipe is pretty forgiving and will still work. You might need more or less milk for different sizes (see my tip about this below). The riper the banana, the sweeter your drink will taste! And if you’ve got extras that are too ripe, turn them into my protein banana bread or banana oat pancakes.
- Milk – I use store-bought almond milk to give my banana smoothies extra flavor (without added sugar), but my homemade almond milk works, too. I don’t recommend sweetened ones here, as the bananas are plenty sweet. You can also use regular dairy milk, or other types of non-dairy milk (like coconut milk beverage), and add a dash of vanilla extract.
- Half and Half – I add just a splash for richness, and it only adds up to a couple tablespoons of it per serving. But if you want the smoothie lighter, you can just use more milk instead. You can also sub full-fat coconut milk for a similar richness.
- Plain Yogurt – For a protein boost and extra creaminess! You can use plain Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, or even nondairy yogurt. I liked the flavor best with regular yogurt, as it’s more neutral. Greek yogurt is a little thicker than regular, so if you use that, you might need a few extra tablespoons of milk to get the right consistency.
How To Make A Banana Smoothie
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Prep the bananas. After peeling, I like to pop my bananas in the freezer for a couple hours to get an extra thick banana smoothie, but when I took these pictures, I was in a hurry and skipped it. Both ways are delicious!
- Combine and blend. Add the bananas, milk, half and half, and yogurt to a high-power blender. Puree until smooth.
My Recipe Tips
- Adjust the consistency to your liking. This smoothie is just the right thickness for me. If you want it thinner, add more milk. If you want it thicker, add more yogurt or use slightly larger bananas.
- Forgot to freeze your bananas? You can still pop them in the freezer for 10 minutes to cool them off, so your smoothie is ice cold. You can also add a few ice cubes to thicken, though this dilutes the flavor.
- Sweeten to taste if you want. I think this banana smoothie has the perfect sweetness level and doesn’t need any sweeteners, but if you like it super sweet, you can add a touch of honey (or my natural sugar-free honey), or even powdered Besti.
Recipe Variations
This is my most basic version, but there are a million ways to make banana smoothie recipes! Here are some add-ins for something different:
- Strawberries – Replace one of the bananas with 1 cup of frozen strawberries.
- Nut Butter – Blend in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter for more creaminess, plus a protein boost. You’ll need a little extra milk.
- Chocolate – Add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, or a drizzle of my sugar-free chocolate syrup.
- Greens – Toss in a handful of fresh spinach or kale for a nutrient boost. You’ll hardly taste the greens in your banana smoothie! If you don’t want to guess on amounts, try my banana spinach smoothie.
- Tropical – Add about 1/4 cup of frozen pineapple, 1/4 cup of frozen mango, and replace the half and half with 1/2 cup of coconut milk.
- Protein Boost – Blend in a scoop of your favorite protein powder, or a tablespoon of flax seeds or chia seeds. Add a little extra milk to compensate for these add-ins.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Store: I find it’s best to drink this banana smoothie fresh, but you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The color turns brown, so my kids refused to drink it the next day.
- Meal prep: Store peeled bananas in the freezer, so they’re always ready to go.
More Smoothie Recipes
If you like my banana smoothie recipe, try one of my other smoothies next:
My Favorite Blender For This Recipe
I love this blender because it’s powerful enough to handle anything I throw at it, even frozen bananas. Plus, the self-cleaning feature makes cleanup fast!
Banana Smoothie (5-Min Recipe)
Enjoy a thick, creamy banana smoothie in minutes! My easy recipe needs just 4 simple ingredients: bananas, milk, half & half, and yogurt.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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If you want a thicker, icier banana smoothie, freeze the peeled bananas at least 2 hours ahead of time. Otherwise, you can just peel them right before.
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Combine all the ingredients in a high-power blender.
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Puree until smooth and frothy.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Banana Smoothie
Gratitude Moment
Here are my girls enjoying my banana smoothie this spring! I forgot to bring my powerful blender with me to Minnesota while we’re here for the summer, and I didn’t realize how much of an issue this would be. Ugh!
I never thought I’d say I’m grateful for my blender (lol), but now I miss it so much, and here we are.
What are your must-have, can’t-live-without kitchen appliances? Let me know in the comments below.
4 Comments
Patty
0I wanna try this banana smoothie but I noticed that there are 34 carbs is that because of the banana if I use a green banana will it lower the carb intake? Also I don’t have half-and-half. Can I use Unsweetened whipping cream instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Patty, Yes, green bananas have less sugar and starch. Yes, whipping cream will work fine, but you may want to add a little extra almond milk since it’s thicker. It’s easy to adjust the consistency at the end to your liking.
Clara
0I made this banana smoothie for breakfast, and it was amazing! The combination of almond milk and yogurt was so creamy. My kids loved it too, even asking for seconds. I froze the extra peeled bananas for quick prep next time. Looking forward to more kid-approved recipes.
Gloria
0Your girls look like they’re loving the banana smoothie! It’s amazing how much we rely on our blenders. Tried this smoothie as well, turned out delicious and creamy. Healthy too!