Easy 5-Minute Banana Smoothie - Inspired Taste

The only banana smoothie recipe you’ll ever need! It’s so creamy and satisfying! I’ve seen both kids and adults go wild for it.

My favorite banana smoothie recipe takes just less than 5 minutes to make. It’s delicious as is, or you can customize it with your favorite fruits, nut butter, or a handful of greens.

Plus, you can whip up a batch of banana smoothies and freeze them for later. I share my tips below. For more smoothie recipes, see my favorite strawberry smoothie, blueberry smoothie, and this delicious green smoothie!

Key Ingredients

• Banana: I use one banana to make one large or two smaller kid-size smoothies. For the best smoothie, use a ripe banana. For the creamiest banana smoothie, use frozen banana slices. I’ve shared how I freeze bananas for smoothies below.
• Half an Orange: When I have oranges in the house, I love adding them to my morning smoothie. It adds extra vitamin C and tropical flavor. Substitute oranges with other fruits like mango, pineapple, or berries.
• Plain or Greek Yogurt: I love adding a spoonful for extra creaminess and protein. For a smoothie without yogurt, add a little extra fruit or include veggies like spinach or kale.
• Water or Milk: I add a splash of liquid to the blender to help the smoothie ingredients blend. For a smoothie without milk, use water. It still tastes amazing. For more creaminess, add milk (dairy or non-dairy both work).

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Banana Smoothie

To make banana smoothies, I add banana, orange, yogurt, and a splash of milk or water to a blender and then blend until smooth. For an icy-cold smoothie, add a handful of ice or use frozen fruit. Here are some more tips for making the best smoothies:

Tip 1: Frozen bananas make the creamiest smoothies. To make these smoothies even easier, freeze bananas (or other fresh fruit) into portions. You can even prepare and freeze smoothie packs for a grab-and-blend smoothie option. To freeze bananas or other fruit for smoothies:

1. Rinse and chop fresh fruit into small pieces.
2. Pat them dry, then arrange them on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
3. Slide the baking sheet into the freezer and freeze until hard (about 2 hours).
4. When the fruit is hard, divide it between freezer-safe bags and freeze it for your next smoothie. They will last up to 2 months.

Tip 2: You can also freeze banana smoothies! I add my smoothie to a freezer-safe bag and squeeze out as much air as possible. Then I freeze them. They last in the freezer for 1 to 2 months. Thaw your frozen smoothie overnight or run it under warm water for a minute, and blend until smooth.

My Favorite Smoothie Variations

This healthy banana smoothie is delicious as written, but you can also use it as a base for other smoothies. Here are some suggestions:

• Add more fruit (fresh or frozen). I love mango, pineapple, and berries. Try this strawberry banana smoothie or this blueberry smoothie.
• Add greens like spinach, kale, or Swiss chard. I add one to two cups. See this green smoothie for inspiration.
• Add healthy fat with some avocado or ground flaxseed meal.
• Add more protein and fiber with hemp seeds, chia seeds, or your favorite protein powder. Plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are also great options.
• A tablespoon of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or other nut butter will add nuttiness and extra sticking power.
• Add some chocolate by mixing in a tablespoon of cocoa powder or cacao nibs.
• Add fresh ginger, turmeric, or dried spices like ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and ground turmeric.

Easy 5 Minute Banana Smoothie

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• PREP 5 mins
• TOTAL 5 mins

Our favorite banana smoothie is extra creamy and fruity. Depending on how ripe or sweet your bananas and oranges are, you may need to add a little extra sweetener; adjust the amount based on your taste. There are many additions you can make. Add ½ to 1 cup of fresh greens, such as spinach or kale, to a green smoothie. You can also add more fruit. Add ½ cup of strawberries, mango, frozen berries, pineapple, or other favorite fruit. Frozen bananas also make this extra creamy. See the article for my tips on freezing them.

Makes 2 kid-size smoothies or 1 large

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

1 banana

Half an orange, peeled and quartered

⅓ cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)

1 to 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional

Directions

1Roughly chop the banana and orange quarters, then add to a blender. Add yogurt and water (or milk).

2Turn the blender on and blend until creamy and smooth. Taste, and then adjust with honey if needed.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

• How to freeze a smoothie: To save the smoothie for later, pour each serving into a food-safe resealable plastic bag or container and freeze. About an hour before needing the smoothie, take it out of the freezer.
• Non-dairy alternatives: Leave the yogurt out of the recipe above and replace it with more banana, a tablespoon or so of nut butter, mango, or a tablespoon of hemp seeds. You may need to add a bit more water or non-dairy milk to thin the smoothie.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 kid-size smoothie / Calories 122 / Protein 5 g / Carbohydrate 23 g / Dietary Fiber 3 g / Total Sugars 16 g / Total Fat 2 g / Saturated Fat 1 g / Cholesterol 5 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher