This banana smoothie recipe requires just five simple ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your kitchen. It's so fast and easy, and a great way to use up ripe bananas before they're too far gone.
While you can add all sorts of flavors (peanut butter! cocoa powder!) and other fruits (berries are especially good!), this basic smoothie is also a satisfying breakfast all on its own.
The Ingredients for the Best Banana Smoothie
- Bananas: While this recipe calls for fresh bananas, you can also use frozen bananas. Whenever you have bananas that are getting a little too ripe, toss them in a bag or container in the freezer, and you’ll always be smoothie-ready. In fact, slightly overripe bananas are perfect for smoothies, since they are sweet and blend well.
- Vanilla: A little bit of pure vanilla extract gives this smoothie a dessert-like flavor. Feel free to adjust the quantity for your perfect level of vanilla goodness.
- Yogurt: Yogurt gives any smoothie a wonderful creamy texture. This recipe calls for vanilla yogurt to double-down on the vanilla vibes, but you could also use plain yogurt if you prefer. Any fat percentage is fine, and you can use Greek-style or regular yogurt, or even nondairy yogurt. If you use a very thick yogurt, you might need to add a little liquid, such as milk, to the smoothie.
- Honey or other sweetener: You don’t have to add any sweetener to your smoothie, but if you choose to, honey is a great choice both for its flavor and for its ability to blend well. See below the recipe for alternative sweetener suggestions.
- Ice: Ice makes a smoothie deliciously frosty and refreshing, but if you use frozen bananas, feel free to cut down on the ice or skip it completely.
The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin
“The banana flavor in this smoothie was incredible. I used the full amount of honey called for in the recipe, but I think it would be just as good with a little less honey. The recipe made enough for two servings or one very generous serving.” —Diana Rattray
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 – 3 tablespoons honey
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3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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2 medium ripe bananas, sliced
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1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
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1/2 cup ice
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients. Set aside 2 slices of bananas, if desired, to use as garnish.
The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin
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Pour the ingredients into a blender in the following order: honey, vanilla extract, bananas, vanilla yogurt, and ice.
The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin
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Blend, gradually increasing the speed until the mixture is smooth.
The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin
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Pour the drink into a chilled glass. Garnish each glass with a banana slice, if you prefer. Serve and enjoy.
The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin
How to Store
- While you can refrigerate a smoothie and drink it the next day, sometimes components will separate. Simply stir to recombine or put it back in the blender to bring it together again.
- The other option is to make a large batch (you can double or triple this recipe if your blender is big enough) and store the excess in individual portions in the freezer. When you're ready for another smoothie, set out a serving for 5 to 10 minutes so it softens up enough to drink. Stir well and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Add berries: Add strawberries for a strawberry banana smoothie. Blueberries and raspberries are great too.
- Add cocoa powder: A scoop or two of cocoa powder turns this into a chocolate-banana smoothie treat!
- Swirl in peanut butter: Add some peanut butter, and for an even more robust smoothie, add 1/4 cup rolled oats too.
- Add tahini: Use sesame paste with a little cinnamon to make a banana tahini smoothie.
- Switch up the sweetener: If you prefer a milder flavor, replace the honey with agave nectar. Or for a liquid sweetener that’s a perfect pairing for bananas, try cinnamon simple syrup. Assuming you like its flavor, maple syrup is another great choice.
- Swap out the yogurt for milk: Instead of yogurt, you can use a combination of ice and dairy or nondairy milk. Add 6 ice cubes (or 1/2 cup crushed ice) and about 3/4 cup of regular milk, coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk alternative.
- Make it a milkshake: Replace the yogurt with a scoop of ice cream and add about 1/2 cup milk for a banana milkshake.
- Make it a split: Build a banana split smoothie with your favorite banana split toppings. Use a banana, 1/2 cup diced pineapple, and 1/4 cup fresh strawberries. Squeeze in fun toppings like chocolate, butterscotch, or caramel syrup, or add a tablespoon of peanut butter or coconut flakes. Top it with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a maraschino cherry.
- Turn it into an adult beverage: To spike this drink, add 1 ounce of banana liqueur or a flavored vodka such as vanilla, banana, or whipped cream.
