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    Home » Recipes » Smoothies

    Published: Jun 15, 2021 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 9 Comments

    Vegan Banana Smoothie

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN
    5 from 7 votes
    Vegan Banana Smoothie

    A simple and satisfying Vegan Banana Smoothie that is healthy, easy to make & packed with protein. It's rich, thick, creamy, tastes like banana bread & will keep you feeling full for ages!

    a glass full of banana smoothie

    My super thick and creamy vegan banana smoothie tastes like Vegan Banana Bread. It's so good!

    This vegan breakfast smoothie is quick, easy and satisfying. For convenience you can even prep the ingredients ahead of time (minus the milk) in a bag or container in the freezer, then just add them to a blender along with your plant milk of choice when you make it.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & equipment
    • How to make a vegan banana smoothie
    • Success Tips
    • How to prep in advance
    • Variations
    • How to freeze bananas
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    Ingredients & equipment

    (For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).

    Here's what is going into our creamy vegan banana smoothie and why:

    vegan banana smoothie ingredients
    • Frozen banana - No matter what, I always have a stash of overripe bananas in the freezer, so even when the grocery situation is dire, we can still enjoy this easy smoothie for breakfast or snacks. Using a frozen banana is key to a super creamy, chilled smoothie.
    • Oats - Either rolled oats, old-fashioned oats or quick oats. We are using them to fill us up and keep us feeling satisfied for hours to come. The starch in the oats also helps the creamy texture. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
    • Nuts or nut/seed butter- Walnuts or pecans are great in this and add healthy fats, protein and lots of nutrients. They also help make the smoothie even thicker and creamy as well as complementing the banana flavour perfectly. You can use nut butter instead of whole nuts, or if you are nut-free use seed butter (like SunButter or pumpkin seed butter).
    • Dates or maple syrup - I find a little sweetness is usually necessary in most smoothies. You can use either dates or maple syrup. Dates give the smoothie a nice hint of caramel-type flavour and are my preference because that works with the banana here so well. If your bananas are really dark, spotty and sweet you might get away without any additional sweetener at all so use your judgment.
    • Vanilla - Makes this smoothie taste like dessert!
    • Spices - A dash of nutmeg and cinnamon work so well with the other flavours and help to make the smoothie taste like banana bread.
    • Salt - Just a pinch. It really helps to elevate all of the flavours.

    Equipment - A high-powered blender makes such a difference when you make smoothies. The difference is really incredible and they are so much more enjoyable. I have a Blendtec blender and highly recommend them.

    How to make a vegan banana smoothie

    It's really easy to make a banana smoothie for breakfast. Simply add everything to the blender and blend until smooth.

    smoothie ingredients in a blender

    I recommend starting with only three-quarters of the milk because all bananas are slightly different sizes and everyone's smoothie will turn out a little different. By holding some back until the end you can customize the thickness to your liking. Personally, I love thick smoothies!

    I love to serve my smoothie with a swirl of date syrup through it as per the pics. You can also make a smoothie bowl and top it with all of your favourite toppings like granola, nuts, seeds, nut butter, chocolate chips or chopped fresh fruit.

    Success Tips

    • Really ripe bananas make all the difference in this and any other smoothie. Freeze the bananas when they’re really ripe, brown and spotty and only use them when they are completely frozen.
    • Don't add ice to your smoothie. It dilutes the flavour and makes smoothies taste watery and less creamy. It's much better to just use frozen fruit, in this case, frozen banana, because it will taste better and the smoothie will be creamier.
    • Start with only three-quarters of the milk and add more as necessary so you can customize the thickness.
    • Drink this smoothie immediately. Banana smoothies aren't great made ahead. If you want to prep the ingredients ahead though see "how to prep in advance" just below.

    How to prep in advance

    What's really great about this vegan banana smoothie is that you can prep it in advance if you want to. You can even make up multiple bags at a time. They will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

    Simply add all of the ingredients except the milk to freezer bags (or reusable food storage bags) and pop them in the freezer until needed. When you want to make a banana smoothie for breakfast, remove a bag from the freezer, add the contents to a blender, pour in the milk and blend like usual.

    Variations

    Smoothies are really customizable so feel free to switch this one up and make it your own. Here are a few variations that would work well:

    • Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to make it chocolaty
    • Add a few dollops of natural dairy-free yogurt for a tangier smoothie
    • Add cocoa powder and use peanut butter instead of the nuts
    • Add a handful of fresh strawberries or go make my strawberry banana peanut butter smoothie ;O)
    • Add half a cup of freshly cooked or canned pumpkin or sweet potato
    • Add different spices like turmeric, ginger, cardamom, allspice or pumpkin pie spice
    • For more nutrition, add a tablespoon of flax or chia seeds (or both)
    • Up the protein with a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder.

    Or take a look at my other vegan smoothie recipes for more ideas!

    How to freeze bananas

    Wondering how to freeze bananas? It's really easy. Here's how:

    1. Peel the bananas.
    2. Break them up into pieces. I always break them into 3 then I know that 3 pieces equal 1 banana when I use them later.
    3. Lay the pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a Silpat.
    4. Put the baking sheet in the freezer being careful to keep it fairly level.
    5. When the banana chunks are hard (they don't take long), transfer them to a bag or container then put back into the freezer until you need them.

    If I am feeling lazy, sometimes I skip the laying them out on a baking sheet part and just throw the chunks straight in a freezer bag. If you do this though, be prepared to have to prise them apart when you need them as they will stick together.

    Once you've frozen your bananas, use them up in more smoothies like these:

    • Vegan Green Smoothie
    • Ginger Peach Smoothie
    • Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
    • Sweet Potato Smoothie

    And be sure to try my Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars too. They are so quick and easy to make and incredibly good!

    Recipe

    a banana smoothie in a glass

    Vegan Banana Smoothie

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 7 votes
    A simple and satisfying Vegan Banana Smoothie that is healthy, easy to make & packed with protein. It's rich, thick, creamy, tastes like banana bread & will keep you feeling full for ages!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1 smoothie

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 frozen banana
    • ⅓ cup (33 grams) oats , rolled or quick oats
    • 2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans , or a heaping tablespoon of nut or seed butter
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 pinch sea salt
    • 1 medjool dates , or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¾ - 1 cup (180 - 240 mls) milk of choice

    RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

    • Blendtec Blender
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add the ingredients to a blender. Start with just ¾ cup (180 mls) of milk and add more later if necessary.
    • Blend until completely smooth. See how the texture is for you. This smoothie is great served quite thick but if you want it thinner add the rest of the milk and blend again for a couple of seconds. 

    NOTES

    Success tips
    • Really ripe bananas make all the difference in this smoothie. Freeze the bananas when they’re really ripe, brown and spotty and only use them when they are completely frozen.
    • Don't add ice to your smoothie. It dilutes the flavour and makes smoothies taste watery and less creamy. It's much better to just use frozen fruit, in this case, frozen banana, because it will taste better and the smoothie will be creamier.
    • Start with only three-quarters of the milk and add more as necessary so you can customize the thickness.
    • Drink this smoothie immediately. Banana smoothies aren't great made ahead. If you want to prep the ingredients ahead though see "how to prep in advance" just below.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1smootheCalories: 502kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 13gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 109mgPotassium: 1013mgFiber: 11gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 497IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 281mgIron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

    Hungry For More?

    • Vegan Smoothie Recipes
    • Vegan Pumpkin Smoothie
    • Vegan Green Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Nancy Andres says

      May 09, 2022 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Mel, Yummy recipe and especially appreciate it's made with no refined sugar.

      Reply
    2. Jolene says

      June 17, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      This recipe sounds tasty! Since everything gets pulverized in a blender, can I sub Bob's Red Mill oat flour for the "⅓ cup (33 grams) oats , rolled or quick oats"?

      I know you have other smoothie recipes on your site, but I would love to see more smoothie recipes using this basic formula of banana, oats, nuts or seed butter, seasonings/extracts/sweeteners, and milk. It's just so allergery-friendly!

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 17, 2021 at 7:59 pm

        I've never tried it, but I don't see why you couldn't use oat flour instead. As you say it's being pulverized anyway so it shouldn't make any difference.
        Thanks for the suggestion. I'll bear it in mind when a new smoothie recipe happens!

        Reply
    3. Suzy says

      February 25, 2019 at 10:57 am

      5 stars
      I'm grain free so I replaced oats with chia seeds and flax. I also used hemp milk. It came out thick and creamy and delicious.

      Reply
    4. billy rivers says

      December 24, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      i haven't tried the recipe as yet. i make super smoothies with many different ingredients all the time. my cupboard looks like a vegan health food store! I am simply grateful for finding your site!! looking forward to searching more recipes... thanks

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        December 24, 2018 at 6:50 pm

        I hope you enjoy it when you get to try it!

        Reply
    5. Josie says

      October 29, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      I forgot to rate this delicious smoothie five ⭐️ stars!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        October 29, 2018 at 8:35 pm

        Thank you Josie!

        Reply
    6. Josie says

      October 29, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      Hi Melanie,
      Thanks for the delicious recipe. I need to eat oats for cholesterol-lowering and didn’t know I could add them to smoothies!
      Josie

      Reply

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    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), best-selling cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan food from scratch.

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