This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk.
Look out, world.
In my continued attempt to cut out more refined sugars in my life (with a few indulgent exceptions on occasion), I have been experimenting lately with turning some of my favorite desserts into healthier smoothies. I know, I know, not totally the same. But actually, many dessert flavor combinations seem to translate well into smoothies, so I’ve been on a roll giving them a try. This week for breakfast at mi casa, I smoothie-fied banana bread, cherry pie, blueberry muffins, chocolate-covered strawberries and confetti cake batter. And somewhat to my surprise, they all turned out to be delicious successes! This is fantastic news for when those old sugar cravings strike. And bonus? Each one felt like eating an indulgent dessert for breakfast. (Or lunch. Or dinner. Or hey, even dessert!)
Stay tuned, because I will definitely be sharing more of these recipes over the summer. But for today, I thought I’d start by sharing my first success of the week — this Banana Bread Smoothie.
For anyone out there who loves a slice of soft, rich, spiced banana bread as much as I do — but maybe not all of those pesky calories and gluten included — this one’s for you. It’s simple to make, ready to go in about 5 minutes, and celebrates all of the rich flavors of classic banana bread. My kind of smoothie. :)
Banana Bread Smoothie Recipe | 1-Minute Video
The ingredients to make it are quite simple. I went with:
- Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk (in “Original” flavor, which is what I always keep on hand)
- Bananas (I recommend peeling, slicing, and then freezing them so that you can skip the ice cubes)
- Greek yogurt (for extra protein, although nix this if you’d like to make the smoothie vegan)
- Old-fashioned oats (use gluten-free oats if making this GF)
- Vanilla extract
- Banana bread spices (ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt)
Simply toss them all together in a blender…
…pulse until smooth…
…then serve it up!
The oats, spices, and vanilla definitely combine to make this taste much more like actual banana bread, versus your typical plain banana smoothie. And the almond milk and Greek yogurt make it extra creamy, and full of extra protein to fuel your day (versus that annoying sugar/carb crash that often accompanies actual banana bread). Oh, and don’t forget all of the potassium in those bananas!
Great ingredients, great flavor, great smoothie. I think you’re going to love it!
Banana Bread Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, peeled, sliced and frozen
- 1 cup Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
- 1/2 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- (optional: 1 teaspoon maple syrup, if you’d like a sweeter smoothie)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This is a sponsored post in partnership with Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk. I am partnering with them to bring you some tasty new recipes this year, and all opinions are my own as always. Thanks for continuing to support the brands that help make this site possible!
What a great way to start your day. Thanks.
You’re welcome Kimberly, we hope you enjoy it!
How would this taste as a green smoothie?
We’re not really sure Laura, but we think it’s worth trying!
Tried this tonight, not a big fan of the bits dried oats, not very smooth-ie. Maybe could use leftover oatmeal to keep it from being chunky. Other than that I’d say great recipe!
Hey Matti, we’re glad you enjoyed this! As for the oats, you can always grind them more, to make a powder, that way you’ll get a great oat flavor without the texture.
I just tried this for breakfast. It was excellent. The only thing that I would say is if you use a very good quality vanilla you may want to cut it down ti 1/2 tsp. I will be making this again.
Thanks Cleo, we’re happy you enjoyed it! Also, that’s a great point on the vanilla, thanks for sharing. :)
Made this today. All I can say is wow so delicious!!! Very filling too.
Thank you Janet, we’re happy you liked it! :)
I’m not a fan of Greek yogurt. Can you use regular yogurt?
Thanks, Susan
Sure thing! It won’t be quite as thick, but absolutely, it will work!
I make yogurt, sometimes Greek, sometimes regular. I also drink a huge smoothie every single day [Ninja]
I mix honey, or agave nectar, etc. and maybe some chia seed in the yogurt and freeze it in silicone ice cube trays,
then add them [2 or 3] to my smoothie, however I make it. It allows me to keep my yogurt fresh and in abundance for
[our] daily smoothies, and also to make separate batches to have on hand fresh [unfrozen] to use for baking and cooking.
Each of us make individual smoothies [Nutri Ninja Auto IQ blender system 1500watts] and the yogurt cubes make it
easy for all to get from the ziplocks in the freezer to go along with……bananas,strawberries, blueberries,grapes,spinach,kale,almonds,chia seed,sesame seed,flax seed,celery,cucumber,almond milk,coconut milk,
pineapple, [much of the ingredients kept frozen]……..and usually ALL OF THE ABOVE ! I look forward to making the
Banana Bread smoothie in the morning !!
Very cool, thanks for sharing Jona!
I just made this (without the nutmeg) and it’s totally amazing! Such a rich flavour wich defenitly reminds me of baked goodies
Thanks, Billy, we’re so glad you liked it! A pinch of nutmeg does wonders in things. : )
My Husband is allergic to Oats, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. What can I use to substitute?
I would try using cloves as the spice, and use an additional 1/2 cup of yogurt in place of the banana. You could always add some ground flax or some nuts in place of the oats. I hope that helps!
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for awhile now and finally made it today! It was really good following the recipe exactly but then I added a scoop of peanut butter, a half scoop of protein powder (chocolate protein powder would be amazing in this) and a couple of chocolate chips for some added texture and it was out of this world! Plus, I didn’t have to heat up the oven on a 90+ degree day to bake banana bread which is a total win in my book! ?
Love oat smoothies!! And so much easier for little ones to eat oatmeal with a straw than a spoon. ;-)
Yes! I hope your boys love it! : )