Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
One day I was out of berries and my girls wanted a fruit smoothie so, inspired by a blog reader, we tried a peanut butter banana smoothie instead—yum! It doesn’t get much easier than this, and smoothies are a great addition to almost any breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. These can also be frozen too, but more on that later. The combination of bananas and natural peanut butter in this super easy recipe will have you making them often!
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Just tried this as an after-school snack. It was a home run. Simple, quick, portable, yummy AND nutritious. This recipe is a keeper.
Is a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Healthy for You?
Yes! Homemade smoothies in general are a great option since they are loaded with healthy whole food ingredients. Bananas have plenty of potassium, peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fats, and yogurt (plain or Greek yogurt) offers some of those much-needed probiotics.
What Are the Best Bananas to Use in Smoothies?
The riper the banana, the better. The browner they are, the sweeter they are! I like to store unpeeled bananas (cut into small pieces) in the freezer when I see them turning brown so I can use them in smoothies another day. Adding a frozen banana (and omitting ice altogether) will result in a thicker smoothie.
What Else Can I Add to My Peanut Butter Smoothie?
You can definitely switch things up a bit by substituting almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter. If you have a high-speed blender, you could add in some flax seeds for extra fiber, if you wish.
I do NOT recommend adding protein powder because most protein powders are highly processed, and this smoothie has plenty of natural protein from the peanut butter already. You may be surprised that it’s actually “rare for someone who is healthy and eating a varied diet to not get enough protein” anyway!
How to Make a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Smoothies are one of the easiest options for a quick breakfast, especially on busy mornings when you’re trying to run out the door. They only take about 5 minutes total to prep and blend, making smoothies the perfect breakfast.
- Combine all the ingredients into the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Ingredients
- Fresh bananas – I recommend using ripe bananas as they are naturally sweeter.
- Plain yogurt – I recommend organic whole milk (full-fat) yogurt.
- Peanut butter – Try to find one that is made with only peanuts and stick to creamy peanut butter.
- Handful of ice cubes – You could use frozen banana slices and omit the ice cubes for a smoothie with a creamy texture.
Other Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Other Healthy Breakfast On-The-Go Ideas
Best Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 bananas ripe (the riper the better)
- 1 cup plain yogurt (whole milk recommended)
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup ice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. Enjoy!
Notes
- We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
- Recipe variation: If you have frozen bananas on hand you can use those and omit the ice cubes.
I love smoothies, but almost all of them call for bananas in your cookbooks. My son and I are both extremely allergic to bananas. Is there something we can substitute in its place?
Hi! Avocado is a good choice as it gives a creamy consistency. Greek yogurt can help make it thicker if not using bananas.
I would use the knives for everyday cooking. I’m always new recipes.
I use whole milk instead of yogurt and still use ice cubes with the frozen bannana
Can you clarify the amount of milk? Thanks!
Hi there. You can add milk for the consistency you’d like. The whole milk is there to clarify the type of yogurt. :)
This sounds delicious! I’ve just recently started doing smoothies. I was making one yesterday, but had ran out of bananas. I had Dole Dippers (frozen banana slices dipped in dark chocolate) so I tried that. The taste was fantastic! I used 1/2 cup greek vanilla yogurt, 1 cup almond milk, strawberries, the Dole Dippers, oatmeal, and a handful of spinach. I bet they would be great with the peanut butter smoothie! (think Reeses peanut butter cups!)
I thought bananas and peanut butter were bad for “belly fat”
The peanut butter sounds great. We toss all sorts of things in smoothies but I haven’t tried peanut butter.
I made this yesterday and loved it! As a single person I am wondering… if I made the whole recipe, would the remaining servings keep OK in the refrigerator? Or would the banana start to oxidize and the smoothie separate? I’d love to not have to clean the blender every time I want this treat! :)
Hi Bridget. The banana won’t “keep” very well and would get frothy pretty quickly. ~Amy
We put leftover smoothies in the freezer – they keep great but you will have to give them a little time to thaw.
Just tried this as an after-school snack. It was a home run. I threw in an avocado (mostly just to use it up before it went bad) and it was deeeelish. It’s also really filling; my kids didn’t immediately complain that they were still hungry like they do after finishing most snacks. I love that I’ll be able to put this in a thermos and bring it along if we need a snack on the go. Simple, quick, portable, yummy AND nutritious. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks again!
This was wonderful! I used dark chocolate almond milk instead of whole. It turned out to be a chocolate, peanut butter, banana masterpiece!!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Lisa. Here is another smoothie recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/17/recipe-tasty-smoothies/. There are endless possibilities with smoothie creations! Have fun with them. Nut butters, yogurt, etc. will add protein to any smoothie. Enjoy. ~Amy
After reading the label of our protein powder, we ditched it immediately. This is a fabulous alternative. I used plain greek yogurt which at first had a “unique” flavor (tangy?) but it grew on me and filled me up! My 1 year old loved it too! Any other protein shake/smoothie recipes?
Great! Thank you so much! We just got a Trader Joe’s here, so I’ll be sure to look for it. :)
This may have already been asked/answered, but is the plain yogurt sweetened at all? I just looked at my “plain” yogurt and realized it says “sweetened 1% milkfat vitamin D” added. So I’m not sure if this really qualifies as plain. It contains organic sugar and organic corn starch. What ingredients *should* be in an organic plain yogurt? I’m getting confused! :)
Hello Becky. My plain organic yogurt contains WHOLE milk, natural pectin (from apple peel), and cultures. No need should for anything else. ~Amy
BTW: Mine is Trader Joe’s brand. :)
I make something like this all the time – my toddler loves it. We use organic almond or soy milk + banana + peanut butter. Delish!
Hello there! Thank you for your wonderful advice. I have some friends who recently have said peanut butter is horrible for you and etc. What are your thoughts on peanut butter?
Hi Samantha. Peanut butter is nutritious but in its non-organic form can be heavily contaminated. Buy an organic peanut butter with only one or two ingredients (the second being a little salt). If you like it slightly sweetened you can use a bit of honey. ~Amy
Hi,
First of all thank you so much for informing me on what was really going into mine, and my families bodies. I have always tried to eat ‘healthy’ – no artificial flavors/colors, no high fructose corn syrup but I had no idea about GMO’s and many other things I have learned from your posts! And I am happy to say we have changed a lot of our eating habits and will continue too!
My question is though…what type of peanut butter do you buy or do you make your own? My family LOVES peanut butter so I am afraid this is a switch they will not go along with.
Laura, We recently made the switch from “regular” peanut butter to the one ingredient kind. We just buy the Kroger brand and it only has peanuts and salt listed as ingredients. Our family loves peanut butter and I was worried about changing. We actually like it better!
Hi Laura. You might find the switch to be not so challenging. Peanut butter should have only peanuts and maybe salt on the ingredient list. My kids love the combination of a little honey mixed in with the peanut butter. Glad the blog is helping! Goodluck. ~Amy
I tried this for the first time this morning, and while I loved the flavor, I felt the consistency was too creamy for my taste and didn’t have any of that slushy texture that smoothies typically have. I’m not too kitchen savvy, so I wanted to ask…do you think if I just add more ice that I’d get that texture I’m looking for? Or maybe cut out some of the yogurt? Or both?
Hi Lori. I would probably try the PB&J smoothie instead…https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/11/recipe-pbj-smoothie/. If you still think it’s too creamy, you can reduce the peanut butter to 1/4 cup. I love this smoothie. Jill
I’ve been making something like this for years. Only I freeze the bananas instead of adding ice, and I add cinnamon. Cinnamon works really well in that smoothie.
Has anyone tried using soynut butter in smoothies? My son has nut allergies and won’t eat sunbutter. But I would really like to find a smoothie recipe and this looks yum!
I am just learning about food. I was recently diagnoised with high BP, High cholesterol, very high tryglicerides and am pre-diabetic. I learned how bad store bought peanut butter is for you. It increases your bad cholesterol(LDL) and lowers your good cholesterol (HDL). Look for the peanut butter with the oil on top (old fashioned) and refrigerate it after opening. Or make your own as Lisa has suggested. Love this site, thanks Lisa!
Hi there — I just came across your website and am so glad I did. Thank you for all the wonderful ideas! For your smoothies what type of blender do you use. I need to purchase a new one for smoothies and not quite sure where to start. Would love any suggestions you have.
Thanks again for being such an inspiration!
I actually have a cheap-o blender from Target and while it does the trick (especially if I shake it around while it’s blending LOL) I would love a vitamix one day!
Lol…I do a lot of shaking with ours as well! My two and twelve year old and I do the “silly” dance because it takes so long to blend anything with. Thanks!!
I started making this and my blender got clogged up (putting the peanut butter in first isn’t a good idea, or maybe my blender is just cheap), so my hubby came down and “fixed” it. He added more of everything and it is so amazing. Thank you for a great recipe!
I just tried this with my kiddos and my picky two year old who doens’t particularly like new things just scarfed this down!! Yea!!!! We only used whole milk since we didn’t have plain yogurt on hand but was still delish!!
The kids had fun putting ingredients in the blender and watching them come smooth! Thanks for the recipe!!
I like to add toasted wheat germ to our smoothies. Is wheat germ allowed?
That is not 100% whole-grain …wheat berries have 3 parts (bran, germ and endosperm) and only whole-grains are allowed during the 10-day pledge. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/07/22/understanding-grains/
I just made a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies for my son when he got home from school. He said it was AMAZING! Thank you for the delicious healthy recipes!
Use sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. Really delicious!
Hi! I found you from Yahoo! awhile ago.
I really can’t believe schools and parents are giving their kids sweets and cakes as rewards when, I don’t know, they get an A+ on a test! I thought schools were suppose to be healthy, when on Tuesdays, my school serves for breakfast giant cinnamon rolls made with white flour.
I just have to say, my favorite smoothie is milk, peanut butter, flax seed, frozen banana, and vanilla. Delicious!
Oh, psst. I’m 12 ><
Delish! For years I have been making smoothies and throwing a handful of nuts (typically almonds but sometimes walnuts) into them as well. You can’t even taste them when it is all done, but it adds some more nutrition. My favorite is 1-2 banana(s), a handful of almonds, and a dash of cinnamon into a blender. Then I fill the blender with milk, just so that the milk is a little bit below the top of the bananas. Then I blend it up and enjoy it.
What do you think of using Nutella in place of peanut butter?
The first ingredient of Nutella is sugar so it is definitely not a good substitute! Based on the ingredients Nutella should be considered a treat or special dessert.
Nutella also uses fake vanilla, or vanillin, which is a paper production waste product. Yuck.
I’ve been making these for my children for years. We use greek yogurt and it is delicious. We also add strawberries or other berries. My 12 yr old makes these as a snack for himself all the time. :)
Made these awesome smoothies this morning…my two and a half-year-old said, “Mmmmm…this is sooooo good!” These will certainly be making a regular appearance for breakfast….Thank you!!!
Oh my goodness! I have died and gone to heaven! YUM-O!
YUM im going to make this for breakfast tomorrow thanks!
What do you think of milk being acidic for the body and actually calcium robber. I read this recently where they talk about saving our bones.
I make a smoothie similar to this for my dd’s. They love it. 1 frozen banana, 1.5 cups chocolate soy milk (dd can’t have dairy), large tablespoon of peanut butter.
Absolutely delicious. I didn’t have any yogurt so I used 1/2 cup of whole milk that we got straight from the dairy (chemical free and no artificial additives, just pure). It was wonderful and my boys loved it. Our boys are on a gluten free diet to help with their ADHD so I was so happy that they loved this.
What kind of changes have you seen in your boys doing a gluten free diet? My son has ADD and I am looking for alternatives to medication to help him. I am reading that changes in diet can help. Thanks!
So I made it twice- I’ve added vanilla and/or honey. YUM!
I often make my kids banana milk. Just blend one ripe banana with about a cup of milk. It is yummy, quick, and healthy! (If the bananas aren’t completely ripe add a touch of honey or maple syrup.)
ummmm..I LOVE THIS! You make eating healthy easy! This is my new breakfast.
Big shout out from my crew on this one! yummy and low sugar!! They didn’t even know the difference! :)
i’m assuming you use natural peanut butter and not regular. What brand? I do the same type of smoothie but sometimes add oats in it as well.
I use 1-ingredient organic peanut butter that you can grind yourself at stores like Earth Fare and Whole Foods.
I made these with lunch today, and my 3-year-old LOVED them! (I did too!) We are excited to try the other fruit smoothie recipes. I can’t believe how simple your ingredients are compared to what we used to eat. And everything tastes SO MUCH BETTER! Thanks again for sharing. I hope you are working on publishing these recipes and philosophies in a cookbook!
Instead of yogurt, I use coconut milk, and add protein powder and a tablespoon of organic cocoa powder. Its delish!
We use a recipe similar to this and we add a bit of spinach. It changes the color a bit, so I don’t do it with my pickiest child (better to get some bananas in him that nothing), but you really can’t taste the spinach at all.
I’ve been thinking about adding spinach to my smoothies too, but was concerned about the color change. I think I’ll try it and put the smoothies in cups that you can’t see through that have lids/straws. Think this would work?
I don’t think it changes the color that much…my kids are used to me adding spinach, but I recently gave a spinach-filled smoothie to a neighbor kid (who is 10 years old) and she had no idea it was in there. I told her about it after the fact and come to find out she HATES spinach! She was pretty surprised to find out she had just drank something she thought she hated :)
When you say you add spinach, do you mean spinach leaves?
Yes, we add fresh spinach leaves to our smoothies sometimes.
I use essentially this same recipe but I pack the rest of the blender full of spinach and also add some milk to help it liquify. It turns bright green and tastes so good! I think kids would like it because of the bright color – especially kids that are used to eating fake food that has food coloring in it.
What is your thought on adding protein powder to smoothies? I realize that this is not a “real food” but I have debated doing this to make a smoothie more of a “meal” for the kids but keep going back and forth about it. Love all your recipes…thanks!
If you want protein I would recommend adding peanut or another nut butter to your smoothies instead of protein powder. When eating “real food” we try to focus on foods that our ancestors have survived on for centuries (and that weren’t factory made or “invented” in the last 50 years)…I don’t know about you, but I am guess our great-grandparents would have never heard of protein powder! :)
For extra protein try Greek plain yogurt. Tons of protein.
We add greens, kefir, and raw honey to ours for extra nutrition. You can’t even taste them. I also blogged about other ways we “hide” veggies recently if you want more ideas.
Our silicone push-up popsicles molds arrived today! We filled them with a banana/almond butter/half & half smoothie mixture (similar to what you’ve posted today) and are waiting for them to freeze!! The popsicle molds were bigger than I expected, and that was a good thing! Thank you for equipping us for good eating!
We melted an unsweetened piece of baker’s chocolate and made a smoothie with milk peanut butter, melted chocolate and a touch of honey. We also added frozen banana chunks. It was OUTSTANDING!. It tasted like a smooth blizzard.
I do something like this but use frozen bananas and add a tsp of cocoa powder :)