Easy 5 Minute Banana Smoothie

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.

Our 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 our 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.

More Banana Recipes

If you have some bananas leftover, we love this banana bread, our banana muffins, or this healthy banana bread made with olive oil and less sugar.