Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie

If you love the flavor combination of peanut butter and banana, then this Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is for you! Fantastic as a quick, healthy breakfast, and after-school snack for your kids or post-workout drink, this smoothie is healthy, quick and delicious!

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie – the ideal healthy snack or breakfast!

When your mornings are rushed, but you know you need something healthy for your hungry tummy, this healthy peanut butter banana smoothie is the way to go.

Made with just 5 ingredients that you likely already have in your fridge and pantry, this quick breakfast or snack is a great healthy option when time is tight.

In this post I’ll show you some healthier options to make this peanut butter banana smoothie a great choice for you and your kids!

What do I need to make a peanut butter banana smoothie?

• Banana – ideally frozen
• Milk – can be either dairy or plant based – whatever best fits your dietary needs.
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Peanut Butter – can also be a nut/seed butter of your choice
• Sweetener – granular or liquid. I’ll give you some good options below.

What peanut butter can I use in a smoothie?

Adding peanut butter to a smoothie is a great way to add flavor and good fats to your protein shake or smoothie.

When buying peanut butter, there are a few things to consider to make sure you are getting a quality, nutritious nut butter. Make sure to look for the following:

• The less ingredients the better! Ideally, a good quality nut butter should just have nuts and salt. The Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter pictured above has only peanuts and salt.
• Be warry of nut butters with added oils. Many popular peanut butter brands contain a significant amount of added oils from soybean oil, palm oil or vegetable oils. All of these oils are highly inflammatory in your body and are NOT good for you.
• Look for a nut butter WITHOUT added sugar. Check the nutrition label under sugars. If it lists added sugars, it’s likely not a great choice. Check the ingredient list – if it contains ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, it’s not a good option. If you like a sweeter peanut butter, honey is a better option, however it will increase the calorie content.

Some other good choices for peanut butter that I like and use are the Kirkland Mixed Nut and Seed Butter, found at Costco. Check out my post for all of my favorite Costco Foods for Healthy Meals and Snacks.

Lakanto also makes a No Sugar Added Powdered Peanut Butter that is fantastic in smoothies.

Love peanut butter? Check out some of my other healthy snacks that include peanut butter:

• Peanut Butter Protein Bars
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• No Bake Granola Bars
• Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
• Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Bars
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

What’s the best way to sweeten a smoothie?

If you like your smoothie on the sweeter side, there are several healthier options to just adding refined sugar. Pictured above are some of my favorite no sugar added sweeteners (Amazon links listed, should you want to purchase):

• Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol
• Whole Earth Erythritol & Monk Fruit
• Lakanto Maple Flavored Syrup
• Sweet Drops Vanilla Cream Stevia drops

If you would rather sweeten your smoothie with a liquid sweetener, good quality honey or maple syrup is a great option. These will increase the calorie content of your smoothie, so less is more.

How do I freeze bananas for smoothies?

You’ll likely discover that bananas are an excellent ingredient in most smoothies. They offer fiber, potassium and vitamins B6 and C. They also help create a thick, creamy consistency when blending your smoothie.

Pictured above is the ideal way to freeze bananas for your smoothies. Here’s how to do it:

• Start by slicing an individual banana. Bananas that are often a little spotty are great for freezing. These ripe bananas are sweeter and are great for blending into any smoothie.
• Add each sliced banana to a lined baking sheet. Parchment paper or waxed paper work well and prevent the banana slices from freezing to the pan. (FYI – in photo above, each line represents a banana. Helpful when bagging after frozen.)
• Once the banana slices are frozen, simply add to resealable bags to the freezer. Small snack-sized zip-top bags work well and fit one banana perfectly.

Here are some FAQ’s all about making peanut butter banana smoothies:

Check out some of my other smoothie recipes and healthy breakfast resources:

• Cottage Cheese Fruit Smoothie with Strawberries
• Mango Pineapple Smoothie
• Coconut Smoothie
• Berry Pomegranate Smoothie
• Cherry Smoothie
• Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
• Raspberry Almond Smoothie Bowl at Real Housemoms
• How to Make Smoothies – a tutorial at Food.com