Wholesome Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

Inspired by a sweet little coffee shop on the Puerto Rican coast, this wholesome banana almond milk smoothie with flax, vanilla, and a hint of cinnamon tastes like a milkshake yet is immensely more healthy and satisfying. Frozen bananas are the key!

In a very different era, my husband and I took a vacation to Rincon, Puerto Rico. Although it feels like the trip happened in a different millennium—we’ve had two kids and completed two international moves since then—we remember Rincon’s beauty very well. The town is a big surfing destination, and though we don’t surf, we soaked up the gorgeous sunsets, good food, lounging, and watching and listening to waves crash at night. All the usual beach vacation goals!

One specific stand-out was a tiny little coffee shop in town, Banana Dang. We went running almost every morning, it was hot and humid, and if you go inland just a tiny bit Rincon is actually quite hilly, so we were super sweaty and spent by the end of each workout. I think it was the second day of our trip that we happened to pop into Banana Dang for a post-run smoothie, and we literally went back every single day after that. If memory serves, we even went twice on the last day, before driving back to San Juan.

Every smoothie at Banana Dang was amazing—and we did try them all—but my hands-down favorite was the simplest on the menu: a banana concoction with flax seeds and just a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. I craved it the whole vacation and found myself routinely wishing for one after we returned home.

This was back before I spent so much time in the kitchen, so it took me a minute to realize I could try to recreate it. Ha!

Now I’ve been making this same smoothie for years. Every single batch still brings me joy!

Why You’ll Love This Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

• Everyday, real food ingredients
• As satisfyingly creamy and rich as a delicious milkshake
• No ice required
• A fantastic use for one or two overripe bananas
• Easy to adjust to your taste—add extra fruit, more cinnamon, chia, etc.
• Naturally sweet from the bananas—NO added sugar or sweetener

Ingredient Notes

How To Freeze Bananas for Smoothies

• Peel and slice your ripe bananas before freezing; in my experience, this is the best route to creamy banana-based smoothies. I like to slice two at a time, if possible, toss them into a medium-sized silicone bag, and freeze for 2-3 months. The frozen slices can go straight into any powerful blender, where they’ll make a thick, satisfying smoothie with no need for ice or yogurt to thicken, etc.
• Alternatively, toss whole, unpeeled bananas into the freezer for 2-3 months. The only downside to this method for smoothies is that you’ll need to defrost the banana slightly—10-20 seconds in the microwave does the trick for me—in order to peel it. This in turn means it’s not quite as cold and creamy of a smoothie base.

A final side note: in the many years since our vacation, Banana Dang has closed in Rincon and relocated to southern California. I hope to find myself nearby one day!

In the meantime, though, I’m awfully grateful to make my own perfect smoothie at home. And now you can, too! Enjoy!

More Smoothie Recipes

• Blueberry Oat Almond Milk Smoothie
• Strawberry Pomegranate Smoothie
• Simple Banana Protein Shake
• Blood Orange Banana Smoothie
• Chocolate Almond Milk Smoothie

4.74 from 26 votes

Wholesome Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

By Monica Lensink

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Total: 5 minutes mins

Servings: 2

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Tastes like a milkshake yet is immensely more healthy and satisfying. Frozen bananas are the key!

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 bananas, sliced and frozen
• ▢ 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened vanilla or natural
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon whole flaxseeds, see note
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

• Combine all ingredients in blender and pulse on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until mixture is completely smooth and thick. Serve immediately.
  2 bananas, 1 cup almond milk, 1 Tablespoon whole flaxseeds, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Notes

1. Milk: Substitute any other type of milk that you like, dairy or non-dairy. Just be aware that this smoothie is already naturally sweet from the bananas, so using a sweetened milk product may not be necessary.
2. Flaxseed: For a lot of people, ground flaxseed meal is easier to digest than whole flaxseeds; if this applies to you, by all means include the meal instead, or omit it entirely. I do still prefer the slight texture and mildly nutty flavor that whole flaxseeds offer.
3. Variations: Other easy twists on this smoothie include adding in chia seeds as well or instead of the flax, adding a pinch of nutmeg or ginger, or tossing in a few berries, as well.
4. Add Protein: I have had good results mixing one or two scoops of vanilla protein powder directly into this smoothie, or just making this banana protein shake instead. You also can mix in 2-3 Tablespoons of peanut butter, other nut butters, or powdered PB2; voila: peanut butter banana smoothie.
5. Yield: For us this yields one large or two small-ish smoothies.

Nutrition

Calories: 155kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 165mg, Potassium: 466mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 76IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 169mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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