This Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is packed with protein, healthy fats, and energizing carbohydrates for a well-balanced breakfast that’ll keep you full until lunch!
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This recipe is…
I have one question for you: is there a better combo than peanut butter and banana? I’m going with no (unless we add chocolate to the dynamic PB + banana duo…we’ll get to that later though!) I love peanut butter and banana on toast, in a yogurt bowl, and, of course, in smoothie form!
Goodness, these smoothies really have it all – they taste AMAZING (how could they not?!), and are loaded with protein (hello, Greek yogurt + protein powder!), carbohydrates (thanks, nanners!), and healthy fats (we give this one to you, PB!) for a breakfast that keeps you full, satisfied, and energized until lunchtime.
Are smoothies healthy?
They totally can be! Here’s the deal, though: they need to be well-balanced. All too often, fruit smoothies are made with *just* frozen fruit + a liquid base. We love fruit, but fruit alone doesn’t keep you full for very long. ENTER, protein + healthy fats! With the addition of these two, you’ve got a smoothie that’ll keep you full, satisfied, and energized all morning…hallelujah!
Recipe Ingredients
Just a few ingredients and you’re on your way to smoothie bliss! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ripe Banana – this one is a given! Bananas are a MUST in this smoothie. They’re half of the PB banana duo and make the smoothie ultra creamy! You’ll use 1 banana per smoothie. Be sure to cut each nanner into chunks before adding to the smoothie packs…this will help with the blending process! If you have overripe bananas, this is a great place to use them – the riper your bananas, the sweeter they will be.
- Greek Yogurt – the Greek yogurt also really helps with the creaminess of this smoothie, plus, it packs a punch of protein! We recommend going full-fat here, as this will make the smoothie more well-balanced and give you a good dose of healthy fats that will keep you full for longer. Dairy-free? Just use your favorite plain dairy-free yogurt in place of Greek yogurt.
- Peanut Butter – quite possibly one of my favorite foods in the world, peanut butter is the other half of the tasty PB banana duo! Choose crunchy or creamy for this smoothie (it’ll get blended either way!), and look for a peanut butter without any added sugar!
- Protein Powder of Choice – this is optional, but adding a little extra protein will help this smoothie to keep you full and energized for longer. We like to go with an unflavored protein option (like these collagen peptides or this unflavored whey option) so that the PB banana flavors can really shine through!
- Milk of Choice OR Water – when it’s time to blend, you’ll add a ½ cup of your milk of choice (almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or regular milk all work here) to the blender with your frozen goods! You can totally opt for water here too, but it won’t be as creamy.
- Chocolate Chips – ah, chocolate! If there’s *any* way to make the PB banana combo tastier, it’s with chocolate! This part is totally optional, but we love topping our smoothie with about a teaspoon (or more…we won’t tell!) of chopped chocolate chips…YUM! If you’d like to go ahead and make a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie, you can also add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to your smoothie.
How to Make
One of the BEST things about these tasty smoothies is that they can be prepped in advance so that a quick blend is all that they need on the morning of. That means breakfast is (basically) done, so you can hit snooze one extra time! Here’s how you’ll make 5 smoothies at a time, plus exactly what size yogurt tub to buy!
To make 5 smoothie packs, you’ll need 2½ cups of yogurt altogether. Most yogurt tubs come in a 32-ounce size (2 pints) which equates to about 3¾ cups yogurt. So, if you go the 32-ounce route, know that you’ll have a little bit (1¼ cups, to be exact) of yogurt to spare – make a yogurt bowl OR a Greek yogurt dip with the leftover to avoid food waste! If you happen to find a 24-ounce tub of Greek yogurt (not as common, but some brands have this size!), you’ll end up with just a ½ cup leftover.
- Portion. Spoon the banana, yogurt, protein, and peanut butter into individual bags.
- Freeze. Store your pre-made smoothie packs in the freezer (be sure to label them with the date!) until you’re ready to enjoy.
- Blend. When you’re ready to make your smoothie, empty the contents of your bag into a blender or bullet with the milk or water. Blend until smooth.
- Enjoy. Pour in your favorite glass, garnish with peanut butter drizzle and chocolate chips (if you want), and enjoy!
Reusable Bags for Smoothie Packs
For an environmentally-friendly approach to smoothie packs, wash, dry, and re-use plastic bags OR make and store your smoothie packs in reusable bags like these, these, and these!
How long will smoothie packs keep in the freezer?
These no-fuss smoothie packs will keep in the freezer for 3 months. So, if you see a good sale on Greek yogurt, snag a few tubs + several bunches of bananas and make more than a week at a time! Heck, make a month’s worth if you’d like!
The Best Blenders for Smoothies
There are two blender routes you can take: a full-size blender or a ‘bullet’ single-serve blender. If you’re making more than one smoothie each morning (one for you + one for someone else in your household), a full-size blender may be the best option for you, but if you’re planning on blending and running out the door, the single-serve blender may be your best bet! Either way, you’ll want a high-quality blender so that your smoothie turns out silky smooth! This is our favorite full-size blender, and this is a great ‘bullet’ option for the on-the-go smoothie sippers!
More Favorite Smoothie Recipes
Creamy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
For 5 Smoothie Packs:
- 5 ripe bananas cut into chunks
- 20 ounces 2 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2/3 cup 10 tablespoons peanut butter
- 5 scoops protein powder of choice optional
For 1 Smoothie:
- 1 banana cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter additional for optional drizzle
- 1 scoop protein powder of choice optional
- 1/2 cup milk of choice or water add more if needed to reach desired consistency
- 1 teaspoon chocolate chips chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Spoon the banana, yogurt, and peanut butter into individual bags. It will freeze as one big ball of goodness.
- When you’re ready to make your smoothie, empty the contents of your bag into a blender or bullet with the milk or water. Blend until smooth.
- Pour in your favorite glass, garnish with peanut butter drizzle and chocolate chips (if you want), and enjoy.
Nutrition
Can you add chia, flax, or hemp seed into these when you put them into the freezer bags?
Great question, Amber! Absolutely!
This is delicious. I use a silicone muffin pan to make enough for 6 smoothies, 2 muffin spots per smoothie, then stick the whole thing in the freezer. I keep the protein powder, milk, and frozen banana separate to add the day of. It helps keep the consistency like that of a smoothie and shortens the prep time in the morning. I use the Instant Pot Ace blender, set it on the smoothie option, and its good to go!
So glad you like this recipe, Beverly!
Two Questions:
1) Could you pre-blend everything and then pour it into 5 mason jars and freeze them and/or keep a couple in the fridge for the week? (If so, how long in fridge or freezer?)
2) Could you use sugar-free peanut butter powder? If so, how much would you recommend per smoothie?
I wouldn’t blend ahead of time…the consistency of a pre-blended smoothie is never as good as a morning-of blended smoothie! Hmm, we haven’t tried the peanut butter powder, but I’d go ahead with 2 tablespoons of that too!
The recipe itself looks fantastic — but make-ahead “smoothie packs” using single-use ziplock bags is so beyond wasteful and unnecessary, it actually makes me angry. How about storing ingredients in glass jars (in the freezer) as an alternative? Or… just take the whopping 3-5 minutes it actually takes to make a smoothie from scratch each day. Living a healthy, mindful existence should extend to and include
our planet.
Reusable bags or glass jars are both great options, Taryn! As you said, you can also totally make it the morning of if you’ve got time!
I make this almost on the daily now! YUM! I’ve made it both with and without protein powder and they’re both just as delicious. 🙂
It is so good, isn’t it?! One of my favorites for sure!