Smoothies and I go way back. There used to be this kiosk in a local mall that made smoothies. I don’t remember the name of the place or what made eight or nine year old me beg Mom and Dad or my baby-sitter to stop that first time. However, one time was all it took for me to be hooked. I think I typically got a strawberry concoction that was loaded with fresh fruit and probably a healthy dose of ice cream. I got a smoothie pretty much every time I went to the mall. Dad even picked one up on a special mall mission once when I was sick. I’m pretty sure a Cinnabon was part of the order too. Gotta love Dad! I don’t remember the last time I had one of these smoothies and I think the kiosk has since closed.
Then I went through my homemade smoothie phase. It was during high school when I was so upset in the mornings and during the day I found it difficult to eat. By the end of the day, I was safe at home and needed calories and yummy sustenance. We bought a pink KitchenAid blender and every day after school, Mom would blend up a banana, some strawberries, and Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. It was cold and comforting. Since I started homeschooling junior year of high school, that pretty pink blender has been sitting, collecting dust. But it is doing so no more.
I don’t know what that is made me crave a smoothie again. Perhaps it was the warm weather. Maybe it was a desire for a healthier breakfast. Or possibly even a desire to return to childhood, sharing a smoothie with Mom. They weren’t exactly the good old days, but in many ways they were simpler.
This Banana Berry Smoothie is a lot healthier than the ones of my youth, but it smelled just like them and upon the first taste I discovered it tasted just like them too. Cold and refreshing, it’s perfect for all those warm, sunny summer days. The banana flavor comes through along with the strawberries and a hint of blueberry. It is perfectly smooth and creamy, with a fun, bright color. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free. I already made another batch for breakfast this morning.
Healthy Banana Berry Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 smoothies 1x
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large bananas, ripe but not overly ripe
- 5 large strawberries
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup almond milk, plus more if needed
Instructions
- At least 2 hours before you want to make the smoothies, peel the bananas, slice them into about 1 inch pieces, and place them in the freezer on a plate. Frozen bananas are what make this smoothie thick and creamy.
- In a blender, place the frozen bananas and strawberries. Start to blend it. You may need to stop and stir things around to get it moving. Add the milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. You may need to continue stopping and stirring or adding more milk. Once it is pretty much completely smooth, add the blueberries and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.
I love smoothies! This one would be perfect for breakfast!
I am so obessed with smoothies lately!! I love that you used almond milk in this one
Oooh super yummy smoothie!
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I will hv to gv this recipe to my daughter. She uses almond milk and makes smoothies. 😉
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Yay! It’s so easy to make too!
Wow these certainly are thick and creamy!! Thanx for the hint of putting the bananas in the freezer first! Thats a great idea!
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The frozen bananas make it so thick and cold and refreshing without the need for ice. Thanks, Brooklyn!
I do have 5 overly ripe bananas right now that I HAVE to use today (otherwise I am afraid they will get mold :)), and they are so ripe they can only be used in a banana bread. 🙂 But strawberries and bananas go so well together – I always wanted to make a smoothie just like that! It looks amazing!
Overly ripe bananas make the best banana bread! And having them around is such a good excuse to make some 😉 I hope you will try the smoothie – it’s super tasty! Thanks, Julia.
Love this smoothie… it looks so creamy and delicious!
I love smoothies… 😀
Awesome shots & such a healthy recipe! Thks for coming by & leaving your wonderful note! I’m following u now at Twitter & Pinterest & would love to have u follow me too. Looking fwd to sharing, on just on our love for food 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate you visiting my site too 🙂
Your smoothie sounds and looks lovely, so refreshing!
Here in Greece became too hot for this time of year, so I’ll enjoy it with lots of ice.
Actually, as long as the bananas are frozen, you don’t need the ice. It is cold and refreshing with just the bananas. Enjoy!
I’ve never tried almond milk before. This looks so yummy and refreshing. 🙂
Oh, I love almond milk. It’s so healthy and delicious. Thanks for visiting, Tina!
My son stole my blender and now I need a new one. After looking at this, I think I’m going to kill him. I’m getting thirsty thinking about this!
Yum! who doesn’t love a good smoothie. I wish my blender wasn’t broken! 🙁
I have made smoothies made with allmond milk too… The tip of the bananas in the freezer is a great idea!! I will try this for sure.
Banana smoothies are such a staple in this country, especially for school kids. It´s the easiest way to make them drink milk! Love this recipe Laura, a great afternoon drink for long days!
Smoothies are such a great way to drink milk and eat fruit!
Lovely, just a step away from a milkshake and much better than juicing as well. Don’t go nuts on the smoothie though, they are loaded with sugar.
This smoothie has no added sugar. All of the sugar comes from the fruit, and I would have eaten the fruit anyway.
Sounds so good but am a diabetic and the bananas are a no no.. They are full of sugar.
If you can eat other fruit, I think it would work too. Just freeze the berries and they should blend up quite thick. You may need more almond milk/regular milk to make it creamy, but it should still be delicious. Hope this helps, Linda!
Thanks for the recipe Laura – looks fantastic! Looks quite thick too – I usually use (real) greek yogurt to get my smoothies nice and thick, but you seem to have done a great job with almond milk!
Nice trick using the frozen bananas – can’t wait to try it!
Frozen bananas are such a healthy trick for getting a thick, milkshake like smoothie. I hope you do try it!