July 24, 2019

Banana Spinach Smoothie | Green Smoothie Recipe

Name: Banana Spinach Smoothie
Prep time: 1 min
Total time: 1 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: Half a large or 1 small very ripe banana; 1 cup milk (or dairy substitute); 2 cups fresh baby spinach

Gluten Free Vegetarian Breakfast + Brunch Drinks + Smoothies Snacks No Bake

Here are the basic Banana Spinach Smoothie ingredients:

Banana (Fresh or frozen. The riper, the better – it’ll make your smoothie taste sweeter!)
Spinach
Milk (Dairy milk, or a non-dairy alternative like almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk.)
+ Ice (Unless using frozen banana)

That’s it! This recipe is such a great way to sneak in some greens.

Feel free to get creative with some additional mix ins, though – I share some of my favorites below.

Should I use frozen or fresh fruit in this Banana Spinach Smoothie?

This smoothie is awesome with fresh banana, but it can also be made with frozen banana – you do you!

Frozen banana will make the smoothie extra creamy and frosty, and it’s nice because when you use a frozen banana you don’t have to wait for the banana to be that perfect ripeness level.

Plus, if you use frozen banana, you may not need to add ice to the smoothie. It depends on how thick you want the texture!

You can read the best way to freeze a banana in my Healthy Recipes for Overripe Bananas post. You might also enjoy some of the other recipe ideas in that post, too!

How do you know when a banana is at its peak ripeness for smoothies? The banana’s peel will have some brown or black spots, and the banana’s skin will be soft (without too much bruising). If you smell it, it should smell sweet, too.

A little browning on the banana’s skin is fine – that just means it’s very ripe and it’ll make the smoothie taste sweeter!

Can I make this Basic Green Smoothie Ahead of Time?

I don’t recommend it, unfortunately, because smoothies are best enjoyed right after you make them – but luckily it’s so easy to throw together that it will only take a minute to make, I promise!

But, you can prep your banana ahead of time by peeling it, slicing it into chunks, and freezing it (in a zippable plastic bag). Then, all you have to do is toss in the spinach and milk with the frozen banana chunks (plus any additional ice if you want it) and blend!

(Frozen bananas last for up to 6 months in the freezer, as long as they are properly stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container.)

Banana Spinach Smoothie Mix-In Ideas

Want to mix it up?

For more fruit, try berries – they go well here, too. You can use fresh or frozen berries! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…any kind would be delicious.

As for other fruit, mango or peaches would be yummy! But you can definitely experiment with whatever you have on hand.

For extra staying power from healthy fat, try tossing in a tablespoon of nut butter, flaxseed, hemp seeds, and/or chia seeds. Adding some fat to your smoothies will make them more satisfying so you aren’t hungry again two seconds later. Plus, the fat will help to buffer the blood sugar rush from the fruit!

And speaking of fat – did you know that avocado is delicious in smoothies, too? It makes them nice and creamy while adding that extra staying power I mentioned previously. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado for a single serve smoothie and if you want more, go for it.

Love chocolate? Add a little cocoa powder or cacao nibs to the smoothie for a tasty chocolatey flavor. You can even add spices or extracts like cinnamon or vanilla extract to really enhance the flavors.

Either way, enjoy. 🙂

Let me know what your favorite combinations are – or stick with the basic recipe, below.

Looking for more smoothie ideas? Check out my mix + match healthy smoothie recipes guide post.

The full recipe is below. Let me know how you like it – and what variations of it you make! Feel free to tag me @fANNEtasticfood on social media if you share a picture.

Here are a few other healthy smoothie recipes to try: