Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie – A Couple Cooks

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe tastes like a milkshake but is made with wholesome ingredients! A total favorite.

As authors of over 50 smoothie recipes, we’ve slurped up just about every type. But here’s a recipe that stands out as one of our top favorite ever: this peanut butter banana smoothie! This one tastes like a milkshake but it’s made of wholesome ingredients like banana, peanut butter and oats. Whiz it up with frozen bananas and it makes a thick and creamy, just sweet enough puree that will have you professing your undying love! Our family is head over heels about this one (I think I could eat it every day, really!).

Ingredients in this peanut butter banana smoothie

It’s tricky to get a peanut butter banana smoothie recipe with just the right creamy, thick texture and bold peanut butter banana flavor. In fact, if you just try blending up room temperature bananas with some peanut butter, it can come out very runny and thin. The trick? Frozen bananas add texture, along with Old Fashioned oats which bring an even creamier body. (We tried this trick in our oatmeal smoothie and have been using it ever since!) Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Frozen bananas
• Old Fashioned oats
• Peanut butter
• Milk of choice (dairy, oat milk or almond milk), plus more to taste
• Vanilla extract
• Maple syrup (or honey)
• Ice

We like using creamy unsweetened peanut butter here. We’ve made this smoothie with both oat milk and dairy milk and it is delicious either way! Using dairy milk adds to the protein content and it tastes a little richer.

Tips for freezing bananas

It’s simple to freeze bananas for smoothies: you’ll just need to remember to freeze them 1 ½ hours before you want to enjoy your drink! Here are a few notes about freezing bananas:

• Use ripe bananas. Only use ripe bananas for smoothies, because this enhances the fruity banana flavor. Unripe bananas can add a bitter aftertaste to smoothies.
• Slice the bananas, then flash freeze. Slice the fruit into 1/2-inch slices, then place them on a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once solid, place in a freezer safe container until ready to use.

Make it non-dairy and vegan

This peanut butter banana smoothie is easy to make as dairy-free or vegan smoothie. Simply use your favorite non-dairy milk! We love it with oat milk, since it adds a nice creamy body. Using dairy milk does add more protein, so for a vegan smoothie it can be helpful to add additional plant-based protein to make it more filling.

Protein adders for a peanut butter banana smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie does have some plant-based protein from the peanut butter: 12 grams total or 6 grams per serving. But if you’d like, you can add even more protein! This is especially helpful if you’re planning to use this smoothie as a meal replacement. Here are a few ideas:

• Chia seeds. Add protein and fiber with chia seeds! 2 tablespoons chia seeds adds 4 grams protein and 11 grams fiber.
• Vanilla protein powder: This vanilla protein powder is the one we use; it has a good flavor that’s not too artificial.

Smoothie storage

Smoothies are best eaten immediately. However, this peanut butter banana smoothie actually lasts 1 to 2 days refrigerated, stored in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. It may separate, which is perfectly natural. Just shake it up before serving!

More top smoothie recipes

This peanut butter banana smoothie is a favorite in our smoothie lineup! Here are a few more top recipes you’ll love: