When I started sharing images of my healthy breakfasts online, I practically survived on smoothie bowls. In fact, for proof, you can go to the last pages on this blog, and my earliest posts are 90% smoothies too, so I’m no stranger to whipping up creamy, rich, dessert-like yet healthy smoothies and smoothie bowls. And this creamy banana avocado smoothie is no different. When I’m not whipping up massive bowls of guacamole, smooth avocado butter, or avocado pasta – I love to use avocado for sweet treats like avocado pistachio ice cream, avocado chocolate mousse, and this healthy avocado smoothie! With a combination of banana, spinach, and avocado at its base, you’d probably think that this healthy avocado smoothie tastes as ‘healthy’ as it sounds. However, the truth is that spinach adds tons of nutrients without affecting the flavor at all, and the healthy fats in the avocado create a thick, creamy consistency but is also neutral in flavor. The result is a banana avocado smoothie with a thick milkshake consistency packed with fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants – perfect to serve up in a glass or bowl, topped with the toppings of your choice. Sometimes I’ll even have it as dessert! The nutrients of a green smoothie without tasting overly ‘healthy’?! – consider me won over with this simple avocado banana smoothie recipe! All with just five base ingredients, too.
The banana avocado smoothie ingredients
Avocado: I use one small avocado for this smoothie. If you only have large avocados, then I recommend using ½ a large avocado. Make sure it’s ripe; otherwise, it won’t blend smooth. Banana: all you need is ½ a banana per portion for this smoothie. You can use fresh or frozen bananas – both will be creamy. Spinach: a handful of spinach will pack in more nutrients without making the smoothie taste like spinach (promise!). You could also use kale, though it has more of a bitter flavor – or even rainbow chard. Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use any milk. Other great options would be oat milk or coconut milk for their flavor. Maple syrup: I love to use maple syrup as my unrefined sweetener for this recipe. However, feel free to use another liquid sweetener like honey (not vegan) or a liquid sugar-free syrup.
Optional add-ins
Vanilla extract: if you want extra dessert vibes, then try adding a little vanilla extract to the banana avocado smoothie – it’s delicious! Chia seeds/Flax seeds: these tiny seeds are packed with protein and nutrients – all you need is just 1 tablespoon for a nutrient boost. Cacao nibs: what these lack in sweet chocolate flavor, they make up for in tons of antioxidants and health benefits! Just Protein powder: a scoop of your favorite plain or vanilla protein powder will transform this avocado smoothie recipe into a full meal. Nut butter: though this avocado spinach smoothie contains enough healthy fats, a bit of nut butter will pack tons of flavor and more protein. I love adapting this to a peanut butter avocado smoothie or with almond butter. Cinnamon: tastes great and has several health benefits, including tons of antioxidants. Lime juice: this option goes along with adding other fruits like pineapple, mango, berries, etc. A squeeze of lime juice really helps to brighten and freshen up the flavor. Cacao powder: for a chocolate avocado smoothie, add around 1 Tbsp of cacao powder (or cocoa powder), taste, and add more if needed. Berries: since this avocado smoothie has such a neutral flavor, it’s perfect for adding in other fruits. I’m thinking of an avocado blueberry smoothie, mixed berries, or even mango or pineapple (for a tropical twist). Add around ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit.
Optional Toppings
The best thing about any thick smoothie or smoothie bowl (to me anyway) is that you can have tons of fun with the toppings. Add more flavor, crunch, and additional nutrients based on what you have available. Here are several options.
Cottage cheese or yogurt – for more protein- use natural/Greek yogurt or a dairy-free option like coconut yogurt. Granola – I love to add granola for extra fiber. More fruit – I love to top smoothie bowl with frozen berries, which taste like a treat! But all sorts of fruit could be used. Seeds – like pepitas, hemp, or even this omega-packed 5-seed blend. Crushed nuts – pistachios are my faves with this almond smoothie. However, you could also use almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, etc. Coconut – shredded coconut or coconut flakes lightly toasted, so they’re crisp. Cacao nibs will work on top of as well as within the avocado smoothie. Or some chocolate chips for more of a treat! Nut butter (instead of adding it into the smoothie, you could drizzle some nut/seed butter over the smoothie).
I used: Cottage cheese (for more protein), a drizzle of honey (or maple), and some homemade granola (for extra fiber).
How to make a banana avocado smoothie
Making this creamy avocado smoothie really requires just one step. Place all the ingredients in a blender or large jar (if using an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. I find it best to rely on my blender if I’m using frozen ingredients but using an immersion blender in a large jar has the potential to save you extra washing up if you then stick a straw in the pot and enjoy it straight from there. If you prefer a thinner drinkable consistency, add a little more milk or water. Drink alone as a smoothie or top with several toppings (like a smoothie bowl) and dig in with a spoon! Serve the banana, avocado spinach smoothie immediately! Optionally, you can top with some cottage cheese or yogurt, a drizzle of honey, and some homemade granola.
Recipe notes
Using frozen ingredients: if you plan on using lots of frozen ingredients, then it’s best to skip the immersion blender and use a high-powered blender, which will cut through and blend the frozen fruit easily. Using frozen ingredients is always preferred over adding ice cubes, which will just water down the shake. Freeze your bowl: if you plan to serve this as a banana avocado smoothie bowl, then freezing the bowl in advance will help keep your smoothie thick and chilled for longer. This is most important when using frozen ingredients.
Other smoothie recipes
Guide to Healthy Smoothie Recipes Tropical Guava Smoothie (Guava Cocktail) Vegan Chocolate Smoothie Bowl Recipe Delicious Tropical Healthy Green Smoothie Super Mixed Berry Smoothie Jar Mango Smoothie Bowl or Mango Lassi Vietnamese Avocado Shake (Sinh To Bo/ Avocado Milk)
If you try this creamy banana avocado smoothie recipe, I‘d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I‘d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
