Banana cinnamon smoothie is thick, creamy, and so flavorful. This healthy cinnamon smoothie tastes a little like banana bread and even has a serving of veggies in it! Perfect for a quick and filling breakfast or as a post-workout snack or meal, this cinnamon banana smoothie is packed with protein, fiber and loaded with potassium thanks to the bananas.
Why you will love this smoothie recipe
- Easy to make – smoothies are the perfect solution when you are hungry but don’t feel like cooking! This cinnamon banana smoothie comes together in under 5 minutes, simply measure out all the ingredients and blend until smooth. The perfect quick and easy meal.
- Packed with protein and fiber – many smoothie recipes aren’t very filling because they are lacking protein and fiber, this means you will feel hungry shortly after having your smoothie. But this banana cinnamon smoothie is full of protein from the protein powder, fiber from the chia seeds and cauliflower rice and healthy fats from the cashews. This is the perfect filling smoothie.
- Hidden veggies – you will get a full serving of vegetables in this banana bread smoothie! The frozen cauliflower rice blends into the background, you don’t even taste it!
Ingredients
- Frozen banana – frozen banana is really best for smoothies since it can help create a thick and creamy smoothie without having to add any ice. The riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie. If you need help with how to freeze bananas, check out my guide on how to freeze fruit for smoothies.
- Frozen cauliflower rice – frozen cauliflower rice is easy to find at most grocery stores now. It’s very neutral in flavor and doesn’t turn the smoothie another color like spinach tends to. If you don’t have cauliflower rice, you can also use frozen cauliflower florets. I don’t recommend using fresh cauliflower, the flavor is too strong.
- Dairy free milk – use your favorite milk for this smoothie. I like using cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk (in the refrigerated section, not the cans). You could also use soy milk or even regular dairy milk if you can tolerate it.
- Chia seeds – chia seeds help to thicken the smoothie and also add so much fiber. You can use regular chia seeds or chia protein, which is essentially ground up chia seeds. The chia protein is great if you don’t have a powerful blender. You could also use ground flax in place of the chia seeds.
- Vanilla protein powder – I really love the combination of the vanilla protein with the banana and cinnamon. They combine to create a really delicious smoothie. You could also use peanut butter protein powder or even chocolate if you wanted. I always use vegan protein powder, as it’s easy to digest and helps to thicken the smoothie a bit. If you are using a different kind of protein powder (like whey protein), you may want to use less milk (start with 3/4 of a cup) to get the same consistency in the smoothie.
- Cashews – cashews help add healthy fats to the smoothie, making this banana cinnamon smoothie even more filling. They also help to create a creamy texture. I think they add to the banana bread flavor too. You could also use slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Cinnamon – cinnamon adds so much flavor to this smoothie and really helps balance out the sweetness from the banana. Be sure to use real cinnamon here (Ceylon is best) to get all the health benefits from cinnamon.
How to make banana cinnamon smoothie
- Measure out all the ingredients into a blender. Note that 1 medium banana is about 1 cup of frozen banana coins.
- Blend on high until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Serve in a cup or pour into a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
Top tips
- Use frozen bananas or freeze your banana in advance for the best texture and flavor. When freezing bananas, be sure to peel them before freezing (it’s very difficult to remove the skin once frozen).
- If you choose not to use a sweetened protein powder, you will likely want to add just a little natural sweetness from dates (be sure the pit is removed), honey or maple syrup. The bananas add most of the sweetness to this smoothie but you may need a little more sweetness to offset the cauliflower rice.
- Use chia protein if you don’t have a powerful blender. Chia protein is just ground up chia seeds. There is nothing worse than getting a chia seed stuck in your teeth because the blender didn’t blend it up well enough. Most high-speed blenders have no problem with chia seeds though.
- Be sure to use Ceylon cinnamon if you are looking for all the health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity. Note that most of the cinnamon sold in the spice aisle of the grocery store is not Ceylon cinnamon.
Other additions to this healthy cinnamon smoothie
- Oats – if you want to make this smoothie taste just like a banana muffin, add some oats. Oats will also help to thicken the smoothie as well, so they are a great addition if you decide to use whey protein instead of vegan protein powder.
- Coffee – I love to freeze coffee into ice cubes and use it in my smoothies. You can replace some of the dairy free milk (up to half) with cold coffee or coffee ice cubes to create a really yummy cinnamon banana coffee smoothie.
- Collagen peptides – collagen peptides are flavorless and easy to add to smoothies. They provide added protein to the smoothie and won’t change the flavor or texture. Collagen peptides are not vegan or vegetarian.
- Vanilla extract – want to this smoothie to really taste like a glass full of banana bread? Add a little vanilla extract, about 1 teaspoon. It will really amp up the flavor. If you decide not to add any protein powder, I highly recommend adding a little vanilla extract to create the same flavor.
- Nutmeg – this warm spice pairs so well with cinnamon, it would be a great addition to the smoothie. You need just a pinch of nutmeg (about 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon).
- Hemp hearts – hemp hearts add some additional protein (3 tablespoons equals 10 grams of protein) without changing the flavor much. They are slightly nutty in flavor but pair really well with the cinnamon and banana in the smoothie.
Topping ideas
This banana cinnamon smoothie is really thick and creamy and could easily be made into a smoothie bowl. If you want a really thick, creamy smoothie bowl, use slightly less milk (start with 3/4 cup of milk). You could also add about 1/4 cup of rolled oats to help thicken it as well.
One of the key benefits into making this cinnamon smoothie into a smoothie bowl is the toppings! Here are some of my go-to toppings for this smoothie:
- Chocolate chips – I love adding just a sprinkle of chocolate chips, specifically mini chocolate chips to banana smoothie bowls. They add just a touch of extra sweetness and remind me of my favorite banana bread recipe.
- Coconut flakes – coconut flakes add a little tropical vibe to the smoothie. I highly recommend trying toasted coconut flakes on your smoothies, they are so much more flavorful than regular coconut flakes.
- Granola – granola, especially a cinnamon forward granola, would be so yummy as a crunchy topping for this smoothie bowl.
- Freeze dried banana – the banana can add a little crunch and more banana flavor.
- Fresh sliced bananas – fresh fruit is always so yummy on top of smoothie bowls.
- Chopped nuts – cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- Nut butter – Peanut butter, almond butter or sunbutter drizzled on top would really take the smoothie to another level.
Substitutions
- Banana – banana really is one of the main ingredients in this smoothie. You could also try this with frozen mango, which has a similar texture and also naturally very sweet.
- Frozen cauliflower rice – if you don’t have frozen cauliflower rice, you can also use frozen cauliflower florets. I don’t recommend fresh. You could also use about 1 cup of fresh baby spinach or 1/2 cup frozen spinach in place of cauliflower rice. This will turn the smoothie green.
- Chia seeds – use chia protein (ground chia seeds) or ground flax in place of chia seeds. You can omit them if you don’t love them in smoothies.
- Dairy free milk – use whatever milk you have on hand. You could also use coconut water (this will give the smoothie more electrolytes) or water.
- Vanilla protein powder – Use whatever protein powder you have on hand, vanilla is just my favorite for this smoothie. If you don’t have or don’t like protein powder in smoothies, replace it with maple syrup, rolled oats, vanilla extract and some hemp hearts or Greek yogurt (or both) for the same taste, texture and protein. See my notes above on amounts of each.
- Cashews – use whatever nuts you have on hand like almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or you can even use nut butter or peanut butter.
- Cinnamon – cinnamon is also a key ingredient for this smoothie. You could also try it with pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg (only 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg).
Common questions
What are the benefits of adding cinnamon to a smoothie?
Cinnamon not only adds so much flavor to the smoothie, its also a good source of iron, calcium and manganese. Cinnamon is also thought to be helpful in reducing inflammation, helping with insulin sensitivity and helping to lower blood sugar levels.
Because of all of these benefits, it’s great to add cinnamon to smoothies, but I mostly do it for the flavor. It’s a warm spice and can help things taste even sweeter, meaning that you need less added sugar to get that same sweet flavor.
What is the best cinnamon to use in smoothies?
Not all cinnamon is created equally. In fact, most of the cinnamon sold at the grocery store has none of those healthy benefits listed above. Ceylon cinnamon comes from the bark of cinnamon trees found in Southeast Asia. The active ingredient in Ceylon cinnamon is cinnamaldehyde which is thought to be anti-inflammatory.
Most cinnamon is the grocery store is not labeled, so be sure to find a cinnamon that specifies Ceylon cinnamon if you are looking for those health benefits.
What if you don’t want to add protein powder
If you don’t’ want to add protein powder to this cinnamon banana smoothie, there are a few substitutions I recommend.
- Add about 1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey or 1-2 pitted medjool dates for sweetness.
- Add about 1/4 cup of rolled oats to help thicken the smoothie.
- Add about 3 tablespoons hemp hearts (optional) for some added protein or replace 1/2 the milk with Greek yogurt.
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to really create that banana bread flavor.
Is this banana cinnamon smoothie healthy?
Everyone is going to have a different idea of what healthy means, but there are some key macronutrients that most people would agree help to create a “healthy” and filling smoothie. Those are fiber, protein and healthy fats. The combination of these ingredients help to really ensure that you have a balanced meal and that you actually feel full and satisfied after eating. In this recipe you get:
- Fiber – from the chia seeds, cauliflower rice and banana. Be sure to check out my guide to learn more about how to add fiber to smoothies.
- Protein – protein from protein powder and a little from the cashews and chia seeds. If you want to add even more protein, here are my favorite ways to add protein to smoothies.
- Healthy fats – chia seeds and cashews provide healthy fats in this healthy cinnamon banana smoothie.
Also this smoothie is full of vitamins and minerals thanks to the banana, cauliflower and cashews. It’s a great post-workout meal thanks to the potassium and protein.
Can you make smoothies in advance?
Smoothies are really best when made fresh, since the freezing cold ingredients help to create the thick, creamy consistency.
If you are going to be short on time so think you need to make your smoothie in advance, you can instead make a smoothie freezer pack. Essentially you measure out all the ingredients (except for the liquid ingredients) into a freezer safe bag or container. When you are ready to make the smoothie, dump the contents of the bag into the blender, add milk and blend. Super simple.
If you need to make your smoothie in advance because you won’t have access to a blender. You can make your smoothie up to 24 hours in advance, but the texture won’t be the same. Be sure to stir the smoothie well before enjoying. If possible, add a few ice cubes to make it nice and cold when enjoying.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge – You can store any leftover smoothie for up to 24 hours in the fridge. For the best texture, I recommend re-blending with a few ice cubes for the best texture.
- Freezer – you can pour any leftover smoothie you have into ice cube trays or even popsicle molds! Use these smoothie ice cubes in smoothies or blend them up with dairy free milk to make another smoothie later in the week.
If you love this smoothie, you should try
- Banana Blackberry Smoothie
- Blueberry Spinach Banana Smoothie
- Banana Strawberry Smoothie Bowl
- Strawberry Banana Mango Smoothie
Banana Cinnamon Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana
- 1/2 cup cauliflower rice
- 1 cup dairy free milk
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 serving vegan vanilla protein powder
- 2 tbsp cashews
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Measure out all the ingredients into a blender. Note that 1 medium banana is about 1 cup of frozen banana coins.
- Blend on high until smooth (about 1 minute).
- Serve in a cup or pour into a bowl and add your favorite toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Use frozen bananas or freeze your banana in advance for the best texture and flavor. When freezing bananas, be sure to peel them before freezing (it’s very difficult to remove the skin once frozen).
- If you choose not to use a sweetened protein powder, you will likely want to add just a little natural sweetness from dates (be sure the pit is removed), honey or maple syrup. The bananas add most of the sweetness to this smoothie but you may need a little more sweetness to offset the cauliflower rice.
- Use chia protein if you don’t have a powerful blender. Chia protein is just ground up chia seeds. There is nothing worse than getting a chia seed stuck in your teeth because the blender didn’t blend it up well enough. Most high-speed blenders have no problem with chia seeds though.
- Be sure to use Ceylon cinnamon if you are looking for all the health benefits, including reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity. Note that most of the cinnamon sold in the spice aisle of the grocery store is not Ceylon cinnamon.
