Blackberry Banana Smoothie
Blackberry banana smoothies are creamy, easy to make and the perfect breakfast or light lunch! This banana and blackberry smoothie is slightly tart, sweet but not too sweet, and made with simple ingredients! You are going to love this frozen blackberry banana smoothie on those hot summer days or anytime of the year.
Why you will love this smoothie recipe
- Easy to make – all you have to do is measure out the ingredients and add them to the blender! This blackberry banana smoothie is ready in 2 minutes and can even be prepped in advance!
- Simple, easy to find ingredients – There are just 4 simple ingredients to make this banana blackberry smoothie, and you can find them all at your local grocery store (you may even have them all in your fridge/pantry right now).
- Customizable – Customize this smoothie based on what you have on hand and what your preferences are! You can add protein, sweetness, creaminess, or even add some veggies for extra nutrition.
Ingredients
- Frozen blackberries – I prefer to use frozen blackberries because they are easy to keep on hand (no worries about them going bad) and they add a creaminess to the smoothie when blended up. If you only have fresh blackberries, you can use those too, just be sure to add a handful of ice to the blender as well!
- Banana – The banana naturally sweetens the smoothie, so the riper the banana, the sweeter the smoothie will be. The banana compliments the blackberries really well and also adds a creaminess to the smoothie, especially if the banana is frozen.
- Almond butter (or any nut butter you have) – the almond butter adds some healthy fats, protein and also helps make this smoothie super creamy and delicious. You can use any nut or seed butter you have on hand though. Peanut butter, tahini, sunbutter, cashew butter will all work well here.
- Dairy free milk – to keep this recipe vegan and dairy free friendly, I recommend using any kind of dairy free milk you have on hand. You can use almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, coconut milk (in the carton or in the can), flax milk, etc. If you are not dairy free, feel free to use regular milk here.
How to make blackberry banana smoothies
- Measure out all the ingredients into your blender.
- Blend on high for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
Top tips
- Use frozen blackberries and frozen bananas for the creamiest smoothie.
- If you are using fresh fruit, add ice (about 1/2 cup) to the smoothie or it won’t be thick and creamy.
- This smoothie is slightly tart, so using super ripe bananas can help naturally sweeten it. You can also add honey or maple syrup.
- Make this nut free: Use peanut butter, tahini or sunbutter instead of almond butter
- Blackberry seeds can be quite hard to swallow, and they can get caught in your throat/teeth if you are not using a powerful blender. I find that 1 minute in my Ninja Bullet style blender breaks down the blackberry seeds quite well. If you don’t have a powerful blender, you may want to substitute the blueberries or strawberries for the blackberries in this recipe.
Other additions
- Sweetener: Honey, maple syrup, pitted dates
- Protein: Protein powder, collagen peptides, hemp hearts, greek style yogurt, rolled oats (1/2 cup = 6 grams protein). See my article on other ways you can increase protein in your smoothie.
- Creaminess: Add cashews, hemp hearts, coconut milk, greek style yogurt, rolled oats or 1/2 an avocado
- Fiber: Add chia seeds or ground flax seeds to help thicken the smoothie.
- Fruit: Add in strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to make this smoothie even more packed with vitamins and minerals!
- Veggies: Add frozen riced cauliflower, fresh baby spinach or frozen spinach, frozen kale or zucchini (fresh or frozen). Add about 1/2 cup of these veggies to increase your vegetable intake. You will likely want to add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, honey or use a sweetened protein powder if you add veggies as the banana will not be sweet enough on its own to offset the added veggies.
Topping ideas
You can enjoy this blackberry banana smoothie out of a cup or make it into a smoothie bowl. Simply add a serving of vegan protein powder, 1/4 cup rolled oats or 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flax to help thicken the smoothie some to make it perfect consistency for a blackberry banana smoothie bowl. Once thick, pour it into a bowl and add your favorite toppings!
Here are some of my favorite toppings:
- Granola or cereal for crunch
- Fresh fruit – blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana, peach, mango
- Coconut flakes – regular or toasted
- Nut butter – drizzle your favorite nut butter on top for extra creaminess
- Chopped nuts or seeds – pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Drizzle of maple syrup or honey
Common questions
How to make this banana blackberry smoothie more filling
This recipe is pretty filling thanks to the nut butter (it’s a healthy fat) but adding some protein will make it even more filling. Some great ways to add protein include:
- Greek yogurt
- Protein powder (vanilla is best for this recipe)
- Hemp hearts
- Rolled oats (these have protein and fiber)
Be sure to read my article discussing best protein powders for smoothies.
Is this blackberry and banana smoothie healthy?
Smoothies are a great way to get in more vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are all important parts of a healthy diet. This smoothie also has almond butter, which is a great source of calcium, fiber and healthy fats.
If you want to make this smoothie even healthier, add some protein to help balance out the macros. Check out some protein options above.
Smoothies get a bad reputation of being full of sugar. Many of the store-bought smoothies or smoothie shop smoothies use a base of something sugary like apple juice or use some other fruit juice. This really increases the sugars and calories without any fiber, making the smoothie a less healthy option.
Can you use fresh berries to make this smoothie?
Yes, be sure to wash them before adding them to the smoothie. Also be sure to add some ice cubes to the blender to help create that same creamy consistency.
Can you make blackberry banana smoothies in advance?
Yes, you can prep a smoothie pack that you store in the freezer to make preparing your smoothie in the morning even faster (no measuring required). I like to do this early in the week so that I’m prepped for the week ahead.
To meal prep smoothies simply measure the ingredients (except for the milk and any protein powder) into a freezer safe bag or container. When you are ready to prepare the smoothie add the milk and optional protein powder and blend until smooth.
How to freeze bananas for smoothies
Peel the banana and cut it into 1-2 inch coins before adding to a freezer safe bag or container.
If you want to ensure that the bananas won’t stick together, freeze them on a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer frozen banana coins to a freezer safe bag or container (my favorite for this is Stasher bags).
Storing leftovers
You can make this smoothie up to 24 hours in advance. Be sure to store it in the fridge, covered until you plan on enjoying it.
If you have leftover smoothie you know you won’t be enjoying in 24 hours, pour the smoothie into ice cube trays and freeze for later! When you are ready to serve, just add some extra dairy free milk to the cubes and blend until creamy.
Substitutions
- Blackberries – this recipe is written to use frozen or fresh blackberries, but you can use any berries you have on hand. Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries would be a great substitution.
- Banana – if you don’t have bananas on hand, you can use Greek yogurt + 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. The yogurt will make the smoothie creamy, and the sweeter will add just enough sweetness.
- Nut butter – use any nut butter you have on hand. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, tahini, or peanut butter would work great here. If you prefer to add any nuts or seeds, you can use 1 serving of protein powder or about ¼ cup Greek style yogurt in place of the nut butter.
- Dairy free milk – use any kind of milk you have on hand. Almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, flax milk, coconut milk, etc. are all great. You can also use regular dairy milk if you are not dairy free/vegan. Note: Using canned coconut milk will make the smoothie super thick and creamy (and full of healthy fats).
If you love this blackberry smoothie recipe, you should try
- Blackberry Oatmeal Smoothie
- Blackberry Raspberry Smoothie
- Mango Blackberry Smoothie
- Strawberry Blackberry Smoothie
Blackberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 banana - medium
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 cup dairy free milk
Instructions
- Measure out all the ingredients into your blender.
- Blend on high for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
Equipment
Notes
- Use frozen blackberries and frozen bananas for the creamiest smoothie.
- If you are using fresh fruit, add ice (about ½ cup) to the smoothie or it won’t be thick and creamy.
- This smoothie is slightly tart, so using super ripe bananas can help naturally sweeten it. You can also add honey or maple syrup.
- Make this nut free: Use peanut butter, tahini or sunbutter instead of almond butter
- Blackberry seeds can be quite hard to swallow, and they can get caught in your throat/teeth if you are not using a powerful blender. I find that 1 minute in my Ninja Bullet style blender breaks down the blackberry seeds quite well. If you don’t have a powerful blender, you may want to substitute the blueberries or strawberries for the blackberries in this recipe.
