Carrot Banana Smoothie with Greek Yogurt
Carrot cake was always my favorite dessert growing up, so it’s no surprise I had to turn those flavors into a smoothie. This carrot banana smoothie is thick, creamy, and naturally sweet with just the right amount of spice, perfect for a satisfying breakfast that tastes like dessert.
When I owned my gym, one of the biggest struggles my clients had was finding a quick breakfast that kept them full and actually tasted good. That’s why I love making smoothies at home. You get to control the ingredients, boost the protein, and skip all the added sugars you find in store bought versions.
If you’re looking for more high protein smoothie recipes, be sure to check out my avocado date smoothie (it tastes just like a caramel milkshake), my raspberry peach smoothie (perfect for summer), or my mango strawberry banana smoothie that will transport you straight to the beach.
3 Key Ingredients for the best carrot smoothie
You might be thinking to yourself, how do you make a carrot smoothie? Well it’s pretty simple.
- Cut the carrots into coins (or buy shredded carrots at the store to save you this step)
- Use frozen banana to help create a creamy texture. I recommend cutting the banana into coins before freezing to make blending easier.
- Use your favorite greek yogurt to add a creamy texture and also amp up the protein.
Carrot and Banana Smoothie (High Protein)
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots (in coins or shredded)
- 1 medium banana, frozen in coins
- 5 ounces greek yogurt - can use dairy free
- 5-6 walnut halves
- ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
- Peel the carrots if necessary. Cut into coins.1 cup carrots (in coins or shredded)
- Add all the ingredients to a high sped blender in the order listed above.1 cup carrots (in coins or shredded), 1 medium banana, frozen in coins, 5 ounces greek yogurt, 5-6 walnut halves, ½ cup unsweetened dairy free milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Blend on high about 1 minute until thick and creamy (don't over blend or the smoothie can get hot).
- Check the consistency – you may need to add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more dairy free milk if you prefer a thinner smoothie.
Notes
Tips for success
- Prep ahead in 5 minutes or less: On the weekend, peel and chop the carrots and slice and freeze the bananas.
- If you don’t have frozen bananas, add 1/2 – 1 cup ice cubes to get the same thick texture (and so your smoothie is nice and cold).
- Check the texture before you head out: This carrot banana smoothie is thick. If you prefer a more sippable texture, stir in 1/4 cup water or dairy free milk before you leave. A quick blend or shake in a blender bottle will do the trick.
- Turn it into a smoothie bowl: Want a change of pace? Pour the smoothie into a bowl, add your favorite toppings (granola, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, etc.), and enjoy it with a spoon. It feels like a treat but is still packed with nutrition.
How to sweeten this smoothie (if needed)
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup OR
- Blend in 1-2 medjool dates (pitted) or ¼ cup of raisins OR
- Blend in ½ -1 apple (cored)
Nutrition Information
Toppings to add to the smoothie or smoothie bowl
This carrot banana smoothie tastes just like carrot cake. These toppings help take that carrot cake smoothie flavor to the next level.
You can really add whatever you love to this smoothie, but I would add a handful of vegan granola, a few raisins and some chopped walnuts or a drizzle of almond butter. YUM!
Common questions
How to make smoothies more filling
This smoothie is already very filling, it has fiber from the carrots and chia seeds, protein from the greek yogurt, and fats from the walnuts and chia seeds. If you wanted to make it even more filling, you could try adding more fiber (check out my favorite ways to add fiber to smoothies) or more protein (check out all my favorite ways to add protein to smoothies).
How to freeze bananas for smoothies
The biggest tip I have for you is don’t freeze bananas in the skin. Trust me, this will just make you angry when you are trying to peel of frozen banana skins. I have a whole post on how to freeze fruit for smoothies.
Can you make this smoothie in advance?
Typically smoothies will hold up well for 2-3 hours in a well-sealed cup. I would highly recommend you use a cup that is meant to hold in cold beverages to prolong the chill on the smoothie for as long as possible.
If you are looking for tips on how to prep smoothies for meal prep, check out all my tips on make smoothie freezer bags so you can just dump the bag into the blender, add the milk and yogurt and blend for a quick smoothie that was prepped over the weekend.
What to do with leftover smoothies
The best way to store leftover smoothies is to pour them into ice cube trays and freeze them into ice cubes. Then you can pop them out of the ice cube trays and store them in a freezer safe bag for up to 1 month.
The next time you are making a smoothie, pop a few of these smoothie cubes in with the new smoothie and it will help make it cold and add some extra nutrition.
I made this smoothie finally and I ended up improvising a couple things. I made mine with carrots banana shredded unsweetened coconut flakes chia seeds agave sweetener turmeric pumpkin pie spice seasoning cinnamon and orange flavored fiber – collagen peptides apple juice Greek yogurt walnuts and kale. It was AMAZING. I’m still gonna make the original recipe without my improvisations, but it really put a great flavor to the whole recipe. Wowza. The orange was a surprisingly fresh and beautiful pop of flavor in the smoothie.
really good! wish i’d seen the ingredient amounts before making it, haha.
Really good recipe, i would of never thought of putting
carrots with bananas, blown my mind!
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us at the #HomeMattersParty
Happy Birthday my dear! Love your unique carrot cake smoothie bowl idea! I gave my daughter carrot cake for her 2nd birthday, and she’s asked for it every single birthday since- and she’s 21 now! Pinned your rockin’ recipe! –Ginger
http://gingerwroot.com
This is lovely! I have to try this out something :)
I’ve yet to try a smoothie bowl but since yours sounds like a dessert, I’ll have to try it. Thanks for linking up with Funtastic Friday.
Haaaaaaaaapppy happy birthday to you!
Carrot cake is one of my favourite cakes so this smoothie looks absolutely perfect! I am definitely a fan of carrot cake with nuts. Sometimes I’ll only put them on top of the frosting but usually it’s inside and ontop!
Happy B’day! Have an awesome day. I like the crunch in carrot cake, so I say yes to nuts. Chocolate is my fav!
I was sure I commented when I pinned this morning. Carrot cake is a great combination of flavors. Can’t wait to try this.
Happy Birthday! and carrot cake is my favorite! I have never tried a smoothie bowl before- this looks interesting! Enjoy your day!
Ha, I would totally celebrate my birthday with something like a smoothie bowl over a cake too ;) Especially a carrot cake smoothie bowl – yum! Some of my favorite flavors here! Pinned!
This is awesome! I haven’t seen a carrot cake flavoured smoothie bowl yet, but it’s such a good idea as an alternative to a cake. I hope you have a very happy birthday!
Happy happy happy birthday! I’m glad that you are feeling better, and I hope you have an amazing day! This sounds so good. I think my absolute favorite cake flavor would be any of the once made by Pulbix, lol. Or a cookie cake.