This 5 ingredient peanut butter banana smoothie is the ultimate breakfast smoothie that won’t leave you hungry 30 minutes later. Peanut butter provides filling protein and plant-powered fats to keep you satisfied. As a dietitian, one of my favorite smoothie add-ins is the key to upleveling this smoothie—riced cauliflower (I promise you can’t even taste it!). Kicking your day off with two whole servings of Vitamin C and antioxidant-rich veggies, it also lends to the cold & creamy milkshake like texture! Whip it up in the morning or meal prep at the beginning of the week for a nourishing breakfast or snack.
Growing up, I loved a good PB and banana sandwich. I mean who doesn’t! The combo just works so well together. And as an intuitive eating dietitian, I appreciate it that much more. Not only because it’s a nourishing pair (more on that here), but it also brings up feelings of nostalgia, taking me back to my childhood, reminding me of days on the ski hill with my family.
Inspired by this flavor combo, I decided to make it in smoothie form and it was soo delish! This Peanut Butter Banana smoothie has everything you want in a filling and satisfying meal or snack—protein, fiber, and nourishing fats (aka the PFF combo). Using the power of vitamin C rich cauliflower and protein packed peanut butter, you will feel both energized and full long after drinking this shake. Read more on how to meal prep filling smoothies here.
What Makes This Smoothie “Healthy”?
When we think of “healthy” food in the traditional sense, we usually think of green smoothies, meal prepping salads, or cauliflower rice. As an intuitive eating dietitian, I believe that the word healthy must encompass not just physical health, but mental and emotional health. Eating foods that nourish you body, mind, and soul. (More on 10 Healthy Eating Habits from a Registered Dietitian here).
So what exactly makes this peanut butter smoothie healthy? Yes, it’s packed with nutrition like fiber, vitamin C, and cell-protecting antioxidants. It’s also full of flavor and brings up happy memories for me, and I’m sure you too if you grew up having PB and banana sandwiches. Finally, it’s satisfying and doesn’t leave you hungry 30 minutes later. The combination of all these factors is what makes this smoothie “healthy”.
So whenever you’re evaluating whether something is “healthy” for you, ask yourself these three questions:
What would taste good?
What would feel good?
And what would be satisfying?
This filter can help you become a more intuitive eater and ensure you’re not only making decisions based on diet rules that may hurt your relationship with food.
Side note: This is something we cover extensively in the Make Food Feel Good Program. If you want to learn how to trust your body again and live a life with food freedom, you can apply now for the next round of the program!
What you need for this Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Frozen cauliflower: I am a huge fan of using cauliflower rice in my recipes. It’s one of those ingredients that blends right into the other flavors. whether that be a curry spice when roasted or cinnamon flavor when added to overnight oats (trust me it’s delish!). If you don’t have riced cauliflower, you can use frozen florets, you will just need to blend longer to ensure you aren’t left with any chunks!
You’ll want to make sure to use frozen cauliflower (either florets or riced) for this recipe if you can. It adds to the creamy, thick texture and means you don’t need to add any ice to this smoothie which can sometimes water it down.
Banana: I used frozen bananas in this recipe. I usually have a bag of overly ripe peeled bananas in my freezer to toss in a smoothie or use in baking. The banana adds a natural sweetness to this smoothie while also adding to the creamy texture.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds are a small but important ingredient in this recipe. Not only are they packed full of Omega-3s and antioxidants (more on that here), they also act as a thickening agent. When chia seeds are soaked in liquid they become gelatinous and thicken up the recipe, it’s why they’re so amazing in chia pudding recipes or my chocolate banana chia seed shake
You can use either white or black chia seeds for this recipe and either whole or ground will work. They have no major nutritional differences (black chia seeds are slightly higher in protein and white chia seeds are slightly higher in Omega-3’s) and both will help thicken up this smoothie.
Peanut butter: The peanut butter adds a rich, nutty flavor and boosts the protein in the smoothie. If you have an allergy to peanuts, you can substitute for whatever nut butter you prefer. You can also substitute with a seed butter like pumpkin or sunflower seed to make it nut free! It won’t have that peanutty flavor but will provide a similar amount of protein and nourishing fats.
Milk: Milk is the base of this smoothie, helping to achieve that desired consistency. These days, I use any milk we have onhand (aka whatever the kids are drinking these days). This is great with dairy or non-dairy options and an unsweetened vanilla option can add some extra sweetness.
Pinch of salt: This may seem a little weird to add a pinch of salt to a smoothie but salt enhances the flavor of anything it’s paired with. Here I like to add a little salt to bring out the peanut butter flavor and the sweetness of the banana. You can try it without first to see for yourself how a little salt can go a long way!
How To Make This Smoothie
To a high speed blender, add cauliflower, banana, peanut butter, milk, chia seeds, and salt.
Blend until smooth, approximately 60-90 seconds. Serve and enjoy!
Nutritional Benefits (Nutrition By Addition)
This recipe uses an intuitive eating principle I’ve become a huge fan of – nutrition by addition. If you’re not familiar with the term, this practice looks at what you can add to your plate instead of what you need to cut out. For example, I know the addition of cauliflower may seem a little out there but it’s a great way to get some extra veggies in without compromising the overall deliciousness of the smoothie. Let’s see what other nutrition has been added to this recipe:
Cauliflower: Did you know that one serving of cauliflower (1 cup) gives you approximately 60% of your daily recommended dose of vitamin C?! Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps support our immune system. Cauliflower is also rich in other nutrients like fiber, vitamin K, and folate.
Peanut butter: Adding nut butter to a smoothie is a great way to add protein plus plant-powered fats. Protein is a macronutrient that helps keep our blood sugars stable. It also takes longer to digest than carbohydrates so you will feel full longer. The fats add the satiety factor to a dish – the thing that keeps you not just full but also satisfied after eating.
Banana: Bananas are full of the electrolytes potassium and magnesium. These can prevent cramping when exercising and help with muscle recovery which is why you often see people eating one of these yellow fruits before running a marathon or after a workout. They’re also full of fiber which supports our gut health.
Chia seeds: Don’t underestimate these tiny seeds! Loaded with fiber, omega-3s, protein, and antioxidants, chia seeds are a super easy way to get some extra nutrition in you.
Recipe, Kitchen, & Time Saving Hacks
I’m always looking for ways to save time in the kitchen while also reducing food waste. Whether that be investing in kitchen tools that can help me get the job done in half the time (i.e. using a food processor to grate cheese) or finding grocery store hacks that replace a prep job (like buying pre-cut and washed veggies). Here are some ways to streamline your smoothie making!
Meal prep: I am a huge fan of meal prepping smoothies, so much so that I wrote an entire blog about it (read it here!). This one is great to batch prep because of the chia seeds. They help keep the smoothie thick (even if you store it in the fridge). I like to double or triple this recipe at the beginning of the week and store in airtight mason jars. When I’m ready to have breakfast or a snack, I shake up the jar and enjoy right away. No need to bring out the blender again for this one.
You can also freeze the smoothie into muffin tin containers and then store in an airtight bag. Thaw overnight and give a good shake or stir before drinking!
Freeze produce that’s starting to go: Have you ever bought a cauliflower and completely forgotten about it or saw it was starting to brown before you had the chance to use it? Do not let it go to waste! Chop it up and throw it in a reusable freezer bag. Toss the florets in smoothies for an extra boost of nutrition.
If you make this peanut butter and banana smoothie, it would make my day if you would leave a comment and/or star rating below— I love hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your versions! It makes me so happy to see these recipes come to life in your kitchens! Xo
Print5 Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
This 5 ingredient peanut butter banana smoothie is the ultimate breakfast smoothie that won’t leave you hungry 30 minutes later. Peanut butter provides filling protein and plant-powered fats to keep you satisfied. As a dietitian, one of my favorite smoothie add-ins is the key to upleveling this smoothie—riced cauliflower (I promise you can’t even taste it!). Kicking your day off with two whole servings of Vitamin C and antioxidant-rich veggies, it also lends to the cold & creamy milkshake like texture! Whip it up in the morning or meal prep at the beginning of the week for a nourishing breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
2 cups (500 mL) frozen cauliflower
1 banana, frozen
2 tbsp (30 mL) chia seeds
3–4 tbsp (45–60 mL) peanut butter
1 ½ cups (375 mL) milk of choice
Pinch of salt
Instructions
-
To a high speed blender, add cauliflower, banana, peanut butter, milk, chia seeds, and salt.
-
Blend until smooth, approximately 60-90 seconds and serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5
Jenna says
I don’t care what anyone says, adding peanut butter always takes a smoothie to the next level. This was so yum!
Lindsay Pleskot, RD says
Totally agree!! So happy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing Jenna!
Barbara says
Can you add protein powder
Lindsay Pleskot, RD says
Hi Barbara! Yes you can absolutely add protein powder! It will change the flavor and texture slightly but you can definitely play around to taste!