Easy and healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl, made with just 4 ingredients. It’s naturally sweet, super creamy and the perfect summer breakfast or snack!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
If you are a smoothie lover, you’ll know that any smoothie with banana is a winner. Bananas go well with almost any other fruit, specially with berries. And with strawberries in abundance in the markets right now, it’s just time to try this classic smoothie recipe!
Strawberry banana smoothie is one of the most popular smoothie combos. They are both very nutritive and the two flavors pair well together. Strawberries, unless they are very ripe, tend to be on the tart side, but the banana helps balance the tartness.
This recipe calls for frozen strawberries. You can freeze your own but it’s often easier to just buy them already frozen.
Thick or Thin strawberry banana smoothie
I prefer thick smoothies for breakfast and thinner ones to snack in between meals. Finding the right consistency for your smoothie is easy.
- For a thicker smoothie, just use some more frozen fruit. Add the frozen fruit gradually, until you get the desired consistency. Be careful though, since adding too much frozen fruit may result in an icy smoothie and that’s not what we are aiming for. Smoothies must be creamy.
- For a thinner smoothie, it’s all about adding more liquid to the mixture. Liquid ingredients consist of plant based milk, fresh fruit, juice or even water. As for the smoothie in this post, adding some more coconut milk will do the trick.
In case you’re looking for a thinner consistency but using a less caloric alternative, then add fresh strawberries to your smoothie instead.
Tips for the best strawberry banana smoothie bowl
Don’t add any sugar. You don not need to add any sugar to a full fruit smoothie. For sweetness, rely on whole fruit and sugar-free plant-based milk. And if you still need to sweeten your smoothie, choose maple syrup, agave syrup or fresh dates like I’ve done for this recipe.
Froze your own fruit. Banana adds sweet, flavor and creaminess to your blend. So you can’t go wrong with bananas in your smoothie base. And freezing them is just a matter of minutes. Peel them, cut in quarters and store in a sealed container in your freezer.
For other fruits you will have to core them or remove the pits, and chop them into small bite-sized pieces. Berries and other small fruits can be left whole.
Ice cubes. I do not tend to put ice in my smoothies unless it’s terribly hot and I’m looking for a lighter and less creamy smoothie. Using a frozen banana in the recipe keeps the drink cold, but it doesn’t water it down.
Liquid ingredients. Milk and yogurt are those I use the most. As you may have noticed, if you have spent some time in my blog, I love plant-based milks, specially oat, coconut and almond milk. Coconut and soya yogurt are great alternatives too. You can also use regular milk for a vegetarian option.
Ingredients for the Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Strawberries. I’m a huge fan of this red delicious fruit. In the summer, my mum used to make a shake with just cold milk and fresh strawberries. Boring, you may think. Well, it wasn’t. For us, kids, it was one of the coolest thing in the summer, besides popsicles and ice creams!
For this strawberry banana smoothie bowl, I’ve used frozen berries. If you decide to use fresh ones, bear in mind that your smoothie will be a bit thinner, as strawberries are pretty juicy.
Bananas. I don’t know about you, but I often end up with more ripe bananas on my counter than I can eat. Before they go brown, I freeze them to use later in my smoothies.
You can also buy frozen sliced bananas, you may find it more convenient.
Coconut milk. Milk is the liquid base needed in a smoothie. There is a good variety of plant based milk nowadays: almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, soy milk, rice milk, hemp milk and coconut milk. Coconut milk is the creamiest of them all. Unsweetened almond milk is a good substitution when you’re looking for a not so rich vegan milk.
Dates. During summer time, strawberries are sweeter than ever, anyway, I keep adding my dates for extra texture. Agave syrup, maple syrup or rice syrup are great alternatives too. Remember to buy pitted dates or remove the pit yourself before adding the dates to your blender!
Vanilla bean paste. That’s optional, it basically adds an extra hint of flavor that I love. Vanilla it’s one of my favorite spices, it reminds me to comforting homemade goods.
Toppings. Halved fresh berries, dried cranberries and granola are the toppings for this delicious smoothie. Feeling creative? Next time you make it, you can try adding chia seeds, crushed nuts, fresh sliced banana, shredded coconut or chocolate shavings.
I think you’ll love this delicious Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl. Enjoy it!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
For the Smoothie:
- 3 cups frozen strawberries
- 2 frozen bananas
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 2 fresh dates pitted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste optional
For the Toppings:
- ½ cup fresh strawberries halved
- ¼ cup blueberries halved
- ½ cup granola or dried fruits and seeds for a gluten-free/grain-free version
- 1 tablespoon dried cranberries
Instructions
- First, soak the dates to soften them. If your dates are really fresh and moist, you can skip this step. Place dates in a small bowl with boiling water and let them soak for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft enough to remove the pit by hand. Remove the dates from the soaking water and pit them.
- Combine frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, coconut milk and dates in a blender. Purée until completely smooth.
- Divide the smoothie mixture between bowls and top with fresh strawberries, halved blueberries, granola and dried cranberries. Enjoy!
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More vegan breakfast from Simple Green Recipes
Coconut Cherry Ice Cream Smoothie
Strawberry Parfait (Vegan, Gluten Free)
More smoothies from favorite blogs:
Avocado banana Green Smoothie from the Minimalist Baker
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