Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Easy Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

My youngest has always loved fruit and I have always loved giving it to her. When she was a baby, I'd stir blackberries or the mixed frozen berries from the package I picked up at the Lane Cove Woolworths into her morning bowl of oatmeal, and she ate them up happily. It was always so fun to present her with all kinds of fruit - she never turned anything down!

Her love of fruit continues to this day, and a blueberry banana smoothie is one of the easiest and best ways she can enjoy her favorite food group. Plus, it's easy enough that she can make it herself. Based on sweet, ripe bananas and fresh blueberries, this smoothie gets its creaminess from tangy Greek yogurt. You can add a little maple syrup for extra sweetness if you like, or rely on the natural sweetness of the fruit. It's a winner either way.

Smoothie Highlights

• Smooth and creamy
• Takes minutes to make
• Kid-friendly (and, kid-makeable!)
• Great way to get your daily fruit intake
• Adjustable
• Gluten free
• Not too sweet!

Ingredients Needed

Just a few simple ingredients go into this stellar smoothie recipe. I've included them plus some notes below, and the full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Greek yogurt - You can use non-fat, low-fat, or full-fat Greek yogurt. I always buy plain yogurt so that's what I use, but vanilla would also be nice.
• Banana - Use a ripe banana for the best texture and flavor.
• Blueberries - You can use either fresh or frozen blueberries. Whichever one you choose will give your smoothie a slightly different effect.
• Maple syrup - You can add a little maple syrup or honey if you want to add some more sweetness to the smoothie. I suggest tasting as you go so you can get it as sweet - or non-sweet - as you like.

Can I Use Frozen Blueberries?

Fresh or frozen blueberries work interchangeably in smoothies. If you use frozen berries, your smoothie will be colder and slightly icier - a nice contrast to the cold yogurt and creamy banana. However, if you prefer a more smooth smoothie, use fresh blueberries. I also think that when you use fresh blueberries you are able to taste the fruit flavor a bit more - but this is just a personal preference, and you can do whatever you like.

How to Tell if My Bananas Are Ripe

The best banana for a smoothie is a ripe banana. But, how do you know if a banana is ripe? The best way to tell if a banana is ripe is by its color. A ripe banana is bright yellow with possibly some brown spots starting to color its skin. An underripe banana is greenish, greenish-yellow, or pale yellow. I like to use very ripe bananas in smoothies - so that means a bright yellow banana with a few brown spots.

Smoothie Tips

A few tips and variation options are included below:

• Don't add ice. If you add ice to a smoothie, it will be icy and eventually will water down the consistency, something I don't recommend. If you would like a colder smoothie, use frozen bananas or blueberries so that you have a smooth consistency without iciness.
• Add more berries. You can easily riff on this basic smoothie recipe and substitute other berries for the blueberries, or make a mixed-berry smoothie.
• Add a little milk or water. This is a thick smoothie, and I like to add a splash of milk, non-dairy milk, or water to thin it out a bit if it's too thick to pour.
• Try honey. Maple syrup beautifully plays up the sweetness of the banana and berries, and honey is also a nice choice.
• Add nut butter. I love to add peanut butter or almond butter to my smoothies for extra protein and creaminess. You can also try tahini, the sesame seed paste, and one of my favorite flavor additions.
• Pop in seeds. Chia seeds or flax seeds will add a nutty crunch.
• Other additions: You can stir in a pinch of spice, such as ground cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom, to add a warming flavor. Or, try a little vanilla extract or almond extract.
• Double the recipe. This recipe makes enough for two smallish smoothies. You can enjoy it as one larger smoothie, or double the recipe (and keep it as a big smoothie, or share it).

Can I Make a Smoothie Ahead of Time?

You can make a smoothie a few hours ahead of when you plan to drink it, and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you're ready to drink, pour the smoothie into a glass and give it a stir. To store any leftovers, place them in an airtight container, like a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and keep them for up to one day in the fridge.

Use the Ratio Method

In general, if you wish to make another version of an easy and perfect smoothie, you can use ratios to create it. This way it doesn't matter what kind of fruit you use as long as you follow this basic formula:

• 2 parts fresh or frozen fruit
• 1 part liquid, such as milk, water, juice, non-dairy milk
• 1 part thickener, such as yogurt
• Optional sweeteners and extra additions, such as maple syrup, nut butter, etc.