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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch

    Updated: Dec 29, 2020 · Published: Apr 2, 2018 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Glass of green smoothie with blue and white striped straw

    No excuses for skipping breakfast! This healthy, protein-packed Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie recipe takes minutes to make and will keep you full until lunch. It’s a great option to refuel post-workout, too!

    Glass of smoothie on gray countertop with straw.

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    Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, but I’m definitely guilty of grab-and-go convenience when mornings are rushed. Which is why I love this Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie recipe.

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • FAQS
    • Freezing smoothies
    • More smoothie tips
    • Equipment
    • More smoothie recipes
    • Recipe

    Why this recipe works

    Not only is it the best green protein shake recipe (in my opinion), it couldn’t be easier to make and can even be frozen ahead of time to make healthy eating a snap. Plus you can't taste the spinach - promise!

    Ingredients

    This smoothie is filled with a combination of protein, carbs and fiber - a delicious mix of ingredients to tide you over until your next meal, including nut butter, Greek yogurt and protein powder.

    Glass filled with smoothie ingredients including fresh spinach, banana slices and almonds.

    Instructions

    The order in which you add ingredients to the blender can make a bit difference in how smooth your smoothie actually is (as well as avoid getting ingredients stuck in the blender's blades).

    1. Add liquids first. Always. It doesn’t matter if your recipe calls for cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk or just plain old water, you should always add your liquid(s) to the blender first. Why? The blender uses the liquids to create that cool tornado inside the jar and helps it pull down the other ingredients into the blade action more easily.
    2. Next up are protein powders. Add these directly to the liquid in the blender jar to avoid any chance of a chalky aftertaste that could result from it not being fully incorporated into the smoothie during the blend time.
    3. Get those greens in! Who knew that greens in smoothies are so tasty? There are a variety of greens that you can add to smoothies. Spinach seems to blend the easiest because its leaves are so tender, but heartier greens like kale or collard greens can be tougher to incorporate easily. I suggest removing the tough ribs and any woody stems from these greens before adding to the jar.
    4. Layer in the solids next starting with the softest ingredients first. This can include yogurts and nut butters if you’re using them as well as seeds and raw nuts.
    5. Fresh fruit and veggies (that are not greens) can now be added. This mostly includes softer fruits like berries and melons as well as avocados.
    6. The final add to any smoothie should always be your frozen ingredients, including ice. These guys can be rock hard and you want them on top so the sheer weight of them pushes everything else down into the blade action.
    Two glasses on a wood board. One is filled with raw ingredients for smoothie and other is filled with blended Smoothie.

    FAQS

    Why put protein powder in smoothies?


    Adding protein powder to smoothies is an easy way to increase your protein intake during the day. I always feel fuller longer when I add more protein to my diet. 

    This recipe includes protein powder PLUS protein-rich Greek yogurt AND almond butter for a triple punch of protein goodness.

    Can green smoothies taste good?


    Absolutely! Even my kids love this smoothie. Why? Because you can’t taste the spinach! Seriously.

    Personally I love spinach in any form, but the flavors of banana, yogurt and almond butter are what shine in this protein-rich recipe

    So feel free to be generous with your handful of nutrient-rich spinach in this gorgeous spinach smoothie. (I swear you can't taste it.)

    Can I make this dairy-free?


    Yes! There are a number of different dairy-free yogurts on the market - made with almonds, soy or coconut milk, to name a few - that will keep this smoothie rich and creamy.

    Can I use a different nut butter?


    Of course. Almond, peanut, cashew or any number of seed butters would all be tasty in this smoothie.

    Single glass of blended Smoothie with a blue and white striped straw.

    Freezing smoothies

    I have two options for making this smoothie in advance:

    1. Make a quadruple batch of this recipe and freeze it in individual portions. Simply pop one container in the fridge the day before so it defrosts overnight. (Note: If you enjoy large smoothies, you may also need to pop it in the microwave to defrost it a bit.)
    2. You can also freeze individual portions of ingredients for this smoothie in zip top bags:
    • Portion out your Greek yogurt in ice cube trays and freeze. (These silicone ice cube trays work well for smoothie ingredients as well as fancy ice for cocktails!) You can do the same with almond butter if you don’t keep it on hand normally.
    • Add a couple cubes of frozen yogurt to a zip top bag along with your banana, almond butter (if frozen) and spinach (YES, you can freeze spinach for smoothies!).
    • When you’re ready to make your smoothie, grab a pre-made bag from the freezer and dump it in the blender along with your remaining ingredients and enjoy a freshly made smoothie in no time flat!

    Tip: Trying to pulverize a frozen banana in the blender can be challenging. Pop any rock solid ingredients in the microwave before adding to the blender. They don't need to be completely defrosted. Even thirty seconds will help ensure they evenly distribute in the smoothie.

    Two glasses of Smoothies on a gray countertop. Surrounded by blue and white striped straws, fresh banana slices, fresh spinach and a spoonful of almond butter.

    More smoothie tips

    So you’ve read all the tips, followed all the guides and your smoothie is still not how you want it. Try a few of these troubleshooting techniques to see if it can help save your smoothie:

    • Smoothie too thick? Add more liquid and give it a good stir to incorporate the liquid before blending again. You’re trying to get that liquid as close to the base as possible to help with the blending action.
    • Smoothie not sweet enough? Add any number of sweeteners to the jar, including honey, maple syrup, stevia or even a whole pitted date. Start with a small amount, blend and then taste and adjust as needed.
    • Smoothie not blending well? Start the blender on low and then gradually increase it to higher speeds to fully blend everything together. You can also try adding a bit of additional liquid to see if that will help smooth out the texture during blending.
    • Smoothie not cold enough? Use frozen fruit. This keeps the smoothie chilled instead of adding ice. Bonus: frozen fruit also makes smoothies thicker.

    Equipment

    • These measuring cups are awesome because they are magnetic and stick together. No more lost measuring cups!
    • This vanilla protein powder is our current favorite. We’ve tried a number of them but keep coming back to this one. It’s organic, too!
    • A good blender. Now I know not everyone can splurge on a top-tier blender, but I highly suggest you save up your birthday gift cards because they make a huge difference in how quickly you can pull together one of these green smoothie beauties.

    Note: I own Blendtec and love it, but many people are also thrilled with their Vitamix blenders. These high-powered blenders do a much better job of tackling rock hard items like ice and frozen yogurt cubes and are able to decimate that spinach into microscopic pieces (which is key when you’re trying to convince a non-green smoothie person to try a green smoothie). It's not a "must have" to make this recipe. But if you're someone who is a smoothie junkie, you'll appreciate not having to reblend your ingredients repeatedly just to get rid of the big frozen chunks of fruit.

    More smoothie recipes

    • Add a shot of caffeine to your morning smoothie with this Easy Coffee Smoothie Recipe.
    • Spring berries are coming! Enjoy them in this Strawberry Mango Protein Smoothie.
    • Fiber-rich oatmeal is a fantastic add-in to this tasty Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie.

    Don't miss any of our tasty breakfast and brunch recipe ideas!

    Recipe

    Glass of Easy Banana Spinach Protein Smoothie on a grey countertop and garnished with a blue and white striped straw.

    Easy Banana Spinach Smoothie

    Garnish With Lemon
    Refuel post-workout with this Easy Banana Spinach Protein Smoothie. Freeze them in advance for a quick and healthy breakfast on the go, too!
    4.74 from 56 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast & Brunch
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 smoothie
    Calories 365 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon almond butter
    • ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
    • ½ banana
    • ¾ cup water
    • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
    • 1 huge handful spinach

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    Instructions
     

    • Add all ingredients to blender and puree to desired consistency.

    Notes

    Want to make a batch of smoothies? Freeze individual portions in jars or freeze ice cube trays with individual ingredients and pop in the blender when the smoothie craving hits. More details in the post!

    VIDEO

    Nutrition

    Serving: 12ouncesCalories: 365kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 46gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 153mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13g

    Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.

    Did you make this recipe?Tag us on Instagram or leave a comment!

    Craving a healthy breakfast on the go? Make these Easy Banana Spinach Smoothies in advance at home and store them in the freezer until you're ready to enjoy them. This green spinach smoothie recipe is packed with protein from three sources: protein powder, Greek yogurt and almond butter!

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    About Anna

    Hi, I’m Anna, a former corporate communications nerd turned food fanatic. Turns out I like cooking for others A LOT more than explaining HR policies to them. C’mon over!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole says

      November 30, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      I tried it, sorry i didn't post a pic, i will next time i do it . I was really suprised how tasty it was, didn't even taste the spinach. I substituted the almond butter and water with almond milk. I felt really good knowing i was giving my body some much needed nutrition and i did not have to suffer for taste to do so or spend over 15 minutes chewing 🙂

      Reply
      • Anna says

        December 01, 2017 at 10:55 am

        So glad you enjoyed it, Nicole!

        Reply
    2. Alma says

      November 12, 2017 at 11:40 pm

      I was curious if when you are preparing these to store in the freezer, do you include the water and the protein powder and the almond butter? Or do you add those when you're ready to blend everything together?

      Reply
      • Anna says

        November 13, 2017 at 6:05 am

        Hi Alma, I typically freeze the banana and spinach together and then add the remaining ingredients together when I blend them together. You can also prepare the smoothies entirely and simply freeze individual portions if that works better for you. Enjoy!

        Reply
      • Julianna says

        June 30, 2019 at 12:19 am

        Hi!
        Approximately how many calories and grams of protein are in this smoothie?

        Reply
        • Anna says

          June 30, 2019 at 10:36 am

          Hi Julianna, I updated the post to give you an idea of the nutritional stats. Bear in mind that these numbers will change based on the ingredients you use and any quantities you choose to modify for your tastes. If you prefer more exact numbers, plug your ingredient amounts (including brand name) into any number of nutritional calculators available online. Enjoy!

    3. Vanessa says

      May 04, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      Hi
      What if I have unflavored protein powder, can I add vanilla extract for flavor ?
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Anna says

        May 05, 2017 at 9:10 pm

        You can do that, Vanessa. Or you can also swap in vanilla Greek yogurt if you have that handy. Or just use the plain protein powder you have.

        Reply
    4. Healthsomeness says

      August 03, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      What a delicious looking smoothie recipe, and healthy too! I especially love the photos, a lovely combination of vibrant colors 🙂

      Reply
    5. Angela says

      May 22, 2016 at 11:46 am

      I just made this smoothie, however, I substituted the almond butter with raw coconut butter (note I say butter, not coconut oil), and instead of the Greek yogurt, I used 2/3 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk, only because my protein powder is plain and one scoop of it offers 25g of protein already. I'm thinking next time I make it, I will see what it tastes like to add some cucumber and/or celery and maybe a handful of frozen blueberries!

      Reply
      • Anna says

        May 23, 2016 at 6:05 am

        Glad you found a way to make it perfect for you, Angela!

        Reply
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