Healthy Banana Walnut Smoothie

Loaded with nutrients, flavour and luscious creaminess, this banana walnut smoothie has got it all! It’s refreshing, wholesome, nutty, and completely satisfying! It makes a perfectly nutritious breakfast, or a great pick me up snack when you need an energy boost.

This recipe was originally published in June 2019. It has been updated for content and photos.

Who loves a good smoothie in the morning?

Such a great way to kick start the day and sneak in tons of nutrients in a quick and delicious way.

This banana walnut smoothie is a simple one, but an absolute delicious one too! Just like my strawberry pineapple smoothie this one starts with a delicious, ripe banana.

If you’re allergic or just don’t like bananas, check out my ‘no banana’ smoothie instead.

Is it healthy?

Absolutely.

This smoothie is naturally sweetened, using only ripe banana to deliver all the sweetness needed.

But if you have a sweet tooth, you can always up the sweetness level with a little maple syrup or pitted dates.

Plus, the walnuts add tons of nutrients, like protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.

The added bonus here is this smoothie is dairy free, using almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or any milk you have on hand, making it vegan friendly too!

How to make it

(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Start by gathering your ingredients.

If you don’t have frozen banana on hand, grab your ripest ones, peel and slice and freeze for 30-60 minutes first.

Whenever I find myself tons of overly ripe bananas, I peel them and freeze in an airtight container to use later. They really come in handy for smoothies such as this one, or even some decadent chocolate chip banana bread. YUM!

Then add all the ingredients into your high speed blender (I use a Vitamix) and process until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy your banana walnut smoothie as part of a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Expert tips to make it just right

• Don’t sub for fresh banana unless absolutely necessary. Frozen banana really works best.
• If you don’t have frozen bananas, you may peel and slice fresh ones and freeze for 30-60 minutes. Make sure to slice them first to help them freeze faster.
• To use fresh bananas, if you really don’t have the time to freeze them, add a handful of ice cubes to the smoothie for similar results.
• Make sure your bananas are VERY ripe. The sweetness is all coming from your bananas here, so the riper the better. Choose bananas that have spotted brown skins before freezing.
• For a sweeter smoothie, you may add a teaspoon of pure maple syrup or 2-3 pitted dates.
• If you don’t have walnuts, you may sub for almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans.
• For best results, use a high speed blender, but if you don’t have one, soak your walnuts for about 10-15 minutes or so in fresh water and then drain. This will make it easier for your blender to process them, without leaving any grittiness behind.

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Buon appetito,
Rosa

📖 Recipe