There is a lot of hype behind green smoothies these days. But, how many times have you tried one that tastes too green? Well, this creamy green smoothie is something you'll actually enjoy because it's healthy, but still tastes like a treat!
Who would have thought.
Let's get to it!
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📖 About
We love smoothies because they're quick, delicious, and a great way to get more nutrients in. This recipe is no different.
The key to making a tasty green smoothie is using ingredients that will create a sweet, creamy result. To us, there is no point stuffing so many greens in that you have to choke your smoothie down. We actually want to enjoy our food.
The only thing you'll taste in this smoothie is vanilla, bananas, peanut butter, and dates. It's the perfect way to trick yourself into eating some spinach without actually tasting it!
Pro-tip: with green smoothies, it really helps to have a high-speed blender so there is no risk of chunks. The vanilla protein also isn't 100% necessary, but we find it helps create the perfect smoothie consistency and flavor.
🍲 Key ingredients
- Banana: the ultimate addition to any smoothie for making it extra sweet, creamy, and thick. You probably already know bananas are a source of potassium. But, did you know that one banana contains 33% of your daily vitamin B6 needs?
- Spinach: smoothies are perfect for hiding greens. This one is no different, and it also makes it a gorgeous green color. Surprisingly, spinach is actually one of the best sources of magnesium, which is important for healthy muscles and blood pressure regulation.
- Dates: our secret weapon in this smoothie. Dates are a natural sweetener that's great to use in place of refined sugars. That's why you'll love them in this smoothie! Not only do dates have a dessert-like taste, but they also contain a ton of vitamins and minerals. We use Medjool dates, which are the most popular variety, but they are all delicious. The ones from Costco are especially creamy and perfect for recipes or snacks.
- Peanut Butter: we love our smoothies to be extra creamy, so we almost always add peanut butter. It gives this smoothie recipe an especially unique taste. If it isn't enough to be delicious, peanut butter is also is a rich source of potassium. So, if you put this ingredient in your smoothie, your heart will be happy!
🔪 Instructions
In a blender, add the soy milk and water first (your blender will thank you). Then, add in the spinach and the rest of the ingredients on top, leaving the protein out until the end.
Blend on high until you achieve a creamy consistency. If you need more liquid, add some water or plant milk in a few tablespoons at a time. If you aren't using a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, you may have to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times.
Add in the protein powder last Blend everything until it's nice and smooth
Once everything is mixed together, add in the protein powder and blend it again for a few seconds. Enjoy your smoothie immediately. You may even want to drink it straight out of the blender!
🌡️ Storage
This smoothie is best served immediately. But, you can also portion out pre-blended servings to have on hand. Store the bananas, spinach, dates, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon in the freezer in airtight containers or ziplock bags.
When you're ready to make a smoothie, add the frozen ingredients, liquids, peanut butter, and protein to your blender! Enjoy an even quicker breakfast or snack.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Reduce the amount of protein powder you add, or try using tofu!
- Replace the soy milk with more water
- Purchase generic brands of natural peanut butter
- Usually grocery stores have sales on bruised bananas. Scoop those up since you'll just be freezing them anyways!
🍴 Tasting notes
We loving making this for breakfast almost daily, and we hope you do too! It's:
- Creamy
- Nutritious
- Sweet
- Balanced
If you try this smoothie, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Creamy Green Smoothie
Equipment
- High-speed blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy milk ($0.14)
- ½ cup water ($0.00)
- 1 cup spinach ($0.26)
- 2 ½ medium bananas ($0.40)
- 1 tbsp peanut butter ($0.06)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ($0.01)
- 2 large Medjool dates ($0.46)
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed ($0.04)
- 1 scoop vegan vanilla protein ($0.95)
Instructions
- In a blender, add the soy milk and water. Then, add the spinach and the rest of the ingredients on top (except the protein).
- Blend on high until you achieve a creamy consistency. If you need more liquid, add water in a couple tablespoons at a time.
- Once creamy, add in protein and blend it again until everything is well combined.
- Enjoy smoothie immediately!
Notes
- For the best results, we recommend using a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.
- Start with 1 cup of Spinach, and add more in as you see fit.
- For the protein powder, we use Vega Vanilla Protein & Greens, but use whatever your favorite brand is!
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more breakfast recipes, check out our:
- Chocolate chip banana oat waffles to be the star of your next Sunday brunch.
- Cranberry orange granola for a light and citrusy breakfast.
- Homemade coconut yogurt to enjoy with your cran-orange granola!
- Blueberry pie oatmeal for a hearty and healthy bowl topped with blueberry pie filling.
💬 FAQ
No you do not have to soak the dates. But if you don't have a high-speed blender you may end up with some chunks of dates in your smoothie. Definitely not a bad thing, though!
No, you don't need to use protein powder but we find that it's much creamier, thicker, and adds to the taste. We've made this without protein and it's still really good!
If you don't have spinach, other greens will definitely work in this recipe. We just find spinach has the most neutral taste.
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