Between my blog and my first cookbook 365 Vegan Smoothies, I have written a lot of smoothie recipes in the past ten years, plus. But even though I love how fun it is to try creative recipes, new ingredients and spins on classics - the truth is - the old-school, classic recipes are usually famous for a reason. They are just that good! They stand the test of time and trends. And this Strawberry Banana Smoothie is an absolute classic to crave.
Here is the BEST way to make it. According to me....
Your first smoothie ever?
Can you remember your first smoothie ever? If so, let me know in the comments! I don't think I can, but I'm pretty certain that a Strawberry Banana Smoothie was one of the first smoothies I ever tasted.
Maybe I ordered one at the mall, or at some cute hippie-style sandwich shop in Santa Cruz, where I grew up. Or maybe I made it at home! Whatever the case, that strawberry banana flavor is imbedded in my memory. And every time I drink this smoothie it tastes like a hug.
Kinda like PB+J.
And warm chocolate chip cookies.
But this is a smoothie. And all good stuff in every sip.
Three Ingredient Smoothie.
Like I said, classics are usually winners. And classics are often simple. Think vanilla or chocolate ice cream or bagels and cream cheese. Simple! And while I have spun this smoothie a million different ways, this super simple recipe is my hands down fave.
Fresh Strawberries
The secret ingredient for me is really using fresh strawberries. The bananas actually get better when frozen because they blend up to a creamy, ice cream-like texture. But strawberries will always be best fresh! And in season + organic if you can. Local, even better.
If you have ever tasted a standard, not-so-great grocery store strawberry side-by-side with the best in-season local strawberry, you will know what I mean when I say that the quality of your strawberries is so important. You want deep red color. Punchy sweetness. Juicy texture. Soft, but still with fresh bite. Red color throughout - not just on the outside skin.
Bananas - How Ripe?
I like to freeze my ripe bananas when there are a few black spots on the peel. Too mushy and you end up with a mess - and bananas only good for banana bread. But ripe and spotted, yet still not mushy and you have perfect smoothie-freezing bananas.
Milk Base?
Also important! Since there are only three ingredients in this Strawberry Banana Smoothie recipe, you kinda have to follow the rules here for each of them.So let's recap...
- Bananas: Frozen when they are nice and ripe but not too much.
- Strawberries: Sweet, red, in-season + local when possible, organic preferred.
- Milk: Something with body and creaminess. Higher fat content if possible.
So I used Silk unsweetened soy milk today and it worked well. Any soy milk will usually work. Creamy is best! A rich almond or cashew milk would also be superb. Or high-fat oat or pea milk. I would skip a thin rice milk - or any low-fat almond milks.
Smoothie Blender
If you are a serious blending type person, my fave blender is anything from the Ascent Series by Vitamix (what I have on my counter). I have also heard very good things about the newer KitchenAid blenders, but I have not tried them yet. They are really pretty though!
And if you need a new smoothie book to inspire you: snag a copy of my book, 365 Vegan Smoothies! Totally honest, not my fave cover, ha, but the inside of this book is so amazing. I'm so proud of it.
The photo belo is from my book. And if you need more smoothie recipes on this blog, browse: smoothies.
Sunny Day Smoothie
This is the perfect smoothie to refresh your taste buds and hydrate you on a sunny day! The weather has been sunny and kinda humid here today and I was thirsty and hot and hungry. I gulper down this frosty smoothie and it was so perfect.
This Strawberry Banana Smoothie recipe serves two, but could easily be consumed by one person.
The Best Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy milk, or another creamy non-dairy milk
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed - sweet, ripe, organic
- 2 ½-3 ½ whole bananas*, frozen when very ripe, but not mushy (For large bananas, use 2 ½)
- ½ cup ice, optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients - except the optional ice - to a high speed blender.
- Blend from low to high until smooth. Add the optional ice mid-way through blending. Check consistency. If you need to add a few more splashes of soy milk to blend, go for it. If things are feeling too thin for you, add in more frozen banana.
Equipment
- blender
Notes
- bananas should be large. If using medium bananas, use three frozen bananas. you can always add MORE bananas to this recipe too to increase the thickness, when desired!
- Each large banana should mash down to about ¾ cups or 1 cup of slices.
nutrition estimate | per serving
