This ultra thick and creamy peanut butter banana smoothie recipe tastes like drinking a milkshake… and it’s good for you at the same time!
A peanut butter banana smoothie for a healthy breakfast
I know some people swear by cold cereal for breakfast. But whenever I eat a bowl of cereal, I always seem to be hungry again less than an hour later.
Does this happen to you as well?
However, I do like the convenience of cold cereal. Sure, it would be nice to eat homemade pancakes or waffles or this Healthy Banana Bread every single day for breakfast, but who has time for that?
Especially on Mondays, I want something that doesn’t take all morning to prepare, can be made with just a few ingredients, and will hold me over until lunch.
Enter this easy banana smoothie recipe:
(View the recipe video, above)
Easy Peanut Butter Smoothie
In 5 minutes or less, you have a balanced and filling breakfast with:
Two servings of fruit
Calcium, potassium, and fiber
And 12 grams of protein… even if you don’t add any yogurt or protein powder!
This best peanut butter banana smoothie is also easy to take on the go, which means you get to set your alarm clock that much later in the morning .
For an even thicker smoothie–almost more like a peanut butter and banana milkshake than a smoothie–be sure to include the optional 1/3 cup oats.
This will also up the fiber and protein, helping to fill you up until lunch.
The recipe can be suitable for numerous special diets as well, including vegan, gluten free, soy free, refined sugar free, paleo, high fiber, low cholesterol, low calorie, and high protein.
Feel free to substitute almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, even or sunflower butter if you have allergies or simply want to switch up the flavor.
And of course you absolutely can add cocoa powder if you want to make it a chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie!
If you try the recipe, be sure to tag @ChocolateCoveredKatie on Instagram so I can see and like your pictures!
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 overripe, frozen large bananas
- 4-6 tbsp peanut butter or pb2, or allergy-friendly sub
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups milk of choice, depending on desired thickness
- scant 1/8 tsp salt
- optional 1/3 cup quick oats or rolled oats
- sweetener of choice, to taste
- optional scoop protein powder
Instructions
*If you want an even thicker shake, feel free to add an extra banana. The bananas should be at least partially brown before peeling and freezing.
To make the peanut butter banana smoothie recipe, blend the oats until a fine powder forms, then add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Drink immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator if you’d prefer to make the smoothie the night before.
More Healthy Banana Recipes:
Peanut Butter Pie – 5 Ingredients
(Including Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream)
Chia Pudding – 5 Delicious Flavors
EmilyLovesRaisins says
9th June 2014 at 2:33 pmHey Katie!
This is kinda random but I just wanted to say that I really love your blog. You’re such a positive influence and your personality really shines through. You’ve helped me when I wasn’t sure what it meant to be healthy. Also, you can take some of the simplest ingredients and turn them into something healthy and (more importantly) delicious! I eagerly check your blog everyday in hopes there will be a new recipe, and when there is I am always SOOO excited to try it out!
All that randomness aside… I used to eat cereal sometimes but I don’t anymore cause I realized that most commercial brands are pretty processed. I totally agree with you about the convenience part though. It would be pretty awesome if someone could make a cereal that turned into pancakes the second it touched milk, but for now I will just have to either take an extra 15 minutes to cook OR just make something super-simple-yet-delicious like this smoothie!
-Emily
Allison Galassie says
9th June 2014 at 2:36 pmI’m the complete opposite! Cereal is usually okay for me, but I’m so hungry after smoothies
Ange says
11th June 2014 at 12:46 amme too! I think for me it has to do with chewing food – I need to chew to feel like I ate something…
I love cold cereal for breakfast. I keep boxes above my desk at work and have it as I read my morning emails. One of my favourite parts of the day. I don’t think I could ever give it up!
Sarah says
27th April 2017 at 12:58 pmSame here! I have to make a double serving of smoothie (at least) in order to feel satisfied, and then I usually end up needing a second breakfast, hobbit-style. They’re more of an after-work snack for me.
Jennifer W. says
9th June 2014 at 2:39 pmI love the PB2 you added to this smoothie. Thank you for the post. I need other alternatives for breakfast because unfortunately I am allergic to eggs. This will be great.
Lisa Ernst says
9th June 2014 at 2:47 pmLove your blog! This looks like a good alternative to cereal, I can’t wait to try it. Lately I’ve found a good alternative to cold cereal that’s fast and easy. I cook up a large batch of quinoa and refrigerate what I don’t use immediately. Then in the morning I’ll scoop some out in a bowl, cover with unsweetened soymilk, add a few drops of stevia and vanilla extract. It tastes good, is fast, filling and nutritious.
Jules @ WolfItDown says
9th June 2014 at 2:49 pmThis looks delicious, and so filling, I bet it went down a treat 🙂
Sometimes I eat cold cereal yeh, but I tend to just opt for oat porridge. Saying that, this morning I had a cold-served overnight banana oat jar topped with some granola, and it was great!
I hope you’ve had a great start to your week Katie, thanks for this recipe 😀 x
Handmade by Lorna says
9th June 2014 at 3:02 pmI can never usually get on with smoothies – I think that it is the thick texture I am not keen on, but I think that I will give this one a try as I love peanut butter and bananas – could a fresh banana be used?
Karen says
9th June 2014 at 4:31 pmI think that if you use a fresh banana the smoothie won’t be as thick, but since you said you don’t like the thick texture, maybe that would be a good thing.
Becky says
1st June 2019 at 10:16 amHi, I made it with fresh aka non frozen bananas and it worked. One will have to add ice to it because the bananas are at room temperature. I like my smoothies thick.
All around freaking delicious.
Thank you.
Claire says
14th June 2014 at 4:06 pmYou can use a fresh banana, but the smoothie won’t be cold. I I just made this smoothie this morning and it came out pretty thin, just use a smaller banana or more milk to thin it out! 🙂
D says
9th June 2014 at 3:07 pmKatie, ever since seeing your creations, I have always been making breakfast the night before. I’ve done blended cereal, oatmeal (porridge or baked), oat bran (porridge or baked), interestingly, I don’t seem to find any recipes with baking oat bran. Also, I’ve gotten into bulgur. I never care to have cold cereal anymore.
I cannot wait for your book to come out in the fall!
Sarah says
9th June 2014 at 3:30 pmI’m not a big fan of cold cereal for breakfast. It’s just not satisfying to me!
nuts4knits says
9th June 2014 at 3:48 pmYes! One of my favorite PB2 recipes! You can also add 1-2 Tbsp of Silk Road cocoa powder and 1/2 cup frozen peas (you can’t taste the peas). Yum! I love your ideas.
Nicole says
22nd June 2014 at 4:43 amThank you for the peas suggestion, I’m going to give it a try!
Marlowe says
9th June 2014 at 3:57 pmI make this in the afternoon when my the munchies hit. I haven’t added oats, but I do throw in a couple of handfuls of spinach. the PB and banana cover up the flavor and my kids love the green. I will try adding oats today.
Mia (Mia in Germany) says
9th June 2014 at 4:23 pmLike Allison, I’m fine with either cold or hot cereal, but smoothies only hold for about one hour or so. I love banana milk with pb, will give the addition of oats a try. Maybe it will fill me up for more than one hour!
Jess @ The Baguette Diet says
9th June 2014 at 4:36 pmI agree 100% on cold cereal–I feel like I could eat 5 bowls and still feel hungry an hour afterwards! I love banana and PB for breakfast, though–usually as part of a yogurt bowl or on an English muffin, but this smoothie sounds like a great idea too!
Avra-Sha Faohla says
9th June 2014 at 5:07 pmI think it depends on the cereal. I usually have a bowl of bran flakes with a banana, and it keeps me full until lunch! Grape-Nuts are also a good choice to last me until lunch. But I would only eat Cheerios for breakfast as a last resort because when I eat Cheerios, I get hungry again much sooner than that.
Susan says
9th June 2014 at 5:38 pmYes, I eat cereal for breakfast, usually about 1-2x per week. My solution to the problem of getting hungry is to add a scoop of protein powder (and a tablespoon of flaxseed), plus have a stick of string cheese – unless I use non-fat milk, in which case the calories prohibit cheese. We also are in the habit of having a morning snack, because of the eating plan we are on, which specifies that to keep our metabolism up, we should eat every 2-3 hours. I know we were probably all raised to believe that one should just eat 3 meals a day, with maybe an afternoon snack, but current nutritional wisdom says that is no longer the best way to go. I’m looking forward to trying this smoothie recipe – smoothies are always a good breakfast.
Red Deception says
9th June 2014 at 6:34 pmI make something similar to this for the boyfriend – he is wary of the green “healthy” smoothies, so if it’s loaded with PB and banana … he’ll eat it! I like to throw frozen strawberries into mine just to add a bit more sweetness.
Marci says
9th June 2014 at 7:02 pmHi Katie,
I’m writing a book and will be referencing your website in the resources section. I would like to print at least one and possibly more of your recipes in the text of the book. The recipe would of course be accompanied by a notation saying that it is your recipe and repeating your URL. Is this alright with you? Could I say “reprinted with permission?”
Please let me know.
Thanks kindly,
Marci
JC says
9th June 2014 at 7:17 pmI have actually been in an odd bit of a habit for the past year or so – waking up any number of times between midnight and 6 to snack on… frankly whatever comes to mind. More often than not the munchable of choice is cereal. While I can’t testify for these nights/mornings, one the days where I manage a normal breakfast [with cereal] it isn’t too filling unless it is oatmeal, and even that doesn’t tend to stick for too long.
Speaking of which, I just started getting into smoothies as an accompaniment to the library/while doing field work. It’s a low-fuss way of keeping full, and this recipe sounds like no exception! I’d be tempted to try bran in lieu of oats however.
Tammela says
9th June 2014 at 7:22 pmThis sounds great. I like the idea of using oats for fiber and thickening. I often eat muesli with almond milk and banana for breakfast, and it usually holds me for 3-4 hours. If I need something more substantial, I’ll make cooked oatmeal and stir in peanut butter in banana (kind of like this smoothie, but in warm form!).
Jessica says
9th June 2014 at 7:26 pmCold cereal and milk is a snack. Breakfast and post workout cereal is with greek yogurt. I’m usually a flavored Cheerio’s person, which is still better than my all time favorite Reese’s Puffs but still not enough protein and fiber on its own to keep me satisfied. Mini wheats…different story, but I never go through them fast enough to warrant buying them often.
Sadye says
10th June 2014 at 8:28 pmYes! It’s my favorite bedtime snack. Got into the habit when I was working second shift, and now it feels weird to eat cereal for breakfast.
Polina says
9th June 2014 at 3:38 pmHello!
I thought it is only my problem – after most of cereals I am quickly become hanger. Though it was one exception: I have done your 5-minute oatmeal and it was really filling! But it won’t stop me from trying this:) Thank you for another one beauty.
Linda says
9th June 2014 at 3:46 pmThis is absolutely crazy since I was planning on going home and making this exact smoothie before you posted the recipe. We think alike:) The smoothie is also fantastic with a tablespoon of cocoa powder because as you know, chocolate makes everything better!
Shonalika says
9th June 2014 at 9:31 pmHaha, I’ve been making this exact smoothie as a snack quite regularly over the past week… but I haven’t had it for breakfast so far because I need a BIG breakfast. Cold cereal can’t keep me going for more than an hour – especially with the minuscule portion sizes listed on the packet! Adding oats would probably make the smoothie entirely breakfast-worthy, without affecting the flavour – definitely going to try it!
Bethan says
9th June 2014 at 5:38 pmThis looks absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing! Would you recommend this as a post-work out treat? x
Carolyn HSmith says
9th June 2014 at 10:44 pmNo, Katie, I don’t eat cold cereal for breakfast. I love to have it instead of dinner on hot days, and it holds me over til time for bed.
This recipe sounds like it will be a great prize for a hot afternoon! I have the Pb2 and I like it in recipes. (Tried it in pb and jelly, but it wasn’t the same for my little one, so I had to make him a regular one).
Til next time, and thanks for loving us thru your wonderful recipes!
Chris says
9th June 2014 at 11:16 pmHey Katie, this smoothie looks so good! I like your addition of oats to a classic PB recipe. I still haven’t tried oats in a smoothie. I think some soaked buckwheat would work too. To answer your question, I haven’t had cold cereal for breakfast in several years. I do like cold cereal but I avoid it since its a processed food and I always found myself overeating it because I was never satisfied! I would love to see more lunch and dinner recipes from you! I think I may have left that comment before, but I’m telling you again! 🙂
Bianca says
9th June 2014 at 7:46 pmI basically had this for breakfast this morning but made with Justin’s Maple Almond Butter and Vega French Vanilla powder….so good!
Tonii Nuttall says
10th June 2014 at 2:14 amI’ve been drinking a similar smoothie for breakfast for decades. I’ve never added the oatmeal, and will do that. What I do add is a bit of powdered chocolate – makes it taste like a pb cup!
Andrea says
10th June 2014 at 3:05 amThis is one of my go-to favs for the summer. Sometimes I add vanilla yogurt for extra creaminess! It takes like ice cream…Yum…
Aly says
10th June 2014 at 4:54 amAny news on when your cookbook will be available? Looking forward to it!
Unofficial CCK Helper says
15th June 2014 at 4:13 pmhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-covered-katie-katie-higgins/1119439699?ean=9781455599707
EVA says
10th June 2014 at 1:40 pmFor two years, I’ve had nothing but Rice Chex and almond milk for breakfast. I feel like a whole different person and am usually in a crabby mood if I DON’T have it! Funny thing is that cereal is pretty much the only thing that keeps me full….that and baked potatoes. Basically carbs in general are the only things that stick with me. Which is fine in my book!
Lea says
10th June 2014 at 4:50 pmThat smoothie looks absolutely delicious! I will give it a try when I have a blender once again. Mmmmh!
tara says
10th June 2014 at 5:18 pmi’m the same as you. cereal = hungry in 1-2 hours. like super hungry !
Melissa Smith says
10th June 2014 at 2:07 pmCold Cereal NOOOOO! Too sugared up and definitely doesn’t fill me for the morning. I made this smoothie this morning and it was great. I added flaxseeds too and it was so huge I was drinking it at work over 2 hours!
Ive always had a thing for breakfast foods but I’m worse since I found your blog 🙂 I just can’t make anything boring anymore, it has to be a breakfast creation!
Cortni @ YakkaFit says
10th June 2014 at 7:08 pmI actually had that exact thought this morning! I rarely eat cold cereal, but it sounded good this morning, and then 45 minutes later I was already hungry! So annoying.
Mary Frances says
10th June 2014 at 9:17 pmDelicious AND good for you! What could be better?
CharOsT says
10th June 2014 at 10:56 pmJust wanted to say I swear by this – I don’t usually put in the vanilla extract, sweetener or protein powder as I love how light and refreshing it tastes with rice milk! The best in hot weather. And I usually don’t like cereals either – only muesli with A LOT of fruit can sustain me just as well as oatmeal! Speaking of which, a collection of your recipes inspired me this morning for a microwaved banana, peanut butter, dark chocolate oatmeal with raisins – just the thing I needed for another day of exams!
I love your whole website – my sister has learnt to accept that whenever we cook/bake, your site is the first we reference! Completely inspiring to take a different approach to cooking with both healthy good stuff (AND irresistible deliciousness!) in my house.
– Charlene (UK)
Librarian Lavender says
10th June 2014 at 10:57 pmThis sounds absolutely delicious and I’ve never thought of it before. I really love reading your blog and learning about food every time!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
11th June 2014 at 1:39 amI make something similar very often-especially when the warm weather hits! I blend frozen bananas with almond butter and a few other ingredients. Instead if a smoothie, I call it “ice cream” 😉
Chocolatecoveredfan says
11th June 2014 at 10:39 amHi katie!
Angie says
11th June 2014 at 3:39 pmI am hooked! I can’t thank you enough for this recipe! You are 100% right that after eating cereal hunger hits too soon. I made this yesterday for breakfast (it took all my reserves not to down it in one gulp it was soo good) and wasn’t hungry till well after lunch time! Had it again today and haven’t needed a snack or anything so again Thank you!!!
KC says
12th June 2014 at 4:33 pmI tripled the recipe and made this for breakfast this morning for my husband, my 2 year old, and myself. It tasted great without any added sweetener. It was just like having a shake for breakfast. It did hold us over until lunch time too. Thanks for sharing this recipe Katie!
Janelle says
13th June 2014 at 3:18 pmI made it this morning in my Vitamix and it was yum! Thank you!
Claire says
14th June 2014 at 4:09 pmYou know Katie, every time I try to make a fruit smoothie at home, no matter the ingredients, no matter the recipe, it tastes horrible. Not this one! This was my first successful scratch smoothie and it tastes amazing! I especially love the taste of rolled oats, it really balances out the flavors! Bravo!
Steph says
15th June 2014 at 7:47 amI used to always eat cold cereal for breakfast- the really sugary stuff, I don’t understand how, looking back! Oats, smoothies and pancakes all the way!
Avra-Sha Faohla says
7th July 2014 at 7:10 pmDelicious! I used no protein powder, and I added a teaspoon of sugar. I think maybe next time I’ll try skipping the sugar altogether.
Christa says
9th July 2014 at 6:54 pmJust made this today and it was delicious. Next time I might be adventurous and try it with some cocoa powder too. Thanks for the recipe.
Leona B. says
11th July 2014 at 12:17 pmI’ve never tried peanut butter banana smoothie, but it looks delicious!! Isn’t it too sweet?? I think this would be great in combination with cereals. This is the best food to eat and drink first thing in the morning!
Eva says
9th October 2014 at 6:10 amso delicious!
Eva says
9th October 2014 at 6:12 amamazing:) I wish I could make this shake myself 😛 only experience with milkshakes or ice cream I have, comes from Papa’s Freezeria game at http://papasgames.us/papas-freezeria/ but this recipe looks simple enough so ill give it a try 😀
kaitlyn says
18th December 2014 at 8:44 amrecipe looks great can’t wait to try it out
kaitlyn says
18th December 2014 at 8:45 amcan’t wait to try it
Lily says
29th January 2015 at 2:16 pmThis is one of my favorite recipes of yours—I absolutely love the milkshakes, but for some reason have trouble with the bananas getting blended (quite possibly a result of my cheap blender), but with this smoothie the bananas blended quite well! I can’t seem to convince anybody that’s it’s healthy because it tastes so good!
Sigrid says
27th March 2015 at 7:28 amThis sure looks tasty and so I hope on trying this soon! I just need to know how much time does it take to make this smoothie?
Diana says
3rd October 2015 at 9:35 amI made this using only one tablespoon of peanut butter, and I added a dash of cinnamon and a Truvia packet as well. Very tasty, and very filling, too!
Marta says
29th October 2015 at 8:28 amThe recipe is very easy and delicious, I’ve eaten it countless times since August, but I wanted to check the nutrition facts and I’m a bit concerned about it. If you suggest at least 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, this one ingredient has already 320 kcal, assuming that one tbsp is 25 g. If you add an average banana, oats, almond milk and the rest of ingredients, it’s almost 550 kcal – without protein powder! Compared to what you wrote – 350 kcal – the difference is huge. The recipe says it serves 1, so… something is wrong. I’m all confused now. Could you please explain how you calculated those 350 kcal? 🙂
5/5
5/5
Jen says
25th November 2015 at 4:39 pmWhen you calculate nutrition facts you only use the lower amount of each ingredient listed.
Jen says
25th November 2015 at 4:39 pmThis peanut butter banana smoothie is so easy but so good. Love how something so simple can taste so great!
5/5
5/5
Eric C says
29th February 2016 at 7:02 amGreat protein shake post workout. However, be sure to add ice!
4/5
4/5
Eric C says
29th February 2016 at 7:02 amGreat protein shake post workout. However, be sure to add ice!
4/5
4/5
Mick says
22nd April 2016 at 6:13 amPeanut Butter Banana Smoothie .. i like it
5/5
5/5
Juliette | Namastay Traveling says
27th April 2017 at 9:29 amI just got my first vitamix this morning as a birthday gift and think this will be the first recipe I try out!! Yum!