This Banana Date Smoothie is so sweet and creamy, but totally naturally sweetened. A really simple date smoothie with just 6 ingredients and ready in under 5 minutes. Naturally sweetened with banana and dates and then a protein boost from the Greek yogurt. This is a smoothie that tastes like dessert!
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We are HUGE smoothie fans. So quick and easy when you don't have time for anything else, a great way to get some nutritious ingredients into the kids and so many different ways to make them
Sure, they are sweet - but it's all natural sugars. Using dates is a great way to make a smoothie really sweet and creamy and it helps to give a thicker consistency too.
A delicious and easy breakfast or snack (I love it pre-workout too), this banana and date smoothie is easy to adapt with some more filling ingredients, or to make it higher in protein.
It's refined sugar free too, as all the sweetness comes from the dates and banana and the dates give it a lovely caramel flavour. One serving is only 204 calories, 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fibre!
Looking for more date recipes? Why not try our Individual Date Bark Bites or Chocolate Covered Raw Brownies? We also love these Crispy Chocolate Date Balls.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Banana - Use ripe bananas. The riper your bananas are, the sweeter this date smoothie recipe will be. To make this thicker, you can use frozen bananas and it's the perfect way to cool down in the summer months.
- Dates - You want to use Medjool dates for the best results. They are really soft and sweet and give that caramel flavour. Any dates will work though. Cheaper dates might need to be pitted and then softened in boiling water for best results.
- Vanilla - Always use vanilla extract rather than vanilla essence.
- Milk - Any milk will work here. We used dairy milk, but you could use a plant based milk (coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, and unsweetened almond milk work well).
- Yogurt - Greek yogurt helps to thicken the date smoothie and also add protein. You could blend in cottage cheese instead of yogurt to make it even higher in protein.
- Cinnamon - This works so well with the dates and adds a lot of flavour. You could use ground ginger or nutmeg instead.
Variations
Oats - I would usually have this as a snack, as it isn't filling enough or high enough in calories for me to have for a meal. However if you wanted this date and banana smoothie for breakfast, then you could bulk it out with some rolled oats blended into it.
Protein powder - Another way to make this smoothie with banana and dates more filling, and give it a protein boost, is to add some protein powder. You would need to add a little more milk if doing this, as the protein powder will thicken it up. Vanilla protein powder works well.
Chocolate - Who doesn't love a chocolate smoothie?! Give this smoothie with dates and banana a chocolatey twist by blending in some cocoa powder. It makes it taste like a milkshake and it's my kid's favourite way to have it.
Coffee - If you want to turn this into a great afternoon pick-me-up, then blend a shot of espresso into it.
Frozen Dessert Tip
Turn this into a healthy frozen treat by pouring the smoothie with banana and dates into popsicle molds and freezing. Kids will LOVE these.
How To Make a Banana Date Smoothie
- Step 1: Put all of the ingredients into a blender.
- Step 2: Blend until smooth.
Tips For Making The BEST Banana and Date Smoothie
- You can thicken this smoothie up, and make it cooler, but blending some ice cubes with the rest of the ingredients.
- Using a high powdered blender will give you the smoothest results possible. We love our Ninja Blender.
- To add some extra fibre to this banana date smoothie, you can blend in some chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds.
- Add some healthy fats by blending in some nut butter. Almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter all work well. You can use sunflower seed butter too.
- If you aren't using Medjool dates, or if your dates are a little older and not as soft, then you blender might struggle to blend it all up. You will need to soften your dates in some hot water first and then drain.
- Why not sprinkle some chocolate chips on top before serving?
- If your smoothie is too thick, then add a little more milk and blend again until it is the desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It will thicken as it stores in the fridge though, so you will need to add some extra liquid and blend it up again before serving. You can also freeze leftover smoothie in ice cube trays.
A high powered blender will give you the smoothest and creamiest smoothie. We really rate the Ninja Blender and have never had any problems with it.
More Smoothie Recipes
If you've tried this banana and date smoothie recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Banana and Date Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 Banana
- 3 Medjool dates
- 250 ml (1 cups) of Skim milk
- 2 tablespoons of 0% Fat Free Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon of Ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- You can thicken this smoothie up, and make it cooler, but blending some ice cubes with the rest of the ingredients.
- Using a high powdered blender will give you the smoothest results possible.
- To add some extra fibre to this banana date smoothie, you can blend in some chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds.
- Add some healthy fats by blending in some nut butter. Almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter all work well. You can use sunflower seed butter too.
- If you aren't using Medjool dates, or if your dates are a little older and not as soft, then you blender might struggle to blend it all up. You will need to soften your dates in some hot water first and then drain.
- Why not sprinkle some chocolate chips on top before serving?
- If your smoothie is too thick, then add a little more milk and blend again until it is the desired consistency.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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