This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
This Strawberry Banana Smoothie is a delicious way to get more fruit into your day. I love having it for breakfast, or as a mid-afternoon snack, because it tastes like such a treat! Even my kids love this one. It’s a great “beginner smoothie” if you’re trying to make one for the first time.
How to Make a Strawberry Banana Smoothie
To make this Strawberry Banana Smoothie, you’ll need a blender and about 5 minutes of time. All you have to do is blend the ingredients together until smooth, then make any adjustments that you see fit once you taste it.
Because fruits can vary in sweetness, you might need to add a little sweetener one day, but not the next. When you make a smoothie at home, you’re in charge of the flavor, so keep in mind that you can always tweak each batch to suit your tastes.
Do You Have to Use Frozen Fruit in Smoothies?
This recipe calls for frozen fruit because I find that to be the most convenient and the most affordable. I love how frozen fruit gives this Strawberry Banana Smoothie a thick and slushy texture, almost like a milkshake.
However, you can use fresh strawberries and bananas, if you prefer! You’ll need to use much less liquid when using fresh fruit, so start with 1/2 cup of liquid and add more as needed. If you want a frozen, slushy-texture for your smoothie to mimic using frozen fruit, try adding a cup or more of ice until it’s as thick as you’d like it to be.
When freezing bananas, make sure you peel them prior to freezing so that you can easily add them to a smoothie later. It’s nearly impossible to get the peel off after freezing. (Trust me.) If you don’t have a high-speed blender, but the bananas into coins before adding them to the blender for easier blending. I usually freeze my bananas whole and then break them in half before adding them, as my Vitamix can break them down easily.
Are Smoothies Good for Weight Loss?
In my opinion, yes, smoothies are great for weight loss! When you make a smoothie at home, you control what goes into it. That means you don’t have to worry about things like frozen yogurt or sugary “bases” being used in your smoothie, like some chain smoothie stores do.
I like to use smoothies like this one as a meal replacement, so it’s a great alternative to a heavier breakfast. Smoothies are a great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and they can help keep you hydrated.
If you’re concerned about the sugar in fruit, sure you read why I don’t limit my fruit intake. One study mentioned in that article shares that eating fruit actually promotes weight loss, compared to another group that limited their fruit intake.
How to Make a Strawberry Banana Smoothie (1-Minute Video):
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries
- 1 frozen banana , cut into pieces
- 1 cup milk (I use almond milk)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (or use more milk )
- 1 Medjool date , pitted (or 1 tablespoon honey), if needed for sweetness
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, banana, milk, orange juice, and date for sweetness, if desired, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust anything as needed, then serve right away.
- Leftover smoothie can be poured into mini ice pop molds for a frozen treat later.
Video
Nutrition
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Nutrition (for the whole batch): Calories: 308; Fat: 4g; Carbohydrates: 69g; Fiber: 8g; Protein: 4g
Recipe Notes:
You can use any other type of fruit to replace the strawberries or bananas, just keep in mind that you’ll need to use similar amounts to get a similar milkshake-texture. Mixed berries can be used, but keep in mind that raspberries have seeds that will wind up in the final texture, and my kids don’t like that.
I like using orange juice in this smoothie to give it a little boost of sweetness and a slightly tart flavor, but if you leave it out the smoothie will be less-sweet and much more mild in flavor.
More Smoothie Recipes:
- My Go-To Smoothie for Kids
- Smoothies for Babies & Toddlers
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
- Coffee Smoothie (like a frappuccino!)
- Dragon Fruit Smoothie
- Low Sugar Smoothies
–
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite smoothie combination?
This is my go to smoothie. I add collagen and it’s delicious.
Oh–and I usually use oat milk (almond allergy) and add some coconut yogurt (dairy allergy) to mine.
Still, anything that gets more fruit and other healthy goodies into my middle-aged carcass, the better. I make do with what I can have.
So happy you included Medjool dates. I love dates, but everyone else seems to hate them.
This smoothie is a little too sweet for my tastes (and my diabetes), as is, but I solved that by taking out the orange juice and throwing in some avocado or spinach. I usually replace some of the strawberries with raspberries and blueberries. I usually replace the banana (big no-no for diabetics) with kiwi (potassium champion!). Depends on what I have on hand, or what I’m in the mood for, or what my body seems to need at a given time.
That’s the beauty of these smoothies–once you get a good recipe, like this one, you can start swapping in or out to your heart’s content.