Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie
A thick, creamy smoothie with frozen banana, peanut butter, rolled oats and vanilla protein powder. It makes a filling breakfast or post-workout drink with about 35 grams of protein per serving, and it blends in under 5 minutes.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Makes
- 2 smoothies (about 14 oz / 415 ml each)
Steps
Before you start
- Freeze the bananas ahead: peel, slice into ½-inch (1 cm) coins and freeze on a tray for at least 4 hours or overnight. Frozen banana is what makes the smoothie thick and cold.
- Use a creamy, no-stir or well-stirred peanut butter so it blends smoothly.
- Check your protein powder label: scoops vary, so use about 30 g (roughly 1 scoop) of powder with around 24 g protein.
Soak the oats
- Add the rolled oats and the milk to the blender jar.
- Let them sit for 5 minutes so the oats soften and blend smoothly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oats look slightly swollen and plump
Tip: If you have a high-speed blender, you can shorten this soak to 2 minutes.
Add the flavorings
- Add the peanut butter, protein powder, cinnamon, honey and salt to the jar on top of the oats and milk.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: All ingredients are in the jar
Tip: Add the liquid and powders before the frozen fruit so the powder doesn't cake at the bottom.
Add frozen banana
- Add the frozen banana slices and the ice cubes, if using.
- Ice makes the smoothie colder and thicker, but skip it if your bananas are very hard.
Blend until smooth
- Secure the lid.
- Start on low for 10 seconds, then increase to high and blend for 45 to 60 seconds.
- Stop and scrape down the sides if banana chunks stick, then blend 15 seconds more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Thick, creamy and uniform with no visible oat flecks or banana chunks; it should fall slowly off a spoon
Tip: If the blades spin without pulling the mixture down, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) more milk.
Taste and adjust
- Taste the smoothie.
- Add another teaspoon of honey if you want it sweeter, a pinch of salt if the peanut flavor seems flat, or a splash of milk to thin it.
- Pulse for 5 seconds to mix.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Balanced, lightly sweet and peanutty
Serve right away
- Pour evenly into two tall glasses (about 14 oz / 415 ml each) and drink immediately while cold and thick.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Smoothie is cold and thick enough to drink through a wide straw
Tip: It thickens as it stands, so stir in a splash of milk if it sits more than 10 minutes.
Good to know
Tips
- Use bananas with brown speckles before freezing: they are sweeter, so you can skip the honey.
- Blend from the bottom up: liquids first, then powders, then frozen items, for the smoothest result.
- Measure peanut butter with a lightly oiled spoon so it slides off easily.
- For a thicker, milkshake-like texture, reduce the milk to 1¼ cups (300 ml).
Make ahead
"Freeze the banana slices up to 3 months ahead. For grab-and-blend packs, portion the banana, oats, protein powder and cinnamon into freezer bags; add milk and peanut butter when blending."
Storage & reheating
"Best fresh. Refrigerate in a sealed jar up to 24 hours; it will thicken and may separate, so shake or re-blend with a splash of milk. Freeze in ice cube trays or jars up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight, then re-blend. Not suitable for room-temperature storage."
Substitutions
- creamy peanut butter → almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Use the same amount; sunflower butter is a nut-free option.
- milk (dairy or unsweetened soy) → unsweetened almond or oat milk. Protein will drop by about 4 to 5 grams per serving compared with dairy or soy milk.
- vanilla protein powder → ¾ cup (170 g) plain Greek yogurt. Reduce the milk to 1¼ cups (300 ml) and add 1 extra teaspoon of honey.
- old-fashioned rolled oats → quick oats. No soak needed; blend as written.
