The Secret to Making Perfect Smoothies

I’m a big fan of the fruit smoothie and I often experiment with different combinations of ingredients. I’ve discovered that there is one ingredient that regardless of the other ingredients makes the difference between a fruity beverage whirled around in a blender and a delicious satisfying smoothie.

The secret: one whole frozen banana. And it has to be the whole banana not part of one. My basic smoothie recipe is 1 cup of juice, soy milk or some other liquid and 1 frozen banana plus additional ingredients (including additional liquid if necessary).

I’ve tried using ice cubes, half a frozen banana, no banana and just other frozen fruit and the results have been consistently disappointing. Using yogurt can be helpful in creating a thick smooth consistency but in my experience a whole frozen banana works best.

My favorite smoothie is made with orange juice, frozen banana, frozen strawberries and yogurt. Quantities and proportions can be easily adjusted to taste - except for that whole banana thing ;-)

2 cups orange juice

1 banana sliced and frozen

1 cup strawberries frozen

1 6 oz cup vanilla yogurt

Blend in a blender until smooth and all frozen chunks are incorporated.

Other variations that I regularly enjoy include blueberries or mixed berries instead of strawberries and hemp protein powder instead of yogurt. If you use less sweet ingredients like unsweetened soy milk or yogurt or less sweet fruit like raspberries you might want to add a bit of agave or honey to taste. I like hemp protein powder because it provides Omega 3’s and fiber that you don’t get from whey protein. Also, it is a great choice for vegan smoothies.

So freeze up some bananas and enjoy a delicious smoothie soon! If you’re a veteran smoothie maker I’d love to hear your secret and favorite flavors.

Comments

[RookieMom Whitney]

I share your same secret. As soon as I have a banana about to turn bad, I peel it and put it in a ziploc bag in the freezer. When I go to make a smoothie, there it is.
When my first child was a toddler, we would make a smoothie every day after he woke up from his nap. Now, he won't go near them. Our secret technique included a frozen banana, whatever slices of peach or strawberries were available in the fridge, and a spoonful of vanilla soy protein powder. I am obsessed with the immersion blender (aka stick mixer.) That's how we make it.