Today our day started with what I call a Power-up Banana Colada Smoothie. During baseball season my blender works overtime. I’m either making them for my son as he runs out the door to practice or a game, or for myself and husband as dinner while we watch him play!
The past few weeks our weather here in Columbus has been freezing cold. I can’t remember the month of April ever being so frigid. Just the other day I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when the thermometer read 33 degrees! It wasn’t a trick and that night I wore thermal pants under my jeans to the game! While wearing my earmuffs, scarf, gloves and winter coat I drank hot coffee out of my thermos all the while cheering for the team. Go Eagles!
Today is a new day, the sun is shining, it is 60 degrees, and the sky is crystal clear. Time to make the smoothies! Now that it has warmed up, I sent my son off to school with a Power-up Banana Colada Smoothie. It was so delicious, filled with fruit, protein, and easy to make. I think I’ll make one to take with me to the game tonight. When I take a smoothie to the field and feel the light breeze, I pretend I’m sitting on a lounge chair by the pool! I think it’s time to put the thermos away until next winter! Enjoy!
Makes one 16 to 20 ounce serving.
1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup frozen bananas
1/2 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 teaspoon maple syrup or
2 dates for sweetness (optional)
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This should take about
30 seconds to a minute. If it’s too thick, you can add some more pineapple juice, milk or some crushed ice.
Hmmmm, sounds delicious and tropical! My kids love smoothies, so I will have to try this. But I need a substitute for the almond butter. I don’t have or use it. What to do, my friend???
You can omit the nut butter and still have an amazing smoothie – as you found out! If you substitute peanut butter it will add a very distinctive taste to it. If you want to do that, then make a totally different smoothie. Use the same proportions yogurt, frozen bananas, peanut butter (increase to 2 tbs.), 1/2 cup milk (instead of pineapple and juice) and a dash of honey or real maple syrup to sweeten. In a future post, I will teach you how to make nut butter at home! It’s easy, fun, delicious, and you know what you’re putting in to it!
I decide adding PB would really change it. But we loved it! I do want to add a little coconut flavor to it next time and envision myself on an island 🙂
Homemade almond butter and more smoothie recipes coming your way! Stay tuned!
One more quick thing… you can also throw in some cashews they are a softer nut and will blend right in.
You might try PB2 powder
Hmmm, don’t know what that is…I live in Switzerland, so we don’t always have the same stuff 🙂 Maybe I’ll try just a bit of peanut butter….about to try it…
Though the idea of pb in this is not that appealing…
Made with just yogurt, bananas, and pineapple and juice – as good as I thought it would be! Wish i had some coconut to add 🙁 After school snack is READY!!
That’s a great idea, but for a different smoothie. Pineapple and peanut butter flavors will fight each other. See my response to Natalie for what I like to call the “Elvis”!