3 Thick, Creamy, Banana-Free Smoothies
Smooth, satisfying smoothie, no banana required. (Photo courtesy of Juice Press)
When it comes to smoothie ingredients, let’s face it: Banana can be pretty overwhelming. It’s great if you like it (all the banana ‘nice’ cream for you!). But if you don’t? You know this to be true: The sweet banana taste permeates everything. It’s also in most smoothie recipes you stumble upon, and for good reason — banana lends both sweetness and creamy mouthfeel to drinks. If you’re not a fan, your options are a little limited.
Just taking the banana out of a smoothie recipe doesn’t always fly — often you’re left with a grainy, tasteless, way-too-liquid mess. The solution: You need to replace the banana with another smooth ingredient, says Juice Press founder and CEO Marcus Antebi. “To mimic the creaminess that banana adds to a smoothie, add frozen avocado or frozen coconut meat if those ingredients are available,” Antebi tells Yahoo Health. If not, he says, “frozen mango, frozen papaya, and dates also add substance and flavor.”
Here are three tried-and-true banana-free smoothie recipes, packed with plenty of natural sweetness and all the thick, creamy texture you need.
Coconut water and oil make a perfect pairing. (Photo: Getty Images/FotoosVanRobin)
Dr. Mangosteen from Juice Press
Frozen mango, dates, and coconut oil add creamy sweetness to this tropical blend from NYC’s Juice Press.
? cup frozen mango
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
? cup ice
3 dates
1/8 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon mangosteen extract
1 tseaspoon coconut oil
9 ounces coconut water
Matcha adds an extra kick. (Photo: Getty Images/Nigel Noyes)
Mind Your Matcha from Clover Juice
LA-based Clover Juice blends peach and coconut meat into a rich, silky drink.
1/3 peach
2 ounces coconut meat
1.5 ounces spinach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 teaspoon matcha powder
? teaspoon bee pollen
? cup water
1 scoop ice
Sweet, creamy mango can substitute for banana. (Photo: Getty Images/Terry McCormick)
Mangolicious from Stacy’s Juice Bar
Go simple and smooth with this nutty mango smoothie from Boston’s Stacy’s Juice Bar.
10 ounces almond milk
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups frozen mango
Read This Next: Adam Rosante’s Top Tips For A Healthy Smoothie
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