How to Make a Smoothie without Yogurt or Banana
Want to know how to make your morning smoothie without yogurt or banana? I've got you! There are lots of ways to customize smoothie recipes and I'll teach you my ways!
When making a smoothie recipe, you may be annoyed to discover you are out of banana and/or yogurt, so what should you do? Or, perhaps there is an allergy or food sensitivity in question, so it's a MUST to make the recipe without either or both of these ingredients.
The simplest thing to do is to just omit them, which you can totally do!
But both banana and yogurt bring something to the table, especially when it comes to smoothie thickness, so a substitute may be necessary.
Let's talk about what these two ingredients have to offer to determine the best substitute when making homemade smoothies or when ordering from smoothie shops.
Why Add Bananas to Smoothies?
Bananas bring a few things to the table in a smoothie recipe.
If they're frozen bananas, they bring their chilly temperature. If you skip the frozen banana, you'll want to add a cup of ice cubes as a substitute.
Bananas also provide a creamy, silky texture and add thickness. If you omit the addition of a ripe banana or even some banana slices, you'll want to add something to help thicken your smoothie. Ripe avocado, yogurt and tofu can all help.
Once blended up, a spoonful of chia seeds or oats can add a creamier texture and more thickness too. They will also add back some of the fiber you'd get from the banana.
Lastly, bananas add flavor and sweetness. When you remove the banana from the recipe, you will want to add some sweetness back.
Sweetness can come from another type of fresh fruit or frozen fruit (such as berries, pineapple or medjool dates), a flavored protein powder or sweetened nut milk. You can also simply add a touch of maple syrup, honey, agave nectar or your favorite sugar substitute. Vanilla extract can also add some delicious flavor.
Why Add Yogurt to Smoothies?
Whether it's regular yogurt, flavored yogurt or plain Greek yogurt, this creamy ingredient is present in a lot of smoothie recipes. That's because it has quite a few great qualities, but there are some great options for a yogurt substitute out there.
Like banana, yogurt provides a silky texture and creates a thicker smoothie. And, of course, it contains dairy, so it brings creaminess as well.
If your smoothie will lack texture and thickness when you skip the yogurt, a great way to add that back is with banana, ripe avocado or tofu. Another idea is a spoonful of chia seeds or oats.
Peanut butter and almond butter can also help to smooth things out.
If your smoothie will miss the creamy texture and flavor, you can add your milk of choice into the mix, but keep in mind both regular milk and plant-based milk can make the smoothie thinner. Almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk and oat milk are all great options to try in a creamy smoothie. You can also try adding juice like orange juice, pineapple juice or coconut water instead of milk.
If dairy is the concern, you can purchase non-dairy yogurt made from soy milk or coconut milk. (I do this a lot with my favorite yogurt smoothies because there's a sensitivity in our family.)
Lastly, yogurt also brings protein into the mix, so you can add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to help boost.
Smoothies Without Banana and Yogurt
If you're looking for a smoothie recipe with neither banana nor any kind of yogurt, you will likely be looking for smoothies with simple ingredients lists, typically fruit-based ones or ones with leafy greens.
Here are some delicious smoothie recipes to try:
Smoothies Without Banana
Smoothies without banana aren't hard to find, but they often contain yogurt to add back some of the thickness that bananas bring to the table. These are some great, easy smoothie recipes to try:
- Chocolate Smoothie
- Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie
- Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
- Blueberry Smoothie
- Caramel Apple Smoothie
- Orange Julius Smoothie
Smoothies Without Yogurt
If you need a smoothie recipe made without any kind of yogurt, fruit-based smoothies are the way to go. Here are a few of my favorite simple smoothies without yogurt:
Madison's Pro Smoothie Tip:
To make sure you are maxing out your blender's capabilities to yield a smoothie with a great and delicious consistency, always load up your blender pitcher in the following order:
- liquids first
- then soft fruits or vegetables
- then greens
- then frozen fruits and ice
- any powders on top
I hope all of these tips help you make your favorite breakfast smoothies with ingredients that make you happy, whatever the reason for adjusting the recipe.
Smoothies can definitely be an experiment, so don't get discouraged if it doesn't turn out the best the first time. Refine your recipe until you get the perfect combination. You'll soon be a pro!
I'd love to hear what your favorite smoothies without yogurt or banana are — leave a note in the comments!
