Banana Smoothie

Have over ripe bananas lying on your shelf that need to be used up immediately? There are 2 things I usually do with them. I make sweet, spicy banana pancakes (kele doddak, dosas) for breakfast or make this delicious banana smoothie.

Having a busy week? Don’t have time to cook breakfast and are bored of cereals? Then make yourself this drink. It’s packed with goodness for you and is super filling.

To make this smooth, creamy, filling smoothie you'll need just 2 minutes and 4 ingredients. (Provided you have a blender easy to clean. :-) ) This is an age old recipe. It’s nutrient dense and calorically dense. Perfect to kick start your day. It’s also a great alternative to squeeze a little more nutrient density into your diet or even your little ones diets. This can be enjoyed for a snack, breakfast, or even dessert.

It is similar to you eating a banana, but when you’re bored of plain bananas and if they are over ripe, then you get a creamy, delicious drink, made with a dash of cinnamon. Cinnamon makes this drink pretty special.

Banana is an amazing fruit, a whole food. This banana smoothie may be a high calorie smoothie, but it works out, if you try and use it as a meal replacement or snack.

Ingredients:

1-3 ripe bananas depending on their size
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons of sugar (optional) (skip it to avoid excess calories, bananas natural sweetness should suffice. Bananas are already high in calorie. But if you like your smoothies sweet & don't count calories then please go ahead and use sugar. :) )
A pinch of cardamom powder

Serves: 1

Preparation Time: 2 minutes

Preparation Method:

Pour in milk, sugar, a pinch of cardamom, peeled, sliced banana into a blender. Blend until it's smooth and creamy. You may adjust amount of milk you add, to make this smoothie thicker or thinner.
Enjoy immediately as it will oxidise!

Add any or all of the following to make a richer, sweeter drink:

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract for a more intense flavor.
Add finely chopped cashews for a nice crunch.
Several dates instead of sugar for a rich, natural sweetness.
Use honey as the sweetner instead of sugar.
Use coconut milk instead of cow milk for a lighter drink.
A splash of cream for a richer taste.
A scoop of vanilla ice cream to make a banana milkshake.
A squeeze of chocolate syrup.
Make the drink even more healthy and filling with oats. Use a handful of raw oats while blending, it creates a thicker, creamier texture too.
Top the drink with spices. Dust the top of the drink with powdered cardamom, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg.

P.S: Use a hand blender to save you time with doing the dishes. Pour all the ingredients into a glass. Use a hand blender and you're done. Minimum cleaning too.

Try out this banana smoothie the next time you’re already reaching for a banana to enjoy! Let me know how you’ve been enjoying this recipe by commenting below or tagging me in your photos - I hearing from you guys, so keep them coming!

Tags: Smoothie, juice, drink, energy drink, nutrient dense drink, healthy, filling drink, breakfast, kids snack, brunch, tea time snack