Now that school is back in session, our mornings have become about a hundred times more hectic. Breakfast often gets pushed to the back burner.
There are some days when I feel like I simply cannot get a healthy breakfast into my kids as they are running out the door, no matter how hard I try, not to mention a healthy lunch for myself amidst busy deadlines while working at home.
Busy mornings are my favorite time to bring out the blender and make a batch of smoothies. While preparing lunches for the kids the night before, I cut up the fruits and veggies I need to make a delicious and nutritious breakfast shake.
When the morning comes, I simply throw the ingredients in, press blend, and pour. The kids are thrilled, and I am happy to send them off to school with full bellies.
Most of our favorite recipes include bananas. They taste great when paired with just about everything. And I always have avocados in the house for a quick lunch or snack. These make nutritious and creamy smoothie ingredients too.
So why not combine the two, and try the combo for breakfast at home? It was a big hit in my household! And I’m sure it will be for you as well.
Not only do smoothies serve as an excellent base for combining your favorite fruits quickly to create a beverage that’s nutritious and satisfying, they’re great for sneaking in veggies like spinach that those picky eaters won’t detect as easily.
I won’t tell if you don’t…
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Banana Avocado Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Avocados lend silkiness and a bright green hue to this nutritious smoothie brimming with bananas, spinach, sweet strawberries, and kiwi.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond milk, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup packed baby spinach
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 medium ripe banana, sliced
- 8 medium strawberries, stemmed and sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup ice cubes, plus more as needed
Instructions
- In a high-powered blender, pulse the almond milk, honey, spinach, avocado, banana, strawberries, kiwi, and ice until frothy and smooth. Adjust the consistency with additional almond milk or ice as needed.
- Taste for sweetness and add more honey if desired, and blend again to combine. Divide between two glasses, garnish with fruit, and serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Beverage
Keywords: smoothie, banana, avocado
Cooking By the Numbers…
Step 1 – Prep the Fruit
To pick a ripe avocado, give it a gentle squeeze. Your thumb should be able to press into it easily, but it shouldn’t feel so soft that it’s mushy or as if there’s air between the skin and the flesh. For more tips on picking and storing avocados, give this guide a once-over.
Slice the avocado in half around the pit, spoon out the flesh, then roughly chop.
As long as it’s fully ripe, avocado is so soft it will break down in the blender without being chopped first, but I find that smoothies blend quicker if you roughly chop all of the ingredients first – particularly if you don’t have a high-powered machine.
Slice the banana and strawberries, then peel the kiwi with a sharp paring knife and slice the flesh into rounds. You can also use one frozen banana.
I like to reserve a couple slivers of avocado and strawberry, as well as some banana or kiwi rounds, to give the drink a bright garnish.
Step 2 – Add Ingredients to the Blender
Measure the almond milk, honey, and spinach, then add them to the blender.
You can eyeball the milk, adding a little more as needed, if you want a runnier consistency for your smoothie. Oat, coconut, and soy milk also make delicious dairy-free options if you don’t consume nuts. Keep an eye out for vanilla varieties or add your own extract for a touch of extra flavor.
For a vegan smoothie, sub in a natural sweetener like maple syrup or agave for the honey.
Add the avocado, banana, strawberries, kiwi, and ice to the blender.
For a smoothie that blends flawlessly, add the liquids and lighter ingredients (like spinach) closest to the blade, then layer on sturdier ingredients so they’re further from the blade, ending with anything that’s frozen.
If your smoothie loads from the bottom and the blade is on top, add your ingredients in reverse order.
Step 3 – Pulse and Serve
On the blender’s highest speed, pulse the ingredients until frothy and smooth, adding more liquid or ice if needed.
Taste for sweetness, and if desired, add more honey.
Divide between two glasses, garnish with the avocado and strawberry slivers, and banana or kiwi rounds, and serve immediately.
Smooth Sailing
Nothing beats starting the day with a healthy blend of fresh produce!
To rev-up the nutrition and health benefits of this creamy creation even more, check out some healthful superfood add-ins you can throw in.
Freshly squeezed orange juice is my favorite liquid option to add a citrusy kick to green drinks. What are your smoothie secrets?
Share your foolproof methods for creating fruity beverages at home in the comments below! And if you try out this recipe for yourself, let us know if it was a home run for you, too, by giving it a five-star rating.
Still have icy drinks on the brain? These blended beauties sure do go down smooth! Give these smoothie recipes a try next:
Photos by Fanny Slater, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on October 27, 2015. Last updated on February 4, 2022. With additional writing and editing by Fanny Slater and Allison Sidhu.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Jennifer Swartvagher
Jennifer is an experienced journalist and author. Her work has been featured on TODAY Parents, The New York Times Blog, BlogHer, Scary Mommy, and scores of other parenting and cooking publications.
That is an interesting combination to have for a smoothie. When I eat avocados, I don’t normally think to pair it with bananas in any kind of recipe. Does having different kind of milk change the consistency or taste in a large way should I decide not to use almond milk? I have a can of coconut milk that I want to get rid of before it goes bad, but I’ve been stumped as to what recipe I can use it with. Maybe I can go for a tropical motif if I add a few more fruits to the original recipe!
I think coconut milk would work well with this recipe. Feel free to use cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk, lactose free milk, etc. with any of my smoothie recipes. I tend to use whichever type of milk I happen to have. I will also tailor the ingredients towards who I am preparing it for — ie, my oldest daughter prefers almond milk and my husband is lactose intolerant.
Let us know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer. I loved your recipe! I’ve never seen anything like it! I love that it’s so packed with vitamins and nutrients. It has it all. It’s a real challenge to get the kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, and this is certainly a much better approach than anything else I’ve tried. I’m dying to try this smoothie. I’m buying everything tomorrow. Thanks so much.
I’m a big fan of avocado and have tried pairing it with mango. It’s really good and gives me a good boost whenever I drink it.To make it even more nutritious, maybe you can add those shake powder with protein and vitamins in it so they get more out of the drink 🙂
Protein powder is a great addition to smoothies, especially when preparing one before heading off to the gym. I also love adding peanut butter powder to my recipes.
Really? Peanut butter powder? I have never heard of this. I presume you would find it in a health food store. What would the advantages be of using the powder versus just adding peanut butter?
I love smoothies and I love avocados. I am trying to overcome my irrational fear of green color in a sweet drink. “Try it, you’ll like it…Sam I Am”.
Wow, I love banana smoothies and avocado smoothies! A combination of these two will certainly be a yummy treat! I like the addition of spinach in the recipe. It’s a clever way to increase the veggie intake of the whole family especially the kids.
After a run, I usually drink a peanut butter and banana smoothie for a quick energy boost. Now, I have another yummy, healthy recipe to try. Thanks!
Peanut butter banana smoothies are my favorite. They provide the perfect energy boost to help me power through my day.
Is there any particular reason why I can’t substitute the almond milk with regular low fat milk?
I’m most certainly going to try this recipe out, I can’t imagine what it will tastes like, but with those ingredients, it can only be delicious. In never thought of using avocado in my smoothies but it does have a creamy texture when beaten so it should work really well.
That is just the perfect to go snack, its quick, nutritious, delicious and packed with antioxidants as well. Although i think if used as a post workout meal, protein powder would just be an ideal addition to the recipe to incorporate extra protein.
I agree. I love to whip up a batch for my kids after school or a sports meet.
This sounds delicious!
I remember the first time I had an avocado smoothie. It was at a little stand in my college town that specialized in bubble tea. One hot summer day, I asked the lady to make me something exciting, and she made the smoothie. It was lightly sweetened, maybe with honey.
And it blew my mind. It made me rethink everything I thought I knew about these odd-ball fruit.
While I don’t think one needs to add anything here, but certainly could, I wonder, wouldn’t the smoothie be more like a block of heavy liquid? How do you make it less viscous? Especially if you add protein powder, or anything else that is not water or milk.
Between the ice and the almond milk, there always seems to be plenty of liquid. You can always alter the ingredients to your personal taste. Enjoy!
This sounds like a very practical recipe, and I love anything that has bananas in it, but I wonder if it’s possible to store it in the fridge without it losing its quality. Bananas and avocados tend to oxidize, so maybe if I add a little lemon to the smoothie it will hold up. I live alone, so even if I scale down the recipe I probably would have some leftover, and it would be a shame if it went to waste.
Having said that, this looks like a great way to add some better foods to my diet without too much hassle. The recipe is simple enough, and to top it off, the fruit stand around the corner from my house is basically giving away avocados right now. I’m definitely trying this soon!
I never seem to have any leftover, but I think I would store well in the fridge. Let me know how it turns out if you try it.
At first this does not seem very appealing at all. However, I am learning that a lot of the time things are much better than they sound. I made a rule to always try something at least once and this has greatly broadened my horizons. I wouldn’t have thought a kale, cucumber, and apple smoothie would be good, but I LOVE them. Now I want to try this Banana Avocado smoothie next!
Wow, it’s the first I have seen someone combine banana and avocado. I love them separately but I am wondering if I handle the taste of them combine. I will try this recipe when I gather the guts to do it lol. That be said it is a really nutritious combination, good for on the go breakfast.
Seems nutritious and healthy, Jennifer. You might have finally given me an option to go along with, because honestly I am not a big fan of avocado, yet I love bananas and smoothies very much, but I’ve been using less healthy(in my opinion) things like peanut butter and lots of sweetened milk.
Oh my! this looks so delicious and HEALTHY!! Definitely trying this out! Thanks!! 🙂
Hubby loves these! Since our baby was born it’s been difficult to really balance a lot so this smoothie has come in handy. Whenever I’m really behind on a lot I make this. All the nutrients you need are provided, and it doesn’t take much effort to make. From my own experience silk milk makes it a total hit.
Thanks for the heads up on the Silk milk. Enjoy!
I was reminded today of seeing this recipe post when a friend gave me some surplus bananas and, having made a banana custard for tomorrow’s pudding after dinner, I made myself a smoothie for tonight’s supper. I used unsweetened almond milk, which I love, and the smoothie was genuinely absolutely gorgeous. Highly nutritious and highly recommended.
This is a perfect blend but it will really do with additional supplements like the protein powder. The best thing about this smoothie is that one can manipulate it to come up with a desired taste.
I’ve never thought about using avocados with other stuff than wasn’t a salad. There’s a an avocado tree (here we call them “paltas”) in the yard of my parent’s house so I decided to try this with the girlfriend without telling her what it was. She loved it. I guess the strawberrys and the sweet flavour helped a lot. I’m not a big fan of this mix but I’ll keep doing it to earn some points with her.
On a side note, and this may sound so simple and stupid, I’ve never used honey as a sweetener. It was either sugar or some sweetener. Silly, I know.
This sounds delicious! I love avocados and I have never thought of putting one in my breakfast smoothie. It looks so smooth and delicious. I am definitely going to try this and include this recipe with my morning smoothie recipes. Thanks!
As a tropical country, we have a lot of bananas and avocados. I’ve actually tried this recipe minus the strawberries though. I’m not much a fan of strawberries. But I’m sure this recipe is delicious. I just didn’t think that it can replace a meal. We usually just have smoothies as a snack drink.
Hi Jennifer, I love this recipe. I am always looking for ways to add more nutrients to our breakfast selection. My husband tends to skip breakfast as he is always rushing out the door. Can I make this in advance and refrigerate it so he can grab and go? I think I will be making this over the weekend for my toddlers, they love fruit and veggies but not so crazy about avocados, so I think this would be a great way to secretly incorporate into their diet.
I never thought you could drink avocado. You should definitely make a post about things like this, Like a compilation of “things that will blow your guests minds on karaoke night”. Or maybe you should write a recipe’s book. I think I’d read it.
Seriously, I wasn’t feeling this at all by the title of the article, but when I read the recipe, I’m Sold!!! I actually love avocados and probably eat them at least four times a week. I also love that you included some spinach in the recipe too.
I definitely agree that bananas go with pretty much anything!
This recipe looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try it. Some mornings are so busy for me I end up leaving the house having just had a banana for breakfast, but being able to make a smoothie like this in just a couple extra minutes is a brilliant idea! The trick will be remembering to get things ready the night before… 😉
I’m totally going to try this the next time I get some avocados! I bet this is going to be delicious. Not to mention, bananas and avocados are both superfoods, and the other aren’t ingredients aren’t too shabby in the health department either. Total win-win!
I was reading an article earlier about the importance of eating breakfast. It’s quite ironic that I love breakfast food, but more often than not, I usually end up skipping breakfast. The article reminded that skipping breakfast might just contribute to one’s obesity. Thus, going through this recipe and learning that this can be a good breakfast substitute is like a boost.
I really struggle with breakfast because I don’t really like ‘traditional’ breakfast food and usually end up eating toast with hummus or something along those lines. I am also trying to cut down on bread, so this smoothie would be perfect for me, and it would keep me full until lunch time. I will definitely be trying this out – thanks.
You’ve actually managed to put together two of my favorite fruits and combine them in a delicious looking treat! I’m definitely going to try this out, I’ll just have to take a quick trip to the farmers’ market, or to the grocery store, to get all the ingredients as soon as possible. It sounds easy to make and I like how the ingredients complement each other. The kiwi and the spinach are a great addition, and the almond milk is the icing on the cake.
Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic recipe with us!
I don’t like bananas on their own but I made this, and the flavour with the avocado is delicious. I regularly have this for breakfast, or even as a snack a couple of hours before I go to the gym. I’ve even got some of the girls at work into it too!
I have to admit that at first, this recipe looked… intimidating when it comes to me, I’m not really used in smoothies and of course, I’m not used at all in avocado smoothies. But really thinking about it, avocados have a really soft and nice flavor, and it’s also great that you have added a little bit of more fruits to it, and it sounds so refreshing! I really need to try it when I have those fruits/veggies in the refrigerator.
I make this exact recipe (except we use 1% milk) at least once a week. I find it hard to get my toddlers to eat veggies, and they assume smoothies are milkshakes, especially if they don’t see me make it. They love any smoothie that has avocados or bananas. Its a hit in our home!
This is the first time I’ve ever seen avocado and banana mixed together in a recipe, but seeing as they are two of my favorite fruits, I can see how this smoothie would turn out delicious. It’s also great for those of us who are eternally busy and hardly have the time to prepare healthy meals sometimes. It’s quick and easy to make. Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.