Thick and creamy, this healthy smoothie tastes just like a slice of banana cream pie! Loaded with Greek yogurt, honey, and bananas – this is a delicious treat you can really feel good about.Â
You know what really makes me cringe? Epic fail smoothies.
You know the ones… so I won’t get into the icy, flavorless, make-me-make-you-make-everyone-wanna-gag details. But I will say this: epic fail smoothies are just plain wrong, man. They’re a crime against every healthy, delicious, can’t-stop-won’t-stop-gotta-get-every-drop slurp worthy smoothie out there.
Let’s make a vow hand-in-hand to leave any and all crummy smoothie dopes in the dust, ok? 2015 is at our fingertips! Let’s start it with a sensational slurp.
So… What makes a smoothie good and worthy?
Thick and creamy >>> tastes like pie >>> won’t result in thunder thighs. Hallelujah and amen mah friends.
Warning: This Healthy Banana Cream Pie Smoothie is ADDICTING!
Let’s talk about this smoothie in detail, yah? I promise it’s going to be a short one. Because smoothies are simple like that.
The most important step is freezing your bananas ahead of time. Frozen bananas are key to both texture and flavor in this recipe, so be sure to slice them up and pop them in the freezer for at least 6 hours before blending. It’s an easy step, but one easy to forget!
The second thing: Don’t skip or skimp on the vanilla! There’s 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract in this smoothie and that’s exactly how much it needs to get that real sweet pie taste. After a few sips and slurps you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Viva vanilla!
Last but not least, NILLA WAFERS! I have tested this recipe a ba-jillion times (ok…maybe more like 10) and I find Nilla wafers a must! If you have a vanilla wafer cookie that you’d rather use in its place, that should be fine, but just don’t skip them. The cookie, like the banana, is essential for texture and taste.
And that’s it, really. The other ingredients are pretty simple (Greek yogurt, almond milk, cinnamon, honey, and nutmeg) and should be pretty easy to hunt down if they’re not already residing inside your fridge. These smoothies make a wonderful breakfast (they’re quite filling!), but also a great snack or dessert. If you’re going the dessert route, I say add a dollop of whipped cream and extra cookie crumbs… but that’s just my two cents 😉
Healthy Banana Cream Pie Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, sliced and frozen
- 1/3 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 4 vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (I love using raw honey, if you can find it)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 heaping cup of ice (more or less to fit your desired consistency)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in the body of a blender. Pulse until smooth and creamy. Serve at once!
lowana fagan says
Wow this looks and sounds awesome. My question is as I live in Australia and I can’t find the Nilla wafer cookies, what can I use as a substitue? Was thinking a shortbread cookie would do?? Thanks for the recipe n hope to get
a response:-D
bakerbynature says
Hi Iowana! You can substitute the Nilla wafers with a plain vanilla cookie of any kind – as long as they’re not filled with any sort of cream – I think shortbread would work just fine! Also, I know other readers have used graham crackers with good results 🙂
lowana fagan says
Just made this but I think I need to try a different yoghurt n almond milk, these ones were not nice at all:-( but I used a shortbread cookie n kept to rest of the ingredients n it tasted nicer the more I drank it;-)…
bakerbynature says
Hi Iowana. Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe. I hope you can find ingredients you enjoy more and make this work for you 🙂
Sharon Waldrop says
Just saw this recipe on Pintrest and am on my way to Trader Joe’s in a few minutes to get the ingredients. Can’t wait to try it for a healthy dessert tonight. I see that vanilla wafer cookies are used as garnishments. Are they also blended with the other ingredients as stated in the recipe? Or, do they just go on top?
bakerbynature says
Hi Sharon! They go in the smoothie with all of the other ingredients, and then, if you like, you can also top it with a little light whipped cream and extra cookie crumbs 😉 I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon Waldrop says
Thank you for confirming my vanilla wafer question. Once I read the recipe again, I realized that the wafers go in the blender for taste and consistency, and the cookie garnishments are a suggestion. Anyway, I made these last night and we’re hooked! Thank you for developing this fab recipe!
bakerbynature says
Hi Sharon! So happy to you loved this recipe 🙂 It’s one of my favorites too!
Sharon Waldrop says
Just saw this recipe and on my way to Trader Joe’s to buy the ingredients!! Will let you know what I think. On another note, I see vanilla wafers used as garnishments. They are also blended into the other ingredients as the recipe says, yes? Thank you.
Sandy says
Wow, that was good! I now have to start keeping bananas frozen in the freezer, I knew they were good for something! I used regular milk because that’s what I had, might have to try the other kind, probably less on calories, too. Thanks for the recipe!
Page says
I’m always open to trying banana recipes because they have a sweet flavor that lasts longer in your mouth versus other fruits like strawberries.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I like your rules–smoothies SHOULD taste like pie! I can practically taste this delicious one
Jabba says
I had double jaw surgery in 2014 and mastered smoothies as a result! I learned the frozen banana trick early on and you’re right – it really does work. I also totally agree with your vanilla advice – I put vanilla in every smoothie.
My other secret weapon: cardamom.
I’m adding this to my list of smoothies to try soon. Thanks for another great recipe!
todd wagner says
Greek yogurt is perfect for smoothies!! Well played 🙂
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
What a perfect smoothie! I love that you added Greek Yogurt! YUM!
Kristen @amindfullmom says
Oh my…after all the treats of the Holidays this is the perfect way to satisfy my sweet tooth. I will be making this tonight fir my family
bakerbynature says
Hi Kristen. Exactly what I was thinking when I created this recipe 😉 Nice to be able to indulge and still feel good about it.
Lyn Malin says
Any idea what the fat and calorie content is for this yummy treat?
addie says
High
Kimmierox says
Using MyFitnessPal for the calculations and based on using Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 Large banana, Oikos Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt and everything else in the recipe as listed, I got 191 cal, 3 gm Fat, 37 gm carb, 5 gm protein. This is per Serving; the recipe makes two servings.
Kimmierox says
Edit to above: Using MyFitnessPal for the calculations and based on using Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk, 2 Medium bananas, Oikos Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt and everything else in the recipe as listed, I got 235 cal,4 gm Fat, 48 gm carb, 6 gm protein. This is per Serving; the recipe makes two servings.
Lynn says
Too many carbs!
Cynthia Trammell says
Could you use just 1 banana and add some banana flavoring to cut the carbs?
Katherine says
About 533 calories if you use vanilla soymilk instead of almond milk.