Beverages

Bananarita Smoothies

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Bananaritas are a deliciously smooth banana smoothie with milk, honey/sugar, and a little zip of zesty lime! We love these for breakfast, a snack, or even a healthy treat!

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Bananarita smoothies have been a staple in our home for over 20 years. They are a delicious breakfast on the go, a great snack, and a nice treat as well. I first shared this recipe back in 2008 and here I am, 8 years later updating the photos.

I always think of these banana smoothies when school starts back for a very funny reason. When I first made them, they were called non-alcoholic banana margaritas. I started making them, fell in love, and always referred to them as “banana margaritas”. I would make them for breakfast when I had bananas getting too ripe and the whole family just loved them, especially Brady.

Shortly after he had started kindergarten, I made them for breakfast one morning. Brady drank his share and then some, filling up on the tangy smoothie and bragging about how good it was. I didn’t give it another thought until I found out later that Brady had marched right into kindergarten and announced to his teacher that he’d had a margarita for breakfast. Fortunately, she gave us the benefit of the doubt on that one!

So here you go, one more way to use up ripening bananas, another way to keep cool, and a quickie breakfast on school mornings! All you need is bananas, sugar or honey, bottled or fresh lime juice, ice, and the milk of your choice. Place all ingredients in a blender and in a flash you’ll have your very own banarita smoothie. It’s smoothy and creamy with that little zesty touch thanks to the lime.

Recipe Ingredients

Milk
Sugar (I often use honey as a substitute and it adds a great flavor as well so go with your preference).
Bananas
Lime juice
Ice

How to Make Banana Smoothie With Milk

Fill your blender up about halfway with ice cubes.

Add bananas…

Then add sugar or honey, milk, and lime juice.

Blend that until nice and creamy and drink up!

Oh yum! These are so good, and the riper your bananas the sweeter it is.

You may even like it without any sweetener added at all!

I hope you get to try one of our “margaritas” soon!

Storage

This is one of those recipes you can adapt to suit you so there are no leftovers. For example, divide each ingredient in half to make only 2 banana smoothies.

Recipe Notes

While I love to use ripe fresh bananas, this healthy banana smoothie recipe also works with frozen banana chunks.
You can use any kind of milk or non-dairy milk alternative you like, including coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk.
Here are some variations to try to make this banana smoothie recipe work for you:
- Add 1/2 cup of other frozen fruit or fresh fruit, like mango, orange, pineapple, or berries (I recommend blueberries or strawberries).
- Add 1 cup of greens like spinach or kale.
- For more flavor, add a teaspoon of your favorite spice, like ground ginger, turmeric, cardamom powder, or ground cinnamon.
- Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a chocolate banana smoothie.
- Add a spoonful of protein powder.
- For a banana peanut butter smoothie, add a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or your favorite nut butter.
- To make a creamier smoothie, add 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt.
- Instead of sugar or honey, use maple syrup or a sugar-free alternative like Splenda or Swerve. Vanilla extract is also another way to add sweetness to your smoothie.
- Add 2 tablespoons of old-fashioned oats to make this banana smoothie with milk more filling.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut flakes.

If you have more ripe bananas, check out these recipes:

Bananas in Red Stuff (a.k.a Strawberry Glaze)

Caramel Banana Pie (a.k.a Easy Banoffee Pie)

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins (No Dairy or Eggs)

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

Low-Sugar Banana Mug Cake

How To Make Homemade Banana Pudding From Scratch