When it comes to a sweet, sticky, caramel-y dessert, nothing tastes better than bananas foster. But what happens when you wake up craving a bananas foster for breakfast? Introducing my Gut Healthy Bananas Foster Smoothie – a sweet, creamy smoothie that tastes JUST like the dessert that you know and love, but made with gut healthy ingredients. The best part is, this recipe is gluten-free and can easily be made vegan-friendly and nut-free, too!
You might be wondering: bananas foster, but in smoothie form. What the heck could have inspired this recipe? The answer leads me back to a date night that my husband and I recently had in San Francisco. On that memorable, we stumbled upon a little French bistro that served the most incredible bananas foster dessert. We savored every bite of the caramelized bananas, cinnamon, and rum sauce drizzled over creamy vanilla ice cream. That dessert left such a lasting impression on me that I knew I wanted to recreate the flavors in a healthier, breakfast-friendly way.
And BOOM – this smoothie was born. Not only does it taste exactly like the bananas foster dessert that we loved, but it’s made with ingredients that are good for your gut, because gut health = life. The star of the smoothie is, of course, the bananas, which add natural sweetness and creaminess. To boost the protein content and keep it gut-healthy, I use Greek yogurt instead of ice cream, and to mimic the caramel flavor, I blend in dates. A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg round out the flavor profile, to make this smoothie truly taste like dessert!
And if you’re looking for even MORE gut healthy recipes, then look no further because I’ve got you! In this post, I’ve rounded up 10 of my favorite gut healthy recipes. From my Pumpkin Morning Gory Muffins to my crisp and refreshing Mixed Berry Mocktail, I am here to show you that taking care of your gut health can not only be delicious, but also easy!
What You Need to Make This Bananas Foster Smoothie
- Banana: You’ll need one full banana to make this smoothie, and the key is to ensure that your banana is frozen. Why? Because it’ll add the best texture to this smoothie!
- Medjool Dates: Dates are a true SUPERFOOD. They are loaded with fiber, packed with antioxidants, and are truly one of the healthiest foods on the planet! Just make sure that your dates are pitted before adding them to this smoothie – nobody likes pits!
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut: Because this smoothie is sweet enough as-is, I love using unsweetened shredded coconut to add flavor without the sweetness!
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is one of my favorite smoothie ingredients. Not only does it make the smoothie thick and creamy, but it is also loaded with protein to keep you full and satisfied all morning long. If you want to make this smoothie dairy-free, you can easily swap out the greek yogurt for a dairy-free alternative.
- Nutmeg & Cinnamon: The combination of nutmeg and cinnamon gives this bananas foster smoothie its warm, toasty flavor that is signature to the bananas foster dessert.
- Almond Milk: I love using almond milk in this smoothie, because it gives it the best consistency and texture! However, if you want to eliminate the nuts, then using homemade oat milk is another great option, too!
Easy Ingredient Swaps & Additions to Make This Recipe Delicious
Want to take your smoothie to the next level? These simple tips and tricks will ensure that your smoothie turns out absolutely delicious, every single time!
- If you want this smoothie to be extra thick, freeze your bananas and dates ahead of time. The frozen fruit will add texture to this smoothie and make it nice and thick, without watering it down.
- If you want to add in a secret dose of veggies to this smoothie (say, for picky kids who may not enjoy getting their veggies in), try adding in 1/4 cup of frozen cauliflower rice! Cauliflower rice adds an extra dose of fiber and veggies to the smoothie, without altering the flavor or texture.
- If you want to make this smoothie dairy-free, swap out the greek yogurt for a high-protein, dairy-free alternative, like coconut yogurt!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Ingredients
- 1 Banana, frozen
- 2 Medjool Dates, pitted
- 3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
- ½ Cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt, or substitute a dairy-free yogurt
- ½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Cup Almond Milk
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a blender and blend on high until they're fully combined.
- If needed, you can pause the blender, remove the lid, and scrape down the sides so that everything is fully incorporated.
- Once done, serve and enjoy! This recipe makes one large smoothie, or two normal-sized ones!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
This looks like there’s some caramel or something in the bottom of the glass to make it seem like it’s banana foster like, but there’s nothing in your recipe to indicate what that is??? Huh? Why The false image?
Hi Tina! This is not a false image and is not intended to mislead. The caramel that you’re seeing is my Homemade Date Caramel sauce, which can be found here! The video and blog post references this, as it really helps to make this smoothie taste like a bananas foster smoothie. I hope you enjoy!
Nicole you are the Smoothie Queen. This smoothie is so delicious 😋. I do a January Smoothie Challenge thanks to you every year.
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your support, Agnes!
What is the nutritional info?
I love smoothies post-workout and in lieu of desserts on my quest to eat “healthier”. This is a delicious recipe! I tweaked a bit and added a 1/2T of vanilla bean paste and a couple broken graham crackers to the blend. Definitely a keeper. I can see toning down the sweetness and doing a breakfast bowl even. Thanks!