Healthier Banana Date Salted Caramel Smoothie

Whip up this healthier salted caramel smoothie when you are in the need of a sweet treat or a bit of a pick-me-up in the afternoon. Loaded with all good things including simple ingredients like bananas, dates, peanut butter, cinnamon, and chia seeds, this is one smoothie that will be on repeat in your house.

vegan. vegetarian. dairy-free. gluten-free. refined sugar-free.

Salted Caramel Smoothie

It has been a minute since we had a new healthy smoothie around here.

I am usually all for a bright green smoothie loaded with spinach or kale (like this Creamy Green Mango Avocado Smoothie), but sometimes I just want something sweet and creamy that tastes like a thick shake from the local ice cream store.

This is a healthy alternative but still ticks the boxes every time.

Even though it tastes like a sweet indulgence, it is still:

• dairy free: obviously this will depend on the milk you use. I use oat milk;
• gluten-free;
• super filling;
• full of protein;
• free from refined sugars: no need for added sugar because dates are a great natural sweetener all by themselves;
• budget-friendly;
• natural energy drink.

But what matters most is that it is all kinds of delicious and makes for a super easy breakfast afternoon snack or post-workout snack.

How To Make A Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

Making a smoothie is super simple as long as you have the right equipment and ingredients ready to go.

I have a Vitamix and find this always leaves my smoothies super smooth and creamy.

However, any other high-speed blender should work.

Simply pop all of the ingredients into the blend and blitz on high until everything is combined and there are no lumps.

TIP: blend half of the milk and the dates together until completely smooth before adding the rest of the ingredients. This will prevent the blender from running too long and heating up the smoothie. We want this ice cold.

I always sprinkle a good serving of chia seeds on top of my smoothie when serving, as it looks pretty, and also adds some extra goodness.

If you don't have chia seeds you could use some hemp seeds or flax seeds instead, or just leave them out completely.

Storing Leftovers

This salted caramel smoothie can be made up a day in advance and kept in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.

When it comes time to serve simply give it a good shake to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated again and it gets that creamy consistency again.

TIP: if you like to meal prep then you could put all of the smoothie ingredients except for the milk into Ziploc bags and keep them stored in the freezer until needed. Then simply add them to the blender with the milk and blitz together until smooth. This is great for saving time in the morning if you prefer you smoothie to be freshly blended.

Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions

I use powdered peanut butter in this smoothie as it has extra protein.

You could use regular peanut butter if preferred, and could also add a scoop of protein powder if you still wanted the added protein in there.

Adding the extra protein will keep you full for longer.

Other substitutions you could make include:

• use your favorite kind of milk: I use oat milk for this smoothie, but unsweetened almond milk, regular dairy milk, or coconut milk would also work;
• add a shot of espresso: this would make a perfect option if you are having this smoothie for breakfast;
• add a spoonful of cacao or cocoa powder: this will give more of a chocolate salted caramel flavor to the smoothie whilst also providing you with some extra antioxidants;
• add a scoop of protein powder: vanilla or chocolate protein powder would work well with the flavors in this smoothie;
• a teaspoon of vanilla extract;
• a sprinkle of cacao nibs on top.

Tip: the riper a banana the sweeter it is, so please factor this in when making the smoothie if you don't want it to be too sweet.

Blending the dates with half of the milk before adding the rest of the ingredients ensures you have a super smooth smoothie without any lumps of date in there.

It also ensures you do not heat the smoothie up too much during the blending process, as this smoothie is best when served ice cold.

More Smoothie Recipes

If you are anything like me you will need a fair few smoothie recipes on hand to keep you interested!

I for one hate having the same smoothie more than once a week (whereas my hubby could have the same one every day of the week and not be phased).

For that reason, I have a HEAP of smoothie recipes on the site, so check out one of these amazing recipes next once you have devoured this delicious smoothie:

• Banana Blueberry Pancake Protein Smoothie Recipe
• Ombre Banana Raspberry Smoothie Recipe
• The Creamiest Banana Cinnamon Roll Smoothie Recipe
• Hydrating Pineapple and Grapefruit Smoothie
• Red Berry Protein Smoothie Without Protein Powder

If none of those tickle your fancy, or you are after something a bit more 'green', then pop on over to the smoothie page and have a look at everything we have on offer over there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Happy Eating.

xx

Recipe

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.