How to Make a Banana Smoothie With Ice

Last Updated on March 17, 2023 by Ellen Christian

This banana smoothie with ice is my favorite way to make a plain banana smoothie without milk. Try this easy homemade banana smoothie recipe for my favorite refreshing drink.

Banana Smoothie with Ice

You can easily make banana smoothies if you have ripe bananas and aren’t in the mood to bake. When we realized that my daughter was lactose intolerant, I started learning how to make smoothie recipes without milk.

Thankfully, most lactose-intolerant people can tolerate Greek yogurt, which I use in this banana smoothie recipe. Using ice to thicken your smoothie doesn’t add any calories to your beverage.

Can you use ice instead of milk in a smoothie?

Before I tried this recipe, I’d never been a big fan of ice in smoothies, but it does work as a substitute for milk. The main problem with using ice is it can make your smoothie watery. I recommend using frozen bananas to avoid this problem. You can also add a dash of almond milk.

This is my favorite smoothie blender. It works great at powering through the ice.

Fresh or frozen bananas?

You can use a ripe banana or frozen banana; either one will work fine for this recipe. Most of the time, frozen fruits work best in smoothies. But, since you are adding ice cubs, you can use either one.

There are a few benefits to using frozen bananas. First, they make your smoothie thick and creamy. Second, they help keep your smoothie cold. Third, they can help cut down on prep time since you don’t have to chop them into frozen banana slices.

If you use a ripe banana, your smoothie will be thinner and may not be as cold. You’ll also have to add more ice to achieve the same consistency. Or, you can make a banana ice cube by freezing banana puree.

Add-ins for a banana smoothie.

You can add a few things to this DIY banana smoothie to make it even more delicious. I like to add a little bit of dark chocolate and vanilla extract.

You could also add some nut butter or chocolate chips. You could add some whey protein powder if you want a protein boost. It’s an easy way to add more protein to your diet.

Here are a few more things you can add to this banana smoothie recipe. Keep in mind that adding anything high in sugar will make it less healthy.

• Vanilla yogurt (or another flavor)
• Almond butter
• Frozen fruit
• Fresh strawberries or other fruits
• Frozen berries
• Vanilla ice cream
• Chia seeds
• Cocoa powder
• Peanut butter
• Ice cream (for a banana split smoothie)
• Spinach for a green smoothie
• Ice cream

I love the banana flavor that shines through with this smoothie recipe. But, if you want to dress up my basic smoothie recipe with something else for extra flavor, you can do that.

Banana smoothie ingredients

You only need a few ingredients to make this easy banana smoothie for breakfast. It tastes great for breakfast, but you can try a few add-ins if you have a sweet tooth and want something sweet.

Just keep in mind this will add extra calories to your banana smoothie.

• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup ice

Best peanut butter for a smoothie

There are a lot of great peanut butter brands on the market. I like to use Justin’s Peanut Butter because it’s all-natural and has no sugar added.

You could also use almond butter or another type of nut butter. I like natural peanut butter. This is a great way to add healthy fat to your breakfast smoothies.

Does ice make a smoothie thicker?

Ice does make a smoothie thicker. I like to add about a cup to each of my smoothies.

How much ice should you put in a smoothie?

It depends on the size of the smoothie. I usually add 3 or 4 ice cubes.

How to make a banana smoothie with ice

• Add yogurt and other ingredients to the blender, adding the ice last.
• Blend following the manufacturer instructions for your blender.
• Blend until smooth.
• Add any chunky add-ins like chocolate chips or chia seeds.
• Give it a quick pulse to blend your smoothie.
• Pour into a frosted glass and serve immediately.
• Top with a banana slice to make it fancy.

This is my favorite smoothie blender. It works great at powering through the ice. I don’t think you can make a banana smoothie without a blender so make sure you have one on hand.

How to make a banana smoothie thinner

If you want a thinner smoothie, you can add more ice cubes. Or, you can add almond milk or another type of milk with the bananas.

How to make an ice cream banana smoothie

This recipe is for a banana smoothie with ice, but you can add ice cream to make it more like a banana split. Simply add 1-2 scoops of vanilla ice cream to the blender. You may need to add more milk or ice cubes if your smoothie is too thick.

You can top it with caramel syrup and whipped cream for a delicious dessert. My family loves this in the summer.

How to store a banana smoothie

If you need to store your smoothie, place it in a covered container and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. If you want to make it ahead of time, you can freeze banana smoothies for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

You may need to stir or shake your banana smoothie again to blend the ingredients if you store it for another day.

More recipes

If you enjoyed this banana smoothie with ice, you might want to try a few other iced smoothie recipes.

• Pumpkin smoothie paleo
• Paleo smoothie breakfast
• How to make bananas last longer
• Single serve smoothie recipes
• Cherry yogurt smoothie
• High fiber smoothie
• Mocha protein shake
• Natural peanut butter cookies