Vegan Maple Smoothie (Printable Version)
A creamy, naturally sweet vegan smoothie with banana, maple syrup, and almond butter for a nutritious treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Base
01 - 2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
02 - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other plant-based milk)
→ Sweetener
03 - 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
→ Flavor & Texture
04 - 1 tablespoon almond butter
05 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
06 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
07 - ½ cup ice cubes
08 - 1 tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseed meal
# How To Make:
01 - Place bananas, almond milk, maple syrup, almond butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract into a blender.
02 - Incorporate ice cubes and chia seeds or flaxseed meal if desired.
03 - Blend on high speed for 30 to 45 seconds until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
04 - Taste the smoothie and add additional maple syrup or almond milk to achieve preferred sweetness and consistency.
05 - Pour into glasses and serve without delay to maintain freshness.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It tastes like dessert for breakfast but won't leave you feeling guilty or sluggish.
- Five minutes from fridge to glass means you can actually make this on mornings when you're running late.
- The maple syrup does all the sweetening work, so there's no weird aftertaste hiding underneath.
02 -
- Frozen bananas will make this thicker and colder, but fresh ripe bananas blend faster and taste more natural—pick what suits your mood.
- If you over-blend, you'll actually break down the almond butter and make the smoothie feel grainy instead of creamy, so 45 seconds is genuinely your upper limit.
03 -
- If you forget to peel your bananas ahead of time, peel them and freeze them in a bag; frozen banana slices blend even faster than fresh and create an almost ice-cream texture.
- Measure out your dry ingredients (cinnamon, vanilla) into small jars the night before if you're the kind of person who makes smoothies in a blur every morning—it saves precious seconds when you're barely awake.