You'll love this easy & delicious banana berry protein smoothie! (original) (raw)

I used to make fruit smoothies by tossing random things in a blender and hoping it tasted good 😅 then I started making a banana berry protein smoothie with the same ingredients every day and finally got the perfect ratio down!

Everything's weighed out in the recipe below so all you need to do is put your blender on a food scale, toss in the 7 ingredients, and blend! It takes about 5 minutes and makes 2 smoothies with over 20 grams of protein each.

Two banana berry protein smoothies in clear glass cups.

Okay, I know this is a baking blog but hear me out! I've been making this smoothie almost every single day this entire year and I love it so much! It's a refreshing, fruity recipe filled with protein and nutrients!

I almost didn't share this recipe on here, but I polled my Instagram audience to see if they'd want it and it turns out they were very interested! So, I measured everything out and am sharing this recipe and all my tips in this post!

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

You'll need these 7 ingredients to make fruity protein smoothies for 2:

Ingredients needed to make a fruit smoothie with protein.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Kefir

Kefir adds protein, probiotics, other nutrients, and it's almost completely lactose-free! I've tried a variety of flavors of Lifeway's low fat kefir in this smoothie and have narrowed it down to my favorite 3! I rotate using their lemon, strawberry, and blueberry kefirs. They're all delicious on their own and tweak the flavor of this smoothie in different ways.

Substitution options: For less sweetness, opt for their plain kefir. Feel free to use any other kefir flavor you prefer, really! You can even use yogurt if you can't find kefir.

Pomegranate Juice

There are many health benefits of pomegranate juice as it has antioxidants and potassium! Just make sure you're using 100% pomegranate juice - no added sweeteners or anything like that. I stock up on the large bottles of POM at Costco.

Hemp Hearts

Hemp hearts are a great way to add extra protein and nutrients! I don't really notice the flavor or texture of them. I usually buy a big bag from Costco, but you can also buy shelled hemp seeds online. I've even made apple streusel muffins with them before!

Protein Powder

I've tried a few different protein powders and have found that Orgain's tastes the best and is easiest on my stomach. I like their regular vanilla protein powder the most! Their superfoods version made the smoothie taste too much like cinnamon in my opinion.

For an extra protein boost, I like to use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Powder! See the step-by-step instructions below for an important tip on mixing it in.

Fruit

I mix in 1 slightly overripe banana and ¾ cup of strawberries and blueberries each. Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit. I prefer using frozen berries to keep the smoothie cold, especially since I don't add ice cubes, so I buy bulk bags of frozen strawberries and blueberries. I've tried frozen mixed berries but I didn't like the raspberry seeds in the smoothie.

Variations

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Blender

When I started making these smoothies, I was using the Ninja blender that we got to replace my old one after it broke into a giant mess. Recently, though, the Ninja started making weird noises and breaking. After about 3 years, it was time for another new blender.

This time I turned to my Instagram audience to see what they recommended. Vitamix won by a landslide and many reviews said it's lasted 10+ years! Since Chris makes Nutty Pudding every week and I make these smoothies every day, we decided it'd be worth the investment, and it was! This smoothie is sooo much smoother which makes it even better!!

That said, if you have a high-speed blender, I definitely recommend using it for this recipe. If not, that's totally fine - it'll still be really good!

How to Make Protein Fruit Smoothies

Quick Recipe Video

Step by Step Instructions

Kefir, pomegranate juice, hemp seeds, protein powder, and fruit in a Vitamix blender.

Toss it in!

I put my blender on my food scale, tare it, and then add the ingredients by weight (grams) in order of liquid to solid: kefir, juice, hemp hearts, protein powder, banana, frozen berries.

Top view of blending a fruit smoothie with protein powder in a Vitamix.

Blend it up!

Gradually increase the blender to the highest speed, ensuring all ingredients get swirled around and blended together until smooth.

I've been adding 4 scoops (40 grams) of collagen peptides powder for an additional 36 grams of protein (18g per smoothie).

Be careful, though! If you blend it in with the rest of the ingredients, it gets frothy and increases the volume. The trick is to finish blending the rest of the ingredients, and then mix in the collagen powder at low speed.

Protein fruit smoothie ice cream.

Fruit Smoothie Protein Ice Cream

Turn this smoothie into ice cream with a Ninja Creami!

  1. Pour the smoothie into the Creami pint & freeze
  2. Use the Lite Ice Cream Ninja Creami setting
  3. Enjoy (or swirl if you have the Ninja Creami Swirl!)

Common Questions

How much protein is in each smoothie?

This will vary depending on the ingredients you use, but mine have about 24 grams of protein per smoothie. If you make it with the collagen powder as well, you'll get about an extra 18 grams of protein in each smoothie (that's about 42g/smoothie)!

How many smoothies does this recipe make?

This recipe makes 2 banana berry smoothies with protein.

Can I make this ahead of time?

This smoothie is best served immediately. However, you can toss it in the fridge for a few hours if you want to save it for later in the day.

Pouring a fruit smoothie into a glass cup next to a bottle of Lifeway Strawberry Kefir.

Kayla Burton from Broken Oven Baking Company holding a phone.

Did you try this recipe?

Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!

Thank you!
-Kayla

📖 Recipe

Two banana berry protein smoothies in clear glass cups.

Add more protein & nutrients to your diet with this delicious banana berry smoothie! Make 2 fruit smoothies with 1 blender, 5 minutes, & just 7 ingredients!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 2 smoothies

Calories 466 kcal

Weigh dry ingredients in grams (g) with a food scale for best results!

I recommend using a scale and measuring everything in grams. This way you can just put your blender on the scale and toss everything in by weight! Since there's no baking chemistry involved, it's okay if the measurements are slightly off.

To turn it into ice cream using a Ninja Creami, pour it into the Creami pint & freeze for 8 hours. Then run it through the Lite Ice Cream setting & enjoy!

The protein content and other nutrition information will vary based on the products used. Check your product packaging for accurate information.

Since I've been enjoying these smoothies with Lifeway's kefir, they've agreed to sponsor this recipe!

Calories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 38gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 159mgPotassium: 788mgFiber: 5gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 275IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 355mgIron: 3mg

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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