Banana Coffee Smoothie
A thick, creamy, naturally sweet smoothie of frozen banana and cold brew, with oats for body. It tastes like a banana coffee milkshake and works as breakfast, which is the whole idea.
At a glance
- Coffee : milk
- 1:1
- Active time
- 5 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 large glass
- Serve
- Cold
- Kit
- Blender
Ingredients
Note: Freeze bananas when they go spotty: peel, slice and freeze on a tray, then bag. They keep three months.
Method
-
Oats and liquids first
Put the oats, cold brew and milk in the blender and leave them for two minutes to soften.
Soak 2 minutes -
Banana and cinnamon
Add the frozen banana and cinnamon.
-
Blend smooth
Blend on high for forty-five seconds to a minute, until completely smooth and thick. Taste, and add honey only if it needs it.
Blend 45 to 60 seconds
Why this works
Frozen banana is what makes a smoothie creamy without ice cream. Ripe bananas are full of sugars and soluble fibre, including pectin, and when frozen and blended they break into a smooth, thick purée that behaves much like soft-serve. Fresh banana with ice makes a thinner, icier drink that separates as the ice melts. Frozen banana is the ice and the cream at once.
Ripeness matters for sweetness. As bananas ripen, their starch converts to sugars, so a spotty banana is far sweeter than a yellow one and usually makes added sugar unnecessary. That sweetness, plus the banana's mild fruitiness, balances coffee's bitterness neatly.
The oats add body and staying power. Soaked for a couple of minutes, they blend smoothly and their soluble fibre, beta-glucan, thickens the drink further. Two tablespoons is enough to make it more filling without tasting of porridge.
Cold brew is the best coffee for it. It is smooth and low in sharp acidity, so it does not clash with the banana, and it is already cold. Hot coffee would melt the banana and give a thin, warm drink. Cinnamon is optional but suits banana, coffee and oats all at once.
Variations
- With peanut butter: a tablespoon, for a richer, more filling drink.
- Mocha: a tablespoon of cocoa powder.
- With protein: a scoop of vanilla protein powder. See also proffee.
- No banana: the oat and date coffee smoothie.
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Questions
Can you put coffee in a smoothie?
Yes. Cold brew or chilled strong coffee blends well with frozen banana, milk and oats.
Why use frozen banana?
Frozen banana blends into a thick, creamy purée, so you need no ice or ice cream and the smoothie does not water down.
Can I use hot coffee?
No. It melts the banana and makes a thin, warm drink. Use cold brew or coffee chilled in the fridge.
Is a coffee smoothie a good breakfast?
With oats and milk it is a reasonable breakfast that includes your coffee. Add peanut butter or yogurt for more protein.