Bananas are one of my favorite foods because they have so many health benefits. Not only do they give you an energy kick, but they also help settle upset stomachs. In fact, if you want to learn more about the wonderful health benefits of bananas, check out The Bountiful Benefits of Bananas.

I have a great Banana Hangover Shake Recipe that, like the name says, is great for hangovers. It's tasty anytime, though, so totally try it out.

Ready for some more great banana smoothie recipes? There are so many options for you to choose from! And don't feel like you have to strictly stick to the following recipes--make any changes you want to suit your tastes...but, please share your suggestions in the comment section at the bottom of this page. Sharing tasty ideas is always a great thing.

Quick Banana Smoothie Tips

Ice Cubes or Frozen Fruit?

A lot of smoothie recipes call for ice cubes. Personally, I'm not a fan of adding ice cubes to my smoothies. They are hard on your blender, and they change the smoothie's texture. Instead, I opt for frozen fruit. I buy fruit already frozen, but I also freeze fresh fruit. I love buying fresh bananas and freezing them - it's cheap and easy.

When I freeze bananas, I peel them and cut them in half. Then they go into freezer bags until I'm ready to use them.

That said, I will include a banana smoothie recipe here that calls for ice cubes just for those of you who love it that way!

Milk?

I usually use soy milk, but smoothies are also good with other kinds of milk. Try cow's milk, rice milk, almond milk, chocolate milk. The choices are countless, and I've used many of them myself.

Sweeteners

I find fruit pretty sweet on its own, so I rarely add sweeteners myself, but I know a lot of people like to sweeten their smoothies. My favorite addition to a banana smoothie is honey, but vanilla extract works well too. Adventurous? Try a bit of maple syrup!

If you use plain milk, it might be beneficial to use a sweetener. I tend to use vanilla soymilk, so when I go for another milk option, the smoothies are as sweet.

You can easily double and triple these recipes to make bigger smoothie batches.

Basic Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1.5 frozen bananas
• 8 ounces milk

Directions:

Combine ingredients in blender. Blend everything until smooth. You may choose to add more milk to reach desired consistency. (I like mine thick and have been known to add more banana.)

Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie

This tasty smoothie gets a protein boost by adding peanut butter. Mmm: Peanut butter and bananas!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 frozen banana
• 8 ounces of milk (you might want to try almond milk)
• 2 tbs. peanut butter

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. You should see the smoothie mixing from bottom to top without any chunks.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1.5 frozen bananas
• 8 ounces chocolate milk (soy, rice, regular, etc.)

Directions:

Blend everything together until smoothie is smooth! Want to make it extra special? Throw in some peanut butter.

Ice Cube Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh banana
• 6 ounces of non-fat milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla or a dab of honey (for sweetness)
• handful of ice cubes

Directions:

Break the banana into chunks and place in blender. Add vanilla/honey and icecubes. Pour milk over ingredients, and blend until smooth. If the conisistency is not thick enough, add a few more ice cubes until it reaches desired consistency.

Interested in a hint of strawberry in your banana smoothie?

Ingredients:

• 1  banana (frozen or fresh depending on how thick you want it)
  
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 8 ounces milk

Directions:

Combine everything in blender. Blend until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of milk you use depending on how thick you want your smoothie.

Juice & Banana Smoothie

You can use any flavor juice you want for this smoothie. Some suggestions: Apple, Cran-Raspberry, Blueberry, or Mango

Ingredients:

• 1.5 frozen bananas
• 8 ounces juice

Directions:

Can you handle this? Put it all in your blender and blend! If desired, throw in a couple of spoons of yogurt to make it a little creamier.

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

Adding blueberries makes this smoothie so delicious! It will taste more like a dessert than a healthy fruit beverage.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana (frozen or fresh depending on how thick you want it)
  
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 8 ounces milk

Directions:

Put fruit in blender. Pour milk over fruit. Blend until smooth. This one will make you smack your lips!