I love having a strawberry banana smoothie for breakfast—it’s an “oldie-but-goodie” that never gets old! It’s a bright, well-balanced drink that is light yet fills you up without being heavy or slowing down your digestion.

Plus, this delicious strawberry banana smoothie is loaded with beneficial fiber, electrolytes, and antioxidants that make me feel like I’m starting my day on such a vibrant note.

Is it okay to drink just a smoothie for breakfast? That totally depends on you, but a healthy smoothie recipe like this one can make a perfect start to your day. If you want a higher-protein breakfast, you can add a scoop of vanilla protein powder (see notes in the recipe box below!) It also makes meal plans for the week quicker and easier, too.

Do bananas and strawberries go together? If ever there was a perfectly matched fruit pair, it has to be strawberry and banana. After all, it’s one of the most popular smoothie flavors.

While strawberries are bright and slightly tart, bananas are creamy and sweet. You really can’t beat the delicious and classic flavor combo; it just never goes out of style.

Ingredients for a Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberries: Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants and a relatively low amount of natural sugar. They’re also delicious, obviously.

For a healthy strawberry banana smoothie recipe, I definitely recommend choosing organic strawberries. Non-organic strawberries are almost always at the top of the Dirty Dozen, which means they’re frequently contaminated with pesticides and other chemicals I don’t want in my morning smoothie.

Fresh strawberries blend up the best in a smoothie, but you can for sure use frozen strawberries if that’s what you have on hand.

Bananas: With a ton of potassium and flavor, bananas offer a nutrient-dense punch of deliciousness to this classic smoothie. Non-organic bananas are perfectly acceptable for your smoothie because they’re not on the Dirty Dozen list. However, organic bananas are fairly inexpensive so I still choose those most often. Frozen bananas work best—see my tip below.

Milk: I typically stick to dairy-free milk options like unsweetened almond milk. However, cow’s milk works great if your body tolerates it. Use what dairy/non-dairy option works best for you. Rice milk, oat milk, and hemp milk are all also great options. Choose the unsweetened variety to control the amount of sugar in your smoothie.

Honey: A small touch of honey is a key ingredient in my perfect strawberry banana smoothie recipe. It offers the right touch of sweetness without overpowering the taste with processed sugars. If your strawberries are extra sweet, or if you prefer, you can skip the honey.

Bonus—regularly consuming raw, local honey can offer unique benefits like reducing your seasonal allergies from the local honey it contains.

Filtered water: For an ideal texture and flavor, I use filtered water in this smoothie recipe.

How to Make a Perfect Smoothie

Step 1: Add any liquids to the blender first.

When it comes to smoothie making, it’s always a good idea to put your liquid ingredients into the blender first. By adding the liquids first, you’re making it more likely that the blades can move easily in the blender. Good blade movement is vital for a really creamy smoothie.

Step 2: Use frozen bananas

For this smoothie (or any other smoothie that includes a banana), I find the best creamy texture comes from using frozen bananas and fresh strawberries. Your final product tastes like a milkshake because of the way frozen bananas blend. Plus, peeling then freezing bananas is a great way to never toss a banana again.

Fresh bananas tend to make for a “mushier” texture. You can try adding ice, but I’ve never been happy with the final product using ice for this particular smoothie. For this reason, I like using frozen instead of fresh bananas.

Step 3: Use fresh strawberries if possible

If you only have frozen strawberries on hand, that’s fine—your smoothie will still be delicious! All fresh fruit or all frozen fruit works, too. If all your fruit is frozen, you may need to blend it for a bit longer and add an extra 1/4 cup of water.

Use unsweetened almond milk or another non-dairy milk in your smoothies if you want to keep the carbs and sugar content down. Opt for honey or maple syrup to sweeten a smoothie as needed. But if your fruit ingredients are extra sweet, you may not even need to add any additional sweetener.

How to Create Smoothie Variations

It’s pretty awesome that it only takes a few simple ingredients to make a really great strawberry banana smoothie. It’s perfect as-is, and it’s easy to create variations with more healthy, delicious add-ins, like:

• Yogurt: If you want your strawberry banana smoothie to be even thicker and have more protein you can add 1/2 cup of unsweetened yogurt. Greek yogurt will add more protein to this smoothie if you tolerate dairy. You can use a high-quality coconut or cashew yogurt if you prefer dairy-free. Whichever you use, look for unsweetened options.
• Protein powder: Protein powders are commonly included in smoothies to up their energizing effects. Of course, strawberry banana smoothie calories are a bit higher with the addition of protein powder, but that can be a good thing if you’re looking for a smoothie that keeps you fuller longer. An unflavored protein powder or a vanilla-flavored combines really nicely with the strawberries and bananas, and chocolate could work too.
• Seeds: Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds are other great additions that are gluten-free and dairy-free. They also add omega-3 fatty acids to your smoothies.
• Spinach: Want to make this a green smoothie? A big handful of baby spinach is a wonderful addition to this strawberry banana smoothie. If you have any baby spinach on hand, give this add-in a try sometime. You won’t be able to taste it, and it improves the nutritional profile of the smoothie.
• Nut butter: Need more healthy fats in your day? Add 1 tablespoon of your go-to nut butter to up the richness and fat content.
• Other fruits: For a crazy-high load of antioxidants (and flavor) add frozen fruit like mango or blueberries.

If you’re interested in adding more fat and protein to this smoothie, check out my similarly yummy Strawberry, Banana, & Coconut Oil Smoothie Recipe.

Another alternative to a smoothie in a glass is a smoothie bowl—check out my Beet & Berry Rainbow Smoothie Bowl Recipe.

Are strawberry banana smoothies good for you?

Smoothies are only as healthy as the ingredients that go into them.

So, are strawberry banana smoothies good for you? Strawberries are a rich source of fiber and antioxidants like vitamin C, while bananas contain valuable nutrients like vitamin B6 and electrolytes like potassium and magnesium.

Depending on your milk of choice, you’ll likely get more nutrients from that key base ingredient as well.

If you’re looking for the healthiest strawberry banana smoothie, your best bet is to add veggies (like spinach) to the recipe. Spinach is my favorite because you won’t notice the taste but it’s packed with nutrients.

It’s important to note that conventional strawberries are #1 on the dirty dozen list. Try to use organic strawberries in your smoothies to steer clear of pesticides and keep your fruit smoothie as healthy as possible.

Other Amazing Smoothie Recipes

The awesome thing about smoothies is that with just one variation on an ingredient, you have a whole new smoothie to add to your roster. It’s truly up to you what you put in or don’t put into your smoothies—so customization is oh-so-easy.

Looking for a post-workout smoothie that satisfies your sweet tooth? Try my Vanilla Almond Protein Smoothie (spoiler alert: it tastes like vanilla cake batter).

Fiber not only helps you to feel full longer, but it’s also a major component of optimal digestive health. You may not have thought of a smoothie as a great source of fiber, but with the right ingredients, it can be just that. This Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie has a secret ingredient that will up your fiber intake in the tastiest and effortless way.

Would you enjoy a fruit-forward smoothie that can majorly boost skin health sound? I’m guessing your answer is: “Yes, please!” This Blueberry Collagen Probiotic Smoothie is refreshing and makes a perfect on-the-go lunch.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

This healthy strawberry banana smoothie keeps well in the fridge, covered up to 2 days (see my blog post about storing a smoothie for later).

More Healthy Smoothies

• Simple Blueberry Smoothie Recipe
• Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
• Frozen Banana & Cacao Recipe
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

You can also check out even more ideas in my Healthy Smoothie Recipe index.

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