On Monday, Mother Nature decided to be all like “Hey, I know it was 100 degrees yesterday, but I think I’ll make it 53 degrees this morning.” Of course, I went outside Monday morning wearing shorts and a T-shirt thinking I was going to be sweating like crazy, but in reality, I had to go back inside and throw on a big ‘ol sweater just to keep my tiny little arms warm. Yep.
However, today was another blazer and gardening was a little on the NOT FUN side of the spectrum. Sweat pouring down my face, shirt drenched—I won’t go into the details. But at least I was able to whip up this skinny banana oatmeal smoothie (which is totally delicious and refreshing) in less than five minutes when I came inside.
I may be, uh, slightly obsessed with this smoothie. A.K.A. I practically swallowed the glass whole and then proceeded to make a second smoothie. Don’t judge.
This smoothie is like a taste of fall that’s still clinging on to summer. The cinnamon-ginger-nutmeg combo pretty much screams autumn, but how refreshing this smoothie is enough to convince me to make it every season of the year. Every DAY of the year. Wait, I think I took that a little too far. But I think you get my point.
The banana in this recipe acts as a thickener, and obviously a flavorer, but that’s beside the point. Instead of adding ice to the smoothie, which can water it down and make a less-than-desirable smoothie, you add chunks of frozen banana. To make frozen chunks of banana, peel a ripe banana, cut it into 4 pieces (they don’t have to be equal), toss those suckers in a Ziploc bag, and freeze ’em.
The banana also helps to make this vegan smoothie creamy. Creaminess is a must when it comes to smoothies.
I use my Ninja Mega Kitchen System to make all my smoothies and love it. If I’m making a large batch of smoothies at one time, I’ll use the blender attachment but if I’m just making a smoothie for me, I like to use the single serve blender attachment. One of the best investments I’ve ever made.
I can already tell that this smoothie is going to be making a regular appearance at my house. A few of the kids were doing their studies at the kitchen table that morning and asked for a sip (of the second glass), and they LOVED IT! I wish I had thought to freeze more bananas, because it was a HUGE hit with my family.
This skinny banana oatmeal smoothie is practically liquid gold. Drink up!
Here’s the recipe:
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats (or quick-cooking oats)
- 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
- 1½ tablespoons organic maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of nutmeg
- Pour the oats into your blender and blend until finely ground.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth.
Pin it:
I’m not a smoothie person in general, but I thought I’d try this. I’m drinking it right now and I LOVE it. I used plain soy milk and just a little squirt of Lite Maple Syrup (I might even omit the syrup next time).
Oh, I’m so glad you like it! I used to not be a smoothie person either, but once I found a few great recipes I loved, I was HOOKED!
I love smoothies and this one sounds deliscious. Thank you for sharing at Share It One MOre Time. Cathy
I am definitely pinning this! Thank you for sharing it on the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!
The whether in Colorado is always changing but lately it’s really been feeling like fall. I just love it. Thanks for the great recipe!
This sounds delicious!
This would be a great breakfast smoothie! I’ll be featuring your recipe at Savoring Saturdays when it goes live at 7pm Friday. Thanks so much for sharing!
Uh, yum! I love oatmeal smoothies. This looks yummy!
I love smoothies and really need a blender! Sadly, no one decided to shell out for the Vitamix that was on our wedding registry this summer. Not that I blame them!
Visiting from The Pin Junkie. =)
I SO wish I could handle oats raw, because this sounds amazing! 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing it at Savoring Saturdays, Margaret Anne! I can’t wait to see what you share this weekend… 😉
mmm… you always have the best treats! Think I might use this as a meal on the go!
Thanks Jessica! I have taken it on the go with me and it’s awesome! 🙂
This looks delicious! Pinned! Thanks for sharing your great smoothie recipe with us at Much Ado about Monday this week.
~Emily at Huckleberry Love