I am not a breakfast person. I’m not hungry until mid-morning–and even then, I don’t like anything heavy or rich. So smoothies are a perfect first meal of the day. Here are the five combos in heavy rotation here:
Peanut Butter Breakfast Shake
I created this drink to get some nourishment into my fifth grader before school, but it’s become one of my favorites too. Be sure to use this trick I got from a reader: Soak your dates in a small dish of milk in the refrigerator the night before. They’ll blend up much more easily. Get the recipe.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
I started making these a few years ago when I tried a two-week no-added-sugar challenge. If you’re looking for a chocolate-shake consistency without any added sweeteners, this is your drink! Or add a teaspoon of honey if it’s not quite sweet enough. Get the recipe.
Peach & Vanilla Green Smoothie
I stumbled on this combination one winter during a particularly cold snap. You can also swap in frozen pineapple or mango. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk gives it a rich flavor. Get the recipe.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Apple Smoothie
I created this smoothie for Stemilt Growers, as part of their Kitchen Council. They wanted a recipe for a recovery smoothie that featured apples. With a good balance of carbs and protein, this fits the bill–but it’s also a yummy drink if you’re just lounging around in your yoga pants. Freezing the chocolate milk into cubes is key for creating a thick, frothy texture. This is also a perfect smoothie for those who don’t like bananas. Get the recipe.
Customizable Green Smoothie
With a base of banana + greens + other fruit + extras (like flaxseed or nuts), you can create lots of different varieties. Even better, pack them up in zip-top bags to keep in the freezer. Then dump the contents plus water or milk (dairy or non-dairy) into the blender, and you’re done. Read more.
What are YOUR favorite morning smoothies?
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I LOVE it!! The customizable green smoothies – AMAZING!! Great post!! Thanks!! ~Abigail
I’m a chocolate and peanut butter smoothie girl but I love the other flavor combos you’ve shared here. Can’t wait to give some of these a try!
Thanks Holley!
I am the opposite of you…I am totally a breakfast person! Though I don’t normally eat a heavy breakfast – just something light yet filling enough to last me throughout my morning. I am definitely one who sticks to my usual, though…oatmeal or a greek yogurt, fruit & granola parfait. These smoothies look right up my alley as something I could add to my usual! Except for all the peanut butter (I LOVE it, but my son is allergic so we don’t keep it in the house a lot). I’ll swap it our for my favorite almond butter and I’m sure these will taste great! Thanks for sharing!
Brittany–I’m sure almond butter would work great as well!
The freezer packs of smoothie ingredients is something I recommend as a quick, nutritious breakfast option. It’s especially helpful once you find an ingredient combo you really love (and can make/store many bags at once), or if you need to use up random bits of produce and want to experiment. I’m a big fan of the peach + greens combo, and recently found out that sweet potato and mild sweet curry powder (or just turmeric + cinnamon + cardamom/ginger) goes really well together. Sounds weird, but kind of chai-ish! Thanks, Sally!
Heather–ooh, interesting combo with the sweet potato. I’m a big fan of chai so those flavors in a smoothie are very intriguing to me! Thanks for sharing.
Pumpkin of course would work as well. Give it a whirl, and drop a line if you do 🙂 Have a great week!
I make a chocolate peanut butter banana shake several times a week but have never thought of using apples instead of bananas. Great idea!
Thanks Elizabeth! Apple give a nice burst of sweetness. I like using them in my green smoothies as well.
I’m not a breakfast person either—- my husband always makes a smoothie in the AM to share with our son. I take a few sips here and there…. sharing your PB shake one with him now 🙂
Thanks Katie! Just had that breakfast shake this morning…well, mid-morning of course. 🙂
My son is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. Any suggestions to make a smoothie with some protein for him?
If he can do sunflower butter (Sunbutter, typically made in a nut- and peanut-free facility, but be sure to check labels), that would be a fine substitute. Milk and yogurt both have lots of protein, or you could also try a protein powder.
Thank you!
The chocolate peanut butter smoothie looks amazing.
I am so with you on the smoothie breakfast, for all the same reasons! These sound delicious. It is hard for me not to make every single one of my smoothies a green smoothie. I feel like I am cheating myself if I don’t get that healthy dose of dark leafy greens in there too.