If you’re a peanut butter lover but you can’t stand bananas, chances are you’ve never had the deliciousness that is a peanut butter smoothie—the recipes always seem to have bananas! Thankfully, I’ve got the perfect smoothie recipe for you. This mocha peanut butter smoothie uses a secret ingredient to create a sweet, creamy drink that’ll have you hooked from the first sip.
What ingredients do I need to make a peanut butter smoothie?
This PB mocha smoothie is incredibly simple and versatile. Before blending, you’ll need:
- Canned pears in juice
- Unsweetened peanut butter
- Instant coffee or espresso powder
- Cocoa powder
- Unsweetened nut milk
- Vanilla extract
- Ice
- Medjool dates with the pits removed
Wholefully Protip
Canned pears make a great substitute for banana in both their sweetness and the creamy thickness they add to your drink. Avoid pears canned in syrup and stick with those canned in their own fruit juices.
Is ice necessary?
In a typical peanut butter banana smoothie you’d use frozen banana in place of ice cubes to thicken the shake without watering it down. This smoothie doesn’t have any frozen fruit, so I recommend adding a handful of ice cubes. It’ll cool down your drink while giving it a nice thick texture.
Wholefully Protip
If you prefer a thinner smoothie that you can drink down quickly, use fewer ice cubes or omit them altogether.
How do I make a peanut butter smoothie?
Smoothies are one of my favorite foods to make because the blender does all the work for you. All you need to do to make your mocha peanut butter smoothie is toss the ingredients in your blender, blend on high until it’s nice and smooth, then pour and enjoy!
Is there anything I can add to my peanut butter smoothie to make it more filling?
Yes! The fun doesn’t have to end here. One of the greatest things about smoothies is how customizable they are. Try adding in chia seeds, hemp seeds, Greek yogurt, collagen, or some pre-made smoothie packs to customize your smoothie. For this recipe, the following add-ins would work really well:
- Ground flax seeds. They’ll compliment the nutty flavor while adding some Omega 3’s.
- Protein powder. Chocolate would be the perfect flavor for this smoothie.
- Dark leafy greens. Kale and spinach will add a boost of vitamins and nutrients that you’ll never even taste.
Is this peanut butter smoothie vegan? What about paleo?
Yes! If you’re looking for a vegan smoothie option, you’re in luck. This mocha peanut butter smoothie uses nut milk in place of dairy milk, making it a vegan friendly option. Unsweetened almond milk is my favorite nut milk to use because it really compliments the peanut butter flavor of this easy snack. You can easily make it paleo by substituting almond butter for peanut butter while sacrificing none of the creamy nuttiness.
Wholefully Protip
In order to keep this smoothie vegan, steer clear of honey. If you need a dash of extra sweetness, try adding a bit of maple syrup instead.
What’s the best blender to use?
When making a peanut butter mocha smoothie, it’s important to use a high-quality blender. More affordable blender options—like the Cuisinart hand blender—would have a hard time blending up the dates in this recipe. However, high-quality blenders like the Vitamix 5200 and the Ninja Professional have the power needed to blend all the ingredients into a super-smooth shake.
Peanut Butter Smoothie Without Banana
Bananas can be great in smoothies, but what do you do if you run out or just don't like them? Here’s how to make a peanut butter smoothie without banana.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned pears in juice (do not drain)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter (use almond butter for a paleo alternative)
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened nut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Handful of ice
- 2 pitted Medjool dates
- Optional add-ins: chia seeds, hemp seeds, protein powder, ground flax, collagen, Greek yogurt, lots of other options
Instructions
- Add all ingredients plus your optional add-ins into the carafe of a high-power blender. Blend on high until very smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Canned pears are a great way to add sweetness and creaminess to smoothies without adding a banana. Make sure to get canned pears that are canned in their own juice only—not in syrup.
- In this smoothie, we add instant coffee powder to get that mocha flavor. I really like the decaf Italian Roast Via from Starbucks. If you aren't a coffee fan, you can skip this ingredient.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 813Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 353mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 13gSugar: 49gProtein: 47g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
Want more no banana smoothie recipes like this one?
- Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie
- Mixed Berry No Banana Smoothie
- Pineapple Spinach Smoothie
- All our no banana smoothie recipes
- Everything you could want to know about smoothies
