Strawberry Blackberry Banana Smoothie (Packed With Protein!)

By Jennifer Provenza at Good Food From The Heart

This sweet, vibrant purple strawberry blackberry banana smoothie tastes like a dream and is packed with protein to start your day or finish your workout.

Strawberry blackberry banana smoothie in a glass with strawberries and a napkin and a straw.

Whole Food Plant Based, Oil Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free

Why Drink This Smoothie

This strawberry blackberry banana smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. My favorite way to enjoy it is for lunch along with a slice of avocado toast. It’s also perfect workout fuel or a great post workout recovery drink. It’s not only packed with protein, but it will really satiate you too.

Ingredients

Strawberries: They add a lovely sweetness and color. Try to find the best fresh strawberries you can (I recommend the farmer’s market, if you have one.) Frozen berries are just fine too, especially if strawberries are not in season.

Blackberries: Blackberries are truly the star of this smoothie. Again, if you can get some perfect ones at the farmer’s market, go for it, but no shame in using frozen berries. Flash frozen berries actually keep all the vitamins and nutrients, unlike canned fruits, so feel free!

Banana: I love chopping up very ripe bananas and freezing them for smoothies. It saves bananas from going bad and gives me an endless supply to use for smoothies, oatmeal, nice cream, etc… Make sure to use a nice, ripe banana for a sweet flavor. I prefer to use frozen bananas rather than fresh, as it gives a gorgeous, ice creamy texture to the smoothie.

Chia Seeds: Chia seeds add protein and fiber, which will help keep you full and give you energy.

Almond Butter: The almond butter adds protein, healthy fat, and really makes this smoothie stick to your ribs.

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk: I love vanilla almond milk, but make sure to get the unsweetened kind. The fruit is sweet enough!

Substitutions

For the fruit: You can leave out the strawberries (replace with more blackberries) or the bananas (replace with more strawberries). I would not recommend leaving out the blackberries, however, as that is the main flavor profile of the smoothie.

For the chia seeds: If you don’t have any or don’t want to use them, you can definitely leave them out and it won’t affect the flavor at all.

For the almond butter: You can replace with another nut butter or sunflower seed butter, or leave it out entirely. The smoothie will be less filling and contain less protein if you leave it out, however.

For the almond milk: You can replace with any other plant milk that you prefer.

Blackberry strawberry banana smoothie in a glass with a straw.

FAQ’s

Can I save this smoothie for later?

If you need to save some of the smoothie for later, simply place it in the freezer. Take it out to defrost about a half hour before you plan to consume it and stir it up well once it has defrosted.

Can I make a double or a half batch?

Yes, you can easily do that.

Is this smoothie vegan?

Absolutely! Just be sure to use a plant based milk.

Is this a healthy smoothie?

It’s made from whole foods and is free of added sugar or oil. It’s definitely a healthy choice!

Do I need a high speed blender to make this?

A regular blender will work just fine, but a high speed blender will blend the smoothie faster.

Can I use different fruit in this?

See the substitutions section, but the short answer is yes!

Can I leave out the nut butter or the chia seeds?

Yes! If you can’t have nuts, feel free to leave out the almond butter or substitute sunflower seed butter. The chia seeds add protein and fiber, but you can leave them out if you prefer.

How To Make This Smoothie

This protein packed smoothie could not be any easier to make. You may want to be thinking ahead and slice and freeze your banana ahead of time. Otherwise, feel free to use any combination of fresh and frozen fruits you prefer. I usually use all frozen fruits or maybe one variety fresh and the others frozen. If you don’t have any frozen fruit, you will want to add the optional ice cubes to get that frozen smoothie texture.

To make the smoothie, simply add all the ingredients to the blender and blend until completely smooth with no chunks of fruit visible. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately.

If you like smoothies, be sure to also try my Pretty Pink Pitaya (Dragonfruit) Smoothie Bowl, my Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie or my Immune Boosting Cucumber, Kale and Celery Green Smoothie.