Bananas Foster Protein Shake

A low calorie Bananas Foster Protein Shake is a healthy breakfast to start the day! Bananas, rum extract, warm spices and caramel sauce give this smoothie all of the flavors of your favorite Southern dessert — minus the guilt!

It’s the new year, so many of us are looking to get back on track with some lighter options that make our bodies feel great — and that still taste delicious!

I thought that it would be fun to put a lighter twist on the classic Bananas Foster dessert, so that we can have our sweets and eat them, too! Since the dessert is normally made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, a thick, creamy vanilla-based banana smoothie was born.

Instead of the typical Bananas Foster sauce that’s made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum, I grabbed that same flavor combination by including rum extract, cinnamon, and caramel sauce in my protein shake. Ta-da! All of the goodness of Bananas Foster in a smoothie that is SO thick, I like to eat it with a spoon. It’s like soft-serve banana ice cream!

How to make a healthy Bananas Foster Protein Shake:

This 5-minute banana smoothie only requires a handful of ingredients. I’m going to show you how to get that classic “Bananas Foster” flavor in a healthy, low calorie recipe!

First, the ingredients: you’ll need almond milk, cashew milk or any other milk of your choice; vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder; a ripe banana that has been sliced and frozen; rum extract; cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Plus a lot of ice!

Trust me — the rum extract makes the healthy smoothie taste like a dessert, so don’t skip that ingredient!

This IdealLean Cake Batter is my favorite protein powder, which has 0 grams of sugar and only 80 calories per scoop. It adds the perfect thick, creamy texture to the smoothie! I also like this Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder.

Oh, and one more note: one key to the thick, creamy texture of this shake is definitely the FROZEN banana! Don’t skip that! It’s a great way to use up overripe bananas, too.

When you have dark bananas on your counter, just peel them, slice them, and wrap them individually. Stick the sliced bananas into the freezer and pull them out as you need them.

Once the ice and all of the ingredients are in your blender, add the milk and blend until thick and smooth!

Garnish with plenty of fun toppings, too! I like this sugar-free caramel sauce along with some sprinkles, but you can also add sliced banana, whipped cream, or chopped peanuts!

What to serve with a healthy Banana Smoothie:

This recipe is about 200 calories (depending on the type of milk and protein powder that you use), so it makes a great base for your breakfast, or you can split it in half for a lighter snack.

If you’re enjoying the banana smoothie as your main course for a meal, you will probably need to add some additional ingredients or other sides to give it a little bit more staying-power. Good options include:

• chia seeds
• nut butters
• coconut oil
• ground flax seeds
• vegetables that you can’t taste in a smoothie, such as baby spinach or frozen cauliflower florets
• Greek yogurt

On the side, try serving your smoothie with:

• Peanut butter toast
• A bowl of oatmeal or a slice of baked oatmeal
• A bagel topped with nut butter, butter, or cream cheese
• Granola on top
• Pancakes or frozen waffles
• A muffin

Or anything else that you think sounds delicious! Just make sure that you’re pairing the smoothie with enough carbs and healthy fats to create a satisfying meal that won’t leave you starving an hour later. That said, the smoothie makes a perfect light snack on its own — at any time of day!

COOK’S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:

• Don’t forget to freeze your banana! The frozen banana adds great thickness and a creamy texture to the protein shake.
• Make this a chocolate banana smoothie by using chocolate protein powder and about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder!
• Blend in any of the healthy mix-in’s listed above for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach, giving my breakfast a healthy does of veggies (without impacting the taste of the smoothie).
• If you’re preparing this healthy smoothie for kids, you can omit the protein powder and substitute with Greek yogurt. Since the protein powder adds not only thickness, but also flavor to the smoothie, you’ll want to use a sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt or use a plain Greek yogurt and add your own sweetener, to taste. The taste and texture of the smoothie recipe with yogurt will not be quite the same as the protein powder version, but your family will still love it!
• Keep the healthy smoothie recipe low sugar by using unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a sugar free protein powder.
• I prefer whey protein for flavor and thickness in this smoothie, but if you prefer a plant-based breakfast, you can substitute with a vegan protein powder.

You might also like these healthy protein shake recipes:

• Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie
• Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
• Apple Pie Protein Smoothie
• Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie

Bananas Foster Protein Shake

5 from 2 votes

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Total: 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 person

Calories 197.9 kcal

A low calorie Bananas Foster Protein Shake is a healthy breakfast to start the day! Bananas, rum extract, warm spices and caramel sauce give this smoothie all of the flavors of your favorite Southern dessert -- minus the guilt!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 medium ripe banana sliced and frozen
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder*
• ½ - 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, cashew milk, or other milk of your choice
• 1-2 cups crushed ice
• ½ teaspoon rum extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional: Caramel sauce, sprinkles, or sliced banana for topping

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth, thick, and creamy. Garnish with desired toppings and serve immediately!

Notes

*For purposes of calculating nutritional information, I used my favorite IdealLean Cake Batter protein powder, which has 80 calories and 0 grams of sugar per scoop. You can substitute with a similar vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder, but the nutritional stats will change. As an alternative, I also like Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder in this recipe.

You can find rum extract in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (near the vanilla extract).

COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:

• Don't forget to freeze your banana! The frozen banana adds great thickness and a creamy texture to the protein shake.
• Make this a chocolate banana smoothie by using chocolate protein powder and about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder!
• Blend in any of the healthy mix-in’s listed above for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach, giving my breakfast a healthy does of veggies (without impacting the taste of the smoothie).
• If you’re preparing this healthy smoothie for kids, you can omit the protein powder and substitute with Greek yogurt. Since the protein powder adds not only thickness, but also flavor to the smoothie, you’ll want to use a sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt or use a plain Greek yogurt and add your own sweetener, to taste. The taste and texture of the smoothie recipe with yogurt will not be quite the same as the protein powder version, but your family will still love it!
• Keep the healthy smoothie recipe low sugar by using unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a sugar free protein powder.
• I prefer whey protein for flavor and thickness in this smoothie, but if you prefer a plant-based breakfast, you can substitute with a vegan protein powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1protein shakeCalories: 197.9kcalCarbohydrates: 28.5gProtein: 21.8gFat: 1.4gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gSodium: 416.6mgPotassium: 592.4mgFiber: 3.1gSugar: 14.4g

Keyword: banana protein shake, banana smoothie, healthy banana smoothie

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This post was originally published in February, 2015. It was updated in January, 2019.

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