Panera Strawberry Banana Smoothie Copycat Recipe
This Strawberry Banana Smoothie tastes like a Panera Smoothie! This recipe is perfect for those chaotic mornings when you need something quick and portable for “on-the-go” breakfast. Rather than skip breakfast, grab a couple of yummy breakfast cookies, or better yet, whip up a smoothie like this Panera Copycat.
Smoothies are a great way to get your daily servings of fruits and veggies while also being a busy bee. From leaving for work extra early to prepare for that presentation, to dropping the kids off at school, to hitting up the gym at 5 am before you tackle your day, let’s face it, sitting down and enjoying breakfast just isn’t realistic. But when you do have time, this recipe can be enjoyed when you can mindfully savor every lick, sip, and slurp.
How To Make a Panera Bread Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
Making your very own Panera Strawberry Banana Smoothie at home is easy! Let’s start with the ingredients.
Fruit: Strawberries & Bananas
For this recipe, I chose frozen strawberries and bananas. You could also use strawberry puree, or fresh strawberries and bananas in this recipe. I prefer to use frozen fruit so I do not need any ice.
Make this a Panera Strawberry Smoothie by omitting the bananas or a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie by omitting the strawberries and adding a spoonful of peanut butter! Note, that the nutrition facts for your smoothie will change depending on what fruits and ingredients you use.
Liquid: Milk of Choice
My milk of choice is soy milk for its flavor and nutritional value. You could use almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cow’s milk in this fruit smoothie recipe.
Sweetness: Dates
This sticky & sweet dried fruit is my go-to sweet addition to my smoothies. At times, I might even use date syrup. Some other sweet choices include maple syrup, honey, or (my gosh) refined sugar. My sweetener choice is based on the flavor profile of the smoothie but also my mood!
Example: I might use maple syrup in a banana oatmeal smoothie to give it an extra “breakfasty” taste.
Fat: Nut Butter or Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
Fat is essential for my creamy smoothies. Have you ever made a smoothie and it was all foam?! I have, and there is nothing I despise more (being a little dramatic here but it really is disappointing).
There are a few explanations for the foam (which I will definitely be diving into in a future blog post) but I stick to one rule to prevent foam and ensure creaminess, always add fat. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is often the culprit of foaminess. Insoluble fiber can be found in many fruits and vegetables that we put in our smoothies.
Adding fat is one of my best tips to prevent the fiber from foaming up! But really, I also love the taste and satiation the added fat brings!
Some other fats that are excellent in a healthy smoothie include:
- Whole milk, which also functions as a liquid
- Avocado, which is especially delicious when combined with blueberries
- Full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- Nuts and/or seed butter. One of my favorite nut/seed butter to use is Almond. I just love the taste of almond butter in a smoothie, especially when paired with almond extract. It is the perfect subtle flavor that has the taster going, hmmmmm yummy, that’s so good, what is that flavor I am tasting?!
Other add-ins: Protein Powder or Collagen Powder
I like to add protein powder to most of my smoothies. The added protein keeps me satisfied and helps me meet my protein needs for the day! One of my favorite delicious breakfast hacks is to include at least 30g of protein in my healthy breakfast meal!
To help me keep track of my protein I use the food diary also known as MyFitnessPal exercise tracker (in my opinion the best macro tracking app). It helps me stay on top of the grams of protein I am consuming throughout the week. Plus, it’s free!
Instructions
All all of your measured ingredients to a blender. Now blend those ingredients! Give your smoothie a taste and adjust to your preferences before serving. Here are some examples of adjustments you could make.
- Too thick? Add more soy milk.
- Too thin? Add more yogurt or ice.
- Not sweet enough? Add more dates or other sweetener of choice.
Leftovers
If you have any leftover smoothie you can pop it in the fridge for a snack for later. However, I prefer my smoothies fresh. Because they are super quick to make I don’t usually make smoothies in advance.
You could also freeze leftover smoothies in ice cube trays. Then add these cubes to a blender with milk and fresh fruit for future smoothies!
More Recipes
Craving a Green Smoothie? Try my Green Breakfast Juice!
My favorite Berry Smoothie Recipe
My favorite smoothie bowl recipe
A Smoothie Article I wrote for educational purposes on how to make a fantastic smoothie.
Craving a dessert bar? Try my High Protein Cookies and Cream Bars!
Panera Strawberry Banana Smoothie Copycat Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Frozen strawberries
- 1 cup Frozen bananas
- 3 Medjool pitted dates If not pitted, remove the pit in advance
- 2 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
- ½ cup Full-fat plain Greek Yogurt
- ½ cup unflavored protein powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients together in a blender frozen fruit first. Blend until smooth.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sarah Harper. I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves to cook, eat, and talk about food! Here at The Addy Bean, you'll discover an array of flexitarian recipes. My mission is to inspire and encourage others to eat and explore the world of plant-based foods!
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