This matcha banana smoothie tastes like a frappe even without dairy! I designed this recipe because I love matcha frappuccinos, but they are loaded with sugar and cost a lot to buy regularly! I decided to make a healthy, homemade version with high-quality matcha powder that was thick and creamy. Here's just that! Energizing and super simple to make with only 6 ingredients.
Jump to:
- You are gonna love this smoothie because
- Ingredients needed for this matcha smoothie
- Culinary grade matcha vs ceremonial grade matcha
- Instructions
- Top tips for making a matcha smoothie
- Recommended for Smoothies
- Optional add-ins
- Other easy smoothie recipes you may like
- Matcha Banana Smoothie
- Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
You are gonna love this smoothie because
- It's less than 5 minutes to make!
- Matcha is antioxidant-rich; it contains caffeine (more than green tea) with a slower release of energy, meaning no big blood sugar crash.
- Matcha can be bitter tasting...but with good quality matcha, mixed with ripe banana it's the perfect flavor combo!
- It's a dairy-free, sugar-free, vegan frappuccino - it's actually gonna benefit your health!
Ingredients needed for this matcha smoothie
Only 6 simple whole food ingredients are needed to make this smoothie.
- Matcha: Young green tea leaves are crushed to make matcha powder. Look for a good quality matcha with a bright green color. Find it with the teas in the grocery store, health food store, tea store, or order it online.
- Banana: I found the best bananas for this matcha frapp are frozen when they are perfectly yellow and ripe because they have a lovely sweetness.
- Milk: Only a little milk is needed for this smoothie; then add a little more as needed. You can use whatever kind you like to use (cow milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk). I like to use unsweetened almond milk.
- Ice cubes: Adding ice cubes adds to the creamy texture and makes it taste like a copycat Starbucks matcha frappuccino!
- Honey: Adding honey gives sweet notes that make this so delicious!
- Vanilla: A little vanilla makes the flavour pop, don't skip it!
See recipe card for quantities.
Culinary grade matcha vs ceremonial grade matcha
Ceremonial grade: With matcha that is ceremonial grade, you can taste a delicate and complex flavor, it is the highest quality and is brighter green in color.
Culinary grade: This matcha powder is made from slightly more mature leaves. You will find it is lighter green in color, it is stronger and slightly bitter. It is well-suited for cooking and baking rather than drinking tea.
Either works for this recipe; however, I do enjoy how bright green this matcha frappe can be with ceremonial-grade matcha!
You may also see it called maccha, as it's a transliteration of the Japanese word. However, the spelling 'matcha' is commonly used in English-language contexts.
If you enjoy matcha, you have to make these matcha protein balls!!!
Instructions
Follow these step-by-step photos from my kitchen to make your own healthy smoothie blend!
- Chop the frozen banana into chunks. Place the banana and all the other ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend until smooth, thick, and creamy, about 1 minute. Add more milk as needed until it has reached your desired consistency.
Top tips for making a matcha smoothie
- Be sure to chop the frozen bananas into chunks!
- Add a little milk at a time to make this blend the perfect consistency.
- Use a high-power blender if possible! The consistency of this smoothie is very thick, and the best way to keep it that way is to use a good-quality blender.
Recommended for Smoothies
Buy Now → For a thick smoothie, a good blender is key! I use my Vitamix blender daily and think it is the number one purchase for making healthy food in the kitchen!
Optional add-ins
I like to add some nutritional boosters to all my smoothies. Here are some ideas to add to this creamy matcha smoothie.
- Seeds aka healthy fats: Add 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts, or 2 teaspoons of chia seeds, or 1 teaspoon of flax seeds to increase healthy fats and give the body extra energy. The seeds will completely blend in if you have a high-power blender.
- Avocado: Add an avocado to make this smoothie even creamier and increase the healthy fats (keeping you full longer).
- Zucchini: Add ¼ cup - ½ cup of fresh zucchini to increase the nutrition in this blend.
- Add greens: Throw a handful of spinach or kale in to increase the nutrient density of this smoothie! Or add 1 teaspoon of spirulina.
- More Protein: Add a scoop of vanilla or plain protein powder before blending this mix.
- Smoothie bowl: Don't add any extra milk to make sure this smoothie is really thick, then spread it in a bowl and top it with some berries and seeds!
Other easy smoothie recipes you may like
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Matcha Banana Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
Instructions
- Chop the frozen banana into large chunks.
- Place all the ingredients into a high power blender and blend until smooth. Stop to stir as needed, or use a blender tamper to push the banana into the blade.
- (If you find the smoothie too thick or your blender is not high power, you can add more until you find the right consistency, about ¼ cup at a time.)
- Place matcha blend into 2 medium cups and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
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