This bright Banana Beet Smoothie is super simple to make with a short list of nutritious and flavorful ingredients, including juicy beets, mixed berries, Greek yogurt, fresh orange juice, and a touch of natural sweetener. This is the perfect thick and satisfying smoothie for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dessert!
If you aren't a fan of beets, this banana beet smoothie is the best way to eat beets and actually enjoy them. It's made with cooked beets, frozen berries and bananas, freshly squeezed juice, Whole Earth monk fruit blend sweetener, and rich tangy Greek yogurt. As a result, the smoothie has the vibrant color of beets but none of the distinct earthy flavor.
I consider myself a smoothie connoisseur, so you can rest assured the earthy beet-y flavor is disguised by banana, citrus, and berries. So you get quality protein from Greek yogurt and nutrient-dense carbs from the beets, berries, and banana.
As a result, you end up with a refreshing and satisfying magenta smoothie packed with the nutrients to support your overall health and keep you feeling your best -and it takes just a few minutes to throw together. Let's get started.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy. Simply cook the beets, blend them with the rest of the ingredients, and enjoy with a spoon or straw. You can also use frozen cooked beets for added convenience.
- Nutritious and delicious. This rejuvenating smoothie is packed with fiber, manganese, and Vitamin C.
- Deceptively nutritious. If beets aren't your thing, this smoothie is made with the perfect combination of sweet, tart, and fruity flavors to neutralize the earthy beet flavor.
- Flexible. You can customize this beet and banana smoothie from top to bottom.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Beets - Beets are a nutrient and antioxidant-packed powerhouse, rich in manganese, fiber, folate, potassium, iron, and Vitamin C. This smoothie is made with cooked, whole beets, so you get all of the benefits while sipping on something sweet.
- Frozen banana - Bananas are a great source of potassium as well as fiber, manganese, and Vitamin C. They help hide the flavor of the beets and thicken the consistency.
- Frozen mixed berries - You can use any variety of frozen berries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.
- Plain Greek yogurt - Makes the smoothie extra thick and creamy, adds a tangy element to the flavor, and adds filling protein. To make a dairy-free version, you can use vegan yogurt or coconut cream.
- Orange juice - For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice.
- Sweetener - Balances the smoothie. I like to use zero-calorie natural Whole Earth sweetener made with a blend of monk fruit, erythritol, and stevia. You can also use your favorite zero-calorie sweetener, a touch of raw, local honey, maple syrup, or agave. Adjust the sweetener to taste. Fresh orange juice and a ripe frozen banana add natural sweetness, so you may prefer to add nothing at all.
- Flaxseed - Totally optional, but flax acts as a thickening agent and adds quality plant protein. You can also use chia seed here. They're both excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Equipment notes: I tested out the Blendtec Designer 725 for this recipe, and I'm pretty obsessed with this brilliant blender. The digital display offers inspirational tips and tricks, and there are user-friendly preset buttons for smoothies, soups, sorbets, and much more. It even has a self-cleaning mode. I mean, how cool is that?!
How To Make Banana Beet Smoothie
Step 1: Cook beets. Add the beets to a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, and let simmer until the beets are fork-tender. Drain and let cool, then remove the skins under cool running water and chop them into chunks. You can also use cooked beets found in the produce section of the grocery store, or frozen cooked beets (see recipe notes).
Step 2: Blend ingredients. Add beets, frozen mixed berries, frozen banana, Greek yogurt, orange juice, sweetener of choice (if using), flaxseed, and ice to a high-speed blender (or Blendtec Wildside+ jar), and blend on high speed (or press the "smoothie" button) until smooth and creamy. Easy peasy!
Recipe Tips
- I keep peeled frozen bananas in my freezer for quick smoothies. When you have a ripe banana, remove the peel, wrap it in plastic, and place it in an airtight container in the freezer until you're ready for a smoothie.
- You can use cooked beets that have been chopped and frozen. You can find them at Trader Joe’s if you have one nearby.
- If your blender is not powerful enough to blend frozen fruits, you can always use fresh berries and a fresh banana instead of frozen ones and combine them with extra ice.
- To thicken this smoothie, add more Greek yogurt and frozen fruit. If you prefer a thinner, frothier consistency, add more orange juice, or blend in almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk until it's your desired texture.
Variations
When it comes to fruit and veggie smoothies, the ingredient combinations are endless. Check out the list below for ways to upgrade this beet and banana smoothie:
- Greens - Sneak in even more veggies like baby spinach, kale, romaine, cucumber, zucchini, or celery.
- Fruit - If you have other fruits in your freezer, add them! Mango, canteloupe, guava, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, strawberries -anything goes.
- Protein - Add a scoop of your favorite chocolate or vanilla-flavored protein powder (whey or plant-based).
- Healthy fats - Boost the healthy fats with avocado, peanut butter, almond butter, chia seeds, coconut oil, etc.
- Toppings - Sprinkle slivered almonds (or any chopped nuts or seeds), cacao nibs, or shaved dark chocolate over the top for some crunch.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Beet and banana smoothies with yogurt are best refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. It will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator, so you may need to reblend it with orange juice or a splash of milk.
Freezing: You can also store extra smoothie mixture in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw and soften before serving, or re-blend the frozen mixture in a high-powered blender.
Recipe FAQ
Can I make a smoothie with raw beets?
Yes! If you have a high-powered blender feel free to make this smoothie with raw beets. Just be sure to peel and small dice the beets before blending. If your blender isn't powerful enough, it's best to cook and soften the beets before adding them to smoothies.
Can you taste the beets in smoothies?
Nope! The sweet and tart berries and citrus flavors, along with the creamy banana, outshine the beets, so all you taste are a blend of vibrant fruity flavors.
More Fruit & Veggie Smoothies You'll Love
Morning Fruit and Veggie Smoothie
Tropical Blueberry Kale Smoothie
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Banana Beet Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cooked beet peeled and sliced into chunks
- ½ cup frozen berries I usually use a blend of blackberries and frozen blueberries. Use your favorite berry combination.
- ½ small frozen banana
- 5.3 oz plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ cup ice
- 1 tablespoon Whole Earth sweetener or sweetener of choice. See ingredient notes.
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the Blendtec Wildside+ jar and press smoothie button. So easy!
Notes
- You can use cooked beets from the refrigerated produce section of the grocery store or cooked beets that have been chopped and flash frozen. You can find frozen chopped beets at Trader Joe’s if you have one nearby.
- If your blender is not powerful enough to blend frozen fruits, you can always use fresh berries and a fresh banana instead of frozen ones and combine them with extra ice.
- To reduce the carbs in this recipe, you can swap the fresh orange juice for unsweetened almond milk, or do half and half.
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Michele
We liked your ideas. Thank you for taking time to post them. I lost my Blendtec booklet so I'm looking around for ideas. Your Recipies look yummy! My granddaughter (8 y.o.) is learning to use it with me. She said hello. We made strawberry blueberry ice cream for breakfast. Quite nice.
Amee Livingston
Ice cream for breakfast sounds pretty amazing! I'm glad that you liked the recipes!