Does your toddler love peanut butter? If so, this utterly delicious, healthy and easy to make peanut butter smoothie has to be a part of your toddler’s meal routine. It is kid friendly, thick, creamy and tastes really good.
My kids loves peanut butter just like their dad. Those two can eat peanut butter with everything and I mean everything! There are days when my two-year-old demands just spoonful of peanut butter for the meal. He will not touch anything else.
So, it was no surprise when this smoothie was well received by youngest. I am not kidding when I say he had this for breakfast and dinner on the same day.
I love making smoothies for breakfast because, it’s one of the meals my toddler will eat without troubling me too much and I also get to introduce different fruits and veggies into his diet. Bonus points because it comes together in less than five minutes.
Now that school has started, smoothies are on repeat in our house. They are the perfect breakfast for those busy chaotic mornings. And I always make extras for us grown ups too so we have the fuel we need to get on with our day.
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What goes inside this healthy peanut butter smoothie?
Peanut butter – Rich creamy, nutty peanut butter is the star of this recipe. I always like to buy peanut butter without any sweeteners and flavors, if I am not making them at home myself. The less ingredients added to your store-bought peanut butter, the better. Peanut butter is essentially peanuts ground until they are smooth and creamy. All you need is a good high-power blender and peanuts. Keep grinding until it gets creamy and smooth.
Peanuts are a great source of protein and fat both of which are essential for growing children. It also contains nutrients like magnesium, vitamin E, Niacin etc.
Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt is an excellent source of protein and healthy fat. In fact Greek yogurt contains more protein than milk. Therefore, Greek yogurt is an excellent protein source especially for those who do not eat meat. It also contains probiotics that helps maintain good gut health. Greek yogurt is also a good source of calcium, potassium, B12 etc.
Almond milk – You can use milk of your choice for the smoothie. I usually alternate between almond or cow’s milk as that’s what we generally have in our house. We get nut milk for us adults at home as it has lower calories. Almond milk has a rich nutty taste and perfect for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy. Even if that’s not the case, introducing nut milk in children’s diet is a good thing as they are rich in nutrients and vitamins like Vitamin E, A and D. They do not contain calcium. But most brands fortify their milk with calcium so that should not be an issue unless you are making your nut milk at home yourself.
Bananas– The key to a creamy, thick peanut butter smoothie is frozen banana. Yes! Adding frozen bananas makes the smoothie so thick and creamy, almost like a milkshake. Also, peanut butter and banana combination is a match made in heaven. Don’t you think? We usually freeze overripe bananas so we can use them in recipes like these. And kids love banana. They are naturally sweet, energy boosting and rich in potassium, fiber, calcium, folate, niacin, manganese etc
Dates- Dates provide sweetness to the smoothie and it’s a great alternative to processed sugar and sweeteners. You can add dates depending on the sweetness of your bananas.
Hemp hearts – Since we make this smoothie for the whole family, I like to make it was protein rich as possible. Hemp seeds gives this smoothie a good dose of protein, fiber and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Oats – Smoothie is usually a complete breakfast in our house. So, I load it up as much ingredients as possible to make it nutritious and filling. Oats makes this filling and keeps the little tummies full longer. we use this one.
How to make this smoothie vegan-
You can simply substitute the Greek yogurt with any plant-based yogurt option and use dairy free milk / water or coconut water to make the smoothie.
How to make this recipe gluten free?
Simply omit the oats and add more frozen banana or any other frozen fruit or whole nuts instead of oats. You can also get certified gluten free oats.
Add ins to the recipe –
Since it is a smoothie, you can add pretty much anything and get away with it. Some ingredients that go well in this recipe are –
- Chia seeds
- Cocoa powder
- Honey or maple syrup instead of dates
- Greens like spinach, kale (Don’t add too much if your kid is picky about it’s taste/ color)
- Other fruits like apples, pear, berries etc (remember this will change the taste of the smoothie)
- Spices and flavorings like cinnamon, vanilla extract, cardamom, turmeric etc
- Protein powder – if you are making this for adults in your family
Why should you make this peanut butter smoothie?
- Quick breakfast option
- Complete meal by itself
- Protein and calcium rich
- Tastes nutty and delicious
- Favorite amongst kids
Toddler Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe:
Lets see how to make this peanut butter banana smoothie
Serves – 2 servings
Prep time – 5 minutes
Cook time – 5 minutes
Ingredients –
- 11/2 cups milk of your choice ( I have used almond milk)
- 2 bananas – peeled, sliced and frozen (You can also use fresh bananas. But it will not be as thick)
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- ¼ cup oats
- 2 to 3 dates (substitute with honey or maple syrup)
Method-
- Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until it turns creamy and smooth. Add more milk or water if needed to bring it to the consistency you desire.
- Serve immediately as is or with an extra drizzle of peanut butter.
Note – You can also serve this in a bowl as a smoothie bowl with toppings like granola, chopped bananas, nuts, hemp seeds etc.
