Smoothie Without Banana: 10 Swaps for Creaminess and Sweetness, With the Nutrition for Each
For a creamy smoothie without banana, blend a quarter of an avocado or half a cup of frozen mango with your liquid and fruit. For thickness without much sugar, add a half cup of frozen cauliflower or a quarter cup of rolled oats. For sweetness, one Medjool date does the job of a ripe banana. Below are ten swaps, what each one does, how much to use, and USDA nutrition figures so you can compare them with the banana you're replacing.
Harmony Smoothie Editorial Team. Educational recipes and home-blending guidance. For general information; not individual medical or nutrition advice.
What a banana actually does in a smoothie
A banana does two jobs at once. It adds body, because its soft flesh blends into a thick purée, and it adds sweetness. According to USDA FoodData Central, a medium banana (118 g) has about 105 calories, 14.4 g of sugar and 3.1 g of fiber.
That's the benchmark. Some swaps below do both jobs. Most do one, which is why the best banana-free smoothies often use two swaps together: one for body, one for sweetness.
The swaps at a glance
All figures are calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) values for the amounts shown.
| Swap | Amount | Calories | Sugar (g) | Fiber (g) | Protein (g) | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banana (benchmark) | 1 medium, 118 g | 105 | 14.4 | 3.1 | 1.3 | Body and sweetness |
| Avocado | 1/4 fruit, 50 g | 80 | 0.3 | 3.4 | 1.0 | Silky body, fat |
| Mango | 1/2 cup, 82 g | 50 | 11.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | Body and sweetness |
| Rolled oats | about 1/4 cup, 20 g | 78 | n/a | 2.1 | 3.4 | Thickness |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | about 1/2 cup, 120 g | 71 | 3.9 | 0 | 12.2 | Creaminess, protein |
| Soft or silken tofu | about 1/2 cup, 124 g | 76 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 8.9 | Creaminess, protein |
| Frozen cauliflower | 1/2 cup, 66 g | 16 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | Thick and cold, little flavor |
| Medjool date | 1 date, 24 g | 67 | 16.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | Sweetness |
| Pear | 1 medium, 178 g | 102 | 17.4 | 5.5 | 0.6 | Sweetness, some body |
| Canned pumpkin | 1/2 cup, 122 g | 42 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 1.3 | Body, autumn flavor |
| Baked sweet potato | 1/2 cup, 100 g | 90 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 2.0 | Body and gentle sweetness |
Notes: mango values are for raw mango, so check the label if you're using a frozen bag. The SR Legacy entry for oats doesn't list sugar. Cup measures are approximate, so weigh if you're tracking closely.
The swaps, one by one
1. Avocado: the closest match for texture
A quarter of an avocado gives a smoothie the same silky, spoon-coating texture a banana does, with almost no sugar. It brings fat instead, about 7 g per quarter, which also makes the drink more filling. Avocado tastes mild in a smoothie, especially with citrus, berries or cocoa. Our keto avocado mint recipe is built around it.
Tip: freeze avocado in quarters so it chills the drink as well.
2. Frozen mango: body and sweetness in one
Mango does both of banana's jobs. Half a cup brings plenty of sweetness and a thick, creamy texture once frozen. Pair it with spinach for a green smoothie that doesn't taste green.
3. Rolled oats: thickness and staying power
A quarter cup of rolled oats thickens a smoothie and adds a little protein and fiber. Let the oats soak in the liquid for five to ten minutes before blending, or blend them dry first into a powder, so the drink isn't gritty.
4. Greek yogurt: the protein option
Plain nonfat Greek yogurt adds creaminess and, at about 12 g of protein per half cup, does more for protein than any other swap on this list. It adds tang, so pair it with a sweet fruit or a date.
5. Silken or soft tofu: dairy-free and neutral
Tofu blends into a smooth, pudding-like base with almost no flavor of its own. It's a good dairy-free route to a creamy smoothie with some protein.
6. Frozen cauliflower: the low-sugar thickener
It sounds odd, but frozen cauliflower makes a smoothie thick and cold while adding almost nothing in flavor, sugar or calories. Start with half a cup in a fruit-forward smoothie so the fruit carries the taste.
7. Medjool dates: sweetness only
One Medjool date has about as much sugar as a medium banana, in a much smaller package. It sweetens but doesn't thicken much, so pair it with oats, yogurt or cauliflower. Soak dried-out dates in warm water for ten minutes so they blend smoothly.
8. Pear: the soft, sweet fruit
A ripe pear brings sweetness and some body, plus the most fiber of anything on this list at about 5.5 g for a medium fruit. Leave the skin on. Freeze slices if you want a thicker drink.
9. Canned pumpkin: a seasonal thickener
Half a cup of plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices) adds body and a gentle sweetness. It pairs with cinnamon, nutmeg, yogurt and a date.
10. Sweet potato: the surprise
Cooled baked sweet potato blends into a thick, naturally sweet base. Bake a few at once and freeze the flesh in half-cup portions.
Four banana-free combinations to try
Each is one serving. Blend the liquid first, then the soft ingredients, then anything frozen.
- Berry cream: 1 cup milk of choice, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 Medjool date.
- Green mango: 1 cup water or coconut water, 1 handful spinach, 1/2 cup frozen mango, 1/4 avocado, squeeze of lime.
- Oat and pear: 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup rolled oats (soaked), 1 ripe pear, pinch of cinnamon.
- Pumpkin spice: 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1 date, cinnamon and nutmeg, handful of ice.
Not sure where to start? Tell the smoothie builder your goal and what's in your kitchen, and it will suggest a recipe. Leave banana unchecked.
Prep ahead without banana
Banana-free smoothies freeze well as packs. Bag the solid ingredients (fruit, avocado, cauliflower, oats) and add the liquid and yogurt in the morning. Our guide to freezer smoothie packs covers what to freeze, what to add fresh, and food-safety basics.
If you're skipping banana for potassium
Some people leave out banana because a doctor or dietitian has told them to watch their potassium, often because of kidney disease or a medication. If that's you, don't assume every swap here is a low-potassium choice. Using the same FoodData Central entries as the table, a medium banana has about 422 mg of potassium. Half a cup of baked sweet potato has about 475 mg, which is more than the banana. Half a cup of canned pumpkin has about 251 mg, a quarter avocado about 243 mg and a medium pear about 206 mg. Among the lower options are half a cup of frozen mango (about 138 mg), frozen cauliflower (about 127 mg) and a quarter cup of oats (about 86 mg). Yogurt and milk add potassium too, so the total depends on the whole recipe. Your own limit is something to set with the clinician who gave you the advice; this list is only a starting point for that conversation.
A note on sugar
The UK's NHS classes the sugars in smoothies as "free sugars," the kind most people are advised to cut back on, and it suggests keeping juice and smoothies to a combined 150 ml a day. Its overall guideline is no more than 30 g of free sugars a day for adults. If you drink a large smoothie as a meal, lean on lower-sugar swaps like avocado, cauliflower, yogurt or tofu, and keep the dates and mango to one serving.
Want to build smoothies like a pro? Our free smoothie masterclass walks through the formula step by step.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy. Entries used: Bananas, raw (FDC 173944); Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties (171705); Mangos, raw (169910); Oats (169705); Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat (170894); Tofu, soft, prepared with calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride (172449); Cauliflower, frozen, unprepared (170398); Dates, medjool (168191); Pears, raw (169118); Pumpkin, canned, without salt (168450); Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt (168483). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
- NHS, "Sugar: the facts" (free sugars in smoothies; 150 ml combined daily limit for juice and smoothies; 30 g a day free-sugar guideline for adults). https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
Per-serving values, including potassium, are our calculations from the per-100 g FoodData Central figures listed above.