Coffee Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

5 from 2 votes

Coffee Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This creamy, dreamy coffee peanut butter banana smoothie gets is name from the long-defunct Frozen Monkey Cafe in Hoboken, NJ. The basic recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and unimpeachably nutritious — but you can make it as indulgent as you like. See the notes section below for more information on ingredient selection.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Smoothies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coffee peanut butter banana smoothie

Servings:

Calories: 540kcal

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Equipment

Vitamix 5200 Blender

Ingredients

2 large frozen bananas 250 to 300 grams, sliced
½ cup (120 ml) milk of choice
2 shots espresso or ¼ cup (60 ml) brewed coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons (30 grams) peanut butter
1 tablespoon (10 grams) cacao nibs
1 teaspoon (4 grams) maca powder
1 to 2 pitted Medjool dates optional (see note)

Instructions

Place all ingredients into the jar of a blender. (If using a regular blender and including dates, see note 6 below.)
Blend on high speed until perfectly smooth.
Pour into a glass and serve right away.

Notes

You can use any type of milk that you like to make this smoothie. Here I've used my homemade cashew milk to keep it creamy, healthful, and vegan. But you can use anything from skim milk to a combination of whole milk and vanilla ice cream in this recipe.
For a stronger caffeine kick, use espresso shots. For a lower-key vibe, use brewed coffee, or even decaf or instant coffee.
Peanut butter contributes both flavor and creaminess to this smoothie. But if you prefer the flavor and protein boost without the bulk of the fat and calories, it's okay to use a peanut butter powder like PB2 in this recipe.
Cacao nibs are crushed pieces of cacao beans. They contribute a chocolate flavor (though no sweetness) and some micronutrient goodness to this smoothie. You can leave them out or swap in either raw cacao powder or regular cocoa powder if you prefer. Or go wild and make a full-fledged milkshake version with chocolate ganache.
Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable long consumed for its micronutrient profile and purported verility-boosting power. These days it's sold in powdered form in the U.S. as a superfood. It has a nice caramel-like flavor that I've come to crave a bit over the years. You can omit it if you prefer.
Both coffee and cacao nibs are quite bitter, so whether this smoothie is sweet enough for you will depend on both your personal preference and how ripe/overripe your bananas were before freezing. Pitted Medjool dates are a great whole-food source of sweetness for smoothies. You can toss them into a high-speed blender whole, or chop them and blend with the milk and coffee before adding the rest of the ingredients to a regular blender.
Smoothies are at their best shortly after blending. But if you need to make the Frozen Monkey in advance, you've got a couple of options. Store it in a regular cup in the freezer for up to an hour or in an insulated, lidded cup in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition