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Our carrot banana smoothie is inspired by carrot cake and features the warming spice of ground cinnamon and the rich aromatic flavor of vanilla extract. The creamy smoothie is naturally sweetened and packed with fruits and vegetables.
The dairy-free smoothie is naturally sweetened with a date and a ripe banana. Freeze the banana before making the smoothie so it will be creamy and chilled. The carrot also adds to the sweetness and gives a beautiful orange color to this plant-based smoothie. We then add ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of ground nutmeg to make the banana and carrot smoothie taste more like carrot cake.
No yogurt is needed for this smoothie, and it's perfect for an afternoon snack. If you need to up the calories, try adding dairy-free yogurt, almond butter, ground flax seeds, or chia seeds.
For more carrot-inspired treats, try carrot cake bliss balls or an orange carrot ginger smoothie. For more whole food smoothies, try blackberry strawberry smoothie, arugula smoothie with pineapple, or blueberry raspberry smoothie.
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Recipe features
- Vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free!
- No yogurt and no protein powder!
- The smoothie recipe uses simple ingredients!
- Packed with fruits and veggies!
- Naturally sweetened!
- Perfect fall or winter beverage with ground cinnamon!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The smoothie recipe uses simple ingredients, but please see the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Ripe banana - Peel and freeze a ripe brown spotted banana ahead of time. Make sure your banana is ripe with brown spots for a more pronounced banana flavor and to add sweetness to the smoothie. A solid yellow banana may make the smoothie more starchy and less sweet.
I prefer to cut the peeled banana into quarters. Cutting the banana into smaller sizes can be a little easier on your blender, and if I freeze multiple bananas at once, I know four pieces will make up one banana. The frozen ripe banana will sweeten the smoothie and make it creamy.
For more smoothies with bananas, try a strawberry mango and banana smoothie or spinach pineapple banana smoothie.
Carrots - Trim off the root ends and peel the carrots. Chop up ½ cup of peeled carrots. I chop up the carrots to make it a little easier on my blender. For another dairy-free smoothie with carrots, try a carrot beetroot smoothie.
Dairy-free milk - Any non-dairy milk should work fine. Using ¾ cup makes a thinner smoothie; you can always use less if you prefer your smoothies thicker. If you do use a sweetened plant-based milk, you may want to adjust for the added sweetener.
Vanilla extract - This adds a lot of flavor to the smoothie and gives it a cake-like flavor. It can be left out, or for a less intense flavor, start with a ⅛ teaspoon. If you use vanilla-flavored milk, this can be skipped.
Date - One pitted date is needed to sweeten the smoothie. The date needs to be soft for the blender to blend it more smoothly. If it's not, try soaking it in warm water for about 15 minutes.
Another option is to measure out the milk for the smoothie and let the date soften in the milk in the refrigerator for about an hour. If you want to substitute the date, maple syrup can be used instead. I would add it to taste.
Ground cinnamon - A lot of flavor will come from the ground cinnamon, so I wouldn't leave it out.
Tips
- Use a frozen banana to have a chilled smoothie without the need for ice.
- The recipe is for one serving, but multiple can be made simultaneously.
- The carrots can be diced ahead of time to be able to make the smoothie quicker.
- Soak the date ahead of time if it's not soft.
Variations
- Add ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, or whole chia seeds to some healthy fats.
- Add almond butter or dairy-free yogurt to add more calories or richness to the smoothie.
- Add vegan protein powder; you may want to adjust the milk in the recipe if it becomes too thick.
- Make it into a smoothie bowl by reducing the milk in the recipe. Then top it off with granola, chopped walnuts or pecans, sliced banana, or shredded coconut.
Video
How to make a carrot banana smoothie
1. Start the smoothie by freezing a ripe banana. Peel it first, and I would cut it into at least 4 pieces before freezing.
2. If your date is firm, it will probably need to be soaked first. If it's soft and you can mash it easily between your fingers, then you probably don't need to soak it.
3. For firm dates, I soak them in the milk I plan on using for the smoothie. Measure out the non-dairy milk, drop a pitted date into the milk, then refrigerate for about an hour to soften. A quicker method would be softening them in warm water for about 15 minutes, but this will warm the smoothie if used immediately.
4. Dice the carrots or at least slice them into small coins. Add the frozen banana, carrots, dairy-free milk, date, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg (if using) to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
Serving suggestions
Smoothies tend to be delicious but not very filling. I use them as an afternoon snack and not as a main meal. To enjoy this smoothie as a meal, try pairing it with vegan avocado toast, vegan toast, overnight oats, or plant-based granola.
Storage
Refrigerator: The carrot and banana smoothie is best consumed immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours. Stir the smoothie if there is any separation.
Frequently asked questions
If the smoothie isn't sweet enough, add another pitted date or a dash of maple syrup.
I have only tested with raw carrots. I haven't tried using a cooked carrot in the smoothie, so I can't say for sure how well it would work. I think it will be fine as long as the cooked carrot is cooled and not seasoned.
Yes, the smoothie can be made ahead of time. If you do make it ahead of time, then I would leave out the vanilla extract. A lot of the prep work can also be done ahead of time. Like freezing the banana, chopping the carrots, and soaking the dates if needed.
As long as your blender can blend frozen bananas and raw carrots, it should be fine. To make it easier on your blender, dice the raw carrots for your blender to blend them more smoothly. For the banana, slice it into coins.
Lay them out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat so they don't stick together. Once frozen solid then transfer the banana coins to a freezer-safe container.
Ripe brown spotted bananas will naturally sweeten the carrot smoothie, while also chilling and adding a creamy texture. The more brown spots the banana has, the sweeter it will be. Once the bananas have brown spots, peel them, then slice each banana into quarters. Then place them into a freezer-safe container. If you sliced them into quarters, then grab 4 of them for a whole banana when you're ready to use them.
If your blender has trouble with large frozen pieces of banana, then slice them into coins. Then line a baking tray that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the banana slices on the lined tray and freeze overnight or until frozen. Once frozen, place the banana slices into a freezer-safe container.
As a side note, banana slices also work well for making nice cream in a food processor. Try frozen bananas in banana ice cream, cherry nice cream, pineapple nice cream, or chocolate peanut butter nice cream.
If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more non-dairy milk to thin it out.
If the smoothie is too thin, try adding a little more banana and a little more carrot until the smoothie is thick enough. Taste and adjust if you need another date to sweeten it any more. Another option is to blend in some rolled oats, but this may change the texture of the carrot smoothie.
Related recipes
- Arugula smoothie with pineapple and orange
- Pineapple cucumber smoothie with kiwi
- Spinach pineapple banana smoothie
- Vegan chocolate banana smoothie
- Mango smoothie without yogurt
- Strawberry and blackberry smoothie
I hope you enjoy the carrot smoothie! If you did feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
Recipe
Carrot Banana Smoothie
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Our carrot banana smoothie is inspired by carrot cake and features the warming spice of ground cinnamon and the rich aromatic flavor of vanilla extract.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen ripe banana
- ½ cup chopped carrots, peeled
- 1 date, pitted
- ¾ cup dairy-free milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of ground nutmeg, optional
Instructions
- Make sure your ripe banana is frozen.
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
If the date is firm, it's best to soak it before adding it to the blender. Once it has softened, it will be easier to blend.
For firm dates, I soak them in the milk I plan on using for the smoothie. Measure out the non-dairy milk, drop a pitted date into the milk, then refrigerate for about an hour to soften. A quicker method would be softening them in warm water for about 15 minutes.
I peel and slice the banana into four quarters before freezing.
For a less intense vanilla flavor, start with a ⅛ teaspoon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: smoothie
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: american
Madeleine says
I was a little worried about the vanilla but it came out tasting like pumpkin pie. I’ll definitely make it again!
Allie says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for leaving a comment.