Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe tastes like a milkshake but is made with wholesome ingredients! A total favorite. As…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe tastes like a milkshake but is made with wholesome ingredients! A total favorite.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

As authors of over 50 smoothie recipes, we’ve slurped up just about every type. But here’s a recipe that stands out as one of our top favorite ever: this peanut butter banana smoothie! This one tastes like a milkshake but it’s made of wholesome ingredients like banana, peanut butter and oats. Whiz it up with frozen bananas and it makes a thick and creamy, just sweet enough puree that will have you professing your undying love! Our family is head over heels about this one (I think I could eat it every day, really!).

Ingredients in this peanut butter banana smoothie

It’s tricky to get a peanut butter banana smoothie recipe with just the right creamy, thick texture and bold peanut butter banana flavor. In fact, if you just try blending up room temperature bananas with some peanut butter, it can come out very runny and thin. The trick? Frozen bananas add texture, along with Old Fashioned oats which bring an even creamier body. (We tried this trick in our oatmeal smoothie and have been using it ever since!) Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Frozen bananas
  • Old Fashioned oats
  • Peanut butter
  • Milk of choice (dairy, oat milk or almond milk), plus more to taste
  • Vanilla extract
  • Maple syrup (or honey)
  • Ice

We like using creamy unsweetened peanut butter here. We’ve made this smoothie with both oat milk and dairy milk and it is delicious either way! Using dairy milk adds to the protein content and it tastes a little richer.

How to freeze bananas

Tips for freezing bananas

It’s simple to freeze bananas for smoothies: you’ll just need to remember to freeze them 1 ½ hours before you want to enjoy your drink! Here are a few notes about freezing bananas:

  • Use ripe bananas. Only use ripe bananas for smoothies, because this enhances the fruity banana flavor. Unripe bananas can add a bitter aftertaste to smoothies.
  • Slice the bananas, then flash freeze. Slice the fruit into 1/2-inch slices, then place them on a baking sheet. Freeze for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Once solid, place in a freezer safe container until ready to use.

Make it non-dairy and vegan

This peanut butter banana smoothie is easy to make as dairy-free or vegan smoothie. Simply use your favorite non-dairy milk! We love it with oat milk, since it adds a nice creamy body. Using dairy milk does add more protein, so for a vegan smoothie it can be helpful to add additional plant-based protein to make it more filling.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie ingredients

Protein adders for a peanut butter banana smoothie

This peanut butter banana smoothie does have some plant-based protein from the peanut butter: 12 grams total or 6 grams per serving. But if you’d like, you can add even more protein! This is especially helpful if you’re planning to use this smoothie as a meal replacement. Here are a few ideas:

  • Chia seeds. Add protein and fiber with chia seeds! 2 tablespoons chia seeds adds 4 grams protein and 11 grams fiber.
  • Vanilla protein powder: This vanilla protein powder is the one we use; it has a good flavor that’s not too artificial.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe

Smoothie storage

Smoothies are best eaten immediately. However, this peanut butter banana smoothie actually lasts 1 to 2 days refrigerated, stored in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. It may separate, which is perfectly natural. Just shake it up before serving!

More top smoothie recipes

This peanut butter banana smoothie is a favorite in our smoothie lineup! Here are a few more top recipes you’ll love:

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 2 small servings

Description

This peanut butter banana smoothie recipe tastes like a milkshake but is made with wholesome ingredients! A total favorite.


Ingredients

  • 2 medium ripe frozen bananas (sliced and frozen at least 1 1/2 hours)
  • ¼ cup Old Fashioned oats
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy and unsweetened)
  • 3/4 to 1 cup milk of choice (dairy, oat milk or almond milk), plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or honey), plus more to taste
  • 1 cup ice
  • Protein adder: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, optional*

Instructions

  1. If you haven’t already, slice the bananas and freeze them for at least 1 ½ hours until solid.
  2. Blend all ingredients in a blender, starting on the low end of the milk and adding small amounts more until it blends together.  Taste and add additional maple or honey if desired. 

Notes

*If using protein powder, add that first, then add sweetener to taste.

  • Category: Smoothie
  • Method: Frozen
  • Cuisine: Smoothie
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Peanut butter banana smoothie, peanut butter banana smoothie recipe

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Peanut Butter Balls

This chocolate peanut butter balls recipe is the best easy dessert! A handful of ingredients makes an irresistible treat. Chocolate…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This chocolate peanut butter balls recipe is the best easy dessert! A handful of ingredients makes an irresistible treat.

Peanut butter balls

Chocolate and peanut butter are one of those classic flavor combinations that will never go out of style. Here’s our one of our favorite easy treats starring these flavor besties: peanut butter balls. They’re simple to make, requiring no special equipment and under 30 minutes of your time. Whip up a batch and enjoy that crunchy chocolate coating covering an irresistibly creamy and chewy peanut butter interior. Here’s how to make this irresistibly tasty treat!

Ingredients for this peanut butter ball recipe

There’s a short ingredient list for peanut butter balls, making it a quick and easy way to a decadent treat! The recipe is similar to buckeyes, those traditional Christmas cookies with a rich peanut butter interior and crisp chocolate coating.

These peanut butter balls are rich, chocolaty, and please anyone. They also happen to be vegan, using coconut oil in the filling instead of the typical butter. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can substitute melted butter. The filling also uses pure maple syrup for a nuance in flavor, which brings in caramel and vanilla notes. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • Creamy peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter with a drippy consistency is best; you can add a bit more oil if the dough doesn’t come to the correct texture.
  • Pure maple syrup: This is the key to the nuanced filling flavor! You can also use honey or agave syrup.
  • Refined coconut oil: Coconut oil helps add richness to the filling: use butter if you don’t have coconut oil on hand. Refined coconut oil is preferred since it has a neutral flavor (unrefined has a stronger coconut flavor).
  • Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar mixes with peanut butter to create a play doh like filling consistency.
  • Salt and vanilla extract: These two seasonings round out the rich filling flavor.
  • Semi sweet baking chocolate: We like 64% Guittard baking chocolate. You can also use dark chocolate for a richer, more bitter flavor.
peanut butter balls recipe

Tips for making the filling

Peanut butter balls are simple to make: all you have to do is mix the filling ingredients together and roll them into balls. Here are a few tips for the process:

  • The dough should be Play Doh consistency. The consistency can vary based on the brand of peanut butter and the measurement of powdered sugar. If necessary, add a teaspoon or so more coconut oil to come to the correct consistency.
  • Using a food scale to weigh the dough is easiest for rolling the balls. This way, all the balls are exactly the same size. Use 15 to 16 grams per ball.
  • Or, use a 1 tablespoon measure. A tablespoon works if you don’t have a food scale.
  • Freeze the balls while melting the chocolate. They’ll become chilled in about 5 minutes while you melt the chocolate. If desired, you can also refrigerate the balls until you’re ready to coat them in chocolate, up to 2 days.
Peanut butter balls

Melting chocolate for the peanut butter balls

There are a few important things to note about how to melt chocolate for these peanut butter balls! Chocolate can be temperamental, so it’s key to observe best practices when melting chocolate. Here are a few notes on this recipe:

  • Use the microwave to heat the chocolate in short bursts. Go to How to Melt Chocolate in a Microwave to read all our tips on the process.
  • Or, melt the chocolate on the stovetop. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Once the water is simmering, turn off the heat and place a large heat proof bowl over the saucepan. Add the chocolate and butter to the bowl, and stir until the chocolate is fully melted.
  • Don’t let any water touch the chocolate or it will seize! That means your glass measuring cup or bowl must be 100% dry before placing the chocolate chips inside. If you’re using the stovetop method, don’t let any water splash inside.
  • Don’t overheat the chocolate! Scorched chocolate also seizes up and can become grainy. When you’re microwaving chocolate, it’s easy to get it too hot. So you’ll need to be very careful when you’re microwaving not to go too far. Follow the instructions in the recipe below carefully.
  • Once the balls are covered in chocolate, refrigerate to let the balls set. The chocolate should set in about 30 minutes.
Peanut butter balls

Variations and add-ins

There are so many ways you can vary these peanut butter balls! Add a few different touches to the outside, or add other flavors to the interior. Here are some ideas:

  • Sea salt. Sprinkle the balls with flaky sea salt before the chocolate sets.
  • Chocolate drizzle. Use leftover or additional chocolate to drizzle over the top with a fork.
  • Sprinkles. Make holiday-ready peanut butter balls by coating them in festive sprinkles.
  • Crushed peanuts or pistachios. Add a shower or crushed nuts to the top for a different look.
  • Half dip. Dip only half the peanut butter ball for a unique look.
  • Rice cereal. Add rice cereal to the interior to add a crunch.
Peanut butter balls

Storage for peanut butter balls

Because they are covered in chocolate, it’s best to store peanut butter balls refrigerated. They store this way for up to 2 weeks. You should also be able to store them up to 3 months frozen (we have not tested this, since they get eaten much faster at our house!).

More chocolate peanut butter recipes

This peanut butter balls recipe is a delicious vegan dessert that works for anytime, from Christmas to Valentine’s Day! Here are a few more chocolate and peanut butter recipes to try:

This peanut butter balls recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Peanut butter balls

Easy Peanut Butter Balls


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 15

Description

This chocolate peanut butter balls recipe is the best easy dessert! A handful of ingredients makes an irresistible treat.


Ingredients

  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter*
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or honey or agave syrup)
  • 1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon refined coconut oil**
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate (64%; we like Guittard)
  • Flaky sea salt, if desired

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract until a uniform dough forms. (If the dough is too sticky, you can add a teaspoon or so more oil to get it to come together; it should have a playdough consistency.)
  2. Roll the peanut butter dough into 1 tablespoon sized balls (it’s easiest to weigh them, using 15 to 16 grams for each ball).
  3. Place the balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze them for at 5 minutes while you melt the chocolate.
  4. Meanwhile, break the chocolate into pieces. Place it in a dry glass bowl or liquid measuring cup with the ¼ teaspoon coconut oil. Microwave on High power for 20 seconds, then stir. Microwave another 20 seconds, stir, and 20 seconds more and stir. At this point it should be mostly melted with a few chunks: keep stirring until all the chocolate chunks disappear and the chocolate is perfectly smooth.
  5. Use two forks to place each peanut butter ball into the chocolate, rotating it to evenly cover, then remove from the chocolate, gently shake off any excess, and place it back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. If desired, top with flaky sea salt. 
  6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until set. Store up to 2 weeks refrigerated (or 3 months frozen). 

Notes

*Double this recipe for a total of 30 peanut butter balls; click the 2x recipe button for easy doubling.

**Or, substitute melted butter and omit the ¼ teaspoon butter in the chocolate. Refined coconut oil is preferred since it has a neutral flavor (unrefined has a stronger coconut flavor).

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Dessert
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Peanut butter balls, peanut butter balls recipe, chocolate peanut butter balls

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Even better? Minima…

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Introducing our DREAM dessert for Halloween (and beyond)! A peanutty, caramelly, vegan chocolate bark studded with flaky salt. It’s like a sophisticated Snickers bar (!!), but words can’t prepare you for the magic of the first bite!

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Chocolate Monster Cookies

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These bar…

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What started as mango cheesecake bars quickly turned into chocolate peanut butter cup bars…stick with us here! Our mangoes weren’t ripe yet and we wanted sweets ASAP. To satisfy the craving fast, these fuss-free, NO-BAKE bars were born!

These bars have a creamy peanut butter base and perfectly sweet, ganache-like chocolate top (swoon!). Bonus? They’re SO easy to make with just 5 ingredients, 1 bowl, and 30 minutes required.

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Peanut Noodles

This peanut noodles recipe makes a fresh and simple meal! The bowl stars creamy peanut butter sauce, crunchy veggies, cilantro,…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This peanut noodles recipe makes a fresh and simple meal! The bowl stars creamy peanut butter sauce, crunchy veggies, cilantro, and lime.

Peanut noodles

Need dinnertime inspiration? Cozy up to a bowl of these creamy, zingy peanut noodles! This is one of our favorite fresh, easy dinner recipes and it comes together in less than 30 minutes. The peanut butter sauce is lusciously creamy, bursting with flavor from soy sauce, fresh lime juice and honey or maple syrup. Mix it together with luscious noodle strands and crunchy veggies and top with loads of fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. You’ll never want the bowl to end!

Ingredients in this peanut noodles recipe

There are many ways to make peanut noodles: here’s our favorite way to do it! It starts with a simple 5-ingredient peanut sauce and a handful of vegetables. For the noodles, you can use whatever type of long noodles you like! We used udon, but you can use soba or substitute rice noodles for a gluten-free option. It even works with spaghetti in a pinch! Here are the ingredients for this peanut noodles recipe:

  • Udon or rice noodles (or noodles of choice)
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
  • Sriracha hot sauce
  • Lime juice
  • Maple syrup or honey
  • Neutral oil
  • Carrots
  • Red pepper
  • Green onions
  • Snap peas
  • Cilantro, for garnish (optional)
  • Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Peanut Noodles

Rinse your noodles to remove starch

Here’s an important note about cooking this recipe: rinse the noodles after they’re done cooking! Rinsing pasta is not required for something like Italian spaghetti or penne. But for udon, soba and rice noodles, rinsing is helpful to remove the starch that builds up during cooking.

If you don’t rinse, the noodles can become very gummy and mushy, absorbing the sauce and becoming dry instead of saucy. Rinse your noodles after cooking, and you’ll notice a big difference.

Protein adders for peanut noodles

This peanut noodles recipe is very simple: stir together the peanut sauce, cook the noodles, cook the veggies, and stir it all together! On its own, it’s a tasty vegan dinner recipe. Because it doesn’t have a protein other than the peanut butter, you may want to add more protein to make it more filling. Here are a few ideas:

Peanut Noodles

Storage info

These peanut noodles are best the day they are made, because the creamy sauce smothers the pasta best when it is piping hot! When you refrigerate peanut sauce, it becomes very thick and solid (just like peanut butter does in the refrigerator).

You can store the noodles for up to 2 days refrigerated. Before serving, reheat them on the stovetop and add a splash of water or lime juice to make the sauce creamy again. You may also want to add a few pinches of salt or a little soy sauce to enhance the flavors.

Diet variations

This peanut noodles recipe is versatile and can flex to meet many dietary needs. Here’s how to adjust the recipe:

  • Dairy-free and plant-based: Make the recipe below
  • Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey
  • Gluten-free: Use rice noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce
Peanut Noodles recipe

More easy dinner recipes

This peanut noodles recipe is an easy dinner recipe that’s ready in under 30 minutes (that also happens to be a vegan dinner!). Here are a few more quick and easy plant-packed dinner recipes you might enjoy:

This peanut noodles recipe is…

Vegetarian, dairy-free, plant-based and vegan. For gluten-free, use tamari and rice noodles.

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Peanut noodles

Peanut Noodles


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4

Description

This peanut noodles recipe makes a fresh and simple meal! The bowl stars creamy peanut butter sauce, crunchy veggies, cilantro, and lime.


Ingredients

  • 12 ounces dry udon, soba or rice noodles
  • 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or honey
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 ounces snap peas
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro, for garnish
  • Chopped peanuts, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water (this removes extra starch so the noodles don’t become gummy).
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, soy sauce, Sriracha, lime juice, honey, and water.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the vegetables and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender and lightly charred.
  4. Remove the heat. Add the cooked noodles, sauce, and the remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt to the pan and stir to combine. Add 2 tablespoons or so of water and apply heat it until it becomes smooth and saucy.
  5. Serve topped with torn fresh cilantro leaves, chopped peanuts and lime wedges, if desired. The dish tastes best the day it is made, but leftovers store up to 2 days and are best reheated (the sauce turns thick when cold, so reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water or lime juice and a pinch or two of salt).
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Peanut noodles, peanut butter noodles, peanut noodles recipe, peanut sauce noodles

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Easy Vegetable Panang Curry (with Tofu or Chicken)

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