One of my favorite family traditions is every winter we snowbird down to Florida for a couple weeks of vacation. We are Disney fanatics, the whole lot of us (well, maybe aside from Mike, who claims that he goes for my sake…but when we’re there he seems to be enjoying the food and merriment for his own sake as well, lol), so the bulk of our time gets spent there. (Last year I posted about the afternoon tea we had at The Grand Floridian.)
We have a few favorite places where we always eat in each Disney theme park; at Hollywood Studios one of our favorites is 50’s Prime Time Café. They serve classic American comfort food (think pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and chicken pot pie) in a 50’s atmosphere. To further add to the ambiance, the waitress has you call her “Mom” and scolds you if you put your elbows on the table or if you don’t finish your veggies.
We didn’t end up going to Florida this year, so our Disney time was out; I was recently craving a really thick, old-fashioned milkshake like what they serve there. There are two flavors in particular that I’m really crazy about: chocolate peanut butter cup and peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter is definitely the common denominator.
One of my favorite childhood snacks was a slice of bread spread with peanut butter and topped with banana slices, and if I was really lucky, my mom would add a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Thinking of peanut butter, I couldn’t help but remember those classic flavors, and this combination is what served as the basis for this milkshake (but really, it is healthy enough for breakfast, so I should probably call it a smoothie instead!). It’s a filling breakfast too – this will stick with you well until lunch time. Even so, maybe best of all is that you get to feel like you’re eating ice cream first thing in the morning.
Take a quick glance at the ingredient list…does anything stand out to you? Yup, it’s the vinegar; organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to be exact. It’s only half a teaspoon, so you won’t be able to taste it, but what it does is wake up all the other flavors in this smoothie. In other words, it makes the other flavors pop – don’t skip it!
If you’re wondering whether I’m right, try it for yourself. Make this milkshake without the vinegar and taste a spoonful (it is so thick you will need to eat this milkshake with a spoon) – it’s good but not amazing, right? Maybe a tad flat tasting, for lack of a better word. Now whiz in the vinegar while it’s still in the blender and give it a taste – the flavors will explode! If you need to skip something, skip the cacao nibs; they’re just healthy chocolate sprinkles and can be done away with! Whatever you do, don’t skip the apple cider vinegar.
Here are a few other peanut butter and banana smoothie/milkshake recipes I found around the web that looked interesting:
- Peanut Butter, Banana, and Flax Smoothies from Cooking Light – I like that they also used ground golden flaxseed!
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe Good Enough for an Ice Cream Store from This Chic Cooks – Look at how cute her banana slice garnish is!
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Smoothie from The Two Bite Club – Greek yogurt really bumps up the protein factor here!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake from The Detoxinista – This one is vegan!
- Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie from Skinny Ms. – There is spinach and tofu in this beauty and I’m excited because they garnished it with sprouts and it is gorgeous!
Milkshake craving satisfied/crisis averted. :)
- ½ cup (125 ml) milk, any kind you like (I used 1%, but you can use whatever you like)
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter (I used creamy, but you can use crunchy if you like)
- 1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed (see note below)
- 2 teaspoons honey (preferably raw, local honey)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon organic raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 large ripe banana, peeled, chopped into 6 pieces, and frozen
- 1 teaspoon raw cacao nibs, for garnish (optional)
- Add all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
- Pour the smoothie into a glass and sprinkle the cacao nibs on top, if using.
- Serve immediately, while it is super thick and creamy.
Vegan Option: Use a non-dairy “milk” (like soy, almond, etc.) and use pure maple syrup instead of honey.
priya singh says
There are lots of food blogger like this But the best food recipe "Healthy Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Milkshake" is yours. Thanks for giving me this wonderful blog. I will try to make it like you.
Glenda Walters says
Awesome! I was looking for a smoothie that I could add apple cider vinegar to that would be a filling breakfast. Itś awesome! yummmmmmmy and cant even taste the vinegar, even though I put 2 teaspoons in!
flgirl says
This was yummy! I was out of flax seeds so threw in chia seeds. :-) And yes, the ACV was a hit! Great little recipe, thanks!
Genii says
Love the milkshake. Used oatmeal instead of flax seeds. Do you have the calorie count on this milkshake?
Faith says
Genii, I'm so happy you're enjoying the milkshake! It's one of my favorites too. :) I didn’t calculate the nutrition info for this recipe, but if you want to do so, Calorie Count is a pretty good tool. I hope this helps!
Niki O'Neil says
These photos are beautiful! And the smoothie sounds delicious :)
Sarah says
This is really exceptional. I came across the recipe from Pinterest. I'm not a chip, pasta, sandwich, or candy girl. I'm an ice cream girl. This has the consistency of ice cream and could almost pass for it. I forgot the honey and ended up just stirring it in at the end -- even without it, it tasted great. Topped with some chocolate chips and I'm in heaven!
PDG says
Just wondering why this is labeled as a milkshake instead of a smoothie. It's delicious, but since there is no ice cream in it, I think "Smoothie" is more apropos in the title. Just saying. :-)
Faith says
PDG, I named this a "healthy milkshake" for several reasons: 1) like I mentioned in the narrative above, it was inspired by a couple of my favorite milkshakes; 2) it's texture is thick, rich, and indulgent like a milkshake; 3) "healthy" + "milkshake" = smoothie. :)
Trista says
Looks super tasty! I think I have everything except for the apple cider vinegar. Would it be missed if I leave it out?
Faith says
Trista, You can't taste the apple cider vinegar itself, but it makes all the other flavors in this smoothie pop. You could make it without the ACV and see if you like it (it's still a great smoothie, but it becomes an exceptional one with the vinegar), or you could use 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice instead if you have that on hand. Hope you enjoy it!
lemonkerdz says
Thanks Faith, looking forward to reading up on some of your other recipes. Hope they are as healthy as this one.
Carole says
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole's Chatter is collecting links to posts about shakes and smoothies. I do hope you link this lovely one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Have a great week.
lemonkerdz says
Great idea and another good recipe to use my home mede peanut butter recipe to use. Home made peanut butter makes it so much healthier than using store bought.
Faith says
Yes, homemade peanut butter would definitely be wonderful in this smoothie! There are also some very good (healthy!) store-bought options available; I like to use an "all-natural" peanut butter that only has roasted peanuts and salt.
grace says
that looks SO creamy and silky-smooth! what a magnificent milkshake, faith. :)
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says
Looks delicious! I have some overripe bananas and now I know what I'm going to do with them! Thx for sharing Faith!
angela@spinachtiger says
That shake does look as thick and good as those old fashioned shakes. The sandwich I remember is peanut butter and marshmallow, and sometimes a banana stuck in there too.
Daisy@Nevertoosweet says
Awww a shame that you didn't get the chance to go to Disneyland this year :( I would love the chance to visit Florida one day!
I can't believe this is a healthy version because I never would've guessed this was a healthy milkshake :D It looks way too good and creamy to be healthy ~
Jeanette says
I love the idea of flaxseed in this milkshake - a nice healthy twist!
zerrin says
I love its thickness! Would make a perfect breakfast or dessert!
Lauren says
I love the sound of this smoothie! Great tip about the vinegar too. If I add yogurt to a smoothie, I'll often add a dash of baking soda to balance out the acidity, and it works great. Thanks for the recipe...I'm on a smoothie kick right now, so I'll be making this soon! :)
Eileen says
Peanut butter with bananas and honey was a classic sandwich at our house too! I could actually really go for one right about now. (Can you tell it's lunchtime?) :) This shake sounds great--and I'm intrigued by the vinegar!
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
I'll have to remember the tip about the apple cider vinegar. The smoothie sounds great!
Thanks Faith
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
This would be great for the kids after school. Love these flavors!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
This looks so thick and creamy, Faith! Milkshake heaven!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
I love these flavors Faith!
Erica says
We love Disney too- great place on earth! This is definitely full of great comforting flavors!!
Rosa says
Nutritious and delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa