The ultimate banana milkshake - thick, creamy and healthy too! I've replicated the flavour of an ice cream banana shake with nutritious ingredients, that make this suitable as a dessert, but even as a breakfast too! It's no secret that blended frozen bananas give an amazing texture to a milkshake - but even the ripest of bananas can lack that rich banana flavour that you might find in a commercially made banana milkshake. That's where dried bananas come in; you can get semi-dried, chewy banana chips, that deliver that nostalgic, intense banana flavour you've been longing for! I also used cashew milk for added creaminess and vanilla extract to replicate that vanilla ice cream flavour.
With only 5 ingredients this thickshake couldn't be simpler, but it's also full of healthy ingredients, so it will keep you fuller for longer and gives you the added benefits of nutrients too. Bananas are a great source of fibre, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6 and manganese. Potassium is really important for fluid regulation, nerve and muscle function and heart health - our cells have what's known as a sodium-potassium pump, this pump actually underlies most cellular processes, so sufficient intakes of potassium are really important, especially in relation to our salt intake. Other foods high in potassium include: squash, sweet potato, white beans, orange juice and broccoli.
I also included flax seed - whole flax seed can't be absorbed too easily, so if you don't have a high powered blender, perhaps grind it prior to adding to the milk shake. Flax seed helps to keep the milkshake thick, even as the frozen bananas melt and they add some nutrition too, being an excellent source of fibre, vitamin B1, copper and magnesium. Flax seeds are also rich in the omega 3 fatty acid Alpha-linoleic Acid (ALA) - ALA is a short chain omega 3, which means it's not absorbed as readily as longer chains you might hear about in fish. To put it simply, short chain omegas go through a conversion process to become longer chain omega 3s (EPA and DHA), so you'd have to consume a significantly larger amount of ALA to reap the same benefits. But, that's not to say they shouldn't be consumed - these fats are really good for us, helping with our heart, brain, cell function, and inflammation levels, just to name a few and should be an integral part of every vegan diet. Plus - longer chain omegas are actually found in micro alagae, which is consumed by fish - so vegan sources of these longer chains are available to us via supplements. Short chain omega 3s are found in flax, chia, hemp and pumpkin seeds, as well as tofu and walnuts and should be included in our daily diets, to maximise our benefits.
Banana Thickshake | Serves: 2 | Time: 5 mins
You'll need
- Blender
- Cup and spoon measures
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup semi-dried (chewy) banana chips
- 1 tbsp flax seed
- 1 cup cashew milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large ripe frozen bananas
- Dash Cinnamon (optional)
Method
- Add the banana chips, flax seed, cashew milk and vanilla extract to the blender and blitz until smooth.
- Add the frozen bananas and blend again, pour into glasses, sprinkle over a dash of cinnamon, serve up and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
