Chia Banana Boost Copycat Recipe

Make Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s Chia Banana Boost at home! It’s a perfectly spiced mixture of banana, chia seeds, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Enjoy as a healthy breakfast or snack.

Why You’ll Love it:

I prefer to make takeout smoothies at home. It’s more affordable and easy to do! Whenever I create copycat recipes, I always do a side-by-side comparison. So I know I’m getting the flavor spot on.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s chia banana boost is a dreamy, cinnamon spiced smoothie with banana and dates.

• Plant-based protein – It boasts 16 grams of plant-based protein! Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder for even more.
• Easy to customize – Always a plus! I’ve included the variations at the bottom of this post.
• Vegan & dairy-free – It’s naturally vegan and dairy-free!

Enjoy it as a filling breakfast with plenty of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you full until lunch.

Key Ingredients:

• Frozen banana – Creates a creamy smooth texture! Simply peel a banana, cut it in half or chunks, and transfer it to a zip-top bag. Freeze overnight. Be sure to use a yellow, ripe banana! Ripe bananas are much sweeter than green ones.
• Ice – All of Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s smoothies contain ice. I used 1/2 cup. You can add more if it’s not thick enough for you.
• Sliced almonds – Sliced almonds add plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They blend easier than whole almonds and they’re versatile! Use them to top smoothie bowls or salads. I buy a big bag at Costco!
• Chia seeds – These tiny seeds are a nutrient powerhouse. They contain antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Add them to any smoothie for an instant health boost.
• Peanut butter – Adds a subtle nutty flavor and more protein!
• Oats – Oats are a good source of plant-based protein and whole grains. They add a subtle oatey flavor and texture.
• Cinnamon – It’s loaded with antioxidants!
• Coconut milk – From the carton, not the can. For a subtle coconut flavor. Tropical smoothie cafe uses a coconut concentrate, but I found coconut milk to do the trick.
• Maple syrup – For extra sweetness. Tropical Smoothie Cafe uses turbinado in all their smoothies, except for the detox island green. You can use whatever sweetener you like.

How to Make a Chia Banana Boost Smoothie:

This smoothie has a lot of textured ingredients like almonds, chia seeds, and oats. For this reason, it’s best to use a high-speed blender. A Vitamix works the best, but a budget brand like Ninja works fine too.

I don’t recommend a low-powered or portable blender for this one.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Combine ingredients: In your blender, combine the peanut butter, almonds, oats, cinnamon, date, chia seeds, frozen banana chunks, ice, maple syrup, and coconut milk. Add the frozen ingredients last so it’s easier to blend.
• Blend: Start on low speed, then increase the speed to high. Blend until smooth.

• Adjust: I love this smoothie as-is, but you can adjust the taste and flavor/consistency as desired.
  • Thickness: Add more ice or frozen banana to thicken it. Or if it’s too thick, add a splash more coconut milk to thin it out.
  • Flavor: You can adjust the flavor to your tastebuds. For a richer flavor, add more peanut butter. For more sweetness, add more maple syrup, etc.
• Serve: Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately. For a larger smoothie, double this recipe.

Expert Tips:

• Don’t add the chia seeds first. They stick to the bottom of the blender. Add them on top of another ingredient instead.
• Adjust the consistency as needed. Bananas vary in size. If your smoothie’s too thick, add more coconut milk, a little bit at a time, until it reaches a thick yet pourable consistency.
• If possible, use a high-speed blender. I highly recommend a Vitamix, but I know the price is steep. If you can’t afford one, invest in a budget-friendly high-speed blender like a Ninja.
• Make sure your dates aren’t old. Dates should be soft and sticky. If they’re hard and dry, they won’t blend well and you will have little bits of dates throughout the smoothie.
• You don’t need to roast the bananas. According to the employee at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, they don’t use roasted bananas in this smoothie anymore because it tastes the exact same!

Variations:

• Protein: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder or an extra scoop of peanut butter. Or try 1/3 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt.
• Texture: If you don’t like the texture of chia seeds, swap them with hemp hearts. You can swap the sliced almonds with one tablespoon of almond butter too.
• Sweetness: For less sweetness, omit the date or maple syrup. For more sweetness, add more maple syrup.
• Liquid base: Swap the coconut milk with any milk – regular or plant-based. You won’t get a subtle coconut flavor, but it will still taste delicious!

Storage:

Since this smoothie is entirely banana-based, I don’t recommend storing it in the fridge overnight. The texture won’t taste good the next day!

Tropical Smoothie Copycat Recipes:

• Tropical Smoothie Peanut Paradise Recipe
• Tropical Smoothie Sunrise Sunset Recipe
• Mango Magic Tropical Smoothie Copycat
• Bahama Mama Tropical Smoothie Copycat
• Detox Island Green Copycat Recipe
• Banana Smoothie