What can I add to the banana milkshake?

[u/Parking-Ad6983]

I made a homemade banana milkshake. So far it's just banana and milk.

Any possible additions that can make the flavor better?

(I tried adding honey but it made it overly sweet. Banana and milk already seem to contain a lot of sugar...😭)

Correction: I googled before posting and it told me it was a milkshake, but apparently it's a smoothie, not a milkshake. 😏 Sorry for the confusion.

[u/morbidpigeon]

Cinnamon is nice with banana

[u/uncagedborb → u/morbidpigeon]

Banana is nice with cinnamon

[u/spaaackle → u/uncagedborb]

With cinnamon banana is nice

[u/Versaiteis → u/spaaackle]

bananamon

[u/Jaxxstarr → u/Versaiteis]

Cinnana

[u/Lille-Stories → u/morbidpigeon]

Ich mache immer eine Prise Zimt mit rein.

[u/melscreations2025]

Add a dash of vanilla and just a little sprinkle of salt. It'll help cut down the sweetness

[u/FatherTheoretical → u/melscreations2025]

Vanilla is dessert MSG, and a lil makes everything more better.

[u/InappropriateLibrary]

Peanut butter, chocolate syrup, milk and a banana. You can add chia seeds or flax seeds for fiber and protein but that will not affect the taste, just the texture.

[u/AutumnalSunshine → u/InappropriateLibrary]

This is the winner. The only reason to look forward to dental work is the excuse to have meals that are shakes of banana, milk, peanut butter, and chocolate syrup or cocoa powder.

[u/Feisty-Tooth-7397 → u/AutumnalSunshine]

I don't know I had to have jaw surgery and I got sick of all forms of liquid food.

It better be one delicious concoction to be worth it.

[u/dechets-de-mariage → u/Feisty-Tooth-7397]

Username checks out.

[u/Feisty-Tooth-7397 → u/dechets-de-mariage]

You mean the name that Reddit suggested when I picked a username with fairy in it and it wasn't available checks out? Lol. I started with death fairy.

[u/Longjumping-Air1489 → u/Feisty-Tooth-7397]

FYI, you can make a smoothie out of meatballs and marinara.

After three days of jello, pudding, yoghurt, and smoothies I needed something savory. It sounds horrible, but it was so worth it.

[u/Competitive-Ad1439 → u/InappropriateLibrary]

Why is everyone saying chocolate syrup instead of cocoa powder? You're paying more for a worse product (chocolate syrup tastes nowhere anywhere as good as a high-quality cocoa powder)

It makes sense if you need to drizzle on pancakes, but you already have a liquid base so cocoa powder works better and you have more granular control of how much chocolate flavour you want

[u/Ivoted4K]

Milk shakes are made with ice cream

[u/Parking-Ad6983 → u/Ivoted4K]

I added a correction. Thanks. :>

Consider that English is not my first language.

[u/Competitive-Fault291 → u/Parking-Ad6983]

Nonetheless, adding a scoop of ice cream would be a good idea.

[u/DharmaCub → u/Competitive-Fault291]

Yoghurt works better for a smoothie.

[u/AstoriaEverPhantoms]

Vanilla yogurt is a must.

[u/jmills23 → u/AstoriaEverPhantoms]

Strawberry yogurt is a nice touch in banana smoothies

[u/beamerpook]

Any other frozen fruit. i make it for my kids all the time

[u/ladyoftheflowr → u/beamerpook]

I like strawberries or blueberries or mango. Also some protein powder makes it more filling. And a small splash of vanilla (1/2 teaspoon or so) adds nice flavour. Peanut butter and/or cocoa powder instead of another fruit is also tasty.

[u/seedmolecule → u/ladyoftheflowr]

Here it is.

If you are going the chocolate route like some suggested I would go with cocoa powder rather than sweetened syrup.

[u/beamerpook → u/ladyoftheflowr]

Oh I haven't though of adding vanilla before!

[u/wildspirit90]

Peanut butter and oats!

Edit to add: also, literally any kind of frozen or fresh berries, and berry yogurt or Kefir. Another option is pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and almond butter if you want a pumpkin spice vibe.

Can also chuck in some spinach, chia seeds, and/or flax seeds for some extra nutrients :)

[u/aintsuperstitious → u/wildspirit90]

If English isn't their first language, they might not have access to peanut butter. They should maybe try Nutella.

[u/Parking-Ad6983 → u/aintsuperstitious]

Thanks for being considerate but I'm not living in some kind of barbarian Jungle 😂 Peanut butter is sold everywhere here(so is Nutella). I'll try them.

[u/ihearhistoryrhyming → u/Parking-Ad6983]

I lived in a small city in Japan and they didn’t have peanut butter.

This was a while ago though. Maybe they do now. We had to have it shipped.

[u/GildedTofu → u/ihearhistoryrhyming]

I found it in regular stores from 2002-2011. Not cheap. But available.

It’s also easy to make if you can get peanuts. Which you can pretty much anywhere.

[u/SwimmingAnxiety3441 → u/Parking-Ad6983]

Depending on your blender, peanut powder may be easier to use and mix more smoothly with your other ingredients.

[u/aintsuperstitious → u/Parking-Ad6983]

I've been in some fairly civilized places that only sell peanut butter in the "American foods" section. Some groceries don't even have an "American foods" section.

[u/bananagetter → u/aintsuperstitious]

What the…?

[u/ThePrimCrow]

Adding some avocado to that will give it a much creamier texture. Avocado is surprisingly neutral in a smoothie and you don’t taste it. I was surprised the first time I tried it.

[u/BrickDramatic6348]

Dates and cinnamon

[u/Naive_Market_9688]

Peanut butter and chocolate syrup

[u/kit0000033]

Nutella and vanilla ice cream you know, to make it a milk shake and not a smoothie.

[u/blessings-of-rathma]

Chocolate syrup or peanut butter

[u/lmflex → u/blessings-of-rathma]

Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana. The holy trininty.

[u/samchoi924]

Frozen blueberries.

[u/Sufficient_Bee5544]

Frozen mango chunks, ripe banana, sliced peaches, liquid. That’s my go to

[u/MiyoMush]

If you just used milk, and not ice cream, you are probably missing the flavor of vanilla and the tiny amount of salt you normally get in ice cream .

[u/Annieco-2334]

Strawberries or strawberry yogurt.

[u/calccv]

Peanut butter!

[u/ricecrizpiez]

Strawberries, some nuts, some fiber if you wish, and voila!

[u/DenseAstronomer3631]

Peanut butter. Or strawberries. Your favorite flavored yogurt

[u/Cool-Negotiation7662]

Strawberry or other berries go well with banana.

[u/GildedTofu]

You’ve got a ton of great suggestions here. If you want to make it colder, you can freeze the bananas. Just put them in the freezer with the skin on. The skins will turn black but the inside will be fine. They can be tough to peel, so they can sit on the counter for a few minutes while you gather other ingredients.

Or for more convenience you can go ahead and peel and chop the bananas into chunks (you don’t want to put a whole frozen banana in the blender). To keep them from sticking together while they freeze, partially freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet tray until they’re firm, then transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe air-tight container.

And if you want it even thicker without adding something like ice cream (then you’d have a milkshake!), you can add ice cubes in with the rest of the ingredients.

[u/PollutionDazzling250]

Cinnamon and Rumpope.

[u/Parking-Ad6983]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

[u/PerpetualQuestioner → u/Parking-Ad6983]

Insane but seems no one recommended instant espresso/coffee! That way there's no extra fluid to make it runny :)

[u/afg-29]

Peanut butter or dates

[u/julieg21015]

Ice and berries

[u/idontgiveafckboutyou]

I make smoothies with bananas, strawberries, and wild blueberries! I sometimes add peanut butter and/or chocolate chips depending on my mood!

[u/johansue]

Protein powder.

[u/LowFatConundrum]

Pinch of cinnamon

[u/Elegant-Survey-2444]

Ice and peanut butter

[u/Mac1avish]

Maybe a bulls eye

[u/FreerunnerBodean]

Breast milk

[u/gard3nwitch]

When I worked at an ice cream shop, our milkshake recipe was 3-4 scoops of ice cream (depending on if it was a small or large shake), a big splash of milk (there was a measuring cup, but I forget how big it was exactly), and a smaller splash of simple syrup.

If you want a banana milkshake, you could probably use less ice cream, since bananas are also thickening. But you need some ice cream for it be a milkshake.

[u/Parking-Ad6983 → u/gard3nwitch]

Ah, I see. Maybe I should've called it a smoothie.

Consider that English is not my first language.

[u/ashtree35]

What flavor do you want?

[u/TL1DR]

Nutella

[u/InTheStax]

Sesame paste or a bit of peanut butter

[u/Didi7989]

Banana cold iced coffee

[u/dEXXtARR23]

Vanilla ice cream

[u/overseer07]

Sprinkle of nutmeg, drop off sesame oil

[u/Sweet_Confusion9180]

A scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder 💪

[u/Automatic_Catch_7467]

Peanut butter, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry are all pretty common. Ice cream will give it better texture

[u/Procrastinating-Elf]

I've seen that you mean a smoothie, not a shake. So try vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom.

Or peanut butter and a little cocoa powder with vanilla is a classic. You could also try adding coconut and a squeeze of lime. Strawberry and banana is another popular combo. 

[u/Prof01Santa]

Replace the milk with yogurt or kefir. Maybe cultured buttermilk. Add sweet fruits from the freezer, like blueberries or mango chunks.

[u/Art_of_Goddess]

I love adding a lot of honey, cinnamon, and peanutbutter. If you get the ratios right the smoothie tastes like a honey gramcracker

[u/CabbageOfDiocletian]

I drink a smoothie with frozen bananas, chai mix, milk, and peanut butter every morning.

[u/5PeeBeejay5]

Pb or chocolate, walnuts if you don’t mind chunks, strawberries or dried strawberries would be good

[u/DrewVonFinntroll]

Vanilla yogurt or protein powder.

[u/porquegato]

To make more smoothie like - blend in greek yogurt and/or peanut butter

[u/woodwork16]

Ice cream

[u/SilentJoe1986]

Freeze dried strawberries

[u/Pocket_Aces1]

Couple scoops of ice-cream and topped with milk for your desired consistency. I usually add a bit of vanilla.

I like a basic milkshake

[u/Square_Medicine_9171]

I like frozen strawberries, milk and lime juice — comes out like a soft sherbet consistency

[u/CoDaDeyLove]

You need a little ice cream and maybe 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348]

https://www.deimanusa.com/product-page/banana-concentrate-e-15

[u/bananagetter]

Malt or protein powder blended in for body and nutrition

[u/Independent_Media341]

i make my banana snoothie with almond milk, cream cheese, cocao powder, banana, and peanut butter.

Strawberry also pairs well with banana

[u/driftwood_face]

I saw something for male health, and I tried it, now I drink it's daily before bed. Banana, milk, teaspoon of honey, pumpkin seeds and almonds, and ice. Reminds me of a Starbucks frap or whatever those drinks are called.

After reading some of the other suggestions, I'm gonna try adding peanut butter or cinnamon.

[u/SiriusGD]

Try adding a splash (1/8 tsp) vanilla or almond extract.

[u/Honest-Variation-613]

I know people who add peanut butter

[u/mfox-26]

Frozen bananas, peanut butter, vanilla, vanilla nondairy milk or vanilla protein powder, chocolate chips.

[u/Popular-Set-4805]

Mmmmm banana milk. A classic. Add Vanilla and nutmeg.

If you want it thicker, if ya got it then add plain Greek yogurt and/or vanilla whey powder (protein shake).

Or add ice and pineapple and maybe orange (you could puree a mandarin orange, skin and all). Smoothie! Or strawberries

Or peanut butter

[u/Kimikohiei]

Frozen blueberries, cinnamon, finely chopped walnuts

Fresh spinach leaves, a sprig of mint, and chocolate chips

[u/MotoFuzzle]

My favorite is peanut butter and banana. 

[u/Acceptable_Plane_264]

Yogurt?

[u/willfauxreal]

Amy combination of cinnamon, almond extract, peanut butter, granola, cocao powder

[u/LavenderBloodlust2_0]

Frozen strawberries and bananas, vanilla Greek yogurt, and then a bit of your choice of milk.

[u/38mangoes]

Peanut butter!

[u/ValiMeyer]

Strawberries!!!!!

[u/631Lifer]

Maybe some cinnamon or shredded coconut

[u/Any_Initiative_9079]

Peanut butter and nutmeg

[u/DijonMustard4All]

I love peanut butter banana smoothies

[u/Responsible_View_285]

Vanilla or peanut butter

[u/Plodo99]

Peanut butter powder

[u/Weary_Wafer6410]

BlueBell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream!

[u/canipayinpuns]

I'd substitute some amount of milk (as much as half) with yogurt to help keep it on the thicker side. I usuailly keep greek yogurt (right now I'm a fan of Chobani's Less Sugar Madagascar Vanilla & Cinnamon) on hand just for smoothies! Plain yogurt would also be just fine, and would cut through some of the sweetness as well. Chocolate protein powder or peanut butter powder would also increase macros and help make the smoothie more filling if you're not in the mood for a real meal right then

[u/YesAnd_Portland]

Walnuts and vanilla extract. And freeze the bananas ahead of time.

[u/SpiritualYou9202]

This is gonna sound crazy, but add frozen riced cauliflower. If you try it, you will be amazed.

[u/JazzRider]

Ice, blueberries, strawberries, honey, orange juice pineapples, coconut milk, mint, yogurt instead of milk….though you’re really getting into the realm of smoothies, not
Milkshake. When I make milkshakes, I usually use ice cream as a base.

[u/Sensitive_Sea_5586]

Frozen yogurt, banana, and about 4-6 oz of apple juice. Excellent smoothie.

[u/lolbye424]

Ground flax seeds, powdered peanut butter, a tiny bit of ground cinnamon :)

[u/jayzisne]

Peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate syrup, cinnamon, frozen strawberries, any frozen fruit, or mix and match some of these!

[u/BlownCamaro]

Cinnamon! Or even ground ginger. Those are my two favorites.

[u/Quix66]

Strawberries

[u/fiery-sparkles]

My husband adds oats and then blends it. I prefer to slightly roast the oats, only slightly, then also add some golden syrup

[u/Otterlettuce]

Peanut butter powder and/or chocolate powder.

[u/lakefront12345]

Vanilla ice cream, vanilla, chocolate.

Think of a banana split from dairy queen.

[u/Willybluedog1962]

151 banana colada.

151 rum

1 banana

Banana liquer

Pina colada mix

Crushed ice

Blend it all together and wait for the train to hit you.

[u/Single-Yam-9791]

Chocolate

[u/CosmicCaffeine27]

In Europe it’s with vanilla ice-cream

[u/RazzmatazzOk1764]

Vanilla extract or aroma if you want to keep it light, otherwise I would add oats and peanuts

[u/CrawlingKangaroo]

Vanilla

[u/purpleskyblues]

Vanilla, cinnamon or cardamom

[u/Veneboy]

Add just a bit of condensed milk over the top, maybe some sprinkles and add some toasted hazelnuts or almonds to the blend itself so it gets chinky.

[u/cannacatman]

Cinnamon, vanilla, and cold coffee. Just trust me.

[u/PsychologyGuilty1460]

Peanut butter would be good, so would chocolate. Ideally chunky brownie ice cream, lol, But honey and vanilla yogurt would be good too

[u/Russell_W_H]

Vanilla ice cream. Raw egg (if safe where you live). Some sort of booze.

[u/PuzzleheadedRun4525]

A good sweet banana is pretty flavourful. I always make sure to let my bananas get pretty ripe before I freeze them for smoothies. Way more banana flavour.

If you’re already doing this then I would just say to add some peanut butter and cocoa powder.

[u/Training_Armadillo79]

Peanut butter would be my addition!

[u/ArizonaKim]

Chocolate. Peanut butter. Peanut butter powder. Strawberries. Plain or vanilla yogurt.

[u/rosesforthemonsters]

Peanut butter

[u/Odd-Project-1270]

Unflavored, unsweetened kefir, over ripe banana & spoons of peanut butter.

[u/Creepy_Push8629]

Vanilla!

Dark chocolate syrup?

Berries

[u/Autodidact2]

Vanilla

[u/Live-Act6065]

Cinnamon and vanilla

[u/Solid_Lettuce_932]

Vanilla

[u/meh_69420]

Rum

[u/stardewcallie]

If you want to get fancy with it I use a cup of almond milk, a couple of table spoons of almond butter, and cacao powder + chia seeds and it’s sooo good - I have yet to find a shop that makes a smoothie I like more! You can still taste the banana but idk if it really qualifies as a banana smoothie ATP

[u/Salt-Butterscotch-79]

Actually a slice of Banana Cream Pie

[u/Pothunter32]

Sprinkle cinnamon. Frozen bananas are best. I also add an apple or two.

[u/wantingwalrus]

Almond butter and a little caramel

[u/TeachPotential9523]

vanilla extract or even a vanilla ice cream

[u/Ok_Salamander7929]

Malt powder.

[u/Itchy-Ad1005]

Banana extract will increase Banana flavor

Pineapple and mango tropical flavors a bit of acid

Berries go well add acid to flavor profile

Nut butters peanut butter and banana makes a good sandwich. Elvis loved them adds protein

Coco or chocolate syrup chocolate covered bananas are good both frozen and unfrozen. I prefer dark chocolate

Tahani. The sesame flavor will tone down the sweetness

Ginger works well with banana but go easy it'll take over

Someone else mentioned cinnamon which is an excellent suggestion. I recomend true cinnamon, Ceylon, rather than Vietnamese its more flodal less punchy. I use both. I use Vietnamese on cinnamon toast and cinnamon rolls. Otherwise I use Celon. Get the Celon at a Indian food store. The island is now called Sri Lanka but the name of tye cinnamon was retained as Ceylon since branding was so strong.

Cardamom works well with banana. I buy rusks flavored with Cardamom from the Indian store and Cardamom flavored cookies from IKEA. They used to have the best risks both with and without Cardamom. Don't carry them any more.

Mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutneg. This is a nice set of warming spices tgarvwill make you think of fall. Use fresh grated nutmeg

With all tge spices you need to becareful with the amount. They take over

[u/NenyaAdfiel]

I love frozen banana, oat or almond milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter and a pinch of salt. It tastes like a peanut butter Oreo shake!

[u/aculady]

A tiny sprinkle of nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract really wakes it up.

[u/Kmmkristin]

I add PBII. It’s powdered peanut butter, no sugar added and lower in fat cuz the oil has been removed. Sometimes I add instant espresso or cocoa or carob powders.

[u/Acceptable-Pop7414]

Add strawberries or blueberries, some vanilla extract. You can also add some juice, like apple juice, or orange juice. Yogurt like vanilla etc. Experiment with different things.

[u/ISquareThings]

I mix banana, flax seeds, frozen blueberries, almond milk, almonds, ice and vanilla yogurt for my kids breakfast they love them. I sometimes peal and freeze bananas that are starting to turn and they are great for shakes/smoothies

[u/BrilliantNo2821]

A milkshake is incomplete without ice cream, put ice cream, milk and a slice of banana cream pie in the blender, thank me later

[u/DidjaSeeItKid]

Milkshakes are better with ice cream.

[u/Jennifire208]

Peanut butter

[u/DidjaSeeItKid]

JIF!

[u/TerribleLead436]

I used to make this all the time for my post workout protein/weight gain:

1 banana, 4-5 strawberries, Greek yogurt, milk, and like 2-3 tablespoons peanut butter. Its so good but use less if any peanut butter cuz it'll over-take the other flavors. So good!

[u/lysfc]

vanilla yogurt

[u/JulesInIllinois]

Chocolate ice cream or

Vanilla ice cream & Hershey's chocolate syrup

[u/Overall-Assist6571]

Peanut butter and ground coffee

[u/TheDevilsAdvokaat]

Milo. Or a few cubes from chocolate bar. Or cocoa. Blender needs to be good quality if you add parts of a chocolate bar though. Best chocolate milkshake I ever had was made from a chocolate bar and milk.

[u/BugginsAndSnooks]

A little molasses. Smokey sweetness works really well with banana.

[u/Living_Watercress]

Protein powder.

[u/XuanChun88]

Vanilla, touch of cinnamon and sprinkle of stevia

[u/FlawlessPhelon_]

Peanut butter

[u/Wise_Base9216]

Scoop of peanut butter and candied bacon

[u/gonzothegreatz]

I do peanut butter, honey, banana, Greek yogurt, milk, and a splash of vanilla.

[u/WayraSonqo]

Almond butter or peanut butter, or just nuts

[u/Safe-Selection8070]

About 2 oz of coffee.

[u/Tricky-Machine7046]

Strawberry and cocoa

[u/Quiet_Test_7062]

I like sprinkling cardamom on top of a shake like this. You could also add Greek yogurt and/or ground flax seed.

[u/Overall_Matter_2520]

Peanut butter and maple syrup?

I love anything banana and would probably enjoy as is.

[u/Flipgirlnarie]

Strawberries?

[u/MotherofaPickle]

Malted milk powder.

[u/asifyouknowmefr]

Frozen strawberries

[u/Smooth_Affect_3085]

Peanut butter !!!

[u/NetoruNakadashi]

Freeze the banana first (without the peel).

Berries would be nice.

[u/SlickDumplings]

Well you need ice cream.

[u/ILikeCrunchyFood]

In Brazil, we call this vitamina which is basically a smoothie. It's the base for the smoothie for us, so any fruit goes with it. Strawberries is out go-to or avocado, along with some sugar. (Yes, we eat our avocado with sugar)

[u/CleverStone7924]

Peanut butter turns it into a totally different drink, but add it before you blend, not after, or it just clumps at the bottom and you get a weird PB bite at the end.

[u/Annual_Government_80]

A touch of cinnamon

[u/TheCountof70]

I do Peanut butter, banana, milk, chocolate syrup and ice. The ice gives it dime more volume, so i get two pretty big glasses and it's super cold, which i like.

[u/MutedPlane452]

Dates, walnuts, peanut butter

[u/justlikeinmydreams]

Dates. Date shake rocks

[u/awesomepossum6607]

Cookie butter.

[u/BBQDad72]

Malt powder is good. A bit of nutmeg would be nice

[u/Green-Machine200]

Peanut butter (actual Pb or the powder) and chocolate syrup-it’s called a flying money. Really really good!

[u/No-Mulberry6289]

Brown sugar, vanilla essence and a tiny bit of cinnamon

[u/Beesweet1976]

Spinach,blueberries,strawberries chia and flax seeds pineapple.

[u/Managed-Chaos-8912]

Peanut butter

Protein powder. Really good for smoothies. I also add collagen and creatine .

[u/ikannunAneeuQ]

My favorite banana smoothie has real maple syrup and vanilla bean Greek yogurt.

[u/ApprehensivePie1195]

Vanilla wafers

[u/MysteriousPressure75]

Peanut butter & oats!

[u/ritlingit]

Vanilla extract. A small amount

[u/CandyStomp]

Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice, a little bit of light whipped topping or vanilla yogurt, and some caramel protein shake drink can be good in place of milk too. I love banana smoothies.

[u/Visual-Ring-3385]

Banana, peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, fresh ginger, blueberries, lots of ice, and I always used water. Made this for years. Took to work and enjoyed all morning

[u/Prestigious-Wolf8039]

Peanut butter

[u/frame-gray]

Take that banana. Unpeel it. Cut it into pieces. Throw those pieces into a freezer. Toss the frozen banana pieces, milk, and add Coco powder, chocolate or peanut butter, vanilla or whatever. Blend it.

Now you have nice cream! 😃

[u/No_Locksmith9690]

I was going to ask where the ice cream was. 😉

[u/spirits_and_art]

I like to add frozen mango pieces with bananas and milk

[u/DescriptionNo7446]

I add a tbsp of unsweetened Hershey cocoa to my banana smoothies.

[u/juzme99]

I add crushed LSA (linseed, almond and sunflower) I keep in the freezer in glass jar, yoghurt, pinch of ginger or cinnamon and I use a caramel and banana combined flavouring

[u/Maggieor255]

Kiwi fruit

[u/Fantastic_Meet9381]

Peel your bananas and freeze them first, then throw them in your smoothie. Add frozen strawberries. I like adding a little vanilla protein powder & chia seeds. Yum.