Smoothies are one of my most favorite drinks. I love them for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon snack. Actually I could drink them any time of the day and during any season. Besides being delicious they are a great way of using up extra fruit. Let’s not forget how nutritious all those extra fruits are to our bodies. As long as we don’t add much sweetener or additional unhealthy ingredients, smoothies can be low in calories too.
Since I am not much of a sweet drinks person I hardly, if ever, add additional sweetener to my smoothies. Instead I prefer all the sweet and flavors to come from the fruit. But feel free to add as much or little sweetener to your smoothie.
It’s a bit silly giving you a recipe for smoothies, as it’s one of those foods/drinks made according to individual taste and preference. Regardless, I’ll give you a list of ingredients which you can adjust to your taste.
Blueberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie
1 Large banana
1 large handful of blueberries
120 g or 1/2 cup unsweetened plain white yogurt
pinch of Bourbon vanilla powder or splash of vanilla extract
Blend until smooth, serve and enjoy!
I made this smoothie using my homemade yogurt. It was before I strained it so it wasn’t as thick as Greek yogurt. Though Greek yogurt would be just fine. You may have to adjust the amounts to achieve the desired smoothie consistency.
Last week I posted my recipe for Homemade Greek Yogurt, and I’ve received some questions and problems regarding homemade yogurt. The most common problem people have with homemade yogurt is that it doesn’t set. If it happened to you, know that you are not alone. Yogurt making is a precise process that can quickly go wrong. But don’t let a failed attempt prevent you from attempting it again. Okay, let’s cover a few points.
Reasons why your homemade yogurt didn’t set:
- If the milk is too hot you will kill the yogurt cultures. Make sure after you’ve scolded the milk that it is allowed to cool down before adding the yogurt starter.
- Did you allow the yogurt starter to come to room temperature? It is important that the yogurt starter not be cold, because the yogurt cultures will not activate during the incubation time.
- Make sure the yogurt starter has a stamp or text guaranteeing live active yogurt cultures. Also be aware that different brands can have different amounts of cultures. Not all brands are created equal, and the quality of cultures can vary from brand to brand. It may be possible that you may need to experiment with a few before you find the right one. The quality of yogurt cultures can also dictate how long it will take for the yogurt to set. I’ve had one brand set in 4 while another took 10 hours. So you may need to allow longer incubation times.
- Were the yogurt starter and milk powder sugar free? Make sure both the yogurt starter and milk powder do not contain any sweetener or additional ingredients, like fruit in the yogurt. Sweetening and adding fruit should be done after the incubation and after the yogurt has set overnight.
- Do not use skimmed milk. You need the lactose sugar from whole or 2% milk to help the yogurt cultures activate. I never use anything but whole fat milk.
- Did you wrap the yogurt in a blanket and set to incubate in a warm place? This is very important, but make sure that the incubation spot isn’t too hot or too cold. In a colder space, or during cold months, the yogurt may need to incubate longer. In a warm place, or during warm weather, the incubation time is shorter.
- If you’re first attempt failed, you could try adding a bit more of the yogurt starter next time. Try using 2 heaping tablespoons instead of 1 tablespoon. Or another alternative would be to purchase a packet of active live yogurt cultures to use in place of the yogurt starter. The package instructions can guide you
- Remember that after the incubation period, and allowing to sit overnight, the yogurt will not be as thick as Greek yogurt. Thick Greek yogurt is the result of draining off the whey. If you want the thick Greek yogurt it needs to be drained.
The last thing I want to say is don’t give up after one failed attempt. Try again and just have fun with the process. Now if you’ll excuse me I must go check on my new homemade yogurt batch. Yum, can’t wait to have a taste.
Have a great weekend everyone!
i love smoothies! they’re so easy, but still such a treat. i forget to make them! blueberry banana sounds like a great combo.
Thanks Anna!
Blueberries with banana is such a delicious smoothie pairing!
They are definitely one of my favorite pairings.
A delicious combination! Healthy too.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa!
My family makes homemade yogurt too. Your tips are great! The smoothie looks delicious as well, definitely a great use for homemade yogurt 🙂
That great Victoria! I’m sure you make some delicious treats with it 🙂
A smoothie in the summer is one of my absolute favorite things, particularly with blueberries. I usually add just a touch of honey, and it’s really nice with almond milk as well. I particularly love your addition of vanilla bourbon powder – yum!!
Honey is the perfect sweetener with fruit, and in smoothies. Oh yes, I do love using almond milk:) Thanks Trixie!
Bananas and blueberries are great together (I just made bread using both), I am sure this smoothie would be perfect for breakfast! Love that is uses homemade yogurt too, can’t get much better than that!
Oh, your bread sounds great. Thanks Erin!
Homemade yoghurt – I want to do it 🙂 And I like pictures a lot. Very nice tones.
You should give it a try Marta:) Thanks
FAbulous post as always Nancy!! The smoothie looks so rich and vibrant. I loved the warm tones in the photographs 🙂
Thank you Nandita!
Thanks for sharing your great tips–and your fantastic smoothie recipe!
My pleasure!
Not silly at all Nancy. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thanks Sandra;)
You have such talent. I am amazed at how you can make an empty banana skin look so beautiful.
I’m blushing Victoria. Thank you so much:)
wow this is spectacular love it!!! Sorry I missed last month… have been chasing down a blog theif… hope to catch up in a few weeks …. hope your having a great summer!
Thank you Claudia! Sorry to hear about the blog thief and I hope you catch them. Hope you are having a great summer too:)
I dont like blueberries much…….( I know), but I sure do love your pictures Nancy
Oh sorry to hear that:( But you could always try another berry. Thanks Tania!
Wow, this is perfect for this horrible 36 degree weather!
Wow, that is so hot! You might need a few smoothies to cool down.
Looks delicious. I always just throw whatever I have into my smoothies but banana blueberry is definitely my favorite combo. I always keep fresh frozen blueberries on hand just for this!
Hi Julie,
Yes, that is a great way of both using up extra fruit and treating yourself. Frozen blueberries are a great idea:)
Blueberry and banana smoothies are one of my kid’s favorites. Love the pictures.. of course. 🙂 Have a great weekend. 🙂
They have great taste Ramona, hehe:) Thank!
I loves smoothies (frullati, in Italian) during the warm weather months. A real pick-me-up around 4 or 5 pm, no? Now I’ve never tried one with yogurt, however. Will have to give it a go!
Yes, definitely. The yogurt makes it thicker and more filling.
Looks very tasty! Would love one for my breakfast now!
Thanks Angie!
Blueberry and banana is my favourite smoothie, i made it very often but have never try adding vanilla, next blend I’ll try it. Thanks for sharing the great tips on yogurt!
You should give it a try, it adds a little extra depth of flavor. Thanks!
What beautiful light you have in your photos!
Thanks Suzanne! They were shot late in the afternoon, right before sunset. The light is always beautiful then:)
Simple and delicious! Looks very healthy. I love the 4th photo the best!
Thanks Yelena:)
Bananas, blueberries and yogurt are staples for my smoothies so I can almost taste this. I’ll have to try it with vanilla extract next time, though, and gosh, maybe my very own homemade yogurt? 🙂 I’ve been adding loads of baby spinach to my smoothies lately and it’s been surprisingly good, too. And like you, I can enjoy a tall glass any time of day. Great tips on yogurt-making!
I haven’t added spinach or vegetables to my smoothies, though I really want to and should just do it. Thank you!
I almost always order blueberry & banana smoothies and this is my absolute favorite combination. We still have blueberries that are not so expensive yet, so got to make it before they get too expensive for me to buy! Bourbon vanilla powder sounds interesting. I wonder if I can find it around here… will check on this. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Check spice shops or organic markets that import the vanilla powder. If not you could always use extract.
I’ve become a smoothie junkie in the past month, and I love the idea of using homemade yogurt! My smoothies are little less kosher–I love adding oats, crunchy PB, and flaxseed to fruit smoothies–but your pictures make me miss my blender a ton. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Ala,
Wow, that sounds really good. I’ll have to try adding some of those ingredients next time. Thanks!
Your smoothie looks so good! I love making homemade yogurt, especially Greek style…great tips Nancy!
Thanks, yeah me too:)