Banana Spice Smoothie

Ignore the low ratings that are based on their displeasure at the calories or the sugar count rather than the taste of the recipe. The first thing you need to know is that this recipe tastes great. It also clearly tells you it makes 2 servings (thus, cups of kefir, 2 bananas, etc). I make my own kefir at home and add vanilla flavoring, but people that said they used store bought vanilla kefir and that it came out way too sweet probably purchased a kefir that had lots of added sugars already (some do, some don't; look closely at the label). I followed this recipe exactly the firs time (delicious) and added a handful of walnuts to blend up the second time (even better). It's a great recipe exactly as written but you can also tweak it.

This is a great tasting recipe. Maybe try a different type of milk, I used almond. This recipe is for two servings, therefore the calories would be doubled if you drink the whole thing. Try frozen bananas instead of the ice cubes and I bet you will like it.

I agree with the "Yuck!" comment. Poured mine out as well. The first day I found this recipe, I didn't have vanilla kefir, so I used what I had. A small container of blueberry Greek yogurt, one frozen banana, one cup of almond milk, and pumpkin pie spices (which is allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon combined). DELICIOUS! Drank every last drop. That afternoon I found vanilla kefir in my local grocery store's organic section and made the recipe exactly as prescribed. Inedible. The kefir is way too sweet and overpowered the banana/spice flavors. I'm going to go back to my own recipe, which is even fewer calories.

CARB OVERLOAD!56 grams of carbs! That is the equivalent of 1 cup of kefir with 13 teaspoons of plain granulated SUGAR added! There are healthier ways of getting your potassium and fiber without destroying your pancreas!Pros: Yummy, especially with the addition of spicesCons: Carb overload

CARB OVERLOAD! 56 grams of carbs! That is the equivalent of 1 cup of kefir with 13 teaspoons of plain granulated SUGAR added! There are healthier ways of getting your potassium and fiber without destroying your pancreas! Pros: Yummy, especially with the addition of spices Cons: Carb overload

Freshly different smoothie I made a couple substitutions bc I did not have kefir. I used 1 banana, 1 cup of peach Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup milk, with the provided spices and ice. This was the best smoothie I've had in a long time. Refreshing change from berries and flax seed that I usually make. It was gone in like 2 minutes, so good! Pros: Tastes refreshing and comforting

Spicy, nice change After trips to every local grocery store (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wegmans, Price Chopper, Shaws, Market Basket, and Stop and Shop) I gave up on finding vanilla kefir. I found plain, peach, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and pomegranate though. I considered buying plain and adding sugar/vanilla, but in the end I used a combination of vanilla Greek yogurt and vanilla almond milk in place of the vanilla kefir. Loved the addition of spices to my smoothie and with the Greek yogurt this was packed with protein. My 12 yr. old daughter said it tasted like banana bread. Pros: Spices Cons: Locating vanilla kefir!