Cadry's Kitchen

A Vegan Adventure

Vegan recipes from my kitchen

Mango banana smoothie (vegan & gluten-free)

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This mango banana smoothie gives you a taste of the tropics. With the floral flavors of mango, ripe banana, and vanilla soy milk, you’ll almost feel like you’re sitting at a beachside cabana – minus the sand between your toes. Vegan & gluten-free.

Mango banana smoothie in glass with straw.

Until I moved to California in my twenties, I’d never had a mango. I’m not sure if they sold them at my local grocery store growing up, but I don’t recall seeing one.

But in California they’re prevalent.

You’ll find people adorning mango with tajin at roadside carts and even Disneyland.

They’re served in fried rice at Thai restaurants.

And they offer a sweet counterpart to a savory samosa in a mango chutney at Indian restaurants.

Needless to say, mango makes some very convincing arguments. It didn’t take long for us to become fast friends.

Mango banana smoothie

One of the easiest ways to use mango is in a mango banana smoothie.

I buy frozen mango in bags for smoothies. It’s already been peeled. And there’s no concern about finding the perfect ripeness.

Although, if you prefer to use fresh mango, here’s a tip to making sure your mango is ripe:

Check the ripeness like you do with an avocado. Give the mango a gentle push with a thumb. You want it to have some give with pressure. Look for a mango without bruises and with a fragrant smell.

No matter the time of year, a mango banana smoothie feels transportive – like I’m sitting on a beach with the sun pouring down on my skin. Even in the winter months, I crave that taste of summer.

Overhead mango, non-dairy milk, frozen banana, and kale.

How to make a mango banana smoothie

Start by peeling a ripe banana. Break the banana into chunks. Pop them into a freezer proof container, and put it into the freezer.

Frozen banana is beautiful in smoothies, because it gives a whippy ice cream-like texture that takes a smoothie up a notch.

For the mango, I like to buy mango that’s already peeled and frozen from the freezer section of the grocery store. But if you’d like to use peeled and diced fresh mango, or mango that you’ve peeled, diced, and frozen yourself, that works too.

Now it’s time to blend!

Overhead glass blender with kale, mango, and bananas inside.

Put the following ingredients into your high speed blender:

  • Vanilla soy milk or your preferred non-dairy milk
  • Ground flaxseed
  • Frozen banana
  • Frozen mango
  • A leaf of curly kale, if using

Blend until smooth. Then pour the smoothie into two glasses and enjoy!

Green smoothie in a glass. Mango, flaxseed, and banana in background.

How to turn a mango banana smoothie into a green smoothie

To turn a tropical mango banana smoothie into a green smoothie, all you have to do is add a leaf of kale, collards, or a handful of spinach.

When I started getting into smoothies about 13 years ago, I was all about that green smoothie life. I hadn’t been eating a ton of kale or collard greens otherwise. So it was a way to sneak in some extra nutrients.

But nowadays, I eat kale, collards, spinach, and other greens all the time. So I don’t feel as much like I need to sneak them into other foods.

It doesn’t hurt anything to have them there. And the flavors of mango and banana are sweet and strong enough that a little kale doesn’t diminish that.

So if you’d prefer a vibrant yellow smoothie, make it without any kale or other leafy greens. But if you want to sneak in a bit more in the way of vitamins A, C, and K that kale provides, by all means, pop in a kale leaf.

Just remember to remove it from the rib first, because that can be extra hard to break down.

How to make a green smoothie without a high-speed blender

Fibrous greens can be a little trickier to break down in a standard blender. So what I recommend is blending your dark leafy greens & non-dairy milk separately before adding additional ingredients.

It really helps if you let the greens fully break down on their own with liquid before adding heavier ingredients to the mix. Otherwise, you’ll have larger bits of greens in the smoothie, which isn’t anywhere near as nice texturally. Who wants to chew on bits of kale while they drink?

Bowl of mango, bottle of non-dairy milk, frozen bananas, and flaxseed.

Why use flaxseed in a smoothie?

I like to include flaxseed or chia seeds in all of my smoothies, because they add a full-bodied texture to the smoothie. Plus, they provide a dose of omega 3’s.

For your body to properly absorb flaxseed, it needs to be ground first. You can either buy flaxseed that’s already ground. Or you can grind it in a clean coffee grinder until it has the texture of flour. Then add it to your blender.

I like to store my flaxseed in the refrigerator or freezer, especially if it’s ground, so that it doesn’t go rancid.

Quench your thirst with this full-bodied and flavorful smoothie. It’s a taste of tropics that you can enjoy in your kitchen. No airplane necessary.

Mango banana smoothie in glass with straw.

Mango banana smoothie in glass with straw.

Mango Banana Smoothie

This velvety smoothie is packed with creamy banana and refreshing mango. A dose of ground flaxseed adds a wonderful whippy viscosity and hit of omega 3's. To turn this into a green smoothie, add a leaf of curly kale!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Keyword: dairy free, fruit, mango, smoothie
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 184kcal
Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup vanilla soy milk or your preferred non-dairy milk
  • 1 Tablespoon flaxseed ground
  • 1 banana peeled and frozen in chunks
  • 3/4 cup mango frozen in chunks
  • 1 leaf curly kale rib removed (Optional)

Instructions

  • Blend vanilla soy milk, ground flaxseed, frozen banana, and frozen mango in a high speed blender. If you'd like a green smoothie, add a leaf of curly kale to the blender as well. Make sure the rib has been removed from the leaf before blending. Blend until smooth.

Video

Notes

If your flaxseed is whole, grind it in a clean coffee grinder before putting it into the blender. Or buy flaxseed that is already ground. I recommend storing flaxseed in the refrigerator, so that it doesn't go rancid.
If you're making a green smoothie and not using a high speed blender, I recommend blending the kale and non-dairy milk separately first before adding the remaining ingredients. Dark leafy greens are hard to break down in a standard blender. And giving it a little extra time on its own without other frozen ingredients really helps. 
Note that the video ingredients are a little bit different in amounts than the updated written version. Follow the written instructions, unless you prefer a more liquid-y smoothie.
Also, I originally posted the video for a Wizard of Oz themed dinner party. Hence, the references to the Wicked Witch of the West.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 4020IU | Vitamin C: 70.4mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 1.5mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Originally posted October 2012. Content, recipe, and photos updated July 2019.

Comments

  1. Mel says

    October 1, 2012 at 7:56 am

    Love your theme Cadry, sounds like a perfect one for a fantastic storyteller! Looking forward to keeping up with the rest of your MoFo posts.

    Reply

  2. Ashley F. says

    October 1, 2012 at 9:18 am

    Love the theme! I work in the costume industry so theme parties are my fav. I’ll have to bookmark this recipe for sure – I think my little one would love it (so would I!).

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 10:42 am

      That’s so cool that you work in the costume industry! I bet you’re a shoe-in to win at Halloween parties! 🙂

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 10:50 am

      Thank you, Caitlin! I’m looking forward to reading about your daily meals too. That’s such a useful theme idea, especially for vegans just starting out!

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 6:30 pm

      Oh, me too! I’m sure I’ve seen it more than any other movie. Even after all of this time, it still holds up. I watched it last week and still thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

      Reply

  7. Andrea says

    October 1, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    I think YOU are the wizard, here, Cadry. Great theme and clever first post. I can just picture the witch sipping her smoothie in color-coordinated bliss.

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 6:36 pm

      Pay no attention to the woman behind the curtain! Oh, okay. You found me out. I am a wizard, but I promise to only use my sorcery for good. 😉

      Reply

  8. Kristy says

    October 1, 2012 at 3:19 pm

    What a great first post for MoFo! The whole post was so funny (and answered so many questions I had, pertaining to TWOO), and then there was the video. I never, ever would have thought to do a mango banana smoothie because of the witch’s theme song. You are just too darn clever! I can’t wait to see what else you have up your sleeve!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 6:38 pm

      Thanks so much, Kristy! The Wizard of Oz is probably my favorite movie of all time, and so it’s fun to immerse myself in the Emerald City for a while! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Suburban Snow White says

    October 1, 2012 at 4:56 pm

    Ok — Cracking me up over here. 🙂 You are a scream. AND — is it me or did you get a haircut? Very cute!

    I don’t think you can go wrong basing anything on Elmira Gulch. My first grade teacher actually looked EXACTLY like the woman. Nasty person, too. She actually told the rest of my class that Santa Claus wouldn’t be visiting me that year because I didn’t know how to do a crossword puzzle. (I can, to this day, still hear the gasps of horror from the other kids.) So Elmira’s demise has a special significance for me. 🙂

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 6:40 pm

      Yes, I did get a haircut! Good eye! David and I have an ongoing joke about how he can never tell when I change my hair. So when I told him that you’d noticed, he was very surprised and impressed!

      Whoa, Elmira Gulch for a teacher? You were an unlucky first grader! I think you need to make this smoothie pronto. It’s time for some paybacks. 😉

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 1, 2012 at 10:09 pm

      Oh, thanks! Yes, you should totally try out a kale smoothie! It will hook you. This mango banana smoothie only uses a single leaf, and so it’s pretty muted in comparison to the more dominant flavors of mango and banana.

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 2, 2012 at 10:59 pm

      Nice! Isn’t it incredible how well the movie holds up? I still thoroughly enjoy watching it, which is really saying something considering it’s been around for about 70 years! But there’s still so much cleverness, wit, and heart to it.

      Reply

    • Cadry says

      October 3, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Awesome! I love adding flax to smoothies for the omega 3’s and because of the fuller viscosity it gives. Thanks for stopping by, Mandee!!

      Reply

  18. Sarah De la Cruz says

    July 31, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    I hadn’t had a mango until I was an adult….and living on the west coast….either! I’m not sure if they weren’t available, or if my mom just didn’t know to look for them. It’s funny, because Irving said that mangoes became sort of a nuisance in the Dominican Republic, falling from trees and squishing on the road, causing it to be slippery for cars. Yet, a red delicious apple was a special Christmas treat for him!

    David has been asking to make a smoothie—I’ll suggest this to him for dessert tonight! I think he’ll love it!

    Reply

    • Cadry says

      August 6, 2019 at 11:40 am

      That’s interesting that you weren’t eating mangoes until you were an adult either! Maybe they weren’t being shipped as far or as often then as they are now.

      I can see how living amongst mango trees could be a challenge. I’ve heard the same thing about avocados. But I’d be willing to try for readily available & free mangoes and avocados! Haha!

      I hope that you & David enjoyed the smoothie!

      Reply

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