Such a simple creamy drink that tastes absolutely decadent. Indulge in banana milk instead of a milkshake in the summertime or instead of eggnog in the wintertime. (Skip to recipe.)
I love getting new food ideas from friends. I love the camaraderie and coziness that comes from chopping and chatting in the kitchen as we share recipes and stories. And I love it even better when those recipes only need a few ingredients, are quick to put together, and are an instant hit with the family, destined to be made again and again.
Like this easy to whip up banana milk.
I often put frozen bananas in shakes, along with other ingredients, like in the Nutty Monkey Smoothie full of peanutty banana flavour. But the simplicity of combining banana and milk and serving it as a creamy dessert . . . genius. Sometimes, after a rich meal, that is just the right touch. I tend to think that if I am going to make a dessert it has to be complicated and involve lots of ingredients and some oven or freezer time. But banana milk only needs a blender and some fancy glasses - maybe a dollop of whipped cream, and it has a presence of its own.
Or pour it in a big mug or travel cup, and it's a breakfast drink you can gulp while rushing around in the morning looking for your other sock.
Simone, our almost-daughter (previous German exchange student), was here to visit us for the month of September. It was so great to have her back, and we spent some happy hours puttering around in the kitchen together. She showed me how to make this banana milk, and I've made it several times since she left.
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Kitchen Frau Notes: The cream is optional, but it makes this drink oh-so-lovely if serving it as a dessert, as does the dollop of whipped cream on top. If I was just making the banana milk as a snack or breakfast drink, I'd leave the cream out. I've made the drink with almond milk and it was very tasty, too.
The riper the bananas, the sweeter the drink, so try to use bananas that at least have some brown speckles starting to form on them. Riper is better.
Banana Milk
- 2 large ripe, brown-speckled bananas
- 2 cups (480ml) milk (or almond milk)
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream, optional
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- dollop of whipped cream for serving, optional
- sprinkle of cinnamon to serve
Place the bananas, milk, cream (if you are using it), and vanilla in a blender, and blend until smooth. Or place them in a jug and whiz them with an immersion blender, like Simone did:
Pour into glasses and dollop with whipped cream if desired. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
Makes 3 to 3½ cups, serving 4 for dessert-sized portions (serves 2 for breakfast-sized mugs).
Easy, peasy, banana squeezy.
Guten Appetit!
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Baby Kato
This recipe was such a lovely surprise. I love how light and flavorful this drink was. I can't wait for the bananas to start to darken, knowing that I won't have to make yet another batch of banana muffins or bread.
This lovely milk was quick and easy to make, with ingredients that I always have on hand. The texture was perfect, smooth and silky. The flavor was spot on, rich but not over powering. A lovely drink that I will be indulging in often. Made with almond milk and garnished with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. 5*'s all the way. Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful recipe.
Margaret
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I'm glad you like this simple recipe. I love it as a refreshing change from chocolate milk, and I love that it's naturally sweetened with the banana. Like you, I also have to wait impatiently for the bananas to ripen (there must be monkeys in my house!) Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog. Have a wonderful day!