I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t own a blender. I’ve never had any luck with them. I burned up the one my Mom had. Then I bought a cheap one from Walmart years ago and tossed it before the move to NYC because it hardly worked and ruined a few cocktails and dinners. Maybe blenders aren’t my thing, but I won’t let it stop me from making a smoothie! So I had to be a little creative in making it work in my food processor without using ice. The food processor I have can do just about anything from slicing, grating, whipping, kneading, and it even has a juicer attachment. I’m just very cautious about using ice in fear it might tear it up or ruin the blade.

With that said, this banana almond smoothie recipe is made using frozen bananas so you don’t have to use ice. Whoever thought of this is genius! Now I can freeze just about any kind of fruit and make smoothies all summer long.

The bowl of bananas is ready to freeze.

The ingredients blended in the food processor just beautifully. Peanut butter is optional, but highly recommended. Don’t skip out on the vanilla almond milk because it’s just plain good…not to mention all the vitamins and nutrients.

Garnish with chopped almonds for an added crunch. Serve it in a frosty glass for the ultimate cool down.

Banana Almond Smoothie
adapted from NY Times

makes 1 drink

Ingredients
1 medium to large banana, peeled and sliced crosswise 1-inch thick, then frozen
2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped almonds for garnish

Directions
Place the frozen banana slices, vanilla almond milk, peanut butter, and honey in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer the smoothie to a tall glass. Garnish with chopped almonds and serve.

Note: If using a blender, 2 ice cubes can be used instead of freezing the banana.