Blueberry Banana Smoothie (Inspired by Heated Rivalry)

Blueberries, banana, pineapple, and kale are blended together with rich coconut milk and Greek yogurt in this blueberry banana smoothie. Enjoy this smoothie for breakfast or mix it up for a refreshing afternoon snack. You can’t even taste the kale!

At the end of December, I did what a lot of the world did and fell headfirst into the artistic masterpiece and cultural phenomenon that is Heated Rivalry. What started as me and AJ sitting down to “see what the hype was about” turned into a quick binge through all six episodes, a reheat shortly after (that’s what it’s called when you rewatch Heated Rivalry) and texts and DMs with friends that have turned into a fully formed group chat all about the show, the book, the characters, the actors, and more. (Yes we call ourselves “loons” but are thinking about changing our group chat name to “millooneals” because we are elderly millenial women. Get it?)

Some people join book clubs, I join themed emotional support group chats with my friends.

Somewhere between the tension and the tenderness, the first scene between Scott and Kip at the smoothie shop lodged into my brain and refused to leave.

How I recreated Scott and Kip’s Blueberry Banana Smoothie

By piecing together moments from Rachel Reid’s book The Gamechangers and the smoothie shop scene in the show, I set to create my own version of the Blue Moon Over Brooklyn smoothie that is the beginning of Kip and Scott’s love story.

“There’s the one with blueberries and pineapple and kale–but you can’t taste the kale, I swear! It’s good. I like it.”
“That would be the Blue Moon over Brooklyn?”
“I make it for myself in the morning, I add a banana.”
“Oh, so you’re kind of wild.”
“The banana makes a big difference.”
“Oh, you weren’t kidding.”

What I’ve come up with is blueberry, pineapple and kale (but I swear you can’t taste it!) from the book, and then banana of course, from the show.

Whether you’re here for the hockey, the romance or a great, balance breakfast or snack with a good amount of protein that tastes good, this one’s for the loons.

Why you’ll love this blueberry banana smoothie recipe

If the idea of a smoothie with kale in it gives you pause, stick with me. I promise I’m not going to let you down!

This blueberry banana smoothie tastes just as its name suggests: like blueberries and banana. It’s sweet, creamy, and has the perfect thick texture.

To quote my mom: “Wow, you can’t taste the kale!” PS: my kids also loved it.

This recipe is perfect for breakfast on the go (I am obsessed with easy, quick breakfast options, including this orange beet smoothie, baked eggs in avocado, breakfast casserole and sweet potato hash).

Ingredients you’ll need

The ingredients for this blueberry banana smoothie are things that I tend to keep in our fridge and freezer already, so it’s pretty easy to throw together any time I need a quick and easy breakfast.

To make this smoothie, you’ll need:

• Frozen blueberries and frozen pineapple chunks: To make our smoothie nice and thick, I like to use frozen blueberries and frozen pineapple. This also makes the smoothie a little more economical, since frozen fruit is often less expensive and fresh blueberries aren’t always in season.
• Fresh kale leaves: I promise this smoothie doesn’t taste like kale. The sweetness of the fruit completely masks the flavor of the kale, so it simply adds a great nutritional boost to this recipe! Be sure to remove the kale stems and either roughly chop or tear the leaves.
• Banana: Since we’re using frozen blueberries and pineapple, I like to use a fresh banana in this smoothie.
• Coconut milk: You can use any plant-based milk you like best, but I love the flavor of coconut milk with the blueberries, banana, and pineapple. I use the coconut milk in the carton, not canned coconut milk.
• Plain Greek yogurt: This makes the smoothie extra creamy and adds a boost of protein. You can swap your preferred plant-based yogurt, Skyr, or even sheep-milk yogurt if you prefer.
• Vanilla protein powder: Optional, but I like to include it for an even more filling smoothie. My favorite is Optimum Nutrition’s Vanilla Whey Protein Powder.
  
  

How to make my blueberry banana smoothie

This recipe is so easy it will take you less than 5 minutes to make.

First pull all of your ingredients out of the fridge and freezer and measure them out. As you measure the frozen fruit, dump it into a blender.

Remove the kale leaves from the stems and give them a quick chop (to be honest, sometimes I just skip the knife and use my hands). Add the kale, banana, yogurt, coconut milk and protein powder (if using) to the blender.

Blend all of the ingredients together until the smoothie is smooth and creamy.

If the smoothie is too thick, add some additional coconut milk or water to thin it out. If it is too thin, you can add more frozen fruit or ice cubes.

Pour the smoothie into a glass and enjoy! This recipe can easily serve two people, but I drink it as one serving because I love a big ass smoothie.

Tip: this smoothie is best paired with episodes 3 and 5 of Heated Rivalry!

Recipe variations

This recipe is really easy to substitute ingredients, so substitute what you like and no one will call you a “stupid Canadian wolf bird” for subbing things.

Not a fan of coconut milk or don’t have any? No problem! You can use any plant-based milk alternative like unsweetened soy milk, hemp milk, or almond milk in its place as an alternative.

You can substitute the Greek yogurt for a plant-based yogurt alternative, Skyr, or sheep’s yogurt (I love Greek yogurt and Skyr because they are higher in protein).

Speaking of protein, for an additional boost, you can add liquid egg whites (I like to do this when I am making this smoothie for breakfast).

This smoothie is pretty sweet, but if you want it a little sweeter, add more banana, a Medjool date, maple syrup or a bit of honey.