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This Tropical Smoothie peanut butter cup recipe is a healthier, naturally sweetened alternative to the deliciously creamy chocolate peanut butter cup smoothie! Learn how to make a lower-sugar version at home to serve to your kids as a tasty treat anytime!
Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie Tropical Smoothie Recipe
My kids absolutely love the peanut butter cup smoothie at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, so we decided to create our own healthier version at home! It’s tastes just like the real thing, but is more nutritious and more budget-friendly too!
Fortunately, this copycat recipe is sweetened with dates instead of turbinado sugar for a no-added sugar version, and I’ve included some helpful tips to add more protein and fiber as well.
You’ll be pleased to know it’s super easy to make and uses just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand!
Peanut butter cup smoothie
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Why We Love This Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie Recipe
- Easy to make: This is really a blend-and-go situation. Once the dates are softened, blend everything together and serve! This healthy treat will be ready in minutes.
- Creamy texture: The mixture of peanut butter, banana, dates, and milk is so lusciously creamy in this Tropical Smoothie peanut butter banana smoothie! It tastes just like dessert!
- Healthier alternative: Since this delicious smoothie is sweetened with dates and banana instead of sugar and contains an extra dose of fiber, your kids will have less of a blood sugar spike after consuming it. It’s also way lower in calories than the one from the shop, which has a whopping 700 calories per serving! You can even add some cottage cheese, which makes it even creamier and gives it an added boost of protein. You’ll feel way better serving this version than the original!
Ingredient Notes
- Milk: Tropical Smoothie Cafe typically uses water, but I prefer milk for a creamy smoothie and extra nutrients. Feel free to use any type of milk – regular dairy milk or a dairy-free alternative such as almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, etc.
- Natural peanut butter: Make sure the creamy peanut butter has no added sugar. You can substitute other nut butters, but they won’t have the same chocolate peanut butter flavor.
- Banana: Use a frozen overripe banana for a creamy consistency and cut it into chunks for easy blending.
- Soft pitted dates: Be sure to soften these in some boiling water before blending, especially if they’re on the firmer side.
- Dark cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder will add a chocolate flavor without a lot of extra fat or calories. Cacao powder would work well, too.
- Vanilla extract: For a little extra flavor to pump up the sweetness of the bananas and dates.
- Ice: Ice cubes are optional, but they can make your smoothie thicker and creamier.
- Cottage cheese: This is an optional upgrade to increase the protein content. It doesn’t make the smoothie taste like cottage cheese – it just becomes extra creamy!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and a high-speed blender. Add the milk, peanut butter, frozen banana, cocoa powder, dates, and vanilla. Blend on high until smooth and combined. Add ice until desired consistency is achieved.
- For extra protein, you can also blend in a ¼ cup of cottage cheese. If desired, garnish your smoothie with a drizzle of peanut butter and/or a sprinkle of chopped dark chocolate. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- Use an overripe banana for a sweeter smoothie with a milder banana taste.
- Soak your dates in boiling water for 5-10 minutes if they’re hard to ensure they blend up smoothly. I usually just boil water in a kettle and cover the dates in a bowl with the boiling water for a few minutes.
- I used a high speed blender and used ¼ cup milk since we like a thicker smoothie. If your blender is not high power, you may need extra milk to break down the banana and dates.
- Add ice to taste. Make sure that you add it after the other ingredients are blended together to prevent burning out your blender.
Recipe FAQs
The Tropical Cafe does not list the exact ingredients for its chocolate peanut butter smoothie on its website, but it looks like a mixture of turbinado sugar, ripe bananas, dark cocoa powder, peanut butter, water, and ice.
Not always! For example, the iconic peanut butter cup Tropical Smoothie contains 108 grams of sugar, 131 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of fat, and 700 calories. This fits it squarely in the dessert category; not something to be consumed on a regular basis. It has an exceptionally high amount of sugar, especially for kids!
Fortunately, you can easily make your own healthier chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie at home with wholesome ingredients that still tastes amazing! This version is naturally sweetened with dates instead of added sugar and has plenty of the healthy fats your kids need while also offering additional fiber, protein and extra bone-building calcium too.
Unfortunately, smoothies do not refrigerate well, since any frozen elements begin to melt and create a watery mess. It’s way better to make each smoothie to order. Fortunately, this Tropical Smoothie Cafe peanut butter cup smoothie is really quick to make! You can even freeze the bananas to have them prepped and ready to go. If you do end up with leftovers, freeze them in popsicle molds for a delicious cold treat!
Storage Guidelines
- This delicious peanut butter cup smoothie is best served fresh! You can try to refrigerate it for about 30 minutes if needed, but the ice will begin to melt, creating a more watery consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Although this recipe is a healthier alternative to the peanut butter smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I still recommend offering it in smaller servings as part of a quick breakfast or snack.
Pair it with some fresh fruits for extra fiber or some high protein waffles, eggs, or these other satisfying breakfast options.
- Spinach Banana Waffles
- 3-Ingredient Protein Waffles
- Zucchini Egg Frittata Muffins
- Baby Blueberry Pancakes
- Healthy Baked Oats For One
Recipe Variations
- Smoothie bowl: Turn this tasty smoothie into a complete breakfast by making a smoothie bowl! Top it with extra sliced bananas, chopped peanuts (these are best for kids over 5 to avoid the risk of aspiration), drizzle of peanut butter and some hemp hearts or chia seeds for extra nutrition.
- Freeze it: Leftover smoothies can easily be poured into popsicle molds or ice cube trays for a healthier dessert that also reduces your food waste!
- Change the nut butters: Peanut butter is a key ingredient in the original recipe, but you can change it however you’d like! I also like to use cashew butter, almond butter, or nut-free seed butter.
- Increase the protein: The cottage cheese option is a great way to make this recipe higher in protein, but you can also use Greek yogurt or a chocolate protein powder. Kids don’t generally need a lot of protein, so a little will do.
- Add some chia seeds: These will break down in the smoothie to make them easy to swallow, and add lots of healthy Omega-3 fats and fiber.
More Favorite Smoothie Recipes
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Healthy Tropical Smoothie Peanut Butter Cup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup milk or milk alternative (or more as needed)
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 large frozen overripe banana, cut into chunks
- 4-5 soft pitted dates
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Ice cubes (optional)
For extra protein (optional)
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and a high power blender. Add the milk, peanut butter, frozen banana, cocoa powder, dates, and vanilla. Blend on high until smooth and combined. Add ice until desired consistency is achieved.
- For extra protein, you can also blend in a ¼ cup of cottage cheese. If desired, garnish your smoothie with a drizzle of peanut butter and/or a sprinkle of chopped dark chocolate. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Use an overripe banana for a sweeter smoothie with a milder banana taste.
- Soak your dates in boiling water for 5-10 minutes if they’re hard to ensure they blend up smoothly. I usually just boil water in a kettle and cover the dates in a bowl with the boiling water for a few minutes.
- I used a high speed blender and used ¼ cup milk since we like a thicker smoothie. If your blender is not high power, you may need extra milk to break down the banana and dates.
- Add ice to taste. Make sure that you add it after the other ingredients are blended together to prevent burning out your blender.
