(updated May 3, 2023) // by Phoebe Lapine // 19 comments
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Breakfast is such an idiosyncratic ritual.
I’ve never been the biggest eater in the morning, but I’ve certainly cycled through my fair share of phases. In high school, it was yogurt. In college, it was cereal. Today, it’s Kind bars (or leftovers). If you can’t tell from that list, weekday breakfast is one of the few meals that does not involve cooking. And until there’s a man waking up next to me, I’d like to keep it that way.
It’s probably because of this that I’ve never shared a smoothie recipe with you. I love drinking smoothies – they’re pretty much the only way I get fruit in my system. But making them seems like a lot of trouble for very little reward. I’d much prefer cleaning grease off my stovetop as a result of a fried egg than dealing with knives, cutting boards, and food processor bowls for a beverage. But I realize that I may be alone here, and especially for the beginner or non-cook, smoothies are a nice gateway dish to getting more involved with your meals.
Breakfast is pretty much the only meal that my dad makes for himself. It’s usually a pot of oatmeal, and usually prepared at some unseemly hour of the morning in an insomniatic state. But smoothies are a close second. A few years ago, I got him what he claims was the best Father’s Day gift ever. It was a smoothie maker with an accompanying smoothie cookbook. He took it out to Martha’s Vineyard and, from what I can tell, has mainly used it to make margaritas.
Father’s Day is coming up, so I thought I’d try my hand at a smoothie for my dad’s sake, and for all the rest of you out there who are less lazy in the morning than I am.
I love the idea of getting a little caffeine from my morning smoothie, and thought banana and Chai tea would make an excellent combination. Like most smoothies, you can mix and match the add-ins – coconut milk instead of almond, ground ginger instead of fresh, agave instead of honey. The result is all the same: the blender will be dirty, and your breakfast will be delicious.
Bottoms up!
Xo
Phoebe
Banana-Chai Smoothies
This is one of those room temperature smoothies. If you want yours colder, simply store the finished smoothie in the fridge until ready to drink. I used organic Tazo chai teabags for my concentrate. If you have loose tea, simply use a scant tablespoon in a diffuser.
Total Time 15 minutes minutes
Servings 2
Author Phoebe Lapine
Ingredients
- 1 Chai teabag
- 2 medium banana peeled
- 1- inch knob ginger peeled
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- Cinnamon for garnish optional
Instructions
Bring a kettle filled with water to boil. Place the teabag in a heat-safe cup and pour 1 cup of hot water over it. Steep for 5 minutes. Remove teabag and cool tea concentrate in the fridge or freezer until room temperature. (Can be done in advance).
Meanwhile, in a small food processor or blender, puree the bananas, ginger, honey, and milk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the Chai concentrate and puree to combine.
Transfer the smoothie to glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g
If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!
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Comments
Essie says
YUM! I picked up chai at the store tonight just so I can make this tomorrow morning!
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Phoebe Lapine says
YOU ROCK
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Frankie says
My boyfriend eats a banana every morning. I think I’ll serve him this one in bed on Father’s Day cuz he’s my daddy. 🙂
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Jared says
Uh, yes please
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Erin Bellsey says
This looks amazing. Fun seeing you Saturday night and I love your blog!
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Phoebe Lapine says
So fun!! and thank you for stopping by 🙂 thrilled you like it! let’s cook together sometime. xo
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Phoebe Lapine says
So fun seeing you too Erin!! let’s do it again soon 🙂
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HillyHo says
Haha… The Margarita comment… haa!
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Phoebe Lapine says
That JL 🙂
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Dawn Lopez says
Oh wow, this looks absolutely amazing! What a great idea, this sounds like a breakfast that would acctually make me want to get out of bed! YUM!
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Phoebe Lapine says
Let me know if you try it Dawn! xo
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