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Thick, creamy vegan fig smoothie with frozen banana, fresh figs, almond milk, almond butter and hemp hearts. No added sugar, ready in 5 minutes.
The figs in this smoothie came from a backyard tree that belongs to my boyfriend’s grandma’s uncle.
We came home with a whole bowl, far more than we could eat fresh, so the softest ones went into the blender.
I never found out the exact variety, only that they’re green outside and bright red inside. This fig smoothie is thick, creamy and naturally sweet, like a fig milkshake.
It’s vegan, with frozen banana, fresh figs, almond milk, almond butter and hemp hearts, and it makes 2 glasses in about 2 minutes.
The thing I learned making it: peel the figs. The skins are a bit tough, and they turn the smoothie a muddy greenish-brown.
Peeled, the figs blend completely smooth and the fig smoothie comes out a creamy, pale pink. Any fresh fig variety works, green or purple.
The other trick is frozen banana instead of ice. It makes the smoothie thick and cold without watering it down.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This fig smoothie is simple, seasonal and fully vegan, with plant protein from hemp hearts and almond butter and no added sugar.
For a more filling breakfast, add a scoop of pea protein and each glass goes from about 7 to about 17 grams of protein.
It costs under $2 a glass, compared with $8 to $10 at a smoothie shop.
Just keep in mind that fruit smoothies aren’t as light as they look: each glass is about 240 calories and 25 grams of natural sugar, so I treat it as breakfast, not a drink on the side.
How to Make a Fig Smoothie
Peel, add everything to the blender, blend until smooth.
- Peel the figs by pulling the skin back from the stem end with your fingers or a small knife. Ripe figs peel in seconds.
- Add the almond milk to the blender first so the blades move freely.
- Add the frozen banana, peeled figs, almond butter, hemp hearts, maca powder and pea protein, if using.
- Blend on high for 45–60 seconds, until completely smooth and thick.
- Taste. Ripe figs and banana are usually sweet enough. Only if your figs weren’t ripe, add a teaspoon of maple syrup and blend again.
- Pour into 2 glasses, top with a fig wedge, a few mint leaves and a pinch of hemp hearts, and drink right away.
Tips
- Peel the figs. The skin makes the smoothie grainy and darker. Peeled figs blend silky smooth and pale pink.
- Use a very ripe banana, frozen. Slice it before freezing so it blends easily. The riper the banana, the less you’ll want any sweetener.
- Liquid goes in first. Almond milk at the bottom keeps the frozen banana from jamming the blades.
- Hemp hearts blend in completely. You won’t taste them or see them, but they add protein and a mild nutty flavor that works with almond butter.
- Pea protein is an easy add-in. Unflavored or vanilla pea protein disappears into the figs and banana. Add a splash more almond milk if it gets too thick.
- Maca is optional. It adds a malty, caramel-like note. If you don’t have it, skip it, and the smoothie is still great.
- Watch the portion. Figs, banana and almond butter are all good for you, but the calories and sugar add up fast. One batch makes 2 glasses; drinking it all yourself doubles everything.
- Freeze extra figs. Peel and freeze ripe figs in a bag in season, and you can make this fig smoothie in winter too.
Serving Ideas + More Recipes
For a fuller breakfast, pair the fig smoothie with something savory and high in protein, like my Egg White Breakfast Cups. You can bake a batch on Sunday and grab two with your smoothie all week. Pour any leftovers into popsicle molds for an after-school snack.
If you have more figs to use up, try my Arugula Burrata Salad with Figs and Tomatoes for lunch, or Fig Salad for guests. For a savory fig lunch, my Fig Toast with Burrata and Arugula takes 10 minutes.
Fig Smoothie with Banana and Almond Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large ripe banana, sliced and frozen
- 4 fresh figs, peeled
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 tsp maca powder, optional
- 1 scoop, about 25 g unflavored or vanilla pea protein (optional)
- 1 tsp maple syrup, optional
- Fresh mint, fig wedges and hemp hearts, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the almond milk into the blender.
- Add the frozen banana, peeled figs, almond butter, hemp hearts, maca powder and pea protein, if using.
- Blend on high for 45–60 seconds until smooth, adding a splash more almond milk if too thick.
- Taste and add sweetener only if needed.
- Divide between 2 glasses, garnish with mint, fig wedges and hemp hearts, and serve immediately.
Notes
- No frozen banana: use a fresh banana plus 3–4 ice cubes.
- Peeled figs freeze well for up to 3 months.
- Vegan as written. Each glass has about 25 g natural sugar from the fruit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
Do you have to peel figs for a smoothie? You don’t have to, but I always do. With the skin on, the smoothie turns out grainier and a darker, greenish-brown color. Peeled figs blend completely smooth and give it a pretty pale pink color. Ripe figs peel in a few seconds by hand.
Is a fig smoothie healthy, or is it too much sugar? It’s a good breakfast, but it’s not a light one. One glass has about 240 calories and roughly 25 grams of natural sugar from the figs and banana, which is similar to eating a banana and two figs. That sugar comes with fiber, fat and protein, but it still counts. I drink one glass as my whole breakfast, keep the maple syrup out, and skip dried figs, which have even more sugar.
How can I make this fig smoothie higher in protein? The easiest way is a scoop of pea protein, which adds about 20 grams to the batch, around 10 per glass, and keeps it dairy-free. If you’d rather skip powder, swap the almond milk for regular milk or add ½ cup plain Greek yogurt for 6–10 grams more. A spoonful of cottage cheese works too, and you won’t taste it.
Can I make a fig smoothie ahead of time? It’s best fresh, because it separates and loses its thickness in the fridge. To prep ahead, portion the peeled figs, banana, hemp hearts and maca into freezer bags. In the morning, dump one bag into the blender with the almond milk and almond butter.
