Nut Butter Recipes: 7 Refreshing Smoothies to Make This Summer

Nothing says summer like a refreshing smoothie. Nevertheless, after repeatedly blending the same combination of fruits for a smoothie, it's inevitable to grow weary of the same blend day after day.

Fortunately, you can mix it up by giving your summer smoothie a twist. All it takes is a spoonful of our high protein peanut butter (or almond or cashew) and a few minutes of your time to craft these summer smoothie recipes.

Plus, it's a great way of avoiding store-bought, pre-made smoothies that are loaded with sugar. This means you can incorporate a healthy, homemade smoothie as part of your balanced diet.

Ready to get started with something new? Here are some must-try smoothie recipes for this summer.

1. High Protein Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

A peanut butter banana smoothie is a classic go-to smoothie. 

This is an easy-to-make, simple recipe that only uses a handful of ingredients. It's a great recipe for those on a budget or for anyone looking to stretch their pantry goods a little further in-between grocery trips. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup banana (frozen)
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup milk

Place all of your ingredients in your blender, blending until smooth. Feel free to add more milk for a thinner smoothie, or more oats or banana for a thicker smoothie. Serve it immediately or freeze it and reblend it later.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

Looking for some add-ins and substitutions to modify your peanut butter smoothie? Honey is always a great addition, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

For extra nutrition, add hemp seeds or flaxseed meal. A single tablespoon of flaxseed provides 1.3 grams of protein, 1.9 grams of fiber, plus copper, magnesium, manganese, and more.

The greatest benefit of flaxseed is heart health. Flaxseed is rich in omega-3, which may lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart arrhythmia, and lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke.  

Hemp seeds are also rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In addition to being protein-rich, they are a source of calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. 

You can also take this smoothie to the next level with some small-batch, handcrafted peanut butter. Naturally, we have a wide variety of peanut butter options for you, including Cinnamon Coffee Cake Peanut Butter and Monster Cookie Peanut Butter.

If you need a gluten-free option, we have plenty, such as our Just Plain Nutty Peanut Butter, Gimme S'more Peanut Butter, or our Chipwrecked Peanut Butter. We have many types of peanut butter for you to choose from, so we are sure you will find something you like!

If you're looking for gluten-free options, we've got you covered with a variety of choices, such as Just Plain Nutty Peanut Butter, Gimme S'more Peanut Butter, or Chipwrecked Peanut Butter. With our wide selection, we're confident you'll discover a peanut butter that satisfies your taste buds and meets your dietary needs!

2. Cocoa Banana Peanut Butter Soy Smoothie

Who doesn't love a chocolatey drink in the morning? Why not start your day with this cocoa banana soy smoothie? 

Despite its name, it doesn't have to be loaded with sugar, especially if you opt for one of our natural, no sugar added peanut butters.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• ½ cup soy milk
• ½ cup silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Blend your cocoa, soy milk, tofu, and peanut butter in your blender until smooth. Slice your banana, adding it to the mix. Puree everything until smooth.

If using unsweetened cocoa powder, consider adding a tablespoon of honey to sweeten it.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

You can substitute almond milk for soy milk if you would like. 

If you're a little more calorie conscious, cut the amount of cocoa powder in half, and only use 1 tablespoon. Or for a less sweet option, choose dark cocoa powder.

For peanut butter, we recommend our Just Plain Nutty Peanut Butter. It's a natural peanut butter with a touch of sea salt, made free from unnecessary stabilizers, oils, and thickeners.

3. Almond Butter Smoothie

While peanut butter smoothies are great, occasionally you want to mix it up with a different kind of nut butter. Almond butter is a great choice, and so is this almond butter smoothie. 

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

This recipe is super simple to make. Combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth. It's literally that easy to make.

It's also a very flexible recipe, with lots of fun add-ons you can implement for some super flavor.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

For a thicker drink (and more fiber) toss in some oats.

Consider adding some spinach or another leafy green if you're looking to get some more veggies into your diet. You can also toss in some fruit like blueberries for more nutrients (and a little more color). 

Vanilla extract, ginger, and cinnamon are great additions to this smoothie. Better yet, give it a hint of chai flavor with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cardamom. It's a bold, cozy flavor that makes for a perfect seasonal Fall flavor (or any time of year, really).

If you haven't made your own chai spice mix before, you can follow this recipe for a homemade chai mix. It's very easy to do, and as a bonus, you will have plenty left over for future smoothies and other drinks and foods. 

For your almond butter, we recommend our Just Plain Nutty Almond Butter. It's a gluten-free option that contains roasted almonds and sea salts. That's it.

Or get a little crazy with it. Add some red, white, and blue color with our Starberry Blast Almond Butter.

Think of it like a strawberry milkshake fused with a pastry pop. The almond butter is topped with golden sandwich cookies and sprinkles. It looks and tastes delicious.

4. Espresso Almond Butter Smoothie

Here's another great almond butter smoothie recipe, but with a nice boost of coffee to start your day. Or pick you up in the afternoon. Or get you ready for your overnight shift.

Really, any time you need a coffee pickup, this Espresso smoothie will do the trick.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• ¼ cup almond butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee

Combine the ingredients in your blender, until smooth. You will want to make sure the coffee is well-blended into your smoothie, so you may need to use your blender's "pulse" button for a few seconds.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

Our Cinnamon Toasties Almond Butter comes with cinnamon-infused sugar crystals. Along with cinnamon, expect a hint of molasses. We added in some whey protein too, giving you a whopping 7 grams of protein in a single 2 tablespoon serving.  

The amount of protein you need depends on your age, weight, gender, physical activity, and other factors. Generally speaking, the average adult will want to aim for about 50 grams of protein per day. However, those who are more physically active or pregnant will require more.

To find out how much protein you need, you can use this protein calculator.

Vanilla extract is a great addition to this drink, so don't be afraid to add a dash of vanilla or another similar coffee flavoring.

You can always try using flavored instant coffee too. Or substitute regular coffee for decaf if you want to minimize your caffeine intake. 

5. Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Smoothie

Dark chocolate fans, this one's for you! If you want a smoothie that tastes more like a milkshake, you need to try this high protein dark chocolate almond butter smoothie.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana (frozen)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 2 figs (frozen)
• 1.5 tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)

This is another super easy smoothie to make. Simply place the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner smoothie, add in a little more almond milk.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

If you want to add a fresh, minty twist to your smoothie, our Mint Chocolate Dream Almond Butter will do the trick. 

It's our same great almond butter recipe but topped with mint chocolate chips, sandwich cookies, and mint candy. It's only lightly sweetened with Stevia, so it's not overloaded with sugar. Plus a single 2 tablespoon serving will add a whopping 8 grams of protein to your day. 

Another great addition to this drink is chia seeds. Chia seeds have been labeled a superfood, which is a term that often gets used as a buzzword. 

However, chia seeds have been shown to have numerous health benefits. Chia seeds are a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. Just two tablespoons contain 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 7 grams of unsaturated fat, and trace amounts of minerals such as copper and zinc. 

Chia seeds are super versatile and don't have a distinctive flavor, so you can add them to any drink without worrying about changing the taste. Chia seeds come in either a white or black variety, but the nutritional value of both is the same. 

Try adding a tablespoon or two of chia seeds to this smoothie (or any of our smoothie recipes) for an extra dose of protein, fiber, and minerals.

6. Cherry Cashew Butter Smoothie

Peanut butter and almond butter aren't the only nut butters that make for a great smoothie. Cashew butter is also a great addition to your drink. This Cherry Cashew Butter Smoothie is a sweet, tart smoothie that will give you a boost of antioxidants thanks to the cherries.

Ingredients:

• ½ banana
• ½ cup dark red cherries
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1/3 Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup oats

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, blending until smooth.

Add-Ins and Substitutions

For this recipe, we recommend using cashew milk as your milk of choice but feel free to substitute another type of milk if you prefer. 

Our Just Plain Nutty Cashew Butter is a must for this recipe. It's gluten-free, and the ingredients are roasted cashews and sea salt - that's it! It's vegan and paleo-friendly.

If you prefer a fruitier flavor, try our Peach Connler A La Mode or Going Bananas Cashew Butter. Both will pack a punch and add an extra dose of taste to your smoothie. 

A spoonful of your favorite protein powder is also a great addition to this drink. 

Finally, you can even substitute another berry for cherries. Try raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.

7. Pumpkin Cashew Butter Smoothie

Who says pumpkin is only for the fall? This Pumpkin Cashew Butter Smoothie will convince you that pumpkin is a good flavor any time - not just during the fall months. It's also a great way to use any leftover canned pumpkin you may have. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons pumpkin (puree)
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter
• 1 cup almond milk 
• ½ banana (frozen)
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen)

Blend all of your ingredients together until smooth. If needed, add additional milk for a thinner smoothie. 

Add-Ins and Substitutions

Our Just Plain Nutty Cashew Butter is the perfect natural cashew butter for this recipe or opt for one of our flavored cashew butters for an extra punch of taste. 

You can also top this smoothie with some granola. Low-sugar granola will add additional fiber, minerals, and antioxidants to your smoothie.

Looking for even more Fall flavors? Use fall fruits such as apples, grapes, pears, dates, figs, or cranberries for an additional Fall taste. 

Enjoy Your Summer With These Smoothies

These recipes prove that your smoothies can be anything but dull. Incorporating high-protein nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter into various smoothie recipes elevates them to new heights. If you're craving a break from the usual, these recipes are a must-try. 

Not sure what to look for? Browse our full selection of peanut, almond, and cashew butter. They are always low sugar, low carb, free of artificial sweeteners, and high in protein. No matter what your smoothie needs are, we have a nut butter to make it great!