There’s a secret ingredient in this peanut butter banana smoothie. An ingredient that isn’t very popular in the States, and it’s something I grew up eating. If you’ve had Ovaltine before, you’d like this secret ingredient.
Meet Milo. A chocolate malt powder that can be mixed with water or milk. You can drink it hot or cold (usually by simply adding ice). It’s a drink that was originally developed in Columbia in the 1930′s and since then the drink has been consumed from around the world. You may have seen Milo cereal or Milo chocolate bar outside of the United States. According to Wikipedia “the name [Milo] was derived from the famous Ancient Greek athlete Milo of Crotona, after his legendary strength.” So it’s no surprise that Milo is often tied to soccer in Colombia.
Like Ovaltine, Milo’s malt chocolate taste is what I prefer when I’m craving for a cup of hot chocolate. You can find both Ovaltine and Milo at any Chinese/Asian supermarket. While you’re there, you may even see another Hong Kong cafe favorite – Horlicks. When we were in Thailand last month, we saw Milo at a local supermarket so we just got some there. It came in a green bag with about 20 individual packets. I’m pretty sure they also sell them in tins and jars.
The other day I was wanting a peanut butter banana smoothie, and I was thinking of using something to substitute for cow’s milk. My thought immediately went to almond milk just because I really like the taste of it. Then I thought of Ovaltine, and all in a sudden I remember the Milo that’s in my pantry. That was my light bulb moment.
To make this smoothie, I wanted some good peanut butter. (I’m not gonna lie. My first choice would have been Justin’s but I couldn’t pass the over-$10 a jar at my local store.) I’ve had Peanut Butter & Co. PB before and I really really liked it, and on top of that it only costs almost half less than Justin’s. I still yet have to go experience the Peanut Butter & Co. Sandwich Shop on Sullivan Street! Doesn’t their menu just sound so OMG? And let’s talk about their branding for a second. Nicely done! I dig. After browsing all the products on their site, I had made a mental note that I need to try all 10 of their PB flavors (AND the jams, AND the snacks).
Anyway, I need stop talking about PB right now or I’m gonna lose control and run to the store to get some more PB! What I ended up doing with Milo and the almond milk was just mixing the two together as the liquid for the smoothie. I warmed up 1 cup of almond milk in the microwave (lukewarm but not hot), then stir in the powder. You should probably let the Milo cool off completely before making your smoothie (unless you like to drink your smoothie warm…) Stick it in the freezer and that’d speed things up. I was planning on adding honey to the smoothie but the PB i got already had honey so that was perfect. After blending everything together, garnish with some quick oats on top. Voilà! You just got yourself a breakfast treat.
Milo Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
You'll need:
- 1 cup of almond milk (homemade or store bought)
- 1 packet of Milo powder (or 3 tbsp)
- 2 ripe bananas
- 3 tbsp of Peanut Butter & Co.’s The Bee’s Knees
- 4 ice cubes some quick oats, enough for garnish
Approach:
- Warm up almond milk on the stove or microwave, and stir in Milo. Lukewarm is fine, doesn’t need to be hot.
- Let Milo cool off completely.
- Peel and cut bananas into the blender.
- Spoon in peanut butter, then add the Milo mix and the ice cubes.
- Hit the button and let the blender do its job. (Add a little more almond milk if it’s too thick for your taste.)
- Top with some quick oats as garnish.
Notes:
No Milo? No worries. Sub with regular hot coco instead!