High Fiber Smoothie Recipes with Prune Juice

Show your gut some TLC—give one of these high fiber smoothie recipes a try! Five healthy breakfast smoothie recipes WITHOUT banana, made with prune juice for natural sweetness instead. Vegan-friendly, simple ingredients, made with no added sugars.

For more naturally-sweet prune juice smoothies, try my Mango Protein Smoothie & Mint Chip Smoothie!

Breakfast smoothies are the perfect opportunity to incorporate some of the nutritious foods that we might not eat otherwise! Personally, I think the BEST smoothie recipes are the simplest—made with real ingredients and little-to-no added sugar or artificial junk. That’s the approach I’ve taken with these recipes: easy, wholesome, and made entirely of real foods.

Prune juice is rich in dietary fiber, making all of these great drinks for digestive health. And, thanks to its natural sweetness, you can make all of these prune juice smoothies with no sugar, no sweeteners, and no banana! For those who aren’t fans of banana, I’ll show you how to make smoothies without banana, using simple substitutes for natural sweetness & creaminess. Then, I’ve got 5 high fiber smoothie recipes to share that are all banana-free—each with 3g fiber or more, and some with as much as 11g!

How to Add Fiber to Smoothies Naturally

There’s no secret to making smoothies that are high in fiber, and no powders or supplements are needed. Really, the best sources of fiber are good old fruits and veggies. Some contain more than others, but all plant-based foods offer some of the gut-loving fiber that we all need.

You’ve probably heard that fiber is important, or that we all need to eat more fiber—but why? What is fiber and how is it important to our health?

What is Fiber and Why Do We Need It?

Dietary fiber comes from plant matter (hence the term ‘fiber,’ from fibrous plant matter) like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. And, unlike other nutrients that we need to survive—like carbs (sugars), proteins, and fats—fiber moves through the body undigested. Fiber doesn’t provide the body with nutrients, but it plays a crucial role in digestion and our gut microbiome.

Fiber is associated with a range of health benefits, including regularity of bowel movements, preventing or easing constipation, regulating blood sugar, and even weight loss. But, one of fiber’s most important functions is helping to feed our healthy gut bacteria.

Dietary fiber passes through the stomach undigested and goes into the colon, where it helps keep the microbiome in balance. Each of us has a microbiome: a microscopic ecosystem made up of billions of bacteria in our bodies. Increasingly, research points to the crucial role that the microbiome plays not just in digestion, but also in our immune systems and overall health.

The key to a healthy microbiome is a healthy balance of gut bacteria: enough ‘good’ gut bugs, and not too many ‘bad’ gut bugs. By feeding and protecting our healthy gut bacteria, we can improve multiple dimensions of our health, including and beyond the digestive system. That’s where fiber comes in—offering fuel for those healthy gut bugs to keep our microbiome in balance!

High Fiber Smoothie Ingredients

Even though fiber isn’t a digestible nutrient that provides us with fuel, it’s absolutely crucial to our bodies and our digestive systems. That’s why there’s even a recommended daily intake (RDI) for fiber: 25g for women, 38g for men. Yet, most Americans only consume about half of the RDI, around 15-17g per day.

Clearly, we could all afford to fill our days with more fruits and veggies—including nutritious fruit smoothie recipes like these! Remember, fiber is plant matter. So just about any fruit, veggie, nut, seed, or whole grain can offer you some fiber. But for the highest fiber content, try to look for foods in their raw, unrefined, unprocessed forms. (Generally, the more processed a food is, the more fiber has been stripped from it.)

Check out the lists below for some examples of high fiber foods that you can use to make smoothies for breakfast. Then, use your favorites to come up with your own high fiber smoothie recipes at home!

Fresh & Dried Fruits

• Raspberries—8g per cup
• Blackberries—8g per cup
• Avocado—6 to 7g per ½ fruit
• Pears—5g per medium fruit
• Apples—4g per medium fruit
• Blueberries—4g per cup
• Oranges—4g per medium fruit
• Pomegranate arils—3 to 4g per ½ cup
• Prunes—3g per 5-6 prunes
• Strawberries—3g per cup
• Bananas—3g per medium fruit

Vegetables

• Beets—4g per cup
• Sweet potato—4g per medium potato
• Carrots—3 to 4g per cup
• Bell pepper—3g per medium pepper
• Broccoli—2 to 3g per cup
• Cauliflower—2g per cup
• Celery—1.5g per cup
• Kale—1.5g per cup
• Spinach—1g per cup

Nuts & Seeds

• Chia seeds—3 to 4g per Tbsp
• Ground flax seed—3g per Tbsp
• Almonds or almond flour—3 to 4g per ¼ cup
• Pecans—3g per ¼ cup
• Walnuts—2g per ¼ cup

Whole Grains

• Oats—8g per half cup raw
• Quinoa—5g per cup cooked

Prune Juice Fiber & Nutrition

In all of the low sugar smoothie recipes below, I’m using prune juice as the liquid component—for natural sweetness and an added fiber boost! Personally, my go-to choice is Sunsweet Amaz!n™ Prune Juice. It’s all-natural and contains no preservatives or added sugars, just 100% juice from sun-sweetened prunes. Since it’s made from prunes—which are basically the most famous digestive superfood of all—Sunsweet prune juice is the perfect addition to these gut friendly smoothies.

Nutritionally, Sunsweet Amaz!n™ Prune Juice contains 3g of fiber per 8oz serving. That’s the same amount of fiber contained in a serving of 5-6 prunes—and already 12% of my daily fiber intake as a woman! Plus, Sunsweet Amaz!n™ Prune Juice also provides 5 essential vitamins and minerals that help to balance and maintain our digestive health, including potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, copper, and niacin.

Clearly, prune juice is a fantastic addition to smoothies for constipation and regularity. In fact, research suggests that prunes are a safe, natural option for treating mild to moderate constipation—even more effective than some common supplements like psyllium. Whether you’re looking to alleviate digestive troubles or just increase your fiber intake, these nutritious smoothies are great options.

What Can I Use Instead of Banana in a Smoothie?

Full disclosure: I LOVE bananas. But, every time I put out new breakfast smoothie recipes, I get TONS of requests for smoothies without banana. Some people just don’t like bananas, some people are allergic, some people just don’t have any ripe bananas at home! I get it now, I get it. So finally, I’m giving the no-banana smoothie route a try, as per your requests.

Generally, the problem I’ve had coming up with banana-free smoothie recipes is that bananas are so perfect and versatile for smoothies. They’re naturally sweet when ripe, they add great thickness and creaminess (especially when frozen)—they don’t even need to be refrigerated! But, in my quest to craft the ultimate smoothie without banana, I discovered plenty of substitutes that can add natural sweetness and creaminess.

Sweet Substitutes for Banana in Smoothies

As mentioned, prune juice is the perfect substitute for fruit smoothie recipes without banana because of its satisfying natural sweetness. No added sugars needed! (And, an 8oz serving of Sunsweet Amaz!n™ Prune Juice offers the same amount of fiber as a medium banana.) Or, you can simply toss a few whole prunes into your healthy smoothie for a boost of fiber and sweet flavor! But, there are loads of other nourishing ingredients that can add natural sweetness as well:

• Fruits—ripe pears, berries, peaches, plums, pineapple, mango

• Dried Fruits—prunes, dates, apricots, coconut shreds

• Liquids—prune juice, other fruit juices, coconut water, coconut milk/cream

• Seasonings—cinnamon, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cardamom, ground ginger, allspice, pumpkin pie spice

Thick & Creamy Substitutes for Banana in Smoothies

A frozen banana can create the perfect thick, creamy texture in a breakfast smoothie, but it’s not your only option. Besides ice (which can sometimes make a smoothie taste a bit watered-down or not-so-smooth), all kinds of frozen fruit can help to boost the creaminess. Or, pack creaminess into a smoothie without banana by using yogurt, nut butter, coconut cream, tofu—or even grains like oats!

• Ice Cubes & Frozen Fruit—sweet frozen fruits (like frozen mango, pineapple, peaches, etc.) can be a great sweetness AND creaminess substitute in smoothie recipes without banana!

• Dried Fruit—prunes, dates, apricots

• Nuts & Nut Butters—almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, walnuts, pecans, almond flour

• Yogurt—dairy or nondairy (almond milk-based, coconut milk, soymilk, etc.)

• Coconut—coconut milk or cream (especially if frozen into ice cubes!), coconut butter, shredded coconut, coconut flour

• Tofu—silken or soft, or firm/extra firm if finely chopped

• Grains—rolled or quick cooking oats, cooked quinoa

High Fiber Smoothie Recipes for Constipation & Regularity

Now that you’ve got some ingredient ideas for breakfast smoothie recipes without banana, get creative in blending up your own creations! Keep in mind, these high fiber smoothies come in a wide range—from 3g fiber per serving, up to 6g fiber, all the way up to 11g. Feel free to use these recipes as inspiration and adjust the specific ingredients to suit your needs.

These prune juice smoothie recipes are satisfyingly sweet, and you don’t need to add all that much juice. Start in moderation! Add just a few ounces of juice and your smoothies will be plenty sweet, with a boost of fiber to keep you feeling satiated and promote digestive health.

Peaches & Cream Oatmeal Smoothie

For a morning that’s peachy keen, sip on this peaches and cream oatmeal smoothie! Bright and sweet, thick and creamy, and oh-so-simple—made with only 5 ingredients. Frozen peaches are the perfect sweet-and-creamy substitute in this nutritious smoothie, adding texture AND flavor at the same time. Prune juice adds another layer of sweetness, plus a dash of fiber—amounting to 4g fiber per serving!

A bit of yogurt keeps things extra creamy, with a subtle tartness to complement the sweetness. Keep this smoothie vegan by using the non-dairy yogurt of your choice, or go with a dairy based yogurt for a protein boost. Made with Greek yogurt, this breakfast smoothie contains 16g protein per serving!

Frozen peaches and yogurt aside, the real secret to thickening the texture here is making this smoothie with oats. Oats are a whole grain that’s rich in fiber, as well as resistant starch—a dynamic duo that helps to feed the friendly gut bugs in our microbiome. No need to cook them, just blend the oats in raw to create a lusciously sippable texture! It turns out so thick and creamy, you could even serve this as a breakfast smoothie bowl.

Cinnamon PlumBerry Smoothie

Here’s a high fiber smoothie with the ultimate trio of digestive super foods: a fresh plum, a few prunes, and some prune juice! Combined with the frozen blueberries, this healthy breakfast smoothie is packed with 5g of fiber per serving. Add a dash of cinnamon, and you’ve got a satisfying, naturally sweet smoothie made of clean, real ingredients and with no added sugars.

The plum, prunes, and prune juice add plenty of sweet, fruity flavor, which pairs perfectly with the tartness from those antioxidant-rich blueberries. And, thanks to the prunes and frozen fruit, this banana-free fruit smoothie turns out deliciously thick and creamy. Best of all, with just 5 basic ingredients, it’s quick and easy enough to whip up on even the busiest of mornings. For another antioxidant-rich option, try my Blueberry Acai Smoothie!

Coconut Chai Smoothie

Hands down, this chai coconut smoothie is my favorite of them all. Sweet, spiced, and unbelievably satiating—it satisfies like a full meal! Made with coconut cream and almond butter, it truly redefines creaminess.

Not only is this smoothie high in fiber, but it’s also a high fat smoothie—rich in wholesome dietary fats that keep us feeling full, and are essential to so many important processes in the body (especially the brain). Coconut cream is a great source of a unique type of fat known as MCTs, which the body can convert immediately into energy. (Check out my Keto Smoothie Recipes for more high-fat low-carb ideas.)

Between the prune juice and dates, it’s just sweet enough. Almond butter adds a hint of savory, salty goodness, while coconut cream makes for a rich and indulgent sip. Infused with a comforting blend of chai spices, this low carb coconut smoothie is a true treat to enjoy—perfect for the morning, afternoon, or evening!

Lean Green Breakfast Smoothie

For a breakfast smoothie that keeps things green and EASY, look no further than this 4-ingredient sippable superfood! You get to enjoy all of the health benefits of kale, but you won’t even taste it. Between the pineapple and prune juice, it’s got the sweet, tangy flavor of a tropical delight—plus some yogurt for irresistible creaminess!

Perfectly sweet & flavorful, thick & creamy, and loaded with green goodness. With 3g fiber per serving, it’s a high fiber smoothie your gut will appreciate! Again, adjust this recipe however you like. If you don’t want to make a kale smoothie, you can use different leafy greens like spinach or arugula. Use a dairy-based yogurt for a boost of protein and probiotics, or a non-dairy yogurt to keep your smoothie vegan. Whatever suits your lifestyle!

For maximum convenience, I made this smoothie with frozen kale and frozen pineapple. Frozen produce stores well, and it’s so easy to pull out of the freezer to use when you want it. You can even freeze fresh kale that’s on its way out to use for kale smoothies in the future!

Sneaky Sunrise Smoothie

If you struggle to fit veggies into your day, a healthy breakfast smoothie is one of the BEST places to sneak them in. But, if you’re not a fan of leafy greens, give this sneaky vegetable smoothie a try—it’s hiding an entire red bell pepper, rich in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants!

Red bell peppers are actually the most mature bell pepper, with the naturally sweetest, juiciest flavor as well as the highest concentration of nutrients and antioxidants. And, that subtle flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet navel orange and prune juice, made ultra-creamy with the help of some coconut butter. (For another veggie smoothie with red bell pepper, try my Sweet Pepper & Strawberry Smoothie!)

Overall, this fiber-rich smoothie comes in at the top of the pack with a whopping 11g fiber per serving. That’s almost half of the RDI for women, and nearly ⅓ of the RDI for men. Sip this smoothie with a smile and make your gut proud!