Affiliate disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Any paid relationship is identified where it applies. Full disclosure.

When an orange is sweet and the banana has those brown spots on its skin, you can make a creamy smoothie without reaching for honey. This orange coconut milk smoothie blends five ingredients: thick homemade coconut milk, one raw egg yolk, a small orange, half a ripe banana, and ice. It is cool, gently sweet, and bright with citrus. The coconut milk gives it body without dairy.

With six children and homeschooling in the mix, I appreciate breakfast ideas that do not add another pan to the stove. Here the work is peeling the fruit, measuring the milk and ice, and blending until the orange disappears into the drink. You can see the change through a clear blender jar: separate white milk and orange pieces become one pale-orange, lightly frothy smoothie.

This drink is for Full GAPS, after these foods have been introduced. It makes two glasses and needs no added sweetener. The yolk and ripe banana both make it creamy; leave either out and the texture will change.

Two close glasses of creamy pale-orange coconut milk smoothie for Full GAPS

What Makes This Smoothie Creamy

Thick coconut milk is the base. A watery coconut drink will not give the same result, even if you use the full cup. Make it from plain coconut and filtered water using our Hot-Water Homemade Coconut Milk recipe, then use it cold and well stirred. Full GAPS allows coconut milk; canned coconut milk is excluded. Check packaged drinks carefully, too, since gums, starches, and sweeteners change both the ingredients and the texture.

The raw yolk gives the drink a rounder, silkier feel. Use one yolk and leave the white out. The small orange brings the bright flavor; the ripe half banana softens its sharper edge. Choose a banana with brown spots on its skin, as the Full GAPS food list specifies. With these two fruits there is no need to add honey or another sweetener.

Half a cup of ice cools and thickens the drink. Ice cubes may rattle in the cup at first, then disappear as they break down. A finished pour should look uniform and pale orange, with fine bubbles at the top rather than visible pieces of orange or banana. It will be creamy but still pourable, not spoon-thick like a frozen dessert.

Get the Fruit and Blender Ready

Peel one small orange and remove any seeds. Break the orange into a few pieces so the blender can pull it under the milk. Peel half a ripe banana. Measure one cup of thick homemade coconut milk and half a cup of ice. Separate one fresh egg yolk from its white. These few minutes of preparation keep you from stopping the blender halfway through to hunt for an ingredient.

Use a blender cup or pitcher that can hold the full batch with room above the liquid. If your compact blender has a fill line, stay below it. Put the milk in first, then the orange, banana, yolk, and ice. The liquid at the bottom helps the blades catch the fruit rather than spinning underneath it. A Magic Bullet or another blender that can handle ice will work.

Measured coconut milk, peeled orange, ripe banana, egg yolk, and ice in a blender pitcher before making a Full GAPS smoothie — Before blending, you can still see the separate fruit, yolk, ice, and white coconut milk.

Blend Until Smooth, Then Pour

Close the blender securely and blend until the ice and fruit are no longer visible. Stop and look through the cup. If orange pieces cling above the blades or a banana chunk remains at the top, let the contents settle and blend again. The goal is an even, lightly frothy mixture with no hard ice chips in a sip.

The color should be a soft orange, not a streaky mix of white milk and darker fruit. A quick tilt of the cup is useful: the smoothie should run down the side in one creamy sheet. If it has separated into layers, it needs a little more blending. Do not turn a five-minute drink into a long project; blend just until the texture is even.

Smooth pale-orange coconut milk mixture in a blender pitcher just before pouring the Full GAPS smoothie — The fruit and ice have disappeared into one pale-orange mixture with a light froth on top.

Pour into two glasses and serve while the drink is cold and the fine bubbles are still on top. It tastes of orange first, with coconut and ripe banana underneath. If your orange is tart, a properly ripe banana matters even more.

Where It Fits on GAPS

This smoothie belongs on Full GAPS once coconut, egg yolk, orange, banana, and cold blended foods are established for you. It is not an Intro-stage recipe. The Full GAPS food list calls for ripe bananas with brown spots and allows coconut milk, while excluding canned coconut milk. Homemade coconut milk keeps the base simple and avoids the additions that can hide in packaged versions.

The drink is dairy-free as written. Without the yolk it will be less creamy. For a different fruit-based Full GAPS drink, try the Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie. If coconut is what you are craving, the Homemade Coconut Milk Eggnog is another option.

Serving and Storage

Blend and serve this smoothie right away. The ice will melt and the fine froth will settle if the glasses wait on the counter. If you need to make the morning faster, peel the orange and portion the banana before you blend, then keep the prepared fruit chilled until you are ready to add the coconut milk, yolk, and ice.

This small batch makes two glasses, which is usually easier than trying to store a partly melted smoothie. If the drink sits briefly, stir it before serving so the coconut milk and fruit come back together. The recipe does not depend on a long chilling or freezing step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Canned Coconut Milk?

For this Full GAPS version, use thick homemade coconut milk. The current GAPS food list excludes canned coconut milk. It also means you know exactly what went into the cup instead of relying on a packaged milk with gums, starches, or sweeteners.

Does the Egg Yolk Get Cooked?

No. This cold smoothie uses one raw egg yolk. Separate a fresh yolk carefully, add it with the fruit and coconut milk, and blend until the drink is uniform. Leave the egg white out.

Why Does the Banana Need Brown Spots?

The Full GAPS food list specifies ripe bananas with brown spots on the skin. In this drink, a ripe half banana also blends smoothly and rounds out the orange without added honey. An underripe banana gives a firmer, less sweet result.

What if My Smoothie Is Thin?

First check the coconut milk. Thick homemade milk makes a creamier drink than a thin coconut beverage. Measure the half cup of ice and blend until it has fully broken down. Extra banana will thicken the smoothie, but it will also make it sweeter.

Can I Make It Without a Magic Bullet?

Yes. A Magic Bullet works, and so does another blender that can break down the orange, banana, and ice. Watch the mixture: the drink is ready when the color is even and no fruit chunks or hard ice remain.

Equipment for a Small Smoothie Batch

You need a knife for the orange, measuring cups for the coconut milk and ice, a small bowl to separate the yolk, and a blender with enough room for two servings. Clear sides make it easier to see when the last pieces of fruit disappear. Use two glasses and pour as soon as the texture is smooth.

More Full GAPS Drinks

For another orange-and-banana combination, see the Strawberry Orange Banana Smoothie. If you like a citrus drink without coconut, try the Strawberry Lemon Smoothie. For more family-sized Full GAPS drink ideas, find the WFLI Drinks Cookbook in the shop.

Orange Coconut Milk Smoothie Recipe