Thick Banana–Date Mixed Nut Shake

Photo-style, ultra-creamy and spoon-thick recipe
The drink in your photo appears to be a very thick banana-and-date nut shake, rather than a thin smoothie. Frozen banana is the key to getting that almost ice-cream-like consistency. Similar date shakes use frozen banana, dates, milk, nuts/nut butter, cinnamon or cardamom, and little or no added sugar.
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Full Recipe — Makes 2 large glasses
Main ingredients
Ingredient Amount Purpose
Ripe bananas 3 large Creaminess + natural sweetness
Medjool dates 6–7 Caramel-like sweetness
Whole milk 1 cup / 240 ml Liquid base
Almonds ¼ cup / 30–35 g Nutty flavor
Cashews ¼ cup / 30–35 g Extra creaminess
Walnuts 2 tbsp / 15 g Rich, deep nut flavor
Greek yogurt ¼ cup / 60 g Thick, creamy texture
Vanilla ½ tsp Dessert flavor
Cardamom ¼ tsp Warm aromatic flavor
Cinnamon ¼ tsp Spice
Salt tiny pinch Balances sweetness

The almond/cashew/walnut combination is particularly suitable for the appearance and texture in your photograph; cashews are especially useful for making a blended drink creamy.
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Optional toppings
1 tbsp chopped pistachios

1 tbsp chopped almonds

1 tbsp chopped cashews

1 chopped date

Pinch of cinnamon

2–3 saffron strands

A few walnut pieces

Step 1 — Freeze the bananas
This is the most important step.

Peel 3 ripe bananas.

Cut each into 4–6 pieces.

Spread them on a plate/tray without touching.

Freeze for at least 4–6 hours, preferably overnight.

Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag/container.

Freezing the banana instead of relying on lots of ice gives a much thicker, creamier result without watering down the flavor.
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Sip The Soup
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Step 2 — Prepare the dates
Use 6–7 soft Medjool dates.

Cut each date open.

Remove the pit.

If the dates are soft, use them directly.

If they are dry/hard, soak them in warm milk or warm water for 10–15 minutes.

Drain before blending.

Soaking isn’t necessary for soft dates; it mainly helps hard dates blend smoothly.
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Sip The Soup
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Step 3 — Prepare the nuts
You have two choices.

Option A — Raw nuts
Simply measure:

¼ cup almonds

¼ cup cashews

2 tbsp walnuts

Option B — Toasted nuts
For a stronger, richer flavor:

Put the nuts in a dry frying pan.

Keep the heat low.

Toast for approximately 2–3 minutes.

Stir continuously.

Remove before they become dark.

Cool completely.

Do not blend hot nuts.

Step 4 — Blend the nuts first
Put into your blender:

Almonds

Cashews

Walnuts

½ cup of the milk

Blend until you have a smooth or mostly smooth nut paste.

This step is important because throwing whole nuts into the final frozen mixture can leave larger nut pieces.

Step 5 — Make the shake
Add:

3 frozen bananas

6–7 pitted dates

Remaining ½ cup milk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp cinnamon

Tiny pinch of salt

Blend on high.

Do not immediately add extra milk.

Stop the blender once or twice and scrape the sides down.

Blend again for another 20–30 seconds until smooth and extremely thick.

The goal is a consistency that is closer to soft ice cream than ordinary milkshake.

Step 6 — Make it look like the photograph
This is a useful trick.

Before completely filling the glasses, reserve about ½ cup of the thick shake.

Fill the glasses:
Pour the shake into two chilled glasses.

Leave some space at the top.

Spoon the reserved thick mixture over the surface.

Build it into a generous mound.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios/almonds.

Add a tiny pinch of cinnamon.

Add a straw.

That creates the high, scoopable top visible in your picture.

Complete Nut Guide
Almonds
¼ cup

Give the shake a mild, recognizable nut flavor and some body.

Substitute:
½ cup almonds can be used if you don’t have other nuts.

Cashews
¼ cup

Cashews are the best choice here when your priority is creaminess.

They blend into a relatively smooth, rich paste.

For an even creamier shake: increase to ⅓ cup.

Walnuts
2 tbsp

Walnuts add a richer, slightly earthy flavor.

Don’t use too much because their flavor can dominate the banana/date combination.

Pistachios
Best used as a garnish, although you can blend 1–2 tbsp into the shake.

They give it a particularly nice Middle Eastern-style flavor.

Nut butter
If you don’t want tiny nut particles at all, substitute the mixed nuts with:

2–3 tbsp almond butter, or

2–3 tbsp cashew butter

Nut-butter versions are also commonly used in banana-date shakes.
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Feel Good Foodie
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Do I need sugar?
No.

Ripe bananas plus dates normally provide plenty of sweetness. Several banana/date shake recipes are made without added sugar.
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Wholesome Cove
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If you want a very sweet dessert-style version, add one of these:

The goal is a consistency that is closer to soft ice cream than ordinary milkshake.

Step 6 — Make it look like the photograph
This is a useful trick.

Before completely filling the glasses, reserve about ½ cup of the thick shake.

Fill the glasses:
1–2 additional dates

1–2 tsp honey

1 tbsp maple syrup

I would add extra dates before adding refined sugar.

Which milk should I use?
For the richest version
Whole dairy milk

For dairy-free
Use:

Unsweetened almond milk

Cashew milk

Oat milk

Coconut milk

For the photo-style thickness
Start with only 1 cup liquid.

You can always add more.

Adding too much milk at the beginning is one of the easiest ways to turn this into a thin smoothie.

Extra-Thick Dessert Version
If you want it even closer to the consistency in the photograph, use:

3 frozen bananas

7 Medjool dates

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup almonds

¼ cup cashews

2 tbsp walnuts

¼ cup Greek yogurt

2 tbsp heavy cream

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cardamom

Pinch cinnamon

Tiny pinch salt

Blend the nuts with some milk first, then add everything else.

Avoid adding ice. Frozen banana gives the thickness without diluting the flavor. Similar thick banana-date recipes specifically recommend frozen banana and limiting ice/liquid.
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Chocolate Nut Version
Add:

1–2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 additional date if needed

Optional:

1 tbsp hazelnut or almond butter

This produces a chocolate-banana-date shake.

Oat Version
For additional body:

Chocolate Nut Version
1–2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 additional date if needed

Optional:

1 tbsp hazelnut or almond butter

Add 2–3 tbsp rolled oats

Reduce milk slightly if necessary.

Banana-date smoothies commonly pair oats with almond butter and cardamom.
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Feel Good Foodie

Protein Version
Add:

½–1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Because protein powder thickens the shake, you may need approximately 2–4 tbsp additional milk.

Blend, then adjust the consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh bananas?
Yes, but the result will be thinner and less cold.

Frozen bananas are strongly recommended for the photograph-style texture.
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The Mediterranean Dish
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Can I use regular dates instead of Medjool?
Yes.

Medjool dates are larger and softer, so if you’re using smaller dates, you may need 8–10 dates depending on their size and sweetness.
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The Mediterranean Dish

Do I have to soak dates?
No.

Only soak them if they’re hard or dry.

Why is my shake watery?
Usually one of these:

Too much milk

Too much ice

Fresh instead of frozen bananas

Bananas weren’t frozen solid

Too many other liquid ingredients

How do I fix a watery shake?
Add:

1 frozen banana at a time, blend, and check.

You can also add 1–2 tbsp cashew butter.

My blender won’t blend it. What should I do?
Don’t pour in a lot of milk.

Add 1 tablespoon milk at a time, pulse, scrape the sides and continue.

My shake is too thick.
Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the blender can process it.

Can I make it without nuts?
Absolutely.

Use:

3 frozen bananas

6–7 dates

1 cup milk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

Vanilla

Cardamom

Cinnamon

For a creamy nut-free version, Greek yogurt can provide additional body.

Can I make it vegan?
Yes.

Use plant milk and replace Greek yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt or additional frozen banana. Date-banana shakes are also commonly made entirely dairy-free.
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The Mediterranean Dish
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Can I add ice cream?
Yes, for a true dessert milkshake.

Add 1–2 scoops vanilla ice cream and reduce the milk slightly.

Can I prepare it ahead?
It’s best immediately after blending because the thick texture is at its peak.

Can I add ice cream?
If refrigerated, it can separate and should be stirred before drinking; some date-shake recipes give approximately 1–2 days refrigerated storage guidance.
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The Mediterranean Dish

Can I freeze leftover shake?
Yes, but the texture will change. If freezing, thaw it in the refrigerator and re-blend before serving.

My Recommended Formula for THIS Photo
For the closest result, I would use:

3 frozen bananas + 7 Medjool dates + 1 cup whole milk + ¼ cup almonds + ¼ cup cashews + 2 tbsp walnuts + ¼ cup Greek yogurt + ½ tsp vanilla + ¼ tsp cardamom + ¼ tsp cinnamon + tiny pinch salt.

No ice.

Blend the nuts with some milk first, then add the frozen bananas and remaining ingredients. Keep the milk at 1 cup initially and only add more if your blender needs it. This approach is consistent with published thick banana-date shake techniques using frozen banana, dates, nuts and minimal liquid.
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Approximate nutrition
Because banana size, date size, milk and nut quantities vary, nutrition is only an estimate. A rich version like this can be roughly 450–550 calories per large serving, with

Author
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Sara Mitchell

Sara Mitchell is an expert restaurant content creator who writes easy-to-read guides about CAVA and other Mediterranean fast-casual chains in the United States. She covers locations, menus, prices, and hours, making it simple for visitors to find nearby restaurants and what to order quickly.

With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.