Mango Lassi Smoothie- No Added Sugar!

Try this easy mango lassi smoothie recipe for a sweet snack that offers up some equally sweet nutrient benefits. You get the vitamin C and provitamin A-packed mango, along with some protein from Greek yogurt for staying power. There’s no added sugar here, and if you don’t like banana, I’m giving you multiple options to sweeten this lassi up! Banana haters deserve some no added sugar smoothie options too.

My local Costco carries a large selection of ripe and delicious fruit at all times of the year. I can’t claim that the fruit is all locally grown. However, when I’m craving some fresh fruit outside of the growing season, they have what I need.

I recently purchased a case of ataulfo mangoes (sometimes referred to as Champagne mangoes). These mangoes tend to be a little smaller than other varieties. They are my favorite mango flavor-wise because they are sweeter and creamier than the other types.

The lack of fibrous texture in Champagne mangoes makes them the perfect candidate for a smoothie. And what better way to feature mangoes in a smoothie than to make a mango lassi?

Mango lassi is a simple drink made of blended mango, yogurt, and spices. If you’ve had a mango lassi at an Indian restaurant in the U.S., you may guess an additional ingredient: sugar. The mango lassi drinks sold in the restaurants here are often extremely sweet.

I believe the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to limit added sugars is good advice that can benefit many. As such, I wanted to show you how easy it is to create a mango lassi smoothie without the added sugar. All the sweetness here is provided by the fruit and the dairy, just like in my strawberry cucumber smoothie.

Banana hater? I still have you covered!

It seems like many no added sugar recipes incorporate bananas, which is not so great for banana haters! I am giving you two options for sweetening things up here: bananas or pureed dates. Pick the one that suits your preferences.

I can purchase packages of pureed dates in the international section of my local grocery store. If you cannot find these, puree fresh dates in a food processor with a little water. Fresh dates are in the produce section; they are not the same as the dried date bits in the baking section.

The benefit of using dates over bananas is that you don’t end up with that lingering banana flavor. The version made with dates tastes more like authentic mango lassi, IMHO.

The downside of using pureed dates is that they may not blend as smoothly as the frozen bananas. If you have a high-speed blender, you should be able to incorporate your dates to get a smooth smoothie. This won’t be an issue.

On the other hand, if you lack a high-speed blender, your smoothie may have some texture from tiny, unblended date bits. If you are making your own date puree, this may be less of a problem. The date puree sold in stores is packed into a dense block, unlike when I make it at home.

I liked the textural variation, but my husband seemed to prefer the creamier banana version more. I’m offering you both options here so you can decide on your favorite.

Whatever fruits you use, make sure they are very ripe before trying this recipe! Most of the sweetness in this recipe comes from the fruit, so you want any mangoes and bananas to be at their peak.

And now for the disclaimer…

All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.

The calorie information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.

For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to this post. Let’s get cooking!

Do you prefer the banana version or the date version of this mango lassi smoothie? Have you ever tried cutting back on added sugars? Did you find that it helped you to appreciate the natural sugars in fruit more, or was there no difference?

Drop me a comment below and share your thoughts!