Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups chocolate almond milk8 – 10 drops chocolate raspberry liquid stevia (SweetLeaf brand)
1 avocado
½ cup frozen raspberries
1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted
When you think of flavor combinations, lots of things probably come to your mind. Chocolate and peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana. Strawberry and banana. On and on and on.
I kind of go all out with the chocolate in this one, so when I make it, I use chocolate almond milk, the chocolate raspberry stevia and chocolate protein powder. If that’s too rich for you though, you can always use vanilla protein powder instead. I also use an avocado in this one for the same reason I usually use avocados. The creaminess. There’s nothing like it and when I’m indulging in a decadent flavor like this one, I want my shake to be lusciously creamy. It doesn’t change the flavor and adds some “good fat” to the shake as well. You can also use plain or vanilla flavored yogurt to add creaminess if you’re not a fan of avocado.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Peanut Butter Cup Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups chocolate almond milk ½ cup natural peanut butter ¼ cup chocolate or carob chips 1 avocado 8 to 10 drops liquid stevia, to taste 1 scoop pea protein 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, melted A few ice cubes (optional)I’ve yet to find a “healthy” peanut butter cup that tastes as good as the Reese’s original, but that didn’t stop me from concocting a protein shake version of my favorite candy! I knew chocolate almond milk and chocolate chips (yes, I let myself use the real deal for this one although you can use carob chips too) were a no-brainer, as was of course peanut butter. The surprise (that ended up becoming my favorite ingredient!) in this one was the avocado. I’ve used avocados in my smoothies before and enjoy the creaminess they add so it added just the right consistency that to me, was reminiscent of when you bite into the soft center of a Reese’s.
I stuck to my old standby of pea protein but you could also use any type of chocolate protein powder if you want to intensify the flavor. Same thing with the liquid stevia, SweetLeaf makes a chocolate flavored liquid stevia that you can use instead of plain stevia if you want it to taste more chocolaty.
Of course, you could always ‘go crazy’ and dump a few Reeeses Peanut Butter Cups into your blender, add some milk and protein powder and blend away. That would definitely be mighty tasty. It would also negate pretty much any workout that you did in the past week. We all need to splurge every now and then, but my goal with this recipe was to find a creative way to get as close as possible to a peanut butter cup protein shake without having to use the real thing. Keeping it clean will still being tasty is the key to any diet or healthy protein shake.
It might not be exactly a Reese’s PB cup but it’s still pretty darn yummy for breakfast or dessert!
To make, simply ombine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
2 avocados 2-3 cups unsweetened coconut milk 2-3 tablespoons carob powder 10 drops liquid vanilla stevia 1-2 tablespoons coconut nectar, to taste 1/2 cup ice cubes 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil, meltedIt’s hard to believe now that there was a time when I didn’t know the wonder of avocados. Sure, I had eaten them before, but usually just in guacamole. I hadn’t yet discovered their true awesomeness and versatility.
When my friend suggested to me that I add avocado to my smoothies, I looked at her like she was crazy. Most likely because I associated avocados with a more savory flavor while I like my smoothies to be sweet. But oh, how wrong I was.
First of all, I can’t even really taste the avocado when I add it to a smoothie. But the part I didn’t even know I was missing is the awesome texture avocados add! This smoothie is one of the creamiest and well… smoothest ones I’ve ever had. And the flavor of the carob powder gives it a delicious flavor that reminds me of a chocolate milkshake.
I use vanilla-flavored stevia to sweeten it but you can also use regular stevia or vanilla extract. You can also add more carob to your liking or use cocoa powder for a more chocolaty taste. I love adding coconut oil to my smoothies too because of its many health benefits, especially for your digestive system. This smoothie is the best of both worlds… indulgent AND good for you!
Chocolate Almond Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
8 ounces chocolate almond milk 1-2 scoops of chocolate whey protein powder Small handful of raw almondsAlmonds and chocolate are a classic combination. You’ll find them in candy bars, coffee drinks and in dry mixes. Now you can taste the great combination in this super healthy protein shake!
I’ve never been a huge fan of almonds but I’ve started to embrace them. They are packed with healthy fats and are among the world’s healthiest foods. Almonds are one of the rare super foods that actually make you healthier by eating them — in moderation of course 😀 So I’ve tried to start incorporating these into my diet in any way possible.
One of the easiest ways is to drop a handful into my Ninja blender and add them into my protein shake. While I don’t love the flavor of raw almonds (I know…weird right?), I don’t mind their taste and texture when it’s chopped and blended into my protein shake.
I also have a big time love for any protein shake with chocolate so this is a nice combination. You can tweak the ingredients or just grab a handful of almonds for a snack with this shake too if that is what you are craving.
Depending on your blender, you may not get the almonds chopped as finely as you’d like them. You can always use almond extract as a replacement.
I usually enjoy this first thing in the morning or at night after my PM workout!
White Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1-2 scoops of white chocolate protein powder 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 6-8 ounces almond milk 1 pinch cinnamon 1 small handful ice cubes (optional)A guilty pleasure of mine is Dunkin Donuts White Chocolate Pumpkin lattes and coffees. As if pumpkin spice wasn’t good enough, they found a way to make it tastier and even less healthy for you. I can suck those things down between my pit stop and Dunkin Donuts and the five minute drive to the office. I have a problem.
My solution, as usual, was to come up with a way to have a healthier alternative to the Dunkin Donuts drinks chock full of sugar and fat. This white chocolate pumpkin protein shake has protein and mostly healthy ingredients without sacrificing the taste that I am hopelessly addicted to.
You can even add a few scoops of instant coffee to this protein shake recipe as an optional ingredient! You get your caffeine and chocolate and pumpkin fix all in one. It’s a good way to kickstart your day without slowly killing your body.
I strongly recommend using a white chocolate protein powder for the best taste. You can do it with vanilla whey but it’s just not the same. My personal favorite that I’ve tried is Optimum Nutrition’s White Chocolate whey protein powder. It’s great by itself too!
Just add all of these ingredients into a blender and you are good to go. Depending on how thick you like your shakes, you can tweak the greek yogurt amount and the number of ice cubes you add.
Quick Mocha Chip Casein Protein Pudding Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition cookie dough casein powder2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup coffee (any flavor will do)
Every morning, I start my day off with a big ol’ cup of coffee with cream and stevia. I usually don’t drink it until I get to the office but most days I’ll have my 8oz or so of joe finished up before lunch. I’m not the type of person who guzzles coffee down quickly in the AM…I’m more of a sip and savor.
I love the energy and focus boost that the caffeine gives me. I don’t always finish my coffee in the morning though and it’s cold come the afternoon. Usually, I’d just dump it out but I got an awesome idea a couple of weeks ago that allows me to ‘recycle’ any leftover coffee I have.
Around 2-3pm in the afternoon I start to drag a bit. I usually will have a protein shake in the afternoon to fend off any hunger or sweet cravings. One day, I decided to whip up some of the casein protein pudding I love for an afternoon snack. This time, though, I added my leftover gingerbread coffee from the morning into my mixture.
The result? Heaven.
Coffee mixes in perfectly with ON’s Casein protein powder and added a little boost of energy to my day along with the protein powder. I’ve started doing this almost every day. All you need is a scoop of casein protein powder (my favorite is cookie dough), a bit of milk or water and a quarter to half cup of coffee.
The result is a yummy mocha chip protein pudding! It’s super healthy and the combination of the protein and caffeine give me the perfect pick-me-up to finish my day on a strong note.
Quick Chocolate Covered Cherry Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
8 ounces dark chocolate almond milk 1/2 cup frozen cherries 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional) 1/4 banana (optional) 1 packet stevia (optional)Chocolate covered cherries are great for a romantic gift, but how about a healthy version for after a workout? This shake is best enjoyed with your significant other after you get back from the gym. After all, there’s no better date than sweating it out at the gym together right?! 😀
For the guys out there, this one is simple enough to make that you can surprise your girl after the gym with a delicious chocolate covered cherry protein shake. It’s cheaper and healthier than heading to the gift shop for the real thing.
The best part is you probably have most of the ingredents in your kitchen already except for the frozen cherries. Pick those up and you’re ready to enjoy this anytime!
There are a few different ways you can make this. I prefer to make mine with dark chocolate almond milk from Silk. That is one of my favorite drinks, though, and the combination of regular almond milk with chocolate protein powder does the trick as well. It depends how much chocolate you want.
Feel free to add other things like spinach or some almonds to change up the macros for this delicious chocolate cherry protein shake! One other suggestion is to add a bit of extra dark chocolate for antioxidants.
Simple Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder 1 tablespoon PB2 1 packet stevia Tiny drop of honey (optional) Few ice cubesChocolate and peanut butter are a pretty tough combination to beat. I love them in baked goods, desserts and oatmeal.
It’s no surprise that they make for some of my favorite protein shake recipes too.
There’s a bunch of different ways to make a chocolate peanut butter protein shake. More and more supplement companies are starting to offer a “Chocolate Peanut Butter” flavor now too.
But buying specialty protein powder flavors like that in bulk isn’t always a smart move, plus the best protein shakes are always homemade. Below’s a super quick and easy peanut butter chocolate recipe that you can through together quickly.
If you only have vanilla protein powder, you can still use it for this one. Just add a few teaspoons of cocoa powder until the taste is right!
Enjoy this sweet and delicious shake!
Thin Mint Cookie Protein Shake Recipe
Protein Shake Ingredients
12 ounces skim milk 6 Thin Mint cookies Several ice cubes 2 scoops of chocolate whey protein (cookies and cream is also a good choice)
One of the best times of the year is Girl Scout cookie time! No matter what kind of sweets you crave, there is a Girl Scout cookie flavor that you drool over. Mine has always been Thin Mints. I’ve embarrassingly ate a whole box in one sitting several times in my life. I would do bad things for a box of Thin Mints if I get a craving.
Fortunately, this protein shake recipe can help you recover and bulk up while still downing some of those tasty Thin Mint cookies. I use this when I’m bulking a lot and try to plan it close to a cardio session to make up for the extra calories of the cookies.
It’s good to splurge once in a while though and this recipe will help you get those sweets!
(Photo by rakka)