Chunky Monkey Protein Shake (Vegan friendly version too!)

This Chunky Monkey Protein Shake is a vegan protein shake recipe that is meant to satisfy not only your body but also your mind. It’s delicious and tastes indulgent even though it is totally healthy! I got the idea from the Endless Summer Cookbook and adapted it slightly.

I am all for protein shakes, I love ’em! I might sometimes even drink them as dessert. Teehee. I never leave for the gym without my trusty Blender Bottle and a shake made from one of my favorite protein powders.

If you are a peanut butter fan, you will love this shake. It has a very predominant peanut butter flavor with subtle hints of banana. I didn’t taste very much chocolate, even though I used dutch chocolate whey protein powder (not vegan) , but you can always add cocoa powder in there if you so desire, for a more complex flavor.

Truth be told, I don’t think I’m PB fanatic enough to make this my daily protein shake, especially if I was to add 2 Tbsp of peanut flour. I prefer a more delicate peanut flavor, so I opt for using only 1 or 1 and a half Tbsp of peanut flour.

But a larger amount is nice once in a while when I’m intensely craving peanut butter. Normally though, I prefer my chocolate flavors 😉 I know a lot of you PB fans will love this though!

What makes this an awesome shake

The chunky monkey shake is one of my absolute favorites because there’s so much goodness packed into a single drinkable glass. You have a banana, protein powder, and almond milk. Each have their own benefits:

Bananas: rich in fiber and potassium. Also full of a medley of essential vitamins and minerals.

Almond milk: There’s two ways to make almond milk: either by blending almonds with water and straining the mixture, or by blending almond butter with water. It’s a superb replacement for milk, with nearly the same consistency and creaminess, so it’s a great choice for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant.

Almond milk is not as nutritious as cows milk, but it does contain lots of vitamins and minerals, namely vitamin E. If you’re counting calories and trying to lose weight, almond milk contains far fewer calories than cows milk.

Note: Almond milk is NOT a suitable replacement for infants!

Which protein powder to use

To keep the recipe vegan, use your favorite vegan(ie not made from whey protein) chocolate flavored protein powder. It may be difficult to source the stuff in some parts of the world, so if you’re unable to find it, you can also use unflavored soy protein powder with a teaspoon of cocoa powder mixed in. It will give nearly the same effect.

The chocolate notes will be rather mild, as the peanut butter and banana flavors will be more overpowering. You can always add less peanut butter and substitute with equal parts yogurt for a less peanut-y flavor.

If you want to ditch the ice cubes

Ice can dilute your protein shake bigtime. A neat way of keeping your shake cool is to slice your banana into thick pieces and freeze it beforehand. Then just add the frozen bananas into the shake and you’ve got an icy cold protein shake ready to go.

Related

• Add apple cider vinegar to your protein shakes

What kind of blender to use

Personally, I don’t like to taste banana chunks in my shakes. I prefer bananas to be completely liquidized if I am to drink them, so I recommend opting for a high-speed blender to blitz this shake.

The Blendtec blenders are really nice, as are the Magic Bullets and Nutri Bullets.

I have a Nutri Bullet at home and that’s what I use for blitzing these shakes.

Another advantage of blitzing at high speeds is that the protein powder will also get really evenly distributed. There’s nothing worse than tasting unmixed clumps of protein powder!

Kammie wants to know:

• What’s your favorite way to use bananas?

• Do you ever freeze your bananas?

Let me know in the comments below!