I love Protein Shakes. I have made many in my time – all kinds of different ones. All of which taste like dessert – but the beautiful thing is that they are healthy, protein-packed and delicious! I have never made a veggie-full protein shake yet so this is not what this post is about. This post is about what goes in a protein shake recipe – not one particular recipe, but any recipe that I make for protein shakes! Basically, these are the things I always keep on hand so I am able to create any kind of dessert-y protein shake my heart desires, at any time!
What kind of protein shakes are my favorites? Glad you asked. Here’s a list of some of the most delicious protein shakes I have made before, all of which are great for clean eating, but still taste like dessert – for breakfast! 😉
The checklist lists all of the ingredients I usually have on hand that allow me to create any protein shake I would ever want (that I like).
1. Blender – obviously, you can’t make a protein shake that tastes like a milkshake if you don’t have a high power blender, right? You’ve gotta be able to mix it all up well so not chunks remain.
2. Protein Powder – there are so many protein powders out there, it really depends on your own preferences with which one you’d like to use the most. There are tons of flavors and brands you can choose from. Read about how each protein powders differ from each other and what brands I recommend or have used in the past by clicking here.
Recipe: Pina Colada Protein Soft Serve
3. Almond Milk – Unsweetened vanilla flavor is my favorite thing to add to my smoothies and protein shakes. Why? It adds a wonderful slightly creamy consistency without the extra calories! It’s perfect. My favorite? Silk PureAlmond.
4. Ice cubes – You can’t make a protein shake that’s nice and cold without at least a few ice cubes! Always keep your ice cube tray full 🙂
5. Frozen banana – This is a secret many people don’t know about, but if you cut your ripe bananas into chunks and store them in a freezer they are a perfect addition to protein shakes. They make the protein shake SO creamy that you can even call it soft serve! Try it!
Recipe: Chunky Monkey Protein Shake
6. Cinnamon – I already raved about why cinnamon is one of my favorite spices. It has a ton of great health benefits plus it adds a great hint of flavor to your protein shake.
7. Cocoa powder – Feeling like a chocolate milkshake? Make it a Chocolate Protein shake instead. I always have cocoa powder on hand to add to protein shakes if I get a craving for chocolate – delicious! Especially if you use Special Dark Hershey’s cocoa powder – the Dutch cocoa mixed with natural cocoa gives it an amazing flavor.
8. Frozen Berries – Say you want something more refreshing. Frozen berries stay longer in the freezer than fresh and they give a nice consistency to your protein shake because they act as ice cubes AND berries 😉
9. Inka (grain coffee-like decaf beverage) or Instant coffee -I add this for my Mocha Protein Shake, it tastes great with cocoa powder as it enhances the flavor. Plus what else is better than drinking a protein shake in the morning that has a delicate flavor of a latte? Yum.
Recipe: Mocha Banana Protein Soft Serve
10. PB2 -Otherwise known as defatted peanut butter, this baby is a must if you want to make peanut butter flavored protein shakes. Since it’s a powder, it does not add extra fat to the protein shake and the consistency is perfect! Great addition with a great flavor punch of peanut butter.
Recipe: PB&J Protein Shake
Bonus ingredients:
Xanthan Gum & Agar Agar Powder – the combination of xanthan gum and agar agar powder make the protein shake into something even better. The two combined add a creaminess and thickness to the smoothies. And when used with a frozen banana you could easily make this into a delicious dessert that I like to call Protein Soft Serve! Just be sure to add a TINY bit of each at a time. If you add too much, the shake won’t be eatable. I recommend starting out with a slight pinch of each, maybe 1/16th or 1/8th of each, depending on how big your protein shake is that you’re making. A little goes a LONG way!
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Kammie wants to know:
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What’s your favorite protein shake recipe or flavor? (links welcome)
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What are some ingredients YOU always have on hand for protein shakes?
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What is your favorite protein powder?
Let me know in the comments below.
