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Let’s be real, sometimes healthy shakes taste…well, healthy. You know, that grassy, vaguely green flavor that screams “I’m doing something good for myself!”? But what if you could have a creamy, indulgent chocolate shake that tasted like a treat, while still packing a serious nutritional punch? Enter my secret weapon: the Banana Chocolate Protein Shake.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
This isn’t your average protein shake. We’re talking velvety smooth, rich chocolate flavor, with a subtle sweetness from banana and boosted with a variety of plant-based protein sources to give you customization freedom to the max!
Here’s a few more reasons I love this recipe:
- I’ve hidden an ingredient that’ll revolutionize your shake game: Frozen cauliflower florets! When blended, they add an incredible creaminess to shakes without altering the flavor. They’re also a sneaky way to add extra fiber and nutrients without anyone getting all cray-cray on you.
- It tastes like a dessert, not a diet drink.
- It’s packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, keeping me full for hours.
- It’s a fantastic post-workout recovery drink, like my post-workout smoothie
- It is easily customizable. Use your favorite protein powder (or make my homemade protein powder) for an even bigger protein boost.
Banana Chocolate Protein Shake Ingredients
- Chilled Almond Milk: The base of our creamy concoction. Make almond milk or choose from these almond milk brands.
- Frozen Cauliflower Florets: The secret ingredient for ultimate creaminess and extra fiber.
- Almond Butter: Healthy fats and protein for sustained energy. If you prefer peanut butter, check out my chocolate peanut butter smoothie.
- Hemp Hearts: A boost of plant-based protein, omega-3s, and fiber.
- Cacao Powder: Rich chocolate flavor and antioxidants.
- Medjool Date: One of the best natural sweeteners with a touch of caramel flavor.
- Banana: Creaminess, sweetness, and potassium. Freeze bananas to always have some on hand.
- Cacao Nibs: A crunchy, antioxidant-rich topping.
- Protein powder: Use what you love. My recommendation is an unflavored and unsweetened plant-based protein powder or make my homemade protein powder.
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Ingredient Swaps
This recipe offer so many easy swap options, so don’t shy away it if you can’t do one of the ingredients! Instead, try one of these substitutes:
Use half a banana or swap it with 1/4 avocado to still be super creamy, yet lower in sugar. Here’s how to cut avocado for easy prep.
Swap almond milk for the non-dairy milk of your choice. Make oat milk, make coconut milk, or choose from these oat milk brands, or coconut milk brands.
Swap almond butter for the nut butter of your choice.
Swap dates for a tablespoon of maple syrup (vegan) or honey (vegetarian) to keep the natural sweeteners flowing.
How to Make a Banana Chocolate Protein Shake
Simply toss all the ingredients (except the cacao nibs) into one of these high-powered blenders for smoothies and blend until smooth and creamy. If you like your shakes extra cold, add a handful of ice. Pour into a glass, sprinkle with cacao nibs, add some sliced banana and toss on some more hemp hearts for a satisfying crunch.
Give it a try, and you might just find your new favorite shake!
Need more inspiration? Check out these chocolate smoothies and weight loss smoothies.
More Protein Shake Add-Ins
- To significantly boost the protein content of a shake, add additional protein powder (whey, plant-based, collagen). You can also add greek yogurt, nut butters, seeds like chia, flax, and hemp, silken tofu, and cottage cheese.
- If you’re new to the blending life, check out my guide on how to make a smoothie for blending tips.
More Protein-Packed Shakes and Smoothies
If you love this banana chocolate protein shake, you’ll love my other healthy protein shakes and smoothies that are packed with plant-based protein. Here are few of my favorites below:
- Salted Caramel Protein Shake
- Healthy Vanilla Protein Shake
- Chocolate Weight Loss Shake
- Cinnamon Date Smoothie
- Chocolate Banana Smoothie
If you make this banana chocolate protein shake, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Banana Chocolate Protein Shake
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk chilled
- ½ cup frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 scoop homemade protein powder
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 medjool date pitted
- 1 banana
- ice optional
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Add ice to glass (if using) and pour blended shake on top.
- Feel free to top with a drizzle of almond butter and sprinkle with hemp hearts and cacao nibs.
Notes
- Use a serving of homemade protein powder to make this a 25-gram protein shake.
- Add a serving of collagen to get it to be a 45+ gram protein shake.
- To cut down on the natural sugar, swap the banana with avocado.
Love, love, love this! Enjoyed it with 1 tsp each of hemp hearts and cacao nibs on top. Just yum!
So yummy and decadent loved the almond and cocoa nibs combo.
Tasted like a healthy dessert!! Favourite one by far!
I’m not a fan of chocolate smoothies, and this didn’t change my mind. Frozen almond milk would be better than ice.
Frozen almond milk sounds like a great idea! (We were out of ice).
Chocolate for breakfast is my favorite! I used frozen bananas and no ice. Added a handful of spinach. I really like this one and would make again. Maybe add peanut butter too for a peanut butter cup breakfast!
Chocolate deliciousness!
This one is just not for me. It tasted more like a Banana smoothie rather than a Chocolate Protein Shake. Hard to find any flavor besides banana with 1.5 bananas per 1.5 cups milk. Banana lovers will like it for sure.
Awesome and very filling as a mean replacement.
I just wanted to 399kcal is interperated as 399 calories, I know it seems obvious as a kcal is 1,000 but just making sure I’m not missing something!
Great question! Funny enough – kcal is the same thing as the traditional calorie, so it’s all good. Here’s a really helpful article that explains in detail. This Chocolate Protein Shake is def 399 calories per serving, not 399,000! 🙂
Do you blend the ice?
Wow! Best smoothie ever!!!
Jen nailed it again! This smoothie is delicious. It honestly tastes like a chocolate milkshake. I am so impressed.
This is so good!
Very gooood!!
Where do I buy hemp hearts?
Great question Kimberly! Due to their rising popularity, hemp hearts can now be found widely at local grocery stores (check the aisle with the nuts and seeds). We love to buy them at Costco or other large big box retailers. You can also find them online with Amazon or Thrive Market.
This has officially become part of my weekly breakfast rotation. SO good and filling, I use it on the mornings I do more intense workouts.
My kids are ALL ABOUT this smoothie. It’s the perfect after-school fuel while we’re running to practices.
This was actually really good. I didn’t have the Foursigmatic stuff, but I did have homemade protein powder. It was very chocolate-y, which I liked.
One word…HEAVEN!!
This was so delicious – one of my favorites!!
I made the Chocolate Protein Shake….yummy……I subbed the date for maple syrup and added a little almond butter during the blending……great night time snack… will be making apple ginger smoothie and pineapple ginger smoothie tomorrow…..thanks
Love that you’re giving your blender a workout, Trisha! You’re right – this is a waaay better evening snack that what most of us reach for. Nicely done!
I tried this recipe over the weekend and it was really good. Almost left out the almond butter!