Start your morning with a whole new kinda energy from a coffee smoothie. All the taste and sweetness of those fancy iced drinks you love without the artificial sugars and weird ingredients.

Healthy Coffee Smoothie using protein and caffeine

Coffee in moderation is a great way to boost your morning energy levels, but a plain cup of joe isn’t enough to carry you through until lunch. With this coffee smoothie, you get all the benefits of coffee along with the perfect pairing of good-for-you, nutrient-packed ingredients.

cup of coffee to blend into smoothie

Health benefits in coffee banana smoothie

  • Frozen cauliflower – Yes, you read that right! Frozen cauliflower thickens this smoothie while adding a ton of health benefits (it’s a cruciferous veggie). Trust us, you won’t even notice it’s there.
  • Protein powder – A scoop of plant-based protein powder helps you feel full longer and prevents loss of lean muscle mass. It’s also a great way to get in your daily protein requirement.
  • Banana – Adds natural sweetness and creaminess to the smoothie, and it’s a great source of potassium and vitamin B6.
  • Dates – Naturally sweetens the smoothie and adds a little fiber.
  • Coffee – Caffeine in moderation is not a bad thing. It can improve energy levels, boost your metabolic rate and may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Oat Milk – This non-dairy alternative contains beta-glucan, which has been linked to improved gut health. Make sure to check out the Best Oat Milk Brands of 2020 before hitting the store. You can also use cashew milk and almond milk if you prefer.
  • Cacao Powder – An antioxidant-rich powder that adds a chocolate-y flavor and pairs so well with coffee. This is where we got the mocha part of the name…. and will never ever take it back. It’s soooo good!
Cauliflower and bananas blended in a caffeine smoothie

How to make a coffee smoothie

Now, this isn’t any coffee smoothie— this is a breakfast smoothie that’ll keep you full and energized (and satisfy your coffee craving). You will need…

  • cauliflower
  • banana
  • cacao
  • vanilla extract
  • oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • dates
  • brewed coffee (or cold brew)

It’s important to make sure the coffee is cold for this recipe. Cool it in the fridge before adding to the blender (or put a few ice cubes in it). When ready, place all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Adding protein powder to a coffee smoothie to make it more filling

What kind of coffee to use

There are a few different methods for making coffee for your smoothie:

If using a drip coffee maker, brew a pot of coffee and reserve a few cups for making smoothies. Cool the coffee to room temperature before using in the smoothie. Pour any extra coffee in a mason jar or glass container and store in it the fridge for up to 5 days. Or pour the room temperature coffee into an ice cube tray and freeze for future smoothies.

As for beans, I always recommend supporting your local coffee roaster. For me, that’s Mountaineer Coffee Roaster in our central Florida small town.

freshly roasted coffee beans

You can use instant coffee if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Simply make a cup of instant coffee according to the directions on the package. For stronger coffee flavor, add an extra serving of instant coffee granules. Let the coffee cool to room temperature before using it in a smoothie. You can also add instant coffee granules directly to your smoothie. Add 1-2 tsp of instant coffee to your blender along with the rest of the ingredients.

If using store-bought cold brew coffee, follow the instructions on the bottle to make ¾ cup coffee. It’s usually a 1:4 ratio of coffee to water.

Healthy Coffee Alternatives

If you’re trying to be more mindful of what you put in your coffee (or even drinking caffeine in general), we’ve been there! Here’s a few tasty options that I think you might like to play with:

Green Tea Smoothie: This recipe not only gives you a pep in your step, it also has ingredients that help burn fat and boost your metabolism. Now talk about a great way to start the day!

Healthy Coffee: How I turned a cup of coffee into a substantial meal that keeps me full until lunch.

Spiced Almond Milk: This warm and soothing beverage is what I drink when I’m trying to taper off of coffee. It’s warm, tasty and nourishing.

recipe shot of mocha smoothie
Healthy Coffee Smoothie using protein and caffeine
5 from 12 votes

Energizing Mocha Coffee Smoothie

Sip on this cool and creamy coffee smoothie for breakfast or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. 
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Author: Jen Hansard
Course: Smoothie
Cuisine: Plant-Based
Serves: 1 smoothie

Ingredients  

  • ¾ cup brewed coffee cooled in the fridge
  • 1 banana frozen
  • 1 medjool date pitted (or 1 tsp maple syrup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup cauliflower frozen
  • ¼ cup oat milk or other plant milk of choice
  • ½ tbsp cacao powder
  • 1 serving homemade protein powder optional

Instructions 

  • Add all ingredients into the blender.
  • Blend on high until creamy.
  • Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 241kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 974mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 234IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 131mg, Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? Show me!Mention @SimpleGreenSmoothies or tag #SimpleGreenSmoothies!

About the Author

Jen Hansard

I went from exhausted mama to running across the Grand Canyon, riding & hiking to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America with my kids. How? I fell in love with the smoothies and plant-based meals you can find on my blog.

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Comments

  1. What can I substitute the cauliflower with? I suffer from severe IBS and find that cauliflower makes it worse.

    1. Hi there Nicola – you can add either additional banana (1/2 or less) here or try about 1/4-1/2 of an avocado. Both will add the creaminess that the cauliflower brings. To add the nutritional benefits the cauliflower brings as a cruciferous veggie, you could try adding a touch of kale or cabbage. If you give it a try, let us know what you think!

  2. Ok, i saw this and i wanted to try it before leaving a comment. But let me say i LOVE it!.. I did change it a bit, but it worked out great. i was full of energy without a crash or feeling the need of more coffee. My changes were:
    NO brewed coffee changed for 1/2 Tblsp instant coffee and 1/2 Tblsp of coffee grounds.
    1 cup of almond milk
    NO protein powder changed for 1 tsp of chia seeds
    Did i mentioned that i loved it!.. Thanks so much I’ve been looking for a good tasting coffee smoothie recipe… Now we need a caramel flavored.

    1. Correction on coffee portion NOT tablespoons it’s teaspoons. 1/2 TEASPOON of instant coffee and coffee grounds. Sorry about that..

    2. Yeah!!! So glad you loved it! And i looove your idea on a caramel one— we could totally do that with dates!

  3. 5 stars
    One word: Yum! My sister is obsessed with those sugary flavored coffee creamers. I feel like this would be a great swap and can’t wait to share it with her.

    1. I know, right?! Goodbye Starbucks, hello SGS coffee smoothies!!

  4. I feel like I have read somewhere that it’s not safe to eat frozen veggies without heating them first. Listeria in particular doesn’t die in the freezer. Do you think using fresh along with ice would work?

    1. Hey Brittany. If you feel more comfortable making it that way, you can def do that. Just fyi- we try to use ice sparingly because it’s pretty tough on blender blades. 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    Loved this smoothie! I just tried it this morning. I was worried about the cauliflower, but I did not taste it as what Jen mentioned on this recipe.

  6. Ooooooh, just reading the recipe gives my motivation to do smoothies again a new kick! Thanks for that. I am so curious about the cauliflower. Can’t wait for tomorrow morning! Greetings from Germany

    1. Guten tag, Julia! Let us know what you think of this smoothie after you give it a try! 🙂

    1. Update: one serving was a bit too small for my Vitamix, so I actually made this again this week and doubled the recipe. Blended much more smoothly, and now I have leftovers.

    2. That’s good to know, Erin! Thanks for the update and the tip!

  7. This smoothie is something my day needs, is there something else I can use in place of the cauliflower?

    1. I’m not sure, Tesha. If you don’t care for cauliflower, you could leave it out.

    1. Hey Olivia! You can use any plant-based milk you have on hand. 🙂