Easy Protein Shake Recipes

Easy Protein Shake Recipes, December 2021

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Whether you are preparing for an intensive, full body workout or cooling down after a quick fitness maintenance session at the gym, protein shakes are the best drinks to have for any fitness lifestyle.

Because of their important role in muscle recovery, protein shakes are often considered to be the go to refreshment for any active gym goer or fitness enthusiast alike.

Using the general formula of low sugar and high protein, protein shakes have grown in terms of popularity in recent years as most people have started to configure their homes for in-home workouts, or have included quick gym sessions into their busy daily lives.

While the shakes are great for pre or post workout enjoyment, they also serve as fantastic meal supplements (depending on their ingredients) so there is great appeal in protein shakes for that reason--and, of course, they taste great!

Ranging from anything like gluten-free shakes to paleo and keto alternatives, protein shakes in general have a wide variety of selections and tons of room for improvisation.

In this article, I am going to look at seven of my current favorite protein shakes and walk you through the quick and painless process of making each one. All you will need are your trusty blender and the ingredients below.

I hope I can help you find a new favorite, or provide you with a recipe where you can add your own flavors for your own personal touch!

Top 7 Protein Shake Recipes

#1. Banana Berry Protein Shake

Strawberry smoothie in glass cup with straws and bananas in the background

As a refreshing and pretty filling shake, the banana berry protein shake is a great option to replace meals and to give you bursts of energy for your day in general, or for your workout of course.

Filled with fruits and protein, you will feel an invigorating sweetness right at the point of preparation.

These are great ingredients to have as they can also be enjoyed separate from the shake and on their own.

  • 1 cup mixed berries (frozen)
  • ½ banana (cut in slices)
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup 0% fat yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed meal powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Handful ice

With all of these in your blender, you are good to go. Depending on the strength of your blender, you may want to add ice toward the end, but if you have shredded ice at your disposal, that would be the best option.

This recipe will give you around 250-300 kcal, 20-30g protein, 25-30g sugar, 85-95g sodium, 40-50g carbohydrates and 2-4g fat. 


#2. Chocolate Protein Shake

Chocolate shake in a glass

Chocolate protein shake recipes have been, still are, and will continue to be a classic for pretty much everyone--these are such common treats for little kids, amazing pre and post workout drinks for adults and can even be considered as desserts for those with an indulgent sweet tooth.

Although, in this recipe, I will be aiming for the healthier side of this oldie but a goodie kind of protein shake.

  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 scoop chocolate flavoured protein powder
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • ½ cup frozen banana (cut in slices)
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 7-8 ice cubes

Put everything in the blender and in a matter of seconds, you’ll have a great chocolate protein shake at your disposal.

You may feel free to substitute the almond butter with peanut butter, and if you have access to an ice shredder, you may prefer that instead of the cubes. If the shake is not liquid enough, you can feel free to add ¼ cup almond milk.

This recipe will give you around 330-340 kcal, 20-30g protein, 12-17g sugar, 195-210mg sodium, 35-45g carbohydrates, 9-14g fat.


#3. Strawberry Protein Shake

Strawberry smoothie with strawberries on the right side

Another classic shake, the strawberry protein recipe is one that every fitness enthusiast already has, or will be saved as a favourite.

As a simple shake to make in terms of preparation, this shake is highly ideal if you are short on time.

It can certainly be filling as well in case you want to enjoy it as a meal replacement.

Similar to the chocolate shake, this shake is enjoyed at any age and can be used as a great protein supplement for exerting workouts or fitness routines.

  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup full fat yogurt
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 teaspoon honey (preferably raw)
  • ¾ cup strawberries (frozen)
  • 3-6 ice cubes

All of these together will result in a smooth and refreshing strawberry protein shake.

If you want a thicker shake, you may feel free to adjust the amount of ice cubes you insert into the blender--a good technique is to make the shake without any ice at all, and then to add from there.

This recipe will give you around 300 kcal, 25-35g protein, 15-20g sugar, 150-160mg sodium, 15-25g carbohydrates and 5-15g fat. 


#4. Banana Protein Shake

Banana smoothie shake with bananas on the left side

As you may have noticed, many protein shakes for muscle gain include bananas as smaller ingredients for the full shake, but what if you want bananas to be the main component?

If you are like me and banana is your favourite fruit, this shake might be the one for you.

While it can be enjoyed before a workout or as a meal replacement, I personally enjoy banana shakes the most after intensive strength training workouts.

However, that could be just me! Whatever the case may be, this shake is top notch due to its high potassium content.

  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup full fat, plain yogurt
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 banana (cut into slices)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3-5 ice cubes

With all of these in the blender, you will have a classic shake and perhaps one of the healthiest.

The ground cinnamon is just for flavour and can be substituted with chocolate powder if you have it.

Similar to the above shakes, if you have shredded ice, that would be a great alternative to the cubes.

This recipe will give you around 355-365 kcal, 35-40g protein, 15-25g sugar, 205-215mg sodium, 30-35g carbohydrates and 5-10g fat.


#5. Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Shake

Peanut butter and jelly smoothie in  glass with peanuts on the top and a straw

We all have fond memories of PB & J as children, so why not keep the memories going as adults trying to live up to our fitness goals?

As a big fan favorite, there are so many variations on this simple recipe, but I will give my own below, which of course you can channel your inner Gordon Ramsey and personalize. 

  • 1 cup mixed berries (frozen)
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (all natural)
  • ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
  • 2 teaspoons rolled oats
  • 1 cup almond milk

Blend until smooth and voila you have a childhood favourite flavour mixed with hard work, sweat and determination.

The oats are more of a texture ingredient and you may feel free to add more peanut butter because I personally like it to be a little subtle. You can also add some more protein powder if you want more protein.

This recipe will give you around 415-425 kcal, 35-45g protein, 25-30g sugar, 30-40g sodium, 40-45 carbohydrates and 5-15g fat.


#6. Triple Berry Protein Shake

Purple smoothie with raspberries on the top

For those who really want the nutrients of fruits mixed with protein to make a refreshing shake, this is the recipe you want to have handy.

This shake is highly ideal for mornings, meal replacements, pre and post workout enjoyment for muscle gain and recovery.

This recipe requires some more variety in terms of ingredients, but its health content is worth every penny.

You can customize any of the ingredients below, but it is best to make sure that you blend this shake until all ingredients are blended.

I am not a fan of fruit chunks, so I always make sure to blend this shake well.

  • 1.5 cups triple berry mix (frozen)
  • 1 banana (cut into slices)
  • ½ tablespoon chia seeds
  • ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
  • 1 + ¼ cups almond milk

Blend these together for one of the more refreshing shakes on this list. You can feel free to add about ¼ more almond milk to the recipe for thickness, or you can add more protein powder for more protein. 

This recipe will give you around 190-200kcal, 10-15g protein, 10-15g sugar, 10-20g sodium, 25-25g carbs and 0-5g fat.


#7. Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

Chocolate smoothie with a banana slice on top and chocolate chips on top of the banana slice

In terms of taste, this is a protein shake that is far and away a fan favorite due to its sweetness and simple preparation.

These are usually thick shakes, so they are great after a workout or to replace a meal. 

If you're fussy about taste, this one is a crowd pleaser so you won't have to worry about any of that gross powder-y after taste some protein gives off.

  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ½ banana (cut into slices)
  • 1 scoop vanilla flavoured protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons raw cocoa powder
  • Pinch salt

Put all of these into a blender and you’ll have a classic shake. You might find room for improvisation in the amount of cocoa powder and the amount of salt to offset the sweetness.

You can also change the protein powder flavor to chocolate if you really want the chocolate taste.

This recipe will give you around 205-215kcal, 25-35g protein, 5-10g sugar, 240-250mg sodium, 20-25g carbohydrates and 0-5g fat.


Conclusion

These are just a few of my quick homemade protein shake recipes for muscle gain and recovery.

While you can’t go wrong sticking to the script here, I highly encourage you to try your own variations to figure out what is best for you after a great workout. Enjoy! 

Denver Matheson
 

I spend a lot of time at the gym and even more time in the kitchen giving my body what it needs to repair itself and grow stronger. The third most important place for any athlete is their research zone. That's exactly why this site exists, to help me share all of the information I've learned throughout the years just like people did for me in the first place!

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