This nut butter chocolate banana protein shake is a yummy way of getting in some extra protein. Nut free options included, Dairy free recipe!
A delicious way to start the day, this chocolate banana protein shake tastes like dessert but is packed full of healthy simple ingredients. Plus, it makes for a great post-workout smoothie to help you refuel.
Cool, creamy, and chocolatey, this shake is refined sugar free, vegan friendly, and naturally gluten free.
Free from: Wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, nightshades, tomatoes, and more
Want more protein ideas? Check out my double chocolate protein muffins, protein pancakes, and blueberry protein muffins!
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Why You’ll Love this Protein Shake
- Super customizable recipe: Use your favorite ingredients to make the perfect delicious smoothie recipes for you!
- Tastes like dessert for breakfast: Thanks to the creamy banana, this tastes a lot like ice cream, only without any added sugar!
- Super healthy and nourishing: Bananas are full of fiber, potassium, and the vitamins B6 and vitamin C. Paired with nut butter and flax seeds, this packs a ton of protein and healthy fats, making it a super healthy breakfast or meal replacement.
- Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Nut free, and more!
Ingredients
Here is a quick run down of the ingredients for this nut butter chocolate banana protein shake. Need an allergy substitution? See the next section for all my tips, tricks, and swaps!
- Frozen Bananas: These are the key ingredients to making this protein smoothie! Use nice ripe bananas with lots of freckles on them to get the natural sweet flavor in this shake.
- Dairy Free Milk of Choice: This shake needs some liquid to help bring it all together. I typically reach for soy milk or oat milk but feel free to use your favorite milk of choice.
- Nut Butter of Choice: Peanut butter is a classic combo for a peanut butter banana protein smoothie. However, not everyone can have peanut butter. In that case, use your favorite safe nut butter of choice. Some options are almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or soy nut butter (my favorite!).
- Protein Powder: This gives the shake an extra oomph of protein power! Not sure about the right protein powder to use with food allergies? Make sure you read my Guide to Protein Powders with Food Allergies post! I would use a chocolate protein powder to get that chocolate flavor, however, you can use a vanilla protein powder if you prefer.
- Vanilla: A little dash of vanilla helps to make this shake taste cozy.
- Optional - Chia or Flax Seeds: These add a bit of healthy fats in omega 3s as well as helping to thicken the shake. Flax and chia seeds are great gut boosters as well, providing a ton of prebiotic goodness. However, they are a totally optional ingredient.
Allergy Substitutions
Need to avoid nut butters? No worries! You can make this with soy butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, or your favorite nut/seed butter.
If you are avoiding corn, make sure that you use a good corn free vanilla extract. Singing Dog Vanilla is always my go-to allergy friendly vanilla.
You can find more allergy free products on my shop page!
Variations
- To make this a weight gain shake, use coconut milk for extra calories.
- To make this a weight loss shake, use one less scoop of nut butter and replace with an equal amount of greek yogurt for less fat but and extra boost of protein power.
- To make it extra chocolatey: Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder. I recommend Dutch processed for a sweeter flavor.
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with ingredient measurements, please see the recipe card below.
First up, you need to prep the ingredients. In this case, that means freezing the bananas at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, the night before you want to enjoy this smoothie.
Slice the peeled ripe bananas into ½ inch coins and pop them into the freezer on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. After a few hours, they will have frozen and you can transfer them to a freezer safe container for longer storage.
Next up is blending it all together. Add all the ingredients into your blender, starting with the dairy free milk, then the frozen banana slices, and finally the remaining ingredients.
Tip! Adding the wet ingredients first helps to keep the powder and nut butter from sticking to the sides of the blender.
Secure the lid and blend until the banana is fully blended and all the ingredients have incorporated - it should take about 60 seconds.
Scrape down the sides if you need to get all the ingredients mixed together. If you need to add an extra splash of dairy free milk or water, add it a tablespoon at a time so that it doesn’t get too runny. Or, if you have too much liquid, add a few more chunks of frozen banana.
And that’s it! Pour into glasses and serve.
FAQs
Of course! Use your favorite dairy free milk or even just water. If you aren’t avoiding dairy, you can add cow’s milk.
You bet! Add in a good handful of spinach to up the nutrient value of this shake. Just be aware that it might turn the color a bit on the green side. However, this is the best way of adding more dark, leafy greens into your daily routine.
Of course! Add a few pitted dates or a splash of maple syrup to make this sweeter to taste.
So many other fruits taste amazing! Dark sweet cherries, raspberries, blueberries, acai berries are typically in my freezer and taste great.
How to Store + Make Ahead Instructions
Fridge: Store any leftover smoothie in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Note, it will get a bit runnier in texture since the ingredients will melt in the fridge a bit.
Freezer: Pour any leftover smoothie into an ice cube tray or other freezer mold and let freeze solid. You can eat it frozen or let it thaw in the fridge for an hour the next time you want a smoothie. Frozen smoothies will keep for about 1 month.
Make Ahead: Pop all the ingredients except for the non-dairy milk and vanilla into a freezer safe container. The next time you want a protein shake, just add the non-dairy milk and vanilla into the blender with the pre-measured ingredients and in 30 seconds you have a smoothie!
More Protein Recipes to Love
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Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
- measuring cup
- measuring spoon
- Cup
Ingredients
- 1 bananas frozen
- ½ cup soymilk or milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons soy nut butter
- ¼ cup protein powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon flaxseeds optional
Instructions
- Prep the bananas. Peel very ripe bananas and slice into coins about ½-inch thick. Freeze on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for a few hours before transferring into a freezer safe container.
- Blend. Add the dairy free milk first before adding the remaining ingredients of the frozen banana, nut butter, protein powder, vanilla, and flax/chia seeds (if using). Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Add a tablespoon of water or more dairy free milk as needed until you get the thickness you prefer. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store + Make Ahead Instructions
- Fridge: Store any leftover smoothie in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Note, it will get a bit runnier in texture since the ingredients will melt in the fridge a bit.
- Freezer: Pour any leftover smoothie into an ice cube tray or other freezer mold and let freeze solid. You can eat it frozen or let it thaw in the fridge for an hour the next time you want a smoothie. Frozen smoothies will keep for about 1 month.
- Make Ahead: Pop all the ingredients except for the non-dairy milk and vanilla into a freezer safe container. The next time you want a protein shake, just add the non-dairy milk and vanilla into the blender with the pre-measured ingredients and in 30 seconds you have a smoothie!
- Allergy Substitutions
- Need to avoid nut butters? No worries! You can make this with soy butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, or your favorite nut/seed butter.
- If you are avoiding corn, make sure that you use a good corn free vanilla extract. Singing Dog Vanilla is always my go-to allergy free vanilla.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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