This peanut butter chocolate protein shake is smooth, creamy, and delicious! With 5 simple ingredients and optional protein boosters, it’s satisfying and indulgent.
My kids are both in braces, which means every 4-6 weeks, they’re drinking their meals instead of chewing.
Since they quickly got bored with applesauce and yogurt, I decided to come up with a delicious chocolate protein smoothie that they’d actually look forward to after their appointments.
It’s hard to be sad when your mom says yes to peanut butter and chocolate!
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SHAKE
I love this peanut butter chocolate protein shake recipe for many reasons, but mostly because:
- It’s easy to make
- My kids absolutely LOVE it
- It has a rich chocolate flavor without added sugar
- Easily double or triple to feed multiple people
- Freezes well into popsicles
- Perfect for a post-workout snack or dessert
- You can bulk it up, and it can replace an entire meal!
Plus, it’s a combination of creamy peanut butter and just-sweet-enough chocolate that can’t be beat!
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE PROTEIN MILK SHAKE INGREDIENTS
The basic peanut butter chocolate protein milk shake only calls for 5 ingredients, but I’ve got optional protein boosters you can add as well!
- Milk. Unsweetened vanilla almond milk, canned coconut milk or homemade coconut milk, cow’s milk, oat milk – use your milk of choice here.
- Banana. This makes the smoothie creamy. See the notes below if bananas aren’t your favorite.
- Cocoa or Cacao Powder. It wouldn’t be a chocolate protein shake without chocolate!
- Peanut Butter. Peanut butter adds fat and protein. Check the label for natural peanut butter with only peanuts, salt, and oil. Use another nut butter if you prefer, almond butter is my second choice.
- Dates. Dates add natural sweetness to the smoothie. Cut the date into pieces to help it get completely processed in the blender.
- Optional Protein Boosters: Peanut butter powder, collagen, or vanilla protein powder (see below for more).
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SHAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER
Step 1. Add the ingredients in the order listed to your blender.
Step 2. Blend on low for 30 seconds to get the dates into small pieces.
Step 3: Blend on high for 45-50 seconds.
Step 4. Serve immediately and enjoy!
BOOSTED PROTEIN CHOCOLATE SHAKES
The protein in the basic chocolate protein smoothie comes from two sources: the milk and the peanut butter. But we can bump that number up with our bonus protein boosters!
Here’s the protein breakdown:
- ½ cup dairy milk: 4g
- 1 banana: 1g
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder: 1g
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter: 4g
- 1 date: 0.2g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. peanut butter powder: 4g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. collagen: 10g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. protein powder: 15g
That means the basic chocolate protein shake gives you 10g of protein, and the boosted protein chocolate shakes recipe gives you up to 39g!
Peanut Butter Powder. The recipe calls for peanut butter, but with peanut butter powder, you get an extra boost of protein and peanut flavor. You can use extra peanut butter if you don’t have peanut powder – they have the same amount of protein, but peanut butter powder contains less fat.
Collagen. I absolutely LOVE this brand of collagen (here’s why), but you can substitute protein powder if you prefer (see notes below).
Protein Powder. Protein powder can be highly processed, so be sure to read the ingredients and do some research if you want to include it in your smoothies. (I have an entire section in my smoothie eBook with research). For this chocolate protein smoothie recipe, both vanilla and chocolate protein powder work well.
Read 12 Natural Ways to Boost the Protein in Smoothies for even more ideas!
CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SHAKE IDEAS TO ADD FAT
If you need to add extra fat to your chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie…
- Choose full-fat canned coconut milk
- Add half an avocado – this creates a surprisingly creamy texture, more like a chocolate milkshake!
- Add one tablespoon of liquid coconut oil
- You can also add yogurt – your choice of full-fat or fat-free. (Greek yogurt will also give you more protein.)
PB CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE FRUIT VARIATIONS
Want to make a chocolate peanut butter smoothie without banana?
Bananas add creaminess and a little bit of sweetness to smoothies. They’re also super high in potassium, which is a vital nutrient for your body.
- If you don’t LIKE bananas, consider using barely ripe or green bananas in your smoothies. They have the blandest flavor. You can buy them green, flash freeze them using this method (cutting into slices first), and then you will have the least banana-tasting smoothie possible.
- As a bonus, freezing bananas takes away a lot of the banana flavor, too!
- If you don’t WANT banana, consider using another item that also adds creaminess and a little bit of sweetness, like yogurt or kefir. (Read about the best smoothie components here)
You can also add other fruits to the chocolate banana protein shake.
- Feel free to add sad-looking produce to your peanut butter protein shake!
- Any fruit that naturally tastes good with peanut butter and chocolate is really good in this shake. I’ve tested with an extra banana and strawberries. Blueberries were so-so, but I bet peaches would taste delicious!
TIPS FOR CHOCOLATE PROTEIN SHAKE RECIPES
- The order you add ingredients to protein shake recipes matters. The liquid on the bottom helps the blender process everything smoothly. Larger pieces are next, and smaller bits and powders go on top. This ensures everything gets processed well.
- If you’re using frozen bananas, make sure your pieces are no bigger than a quarter when adding to the blender.
- Frozen bananas will create a milkshake-type texture, while using ripe bananas will make it less thick.
- This recipe makes DELICIOUS popsicles! Make the smoothie, pour into a popsicle mold (I recommend these), and freeze.
PROTEIN SHAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FAQS
Is a peanut butter shake good for weight loss?
Weight loss only comes if you’re in a calorie deficit, so if a peanut butter protein shake fits into what you’re eating for the day and you’re still in a deficit, then yes!
What should you not mix in a smoothie?
I’ve written the book on smoothies (literally, I wrote a book on smoothies), and I can tell you that anything with strong flavors shouldn’t go into a smoothie.
Otherwise, it’s largely a personal preference, but I don’t like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or tomatoes in a smoothie. I haven’t tried every vegetable, but pumpkin, shredded squash (summer and winter), and cauliflower all work well!
What chocolate protein shake ideas make it thicker?
The key to making chocolate protein shake recipes thicker isn’t adding MORE but choosing the right ingredients. Frozen items will always make a smoothie thicker, as will fruits high in pectin, like blueberries. Mango and avocado are very fibrous, and they make smoothies thicker, too.
MORE SMOOTHIE RECIPES
- Cheesecake Blueberry Smoothie
- High Protein Gingerbread Smoothie
- The Best Green Smoothie Recipe for Beginners
- 7 Days of Green Smoothie Recipes
- Detox Smoothie with Bentonite Clay
- How to Make a Smoothie Without a Blender
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This peanut butter chocolate protein shake is smooth, creamy, and delicious! With 5 simple ingredients and optional protein boosters, it’s satisfying and indulgent.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Beverages
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ½ cup Milk (almond milk, canned coconut milk or homemade coconut milk, cow’s milk, oat milk, etc.) (122g)
- 1 Banana (see notes below for substitution ideas) (118g)
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa or Cacao Powder (5g)
- 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter (see notes below) (16g)
- 1 Date, cut into 8 pieces (7g)
- 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter Powder (optional)
- 1 scoop Collagen or Protein Powder (optional, see notes below)
Instructions
- Add the ingredients in the order listed to your blender. Yes, the order you add ingredients in important!
- Blend on low on 30 seconds so the dates break up into small pieces.
- Blend on high for 45-50 seconds.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Here’s the protein breakdown:
- ½ cup dairy milk: 4g
- 1 banana: 1g
- 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder: 1g
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter: 4g
- 1 date: 0.2g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. peanut butter powder: 4g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. collagen: 10g
- Optional 1 Tbsp. protein powder: 15g
That means the basic chocolate protein shake gives you 10g of protein, and the boosted protein chocolate shakes recipe gives you up to 39g!
- Peanut Butter Powder. The recipe calls for peanut butter, but with peanut butter powder you get an extra boost of protein and peanut flavor. You can use extra peanut butter if you don’t have peanut powder – they have the same amount of protein, but peanut butter powder contains less fat.
- Collagen. I absolutely LOVE this brand of collagen (here’s why), but you can substitute protein powder if you prefer (see notes below).
- Protein Powder. Protein powder can be highly processed, so be sure to read the ingredients and do some research if you want to include it in your smoothies. (I have an entire section in my smoothie eBook with research). For this chocolate protein smoothie recipe, both vanilla and chocolate protein powder work well.
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