Banana Protein Shake Recipe
Protein shakes are perfect for a quick snack or breakfast. They don’t take long to prepare and they can be totally personalized to you and your taste! The best part? They’re healthy and budget-friendly.
Protein shakes are indulgent, thick, and creamy like normal shakes, but the ingredients are more mindful and they, of course, include protein powder! Protein is great for your bones, muscles, and skin and it’s also great for curbing cravings and reaching health goals!
So, today, I am sharing one of my favorite protein shake recipes. This one is made with bananas, which have great flavor and are a super good source of healthy, naturally found sugars. Bananas are also easy to pair with all sorts of flavors, so you can switch up the taste of your shake whenever it starts to feel dull.
Without further ado, here’s my delicious banana protein shake recipe:
Banana Protein Shake Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup of plain, unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or other plant-based milk
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
½ cup of plain full-fat Greek yogurt
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1 frozen banana
Ice
½ TB of chia seeds
Pinch of ground cinnamon
How To Make Banana Protein Shake
Step 1: Freeze your banana.
Before you make your shake, freeze your banana! If you forgot to do this before you got started, go ahead and pop it in while you get out your ingredients and blender. You can make the shake without the banana being frozen, but the texture won’t be quite as pleasant, in my opinion.
Step 2: Add liquids to the blender.
First, add your liquids to your blender. The way you add things to the blender will actually determine how effectively it blends things, so if you want this protein shake to be fast and easy, go in this order!
Liquids for this banana protein shake recipe include your milk and vanilla!
Step 3: Add bananas, protein powder, yogurt, and ice.
On top of your liquids, add your banana, protein powder, and yogurt. The last thing to add will be your ice!
Step 4: Blend.
Pop that lid on, make sure it’s locked, and blend on high until everything is combined. Check the consistency and add more milk if it’s too thick and toss in more banana or yogurt if it’s too thin.
Step 5: Mix in chia seeds.
Mix in your chia seeds, and let your shake sit for 5 minutes. This is important, because chia seeds need time to absorb the liquid they’re sitting in! If you don’t, they could absorb liquid in your stomach and give you some digestive discomfort. (Nothing crazy, but if you want the chia seeds to be tasty and beneficial, always let them sit for 5-20 minutes.)
Step 6: Top with a pinch of cinnamon.
Before your drink, add a pinch of cinnamon to the top and enjoy!
How To Make a Banana Protein Shake Better
Add a nutty flavor.
If you want to add something to the banana flavor to level-up your protein shake, try adding a nut butter or swapping out the regular protein powder for peanut butter protein powder!
The easiest way to add peanut butter flavor to your banana protein shake is with powdered peanut butter, however, if you’re allergic to peanut butter or prefer the health benefits of other nut butters, here are some of my favorites:
But . . . if you’re really craving that peanut butter and banana goodness, you should just try out my chocolate peanut butter banana protein shake recipe!
Instead of ice, use frozen milk or more frozen bananas.
Sometimes if you’re having a busy morning or you’re eating on the go, it can take you a while to drink your protein shake. By the end, it might not be tasting so good since the ice has melted and watered it down. To avoid this, freeze milk in ice cube trays and use that instead! Or, you could just replace all the ice in this recipe with frozen bananas for great texture and flavors.
Add more fruit for freshness.
If you don’t want a heavy chocolate or peanut butter flavor with your banana protein shake, go with something lighter, like more fruit! Strawberries, pomegranates, pineapple, blueberries, and raspberries all bring more health benefits and flavor to your protein shakes!
Experiment with protein powder flavors.
You can get different flavor combinations without adding more fresh or frozen fruit. Instead of using vanilla protein powder, try other flavors of protein powder like strawberry, chocolate, cinnamon bun, iced coffee, blueberry cheesecake, and lots more!
Mindfully add extra sweetness.
If you need a little added sweetness, don’t go dumping spoonfuls of white sugar in your protein shake. Instead, you can satisfy your sugar cravings with healthier sweeteners like maple syrup, raw honey, or xylitol. (Xylitol is a healthier sugar alternative!)
Mix it up with a variety of toppings.
Toppings are one final way to mix up your protein shakes. In the recipe, I called for cinnamon, but you could also opt for lightly salted peanuts, fresh fruit, cocoa nibs, honey, or non-dairy almond milk whipped topping.
Banana protein shakes are perfect for post-workouts, early mornings, or afternoon cravings.
If you’re looking for ways to eat healthy on a budget and start eating more mindfully, protein shakes are a great start! Try this banana protein shake in place of unhealthy breakfasts and sugary snacks. It’ll satisfy your cravings and support all your health goals!
For more info on healthy eating and healthy living, feel free to browse the blog! I have lots of recipes and advice, and I also offer nutrition coaching for anyone who needs a little extra help. Until then, here are more healthy whole food snacks to keep you full and happy!
