Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake

Most mornings, I start my day with a cup of coffee, followed by a light breakfast. Then about an hour or so after I wake up, I make a protein shake. I’ve been enjoying some version of the one I’m sharing with you today for as long as I can remember. Only recently, after joining an 8 week fitness challenge, did I make a few tweaks to my go-to recipe in order to stay on track with my macros. Since a 2nd challenge just started last week, I thought I’d share my Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake recipe with you!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA PROTEIN SHAKE

I’m back to making one [and sometimes even a second one in the afternoon] every single day! It’s so delicious, I think you’ll enjoy it, too. It’s super simple and you can make adjustments based on what you like.

Switching up or swapping out the ingredients is so easy. Kind of like how I add in a variety of items in my Peanut Butter Energy Balls.

Here is what I do:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA PROTEIN SHAKE INGREDIENTS

• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder [right now we have this one]
• 1 Tablespoon PB2 [I sometimes use regular peanut butter, but the PB2 is a lower fat option]
• 1/4 cup chocolate almond milk [if I’m out of chocolate, then I use vanilla almond milk]
• 1/4 water 
• .25 banana [I do up to a 1/2 banana, but try to limit the sugar by using less]
• 4-5 ice cubes

*My nutrition plan consists of a high protein diet, so sometimes I add 1.5 or 2 scoops of protein powder to my shake and a little extra liquid to help it dissolve. For a creamier base, you can do 1/2 cup almond milk and omit the water. Using real peanut butter vs. the PB2 powder will also give you a more creamy texture.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA PROTEIN SHAKE DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients into your blender or mixer. We have this simple compact Cuisinart mixer / chopper and and it works great for a shake or smoothie because it makes a single serving. We’ve had it for almost 10 years and it still works great!

You put your ingredients in the cup, add the blade top, flip it over and place it on the mixer base.

Blend until thoroughly combined.

Transfer to your glass, add a straw [i love these and these and I cant wait to try these] and enjoy!

It takes all of about 2 minutes from start to finish. Some day, we may upgrade our mixer, but we’re good with this one for now.

Other variations I’ve tried include a handful of spinach leaves, 4-5 berries [strawberries or raspberries] and some days I omit the peanut butter. It just depends on my mood and what sounds good. 

When the boys request a “shake” I always sneak spinach or kale in theirs and they never notice!

I realize you might not be looking to add additional protein to your diet, so maybe I’ll share a more traditional smoothie recipe that I used to make quite a bit. Still a healthy option!

Basically, you’ll skip the protein powder and add Greek yogurt and more fruits!

But this Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake is yummy and is my current go-to! Another sweet treat kind of way to get my protein in for the day is with these scrumptious bars!

What do you put in your daily shakes or smoothies?

I’m hoping to have a workout / fitness gear post up for you guys in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

If you think you’ll like this, then you’ll love these Peanut Butter Energy Bites! Soooo good.

The rest of my recipes can be found in my full Recipe Gallery, full of dips, appetizers, snacks and sweet treats! If you love to entertain or need a simple appetizer to take to a friends, I’ve got you covered!

And in case you missed any of my weekend finds, be sure to pop over! Have a great Monday, everyone!!