Chocolate Protein Milkshake

Back-to-school is upon us and I’m already hearing talk of pre-season football. I fear that pumpkin-flavored everything is not far behind, but for now it’s still very much SUMMER, and that means cold and refreshing treats.

I don’t care what anyone says, no matter how good a protein powder is, it doesn’t resemble a milkshake when mixed with lukewarm water and shaken up in a bottle. You have to give it a little help to create a satisfying treat.

I’ve worked on perfecting this one for taste and texture for so long that I feel a bit like Judy the Elf from The Santa Clause, but the effort was oh-so-worth it.

To keep you from dozens of blenders full of disappointment and sadness, I’m sharing my recipe for a chocolate protein milkshake. (If you prefer straight-up ice cream, see the end of this post!) I have one of these pretty much every night. With all of the “unsweetened” ingredients on the list, you might worry that it is bitter-tasting, but I assure you that even without any added sugar this will satisfy your sweet tooth.

You will want to make sure you use a whey/casein protein blend. As I’ve mentioned before, whey protein often comes out too gritty when mixed with other ingredients. And a pure casein is plenty thick on its own without other additives. My favorite is still PEScience Select Protein. For this recipe I like the Gourmet Vanilla flavor, although I’ve tried variations using the Peanut Butter Cookie and Snickerdoodle with equal success.

 

Ingredients

8-10 ice cubes
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk
¼ tsp xanthan gum
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 scoop PEScience gourmet vanilla protein powder

For whipped topping:
Heavy whipping cream

Use a blender that is efficient at crushing up ice. I love my Ninja. Blend the ice cubes, almond milk, and coconut milk until the ice is crushed up. Add the xanthan gum, cocoa powder, and protein powder, and blend until well combined.

For the whipped topping, place a glass mixing bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove and pour heavy whipping cream into the bowl. Whip using a hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge.

For bonus points:  If you prefer to eat your ice cream with a spoon, you can pour this mixture into a bowl and freeze it for about 5-10 minutes. The resulting texture is on par with any sugar-loaded ice creams you’d buy at the store. :o)

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