Cafe Vanilla Protein Shake

Homemade protein shake with over 45 grams of protein

Sometimes you want a thick blended drink, but you just aren’t in the mood for fruit. Or in my personal situation It usually means I’m eating solid fruit or fruit-filled pancakes with the drink.

I rely on protein shakes so much in my life that the last thing I want is a plain protein shake out of the fridge when I'm home. This recipe is a fun way to amp up a drink without any fruit and encourages you to get your protein in for the day.

I love having fruit smoothies, but like I said earlier.. there's times where you just want something different.

This recipe is also amazing because its coffee flavored. There's been a few occasions where I've done this with a chocolate version as well.

I will warn you and say that this drink is super high-in protein, so you may want to avoid drinking it quickly or drinking it late at night. I know my digestive system sometimes struggles to take in all this protein through liquid at once.

This is why sometimes I enjoy eating my smoothies with a spoon to slow myself down from consuming it in the matter of seconds.

This discovery is also one of the reasons why I have adapted my nutrition to having something solid as my last meal/snack of the day versus a liquid smoothie! I realized my stomach couldn’t handle the hydration from the day with my nightly tea and dinner all at once.

I love having this for “dinner/ pre-night snack,” or breakfast or lunch!

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This protein shake again uses my beloved cafe latte protein powder from Iconic Protein which is currently not available for purchase. But you can substitute with any coffee flavored protein powder or make it chocolate vanilla instead of cafe latte vanilla!

I use two large trays of ice in this recipe because there is no other frozen ingredient. This creates a thicker texture. It also adds extra liquid to the drink when the ice is blended for hydration and volume purposes.

I put in the two trays of ice in the blender with 1/4c of vanilla greek yogurt. I stick to my favorite Greek yogurt brand which is the Two Good line from Dannon.

Then I add in 1⁄2 scoop of cafe latte iconic protein powder with 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder.

Next, I add in 4oz of lactose free milk for my liquid. I tend to use 2 or 1% Lactaid/Fairlife milk for this recipe. I prefer lactose free milk, and we have a lactose intolerance in my household which makes it always an option. I swear its creamier than non-lactose milk, but maybe that's just me.

I'll always suggest dairy based protein shakes or milk for the best blending results.

My favorite way to enjoy this smoothie is to pair with one of my oatmeal pancake recipes, some avocado toast or a delicious packed sandwich.