Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake

 My friend made this for me, and while I would consider it a dessert, it's actually pretty healthy (so maybe you can trick your kids into thinking it's a dessert, too!) Add in some spinach, and no one will know the difference.

Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake

recipe and photo courtesy of lillieeatsandtells.com

NGREDIENTS

  

In my Ninja IQ

• 1.5-2 cups ice 180-200 g
• 3/4-1 cup cashew milk 180-200 g
• 1 Tbsp Califia Farms Almond Milk Creamer Not essential... just extra creaminess! All flavors are good! (15 g)
• 1 serving of your favorite protein powder 4c/1f/20p (my favorites options are linked below) Usually about 30 grams
• 1-1.5 Tbsp dark or jet black cocoa powder 7-10 g
• 1/2 tsp Maldon flake salt A little less if you're using regular kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp stevia Optional, just for added sweetness
• 4-5 squirts of coconut extract Almond is also amazing, but a little goes far, don't over do it.
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum don't get heavy handed here, it can get weird with too much!

The macros are for the shake alone, but this is what I add to MINE every night after it's blended: 

• 2.5 Tbsp 20 g powdered peanut butter barely stirred in to the top for maximum chunkiness (do not blend it in! SO much better this way.)
• 8 Tbsp 20 g almond milk Reddi Whip Coconut or fat free reddi whip also good
• 1 Tbsp roasted cocoa nibs 10 g
• 1 Handful of corn chex, crushed (10 g) or I LOVE 10 g of toasted almonds when I've got room for more fat.
• 1/4 of a banana diced small to spread the wealth! (35 g)
• 1 Handful of rice crispies 5 grams
• 1 Pinch of flake salt

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Add all of the shake ingredients to the jar of your Ninja IQ. (I like to keep all of my bits and pieces in a special shake drawer right near the blender. to simplify the process! I even keep the 1/4 tsp measuring spoon in there to use on the salt, stevia, and xanthan.)
• Blend for a full cycle using the Auto IQ Blend button. It will run for 40 seconds, stopping and going. I like to then hit "start" and let it run for and  additional 10-20 seconds. This depends on your ice, protein powder, and maybe the temperature of your house! You want to see it really come together and get lighter in color, then grow taller.  If your shake is a little icy, blend longer next time! If it's too frothy or whipped, blend shorter next time.
• Pour it into a big insulated tumbler and top with your favorite toppings. But I'm just gonna tell you, 20 grams of powdered peanut butter stirred in just BARELY so it's nice and cit a little chunky--- is ALMOST mandatory.  It's magic.
• The macros below are for the shake alone, to make it easier for you to track what you want and what fits for you. But of course I like mine topped like crazy so there's texture in every bite. It's the best thing ever and I never want to break up with it.

NOTES

• My current FAVORITE protein powder is the chocolate by Active Stack. It's a beef protein powder, rather than your typical whey. This means it's dairy free, and easier on digestion for lots of us. Ingredient list is short and simple and sweetened naturally. It tastes like good chocolate milk. I love it. Sometimes I use a whole scoop, sometimes I do half a serving, and half a serving of Bad Athletics Coconut, or Salted Caramel. Bowmar Nutrition has a salted caramel egg based protein that's great mixed with it as well!
• The macros below are for the shake alone. But for my fully topped version, the macros are 426 cal/45C/12.8f/34.6p/9.2 fiber.
• For the shake alone, with NO TOPPINGS, search "Lillie Eats and Tells The shake- no toppings" on My Fitness Pal.
• For the shake with ALL of my toppings: search "Lillie Eats and Tells The shake- with toppings"
• If using a Vitamix or something similar, blend on low to let it get going, then gradually move it up to medium for about a minute and a half.  You want to hear the crunching of the ice stop and let it get to a consistent hum. If it's getting stuck at all, then I raise it to high for a bit to get it all nice and smooth. But I don't like it frothy so I resist blending on high for too long.  Obviously blend to your preference!
• Obviously, use and try to perfect whatever blender you have! But for me, the Ninja IQ makes this so much smoother and more consistent. It's small enough that I don't mind leaving it on the counter, and feels so much quicker to clean than my big blender. Once I got it, I've never gone back. We use it multiple times a day, so we have gone through two, but it's worth it to me.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1shake- no toppingsCalories: 156kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 21.9gFat: 4.5gSodium: 154mgFiber: 2g