If you haven’t noticed already, my favorite recipes to make with a blender are protein shakes. There is just something about them–they are easy to make and taste delicious. And for the longest time I never thought I could make them myself because I didn’t have a blender powerful enough to crush ice.
Now I smile every time I make one. I still get a thrill from having a restaurant quality shake at home, on demand, and for a dirt cheap price.
The Recipe
Alright, enough with the introduction, let’s get to the shake!
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Milk | 1 Cup |
| Ice | 1 Cup |
| Banana | 1 |
| Vanilla Protein Powder | 1 Scoop |
| Frozen Strawberries | 1 Cup |
Directions
Put all the ingredients in the blender. I recommend adding the milk first. Start the blender off at a slow speed, and work it up to a higher speed. Blend until smooth.
Then pour into a glass and enjoy!
Watch Out For Protein Clumps
Protein powder can sometimes clump together instead of getting fully mixed into your shake. To help avoid this, make sure you don’t add the protein first. If you do, it can clump and get stuck at the bottom of the blender. It is usually best to pour in your liquid base first.
Protein powder can also gather and clump on the sides of the blender container too. I actually had this problem when making the video for this shake! If this happens, take the blender container off the powered base and use a spatula to scrape the clumps from the side of the container into the rest of the shake.
Then return the blender container back to the powered base and blend some more. Even though you scraped the clumps from the sides of the container they still need to be mixed into the rest of the shake.
Thoughts and Commentary
Sure you can make blended drinks without using protein powder, but I like to add it in for both the flavor and the nutritional aspects. I especially like to have a protein shake in the morning for a boost of energy, or after a workout for recovery.
Below are some more detailed thoughts on some of the ingredients.
Frozen Strawberries
One of the main ingredients in this recipe is frozen strawberries. I like using frozen strawberries because you can easily pick up a bag of them from your local grocery store, and they will last in your freezer for a long time. And, since they are frozen, they help add to the texture of your shakes and smoothies.
Protein Powder
You could skip the protein powder or try a flavor other than vanilla. Some brands of protein also have multiple different types of vanilla flavors, such as French vanilla, vanilla ice cream, and soft serve vanilla. I’m not sure if these other flavors actually taste different than plain vanilla or if they are just clever marketing.
You could also add in another scoop of protein powder for more flavoring and protein.
Milk
You could try substituting a different base liquid instead of using milk. I haven’t tried it myself, but I imagine that almond milk would work well.
Ice
Adjust the amount of ice up or down to affect the overall texture of the shake. Just make sure the flavor doesn’t get too diluted if you add more ice.
When You’ve Made Too Much
A lot of times when I make a protein shake I end up with some left over. I just pour the rest of the shake into an insulated container and save it for later. That being said, the smoothie will taste the best when it has just been made.
Conclusion
This is one of my go to protein shakes. I often find myself alternating between this one and the peanut butter chocolate protein power shake. Both taste great and are very easy to make.
If you find yourself craving strawberry flavor look no further. Or if you’re just tired of having chocolate protein shakes, the strawberry vanilla banana protein shake is a great choice to mix things up.
Loquacious Taste 