This nutritious Chocolate Protein Shake recipe is made with clean, healthy ingredients like natural cocoa powder, milk, natural protein powder, banana, ice, vanilla, and honey. It makes an ideal post-workout shake or breakfast smoothie, because it is refined sugar-free and is so simple to make. Learn how to make a homemade protein shake with this quick and easy recipe!

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Why You’ll Love This Protein Shake Recipe

You are going to love this guilt-free chocolate smoothie recipe, because it is so effortless and is chock-full of nourishing ingredients. It makes a portable, protein-packed breakfast that will jump-start your day and will keep you feeling satiated all morning. It is also an ideal post-workout shake that will refuel your energy and help your muscles to heal after exercising.

Chocolate Protein Shake Ingredients

Alright, so let’s talk ingredients. To make this homemade chocolate protein shake, you will need:

Milk: This serves as the liquid base for the smoothie. I usually use low-fat dairy milk.
Protein Powder: This majorly boosts the protein content of your smoothie. If you can, use an organic and natural protein powder. Select one that is free of any additives, fillers, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.
Banana: This gives your smoothie a luscious, creamy consistency. It is also a great source of potassium and dietary fiber.
Cocoa powder: This adds rich, natural chocolate flavor. Be sure to use unsweetened, natural cocoa powder in this recipe.
Honey: This adds natural and unrefined sweetness. Not all packaged honey is created equal, so I recommend using one that is 100% pure, raw, and unfiltered for optimal health benefits.
Ice: This helps thicken the shake. However, if I don’t have any ice in the freezer, I just make my protein shake without it.
Vanilla extract: This adds just a hint of warm, sweet vanilla flavor. Make sure you use the real, natural stuff and not anything artificial.

Exact ingredient amounts are included in the full recipe card below, as always.

How to Make a Chocolate Protein Shake

To make this homemade chocolate protein shake recipe, simply:

Add all of the ingredients – milk, banana, ice, honey, protein powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla – to a blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.

Pro Tip: When adding your ingredients to your blender, always add the liquid (in this case, the milk) first near the blades. Doing this will help your blender to run a bit more smoothly whenever you are making a shake.

How to Make This Recipe with Chocolate Protein Powder

If you want to use chocolate protein powder instead of plain protein powder in this recipe, you definitely can. I recommend using a high-quality chocolate protein powder that is naturally flavored and sweetened.

To make your shake, simply make the recipe as written below (using a scoop of chocolate protein powder instead of unflavored protein powder), but omit the cocoa powder and honey. If your protein shake is not sweet enough after you’ve blended it, then feel free to sweeten it to taste with honey or another natural sweetener.

Possible Recipe Variations

This homemade protein shake recipe is very flexible with regards to variations. For example, feel free to…

Use non-dairy milk: I generally use dairy milk when making smoothies, but you can use any kind of milk you like. Unsweetened almond, coconut, soy, hemp, oat, or any other type of plant-based milk are all excellent options.
Add some spice: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg tastes great in smoothies.
Swap in a different sweetener: Instead of honey, you can substitute another natural and unrefined sweetener, such as maple syrup or agave nectar. You can also throw in one or two pitted dates instead of a liquid sweetener.
Add some collagen: Stirring collagen peptides into shakes boosts their protein content even further. Collagen is also known to improve the condition of skin, hair, nails, joints, ligaments, and is great for gut health. I recommend using one that is all-natural, unflavored, and unsweetened.

Those are just a few suggestions, so feel free to experiment with whatever ingredient swaps or additions that you would like.

More Protein Shake Recipes

Craving more homemade protein shake inspiration? Here are some of my favorites on blog:

All of the drink recipes listed above are made with clean ingredients and take mere minutes to whip up!

A Convenient Way to Make Protein Shakes

If you drink protein shakes on a regular basis, you have to try using a protein shake or smoothie kit delivery service. If you want to learn more about my favorite smoothie and protein shake delivery services, check out these posts:

Smoothie delivery services are awesome, because once you sign up for one online, everything you need to make nourishing protein shakes gets sent to your front door. They are a huge time-saver, so I highly recommend trying one out!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Protein Shakes Good For You?

Yes! Protein shake are a great choice for breakfast, a snack, or meal replacement. All adults require 46-56 grams of protein each day (source) and protein shakes are an easy way to achieve that. The best protein shake recipes, in my opinion, rely on protein powder to provide protein. Protein powder has many benefits, including the following:

Repairs muscles from exercise
Aids with weight loss
Boosts metabolism
Functions as a appetite suppressant
Helps build muscle and strength

With that said, it is important to read the ingredient list of any packaged products you add to your shakes, as some may have unhealthy additives. For that reason, I always recommend using natural, junk-free protein powder and unrefined sweeteners, like raw honey, in your protein shakes.

Is it Better to Drink a Protein Shake Before or After a Workout?

A number of studies show that protein helps your muscles to repair and rebuild after exercise. For that reason, many people drink protein shakes after their workouts to aid this process.

However, recent research suggests the amount of protein you consume per day is more important than when you consume it for gaining muscle mass (source). Therefore, you can choose which time you prefer or is most convenient for you. Personally, I always opt to have a protein shake after hitting the gym, but that’s just what works for me.

Are Protein Shakes Good for Weight Loss?

Absolutely! As long as protein shakes are made with clean, junk-free ingredients, they are superb for weight loss. Protein shakes are a rich source of protein (hence the name), which is an important nutrient for weight loss. As I stated earlier, getting an adequate amount of protein in your diet boosts your metabolism, reduces your appetite, and also helps you lose body fat without losing muscle.

If you make this Chocolate Protein Shake recipe, let me know. Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡