This Vegan Protein Shake recipe is plant-based, healthy, and refined sugar-free. It is made with clean ingredients like plant-based milk, maple syrup, banana, ice, and vegan protein powder. Learn how to make a homemade vegan protein smoothie with this quick and easy recipe!
You are going to love this vegan protein smoothie recipe, because it is so easy to make and is made entirely with nutritious ingredients. It makes a fast, portable breakfast that will jump-start your day and will keep you feeling full all morning. It is also an ideal post-workout shake that will refuel your energy and help your muscles to heal and build after exercising.
Are Vegan Protein Shakes Good For You?
Yes! Protein shakes in general are an excellent choice for breakfast, a snack, or as a meal replacement. All adults need between 46-56 grams of protein per day (source) and protein shakes are a simple way to meet that requirement. In my experience, the best protein shake recipes rely on protein powder to provide protein. Protein powder has many benefits, including the following:
- Repairs muscles from exercise
- Aids with weight loss
- Functions as a appetite suppressant
- Boosts metabolism
- Helps build muscle and strength
If you are vegan, be sure to use an organic plant-based protein powder (such as one made from pea, chia, or brown rice) that is free of any additives, artificial sweeteners, and fillers.
Is it Better to Drink a Protein Shake Before or After a Workout?
Many 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, new research indicates that the amount of protein you consume each day is more important than when you have it for muscle gain (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.
Are Protein Shakes Good for Weight Loss?
Yes! As long as protein shakes are made with clean, junk-free ingredients, they are great for weight loss. Protein shakes are a rich source of protein (hence the name) and protein is an important nutrient for weight loss.
Having a good amount of protein in your diet boosts your metabolism and leads to more fullness throughout the day. Consuming a healthy dose of protein daily also leads to increased muscle mass and can even improve bone health.
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Vegan Protein Shake Ingredients
Before we get to the recipe, let’s discuss ingredients. To make this homemade vegan protein smoothie recipe, you will need:
- Vegan protein powder: This boosts the protein content of your smoothie immensely. Use an organic, plant-based protein powder that contains no additives, preservatives, fillers, artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. I recommend this one from Thrive Market.
- Banana: This gives your smoothie a rich and creamy consistency. It is also a great source of potassium and dietary fiber.
- Plant-based milk: This serves as the liquid base for the smoothie. You can use any kind of non-dairy milk you like. Unsweetened almond, coconut, oat, soy, hemp, or any other type of vegan-friendly milk are all fabulous options.
- Maple syrup: This adds natural and unrefined sweetness. Not all packaged maple syrup is created equal, so be sure to use one that is 100% pure, organic, and non-GMO for optimal health benefits. I recommend this one from Thrive Market.
- Ice: This helps thicken the shake. Although, if I don’t have any ice in the freezer, I just make my protein shake without it.
The ingredients I’ve linked to above can be ordered from Thrive Market, which is an online retailer that sells healthy, organic food at wholesale prices. I like to think of it like Amazon (online store) meets Costco (low, wholesale prices) meets Whole Foods (all nutritious, junk-free foods). If you’re interested in purchasing anything from them, you’ll need to get a Thrive Market membership. However, if you’re a reader of my website, you will get an exclusive bonus when you sign up:
How to Make a Vegan Protein Shake
This recipe could not be easier. To make this homemade vegan protein shake recipe, simply:
- Add all of the ingredients – non-dairy milk, maple syrup, vegan protein powder, banana, and ice – to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and serve it right away.
Possible Recipe Variations
This homemade protein shake recipe is very flexible with regards to variations. For example, feel free to…
- Add some spice: A dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla all taste delicious in smoothies.
- Use a different sweetener: Instead of maple syrup, you can substitute another plant-based sweetener, such as agave nectar. Alternatively, you can throw in one or two pitted dates instead of a liquid sweetener.
- Add nut butter: Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter add extra protein and healthy fats to shakes. Aim for one to two tablespoons per serving.
- Throw in some seeds: One to two teaspoons of chia seeds, ground flax seeds, and hemp hearts get blended nicely into smoothies.
Those are just a few suggestions, so feel free to experiment with whatever ingredient swaps or additions that sound good to you. 🙂
Tips for Making Homemade Protein Shakes
Here are some things I have learned over the years about making protein shakes:
- When adding your ingredients to your blender, always add the liquid first near the blades. Doing this will help your blender to run a bit more smoothly whenever you are making a shake.
- Use a Vitamix Blender, because it is THE blender for making smoothies! A Vitamix is a high-powered blender that breaks up frozen fruit, vegetables, ice, and any other dense ingredients into oblivion – with no chunks and easy clean-up. Best of all, the Vitamix blender is super versatile, so you can also use it to make soups, sauces, and homemade nut butters. You can check one out on Amazon here.
- If you don’t think you need a Vitamix, an individual-sized blender such as a Magic Bullet is a good alternative. The biggest benefits of using a small blender are that it will help you save time on clean-up and it also takes up less counter space.
More Protein Shake Recipes to Try
Looking for more protein shake inspiration? Here are some of my favorite recipes on the blog:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake
- Vanilla Protein Shake
- How to Make a Homemade Protein Shake
- Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake
- Green Protein Smoothie
The Easiest Way to Make Vegan Protein Shakes
If having a protein shake is a part of your daily routine, I highly recommend checking out SmoothieBox. SmoothieBox is a monthly protein smoothie delivery service that is organic, nutrient-dense and free of added sugars.
Each box comes with either 20 or 25 pre-portioned smoothie pouches that contain a nutritionally-balanced blend of flash-frozen fruits, vegetables, and seeds. You also have a choice of either chocolate vegan or vanilla vegan protein powder to add to your box. SmoothieBox’s shake mixes are available in four delicious flavors – Cacao, Clementine, Berry, and Green.
To make a protein shake, simply empty the contents of a smoothie pouch into your blender. Then add a scoop of protein powder, any liquid you like, and blend until smooth. Depending on how much blending liquid you use, each smoothie pouch will yield one 16-20 ounce smoothie, or two 8-12 ounce smoothies.
The price ranges between $5.56 to $7.44 per smoothie and shipping is always FREE. Your SmoothieBox should arrive within a week after you place your order in an insulated, 100% recyclable cooler.
You can choose to have a one-time order or a monthly subscription. If you choose to have a subscription, it can be paused, delayed or cancelled at any time. SmoothieBox also offers a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. Additionally, my readers get a discount on their order using the link and code below:
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If you want to learn more about all of my favorite smoothie and protein shake delivery services (including SmoothieBox), check out these posts on blog:
- The Best Protein Shake Delivery Companies Online
- The Top Organic Smoothie Delivery Companies
- The Best Healthy Smoothie Delivery Services Online
Alright, now let’s get to the recipe. If you make this Vegan Protein Shake recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
Vegan Protein Shake
Ingredients
- 1 cup plant-based milk, of choice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 scoop plain (unflavored) vegan protein powder
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender in the order listed.
- Blend until smooth and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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So delicious….
Thank you Catherine!
I’m looking at making own protein drink rather than store bought.
I have ordered pea protein powder and hemp powder.
Unfortunately my partner does not like bananas so I have to find a way to make a nice protein treat, can you make any suggestions?
He loves vanilla flavour so I figured I’d buy some vanilla powder and sweeten it with stevia or maple syrup.
Thank you for your post 😊
Izzy
Hi Izzy! Thanks for your comment. If you don’t want to use banana in in your protein shake, you can use an avocado! Avocado has a different flavor profile (and color!) than banana, but it will make your smoothie thick and creamy. You might need to use a bit more sweetener in your smoothie, since avocados aren’t naturally sweet the way bananas are. Also, if your partner loves vanilla flavor, you could just add a splash of vanilla extract before blending up the shake. I hope that helps! 🙂