How do you feel about smoothies? I have one almost every day – I love that they are so customizable, you can pack them with so many nutrients, and they are so easy to make. And this chocolate protein smoothie is so dang good!
It’s one of my favorite smoothie combos, which says a lot since I make so many different kinds. It doesn’t hurt that it tastes like a healthy chocolate milkshake. And you would never guess it has almost 2 cups of veggies in it.
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Better yet, it is also very balanced. It emphasizes carbs and protein for recovery, while also having some healthy fats and fiber to help with fullness. This chocolate protein shake keeps me full for a handful of hours and has been my go-to after workouts.
You can totally customize the amounts of carbs and protein to fit your lifestyle and activity level though.
It does take a little extra work as we are using frozen sweet potatoes. I find this is so much better than mashed or canned for getting the best thick consistency. All you have to do is bake sweet potato until soft, cut it into large chunks, and freeze.
Why we love this chocolate protein smoothie
- super thick and creamy!
- high protein – 35 grams of protein in one smoothie!
- perfect for post-workout – while I enjoy this protein shake any day, I especially love it post due to the 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio and with not too much fat, making it easy to digest and helping to maximize protein and glycogen synthesis.
- macro-balanced – it has a good ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat for balanced blood sugar, and to avoid those spikes and crashes that some smoothies can do.
Are protein shakes good for you?
Protein shakes are a great healthy addition to any diet when made with the right ingredients. They can be loaded with vitamins and minerals due to adding fruits and veggies. When making smoothies, it’s important to have balanced macronutrients with protein, fat, and fiber (along with the carbs) so they fill you up, digest slowly, and don’t spike your blood sugar.
When making them at home, you have full control over the quality of the ingredients. Read more below on what each ingredient brings to this recipe.
Is chocolate protein powder good for weight loss?
Protein powder can be helpful for weight loss as it is an easy and convenient want to get protein in. Getting enough protein will help fill you up, keep you full, and build and maintain muscle mass. If looking to lose weight, it is important to be mindful of what you are mixing with your protein powder and maintain a calorie deficit.
Benefits of this chocolate protein smoothie
This protein smoothie is loaded with so many benefits! If you are serious about gaining muscle or optimizing your recovery, you don’t want to sleep on pre and post-workout nutrition.
Ideally, you want to get protein in to help maintain and build muscle and carbs to help give you energy and replenish your glycogen stores (stored carbohydrates). First of all, you need to be eating enough protein overall to support muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Having 20-40 grams of protein after a workout can help contribute to overall MPS. Research suggests having a meal up to 2 hours post is a good time frame.
Carbs are beneficial around your workout as they give you energy and can help improve performance. Having some after your training session will help replenish your glycogen stores for your next session.
This protein shake has:
- carbs – sweet potato and cherries
- protein – chocolate protein powder and nut butter
- veggies – sweet potato and cauliflower
- fiber – it packs 13 grams of fiber thanks to the fruit and veggies
- vitamins – loaded with vitamins A, C, E, and B vitamins just to name a few
- minerals – full of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium
- antioxidants – cacao/chocolate and cinnamon
- anti-inflammatory – cinnamon
- electrolytes – sea salt
Cocoa also contains flavonoids that boost nitric oxide, which is responsible for the dilation of blood vessels and helps support blood circulation. This can improve an athlete’s capacity for sustained exercise and endurance. Nitric oxide also helps the speed of nutrient delivery to the muscles, improving energy efficiency for performance and recovery.
Talk about a powerhouse!
Ingredients
- milk – dairy or non-dairy works.
- sweet potato – cooked and then frozen for some natural sweetness and adds the best creamy texture!
- frozen cauliflower rice – for some veggies and to bulk it up (you can’t taste it!)
- frozen sweet cherries
- chocolate protein powder – for our protein source and adds more chocolate flavor.
- almond butter – to add some healthy fats
- cocoa powder – for more chocolate flavor
- cinnamon
- sea salt – to help bring out the flavors and for natural electrolytes
How to make a chocolate protein smoothie
- Prep your sweet potatoes if needed (this needs to be done in advance). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes until soft and can be pierced with a knife. Let cool for a few minutes and roughly cut into 1-2 inches pieces, peeling off the skin as you go. Place cut sweet potatoes on a parchment paper-lined dish in the freezer and let freeze overnight, or at least 4 hours.
- Blend your smoothie. Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Enjoy! Drink or top with some toppings and enjoy!
How to prepare frozen sweet potatoes for smoothies
Making frozen sweet potatoes for smoothies is super easy. Whenever we bake up a bunch of sweet potatoes for meal prep, I will always set a couple aside to freeze. It’s easier this way and we usually have them on hand to throw into smoothies.
To prepare sweet potatoes for smoothies, wash/scrub off any dirt from the skin. To bake a sweet potato, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 30-40 minutes until soft and can be pierced with a knife.
Let cool for a couple of minutes. Then cut into large cubes. You can either remove the skin or leave it on. Place in the freezer (I like doing this on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet/dish for easy removal) until frozen solid.
Substitutions and additions
You can customize this chocolate protein smoothie to your liking and to fit your nutritional goals. Here are some suggestions:
- milk – dairy or non-dairy milk (almond, coconut, oat milk).
- frozen sweet potato – frozen banana will work instead.
- fruit – any fruit would work instead of cherries. Try frozen strawberries or blueberries instead.
- frozen cauliflower rice – you can use frozen cauliflower florets instead of rice.
- protein powder – any flavor of protein powder will work. You can use whey, plant-based protein, or collagen. Just make sure to use a flavored kind as it gives it some sweetness and flavor.
- nut butter – any nut butter should work (peanut butter, cashew butter, pecan butter), and to make it nut-free, try tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- cocoa powder – cacao powder will work instead.
Here are some additions:
- greens – this will change the color of the smoothie, but add some more micronutrients. I would suggest spinach for a neutral taste.
- greek yogurt – add vanilla or plain.
- avocado – for more healthy fats and will make it really creamy.
- chia seeds – great for added healthy fats and fiber.
- sweetener – if you like your smoothies sweeter, add a little honey or maple syrup.
- ice – if you want more of a frozen texture and volume.
More healthy protein smoothie recipes
- chocolate beet smoothie
- green protein smoothie
- coffee protein smoothie
- orange creamsicle protein smoothie
- chunky monkey protein smoothie
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Chocolate Protein Smoothie
ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 small sweet potato baked, cut & peeled, and frozen* (6 ounces raw)
- 3/4 cup frozen cauliflower rice (75 grams)
- 1/2 heaping cup frozen sweet cherries (80 grams)
- 1 serving chocolate protein powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
instructions
- Prep your sweet potatoes if needed (this needs to be done in advance). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes until soft and can be pierced with a knife. Let cool for a few minutes and roughly cut into 1-2 inches pieces, peeling off the skin as you go. Place cut sweet potatoes on a parchment paper-lined dish in the freezer and let freeze overnight, or at least 4 hours.
- Blend your smoothie. Add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Enjoy! Drink or top with some toppings and enjoy!
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notes
nutrition
Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by The Mindful Hapa
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Interesting recipes, I’ll need to try them some day 😉
Hope you enjoy them!
This smoothie is so delicious! When I roast sweet potatoes I throw the leftovers in the freezer so they’re ready to go. I love getting some veggies in my smoothie too!
So glad you liked it Holly, it is really one of my favorites! Thanks for trying it!
Love it
The combo is so good!
Who would have thought sweet potato would make such a great smoothie addition?! The texture is so thick and creamy, love it!
Right?! They are my favorite in smoothies!!
Love this! Very hearty and filling. I didn’t have cauliflower or protein so subbed zucchini and medjool dates. The combo of sweet potato, cherries and cocoa is next level. I added in a few icecubes as well and it was a little thick so I ate it with a spoon. I’m already freezing my sweet potatoes for the next one, thanks for the recipe!
Love those substitutions! Glad you enjoyed it Nicole and thanks for trying it!
Honestly this chocolate protein smoothie was so incredibly good! I saw the post for this early in the day and knew I was doing a strength training class this evening and thought what a great post workout/ meal this would be for me. Needed something quick. It did not disappoint. I even used vanilla protein powder because that’s what I had on hand and it came out delicious. Will definitely make again!
Wahoo, so glad you liked it Sue! Glad the vanilla protein worked too! Thank you for trying it.
If I don’t have chocolate collagen, how much cocoa powder do you think would be needed to make up for the unflavored collagen?
1-2 tablespoons would work depending on how chocolatey you want it! I would maybe start with 1 and add more if you need to. Let me know how it goes!
Is it okay to use sweet potatoes for protein shakes with just protein and milk? I love them as a carb but never knew you could blend them like this
Yes! That would work just fine as well. I would just blend it up in your blender. Blending them is great because when they are liquid they digest faster, so great for after your workout.