This is one of those, seems-too-easy to put on the blog kind of “recipes.” Especially because I’ve never considered myself an expert on protein shakes. But it’s because they’ve never been YUMMY ENOUGH FOR ME. Always team chew-my-calories over drinking them. Always. UNTIL THIS Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake
- Ready In: 5 minutes
- Serves: 1
- Calories: 156 cal
- Protein: 21.9g
- Fat: 4.5g
- Carbs: 10g
- Why You'll Love It: This is the BEST, creamiest protein shake. You'll forget why you ever needed ice cream before! And it's massive.... my love language. Sounds like a process, but it takes me five minutes. WORTH IT.
About This Recipe
Dessert has always been essential to me. It just is. Maybe I should kick the addiction– maybe I shouldn’t eat so late. Maybe if I did Whole 30 I’d lose the need for sweets and feel invincible. But honestly, I’m not sure I want to! My sweet treat on the couch at night, after the kids are in bed– with Ross hanging out (or snoring) next to me… it’s too important to me.
When I first started counting macros, a protein shake was my LAST RESORT dessert. When I’d spent all of my carbs and fat on a dinner out maybe. I would try and get excited about it but it didn’t fool me. Mostly I tasted protein and ice… it was watery and hollow in flavor. So I get it if you’re skeptical. Once I found my formula, I have NOT GOTTEN off of this thing. I keep waiting to get hooked on something new. But you guys it’s been like three years. And I’m not always tracking! Certainly not always “cutting” (eating in a deficit). But THIS. This is what I want every night until forever.
I wish the details didn’t matter. But they do. Le me tell you; all protein shakes are NOT created equal.
I have fallen in love with this shake. Done the same, every time. I even decided I had to weigh my ice because it was always so hit and miss for me before! I’d see other people enjoying theirs, but then I’d make one and it’d be too watery… or too frothy… or taste like nothing. Or worse, like protein powder. And I’m sipping or spooning, hoping it’s gonna get better as I go. And then annoyed I’ve spent the macros and I’m just all cold and didn’t get to eat anything.
But not this one! I’m obsessed. And I have eaten it essentially every single night for an absurd number of nights. I’m not gonna count.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cashew milk: Unsweetened cashew milk is my preference here but any kind of milk works! You can use dairy or non-dairy milk.
- Creamer: For added creaminess! I love the Califia Farms Almond Milk Creamer but any kind works. The creamer isn’t essential, but I love it for the richness. Easily sub for more milk if you don’t have creamer.
- Protein powder: Use your favorite protein powder (mine is Active Stacks). I’ve linked some of my favorite options below.
- Cocoa powder: Essential for getting that chocolately flavor! I always use dark or jet black cocoa.
- Flake salt: Trust me on this!
- Stevia: If you like things sweeter, add ¼ teaspoon (or to taste) of stevia. If using, I prefer the liquid stevia so it mixes the best. I personally don’t use this anymore but totally an option if you like things sweet!
- Coconut extract: Another optional ingredient but it really does give this shake the best flavor. Almond is also amazing, but a little goes far, don’t over do it. Of course, you can always use regular vanilla if that’s what you have on hand.
- Xanthan gum: A game changer for the texture!! Just be careful to not get heavy handed or it can get a little weird. You can also omit if your stomach doesn’t handle it well.
- Toppings: Feel free to get creative here! My go-to’s powdered peanut butter, almond milk whipped cream, roasted cocoa nibs, corn chex cereal, toasted almonds, diced banana, rice crispies, and more flake salt!
Dietary Adaptations
Dairy-free: Use dairy-free milk, creamer and protein powder.
How To Make
- Add all of the shake ingredients to the jar of your Ninja. (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 ¼ tsp measuring spoon in there to use on the salt, stevia, and xanthan.)
- Run a full blend cycle. I let it go all the way through, then sometimes add another 10–20 seconds depending on the ice, protein powders, and, honestly, the day. The key is watching it come together: the color gets lighter, the texture smooths out, and the shake visibly grows taller in the jar. If it’s icy, blend longer next time. If it’s too whipped or frothy, shorten the blend.
- 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. I like to add the toppings in the order listed. And sometimes crumble 10 grams of G2G bar as well! (More is better ha!) I don’t mix in, or layer. But I eat by dunking my long spoon right down the middle almost trying to avoid the toppings. You’ll inevitably get plenty stuck to each bite and then there’s still so much good stuff left at the bottom! It’s an art. Haha.
Helpful Tips
1. Xanthan gum makes it thick and creamy! But keep reading even if it’s not for you. The weird name makes it intimidating, but it’s just a plant-based thickener. Xanthan gum is magical in helping it blend up thick and creamy…. more like a dessert, less like a supplement- ew. I linked the exact bag I bought from Amazon. I just leave my ¼ tsp in the bag for easy shake-making! Some people feel bloated or gassy from too much xanthan, so don’t go overboard.
AND, if xanthan doesn’t sit well in your belly, or the name just scares you too much, or you just hate buying stuff you don’t know you’ll use, it’s fine. I’m editing this because in efforts to fix some tummy trouble, I’ve recently stopped using the xanthan and have actually been shocked at how good is still is with frozen banana. Not like using frozen banana is some genius new concept. But I swear I’d tried in the past and it didn’t compare. BUT, at least with my Ninja, a simple 40-50 g frozen-solid banana GETS IT DONE. I don’t even miss it. Still AMAZING. Adds a handful of carbs but less than 10. It’s cool.
2. A Good Protein Powder: My current FAVORITE, is the chocolate by Active Stacks. (Use Lillie for 10% off). 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.
But I also love going halvesies with another favorite to mix it up. My very favorites to throw in are the Clean Simple Eats S’more and Peanut Butter Cup (use Lillie for 10% off) or any of the Clean Simple Eats Flavors!
3. Right Amount of Ice: It might vary for you, but just finding your sweet spot so it’s not always a crapshoot is key. Mine has been between 185-195 grams of ice.
4. Blender: I wish the blender didn’t matter, but it does. If your shake is watery, unfortunately that’s usually a blender situation and I hate to say it, but you might need a new one! Avoid the big classic ninja blender. It yields the iciest shakes. For me, the Ninja Twisti changed everything. It’s compact, easy to leave on the counter, and blends this shake evenly without overworking it.
And the clean up is such a breeze compared to my big blender! It blends it so fast and so smooth. I worried it was too fast at first but now that I’ve gotten it down, it’s PERFECT every time. (Warning, the large, regular sized Ninja blender does NOT work for this shake. It’ll be icy and sloshy. Nobody wants that.)
5. Powdered Peanut Butter: The powdered peanut butter I use is PB2. The key is to BARELY STIR IT IN AFTER!!!!!! DON’T BLEND IT IN! It gets lost. Not as special. This is huge. massive. monumental. a must. Of course real peanut butter would be delicious, or cookies, or peanut butter cups…or Ben & Jerry’s– BUT– if you have room for all of that, you probably don’t need to be eating a protein shake in the first place so let’s assume you want to keep it light.
20 grams of powdered peanut butter will only cost you 88 calories of mostly protein and carbs… and will add JUST enough texture and reward to keep you loving it through every bite so you’re not depressed when you hit the bottom of your giant, metal tumbler.
6. Giant Metal Tumbler: YES: a giant metal tumbler with a long spoon!! GAME CHANGER. I’m obsessed with the whole situation. Feel free to eat yours out of a bowl and call it “pro-yo” or “protein ice cream”. It was a big dilemma for me… what to call it… but I felt like “shake” was the honest way to go since I’m eating it out of a giant metal cup that reminds me of being a kid… like when you’d order a shake and they brought you your cup AND the leftovers that didn’t fit, in the big metal cup? THE BESSSSSSST THINGGGGGGG EVERRRRRRRR. And now I have it every night. Childhood dreams come true.
7. Toppings: And if there’s room OF COURSE TOPPINGS are everything. Almond milk Reddi Whip, and granola used to be all I needed. But now I’m hooked on a good spread haha. The whipped cream, cocoa nibs, corn chex and/or toasted almonds, and always a final pinch of flake salt! I also LOVE 15 grams of a G2G Bar at room temp, crumbled up on it when I’m really going for it. For a dairy-free option, Healthy On the Go Bars have some delicious options.
For More Delicious Recipes
- Macro-friendly Vanilla Protein Smoothie Bowl
- High Protein Berry Smoothie Bowl
- Healthy Chocolate Mint Protein “Ice Cream” Sundae
- Macro Friendly Warm Oatmeal Ice Cream Sundae
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Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Shake
Ingredients
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
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Maldon flake salt (don't skip!) A little less if you're using regular kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp stevia if you like things sweeter Optional- I don't use this anymore
- 4-5 squirts of coconut extract Optional- 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! But it is a texture game changer.
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 is my second fave, use what you love!
- 1 Tbsp roasted cocoa nibs 10 g (these are hard and bitter so be warned, but I love!)
- 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) (lately I prefer to blend this in FROZEN instead of the xanthan! You can experiment)
- 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 Twist (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 ¼ tsp measuring spoon in there to use on the salt, stevia, and xanthan.)
- Blend for about 30-40 seconds, or one cycle on the Ninja Twisti.
- 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. I like to add the toppings in the order listed. And sometimes crumble 10 grams of G2G bar as well! (More is better ha!) I don't mix in, or layer. But I eat by dunking my long spoon right down the middle almost trying to avoid the toppings. You'll inevitably get plenty stuck to each bite and then there's still so much good stuff left at the bottom! It's an art. Haha.
Notes
- 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“
- Protein Powder: Feel free to use what you have if you love it! These are simply my very favorite NATURALLY sweetened protein powders after trying a LOT haha.
- My current FAVORITE is the chocolate by Active Stack. It’s a hydrolyzed 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 very short and simple. It tastes like good chocolate milk. I love it. Their vanilla is also very good and I feel like this brand blends up the very CREAMIEST in the shake. My affiliate code “Lillie” saves 10% on their site.
- For a little variety, I love to do a half scoop of that Active Stacks chocolate with a half scoop of another favorite like the CSE chocolate peanut butter, or s’more. Ross loves the maple donut. LOTS of yummy flavors over there if you love variety. You can also use my affiliate code “Lillie” to save 10% off at CSE.
- I also really like the Bad Athletics Coconut, or Salted Caramel. This is another one I like to combine WITH the chocolate active stacks. You can use my code “badlillie” for 10% off of their site.
- Blender:
- Obviously, use and try to perfect using whatever blender you have! But for me, the Ninja Twisti 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. We have a Vitamix as well, but once I got the Ninja Twisti (NOT THE BIG NINJA), 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.
- 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 too 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! But you want to see the xanthan really pull it all together into one consistent lighter color. You can tell when it’s really pulled together.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Oh my goodness—I’m in love. I have a serious weakness for ice cream but not with this delectable treat in my back pocket. Thank you! Made with Clean Simple Eats vanilla and only added the powdered pb with 2 T of Kashi GoLean peanut butter crunch sprinkled on top—love how crunchy it stayed the whole time. Totally yummy.
What did I do wrong?! I used Fairlife milk instead of nut milk, and I didn’t add the xanthan gum or any sweeteners. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, even used the recommended brands except for the protein powder. I used Premier Protein (chocolate) because that’s what I had on hand. It was so bad, it was sickening. Was it the protein powder? I was so excited to try this and I really wanted to like it. Should I try another brand of protein powder?
I’ve never used that one! But obviously there’s not really much going on — it comes down to the little details to get texture right, and then of course you need to love your protein powder! I LOVE the active stacks beef for sure – it’s a game changer for me. But i don’t think it should be sickening with another haha. Was the taste bad, or the texture? The blender/milk/and xanthan make a huge difference in the texture. The salt is important to bring out the flavor. The toppings are everything of course. But obviously the bulk of the recipe is protein powder so maybe try a new one if you’d like!
Thanks, I think I’ll try the Stacks protein powder (I don’t have one I like). I tried again with the collagen powder I use, instead of protein powder, still a fail (I did add the xanthan gum and sweetner this time, left out the coconut extract, just in case). Since, like you said, the other ingredients are so basic, I thought it could be the jet black coco powder and I was going to try regular coco powder. Then I remembered that I once had a salted caramel ice cream sundae at Ghiradelli that had flake salt sprinkled on top and I felt that same nauseating feeling. At the time, I was certain it was the salt (they put a lot!). So I left out the salt this time, and it worked! Well, the flavor worked, now I need to figure out how to get the right consistency. Thanks so much!
It really is that good! I used Chocolate Premier protein powder since it’s what I had and it was delicious!
Delicious !
FABULOUS!!!!
I just use the SILK cashew milk! Lightest macros I’ve found..
Hi Lillie! I love this shake, and all of your recipes! I was wondering what kind of cashew milk do you use? I was using the silk almond + cashew milk which was so creamy and delicious with decent macros, but I can’t find it anymore.
Thank you!
Hi Lillie! Do you have a favorite brand for the black cocoa powder? Thank you!
I love the jet black cocoa by HIIT nutrition! But I’ve also just ordered some on Amazon!
Delightful!
Hi! I am curious if you STILL use Cashew milk and Xantham gum? I know you’re shifted some things out for your gut health so I am curious what your CURRENT/updated version of the shake is?
My new obsession! It’s better than a chocolate ice cream shake! Sooo good!
This Shake is amazing and it hits the spot every time I have made a few different versions like strawberry with frozen strawberries instead od ice(actually half strawberries and half ice) diesel strawberry protein powder and almond extract and for topping just so delicious cocowhip(I’m in canada).
Another variation is with vanilla protein. Powder, oat milk, then the topping is just milk powdered barely stirred in just like Lillie does powdered peanut butter.
I also don’t use as much ice, I find the original recipe makes a high volume which is great if yoy want to eat more, but I usually have this mid afternoon and don’t want to get too full before dinner, so I do 100g ice, 100 oat milk, then 1 scoop protein powder, 1/8tsp xantam gum and follow the o
Directions, I only own a vitamin bur o have the Shake container, I start on low and slowly increase , it takes about 40 sec to get where I want .
Love this Shake so much! I had this Shake so much on my latest pregnancy that we joke around saying that my daughter is basically part Shake lol
I love this! I look forward to it every night and without fail every time I eat it I go back to see if I misread the calories for the whole thing without toppings because it’s a massive amount for so little calories and carbs! Still trying to not feel guilty eating it everyday but if it’s the one splurge, well worth it!
The best! I make it nightly now!
Are you even living if you have not tried this shake. I make it exactly as described including the add-ins. I look forward to it all day long for my snack. It is so delicious. It tastes like a decadent pb/chocolate shake from an ice cream shop. Some days it’s my lunch and snack. The macros are insanely good and the crunch of the toppings make it an ideal texture. Thank you Lillie for another 10/10 and daily recipe. You are a game changer for macro counting and just healthy living.