How can you make the best protein shakes that you will enjoy and grow muscle mass? It takes more than an effective workout regimen to build a proper physique; it takes time, dedication, good planning, a great diet, and, more often than not, workout supplements. From protein bars to the massive array of different kinds of protein powder, most bodybuilders and athletes espouse the proper use of supplements to help give your body the energy and resources it needs.
Sadly, the flavor of protein powder is less pleasant, and many of them contain flavoring additives that, even in the best of supplements, are usually unsavory or sickeningly artificial. However, there is a handy, tried, and trustworthy solution to the protein shake’s terrible taste of protein whey! There are thousands of protein shake recipes online to choose from, so picking the right shake for flavor, muscle growth, and nutrition can be a daunting challenge. So let’s take a look at some of our favorite protein shake recipes to help you grow muscle mass.
On Protein Powder
Before we get onto the recipes, we should mention there is no shortage of choices for protein powder, and you could use any of them for most of these shakes; generally, we recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder. However, if you would like to check out some of our other favorite powders, read about them with this article!
Protein Shake Recipes:
1: Basic Banana Protein Shake
Banana protein shakes are a simple staple for a reason; they’re healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare, and this recipe is one of our favorites. Inspired by Lacey Braier, this recipe is as delicious as it is healthy!
Ingredients:
- 200ml of almond milk or 2% milk
- 100g of Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 1 whole frozen banana
- 1/8 tsp of ground cinnamon
- Ice as needed
- 1 dash of vanilla extract
Directions:
- Add almond milk / 2% milk, yogurt, protein powder, banana, cinnamon, ice, and vanilla extract to a blender.
- Blend on high until smooth
- Add extra milk or yogurt for thickness preference
2: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Recovery Shake
This shake from Olympic taekwondo champion Jade Jones packs in the protein from both powder and peanut butter; this shake is great for recovery days!
Ingredients:
- 100g of low-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop of protein powder
- 1 whole banana
- 100g of blueberries
- 200ml of milk
- 1 tbsp of peanut butter
Directions:
- Add yogurt, protein powder, banana, blueberries, milk, and peanut butter to a blender.
- Mix on high until smooth
- Add extra milk or peanut butter for thickness preference
3: Scott Baptie’s Muscle Building Shake
This chocolate, coconut, banana shake has a great flavor and is calorie-dense to boot!
Ingredients:
- 20g of 85% dark chocolate
- 100ml of coconut milk
- 25g scoop of protein powder
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 whole banana
- 50g porridge oats, soaked in 100ml of water for five to ten minutes
Directions:
- Mix chocolate, coconut milk, protein powder, cinnamon, banana, and oats into a blender
- Blend until smooth
- Add coconut milk or more soaked oats for thickness preference.
4: Chocolate Cherry Awesomeness Super Shake
This bombastically named shake from Men’s Health packs in the protein with walnuts, fresh cherries, and, oddly enough, spinach!
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. of water
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (you can add 1 tsp of cocoa powder with plain protein powder as a substitute)
- 100g of spinach
- 1 tbsp of walnuts
- 200g of sweet, dark, pitted cherries
- 1 tbsp of ground flax
- 1 tbsp of dark cocoa powder
Directions:
- Mix water, protein powder, cherries, spinach, walnuts, ground flax, and cocoa powder to blender
- Mix until smooth
- Add water/milk if for thickness preference.
5: Caramel Coffee Shake
This caramel coffee shake recipe from bodybuilding.com is excellent for early morning workouts, as it combines your morning coffee with a protein punch!
Ingredients:
- 200ml of unsweetened almond milk
- 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder (or plain protein powder with 1 tsp of cocoa powder)
- 1 tbsp of instant coffee
- 1 tsp of unsweetened caramel creamer
Directions:
- Mix almond milk, protein powder, instant coffee, and creamer into a blender
- Blend Until smooth
- Add almond milk for thickness preference
6: Sweet Strawberry
Another great recipe from bodybuilding.com, this simple strawberry shake is an excellent refresher for recovery days.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. of water
- 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (or plain protein powder with a dash of vanilla extract)
- 2 tbsp of flaxseed oil
- 60g of Greek yogurt
- 60g of strawberries
Directions:
- Mix water, protein powder, flaxseed oil, yogurt, and strawberries into a blender
- Mix on high
- Add water or milk for thickness preference
7: Peaches and Cream Protein Shake
This recipe from Men’s Journal is easily the simplest one we’ve found but is exploding with flavor.
Ingredients:
- 160g of peaches
- 32g of Greek Yogurt
- 120ml of orange juice
- 2 scoops of protein powder
Directions:
- Mix peaches, orange juice, yogurt, and protein powder into a blender
- Mix until smooth
- Add orange juice or Greek yogurt for thickness preference
Final Thoughts On Protein Shakes
Protein shakes can be a great addition to any workout routine, either as a pre-workout snack or a recovery day supplement to help muscle repair. For example, suppose your training is incredibly intense, and you need to prioritize muscle recovery over gains. In that case, you can substitute casein protein in any of these shakes for a more recovery-focused recipe. Overall, we highly recommend using protein shakes to accompany any workout routine. If you would like to look at our other health and fitness articles, you can check them out here. Or, to view our entire catalog of bodybuilding articles, you can view our full blog here.
