12 Healthy Protein Shake Recipes for Weight Gain

1. Chocolate peanut butter shake with Greek yogurt

This chocolate and peanut butter protein shake uses Greek yogurt as the main protein source and includes high calorie ingredients like peanut butter and honey to promote weight gain.

Ingredients

• 1 large banana
• 3/4 cup (180 mL) whole milk
• 3 tbsp (21 grams [g]) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (170 g) full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp (21 g) honey
• 1 tbsp (16 g) peanut butter

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and thick.
2. Add the cocoa powder gradually to prevent caking.

2. Triple berry smoothie with egg whites

Pasteurized egg whites are an excellent way to boost the protein content of smoothies without affecting the flavor. Pasteurization destroys any harmful bacteria, making most packaged egg whites safe to consume raw.

For this smoothie, you may wish to use fresh or frozen berries.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (180 mL) pasteurized egg whites
• 1/2 cup (72 g) strawberries
• 1/4 cup (37 g) blueberries
• 1/4 cup (37 g) raspberries
• 1 small avocado (about 140 g)
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) orange juice

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed until smooth.

3. Green smoothie with Greek yogurt

This protein smoothie features full fat Greek yogurt as the base and is full of nutrient-dense fruits and veggies.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe medium banana
• 1 cup (165 g) fresh, canned, or frozen pineapple
• 3 cups (30 g) spinach
• 1 cup (245 g) full fat plain Greek yogurt
• 6 ounces (180 mL) fruit juice of your choice

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Coffee protein smoothie with whey protein

This treat combines coffee and chocolate protein powder to help jump-start weight gain. The coffee’s caffeine might also make this an effective pre-workout drink.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup (160 mL) brewed coffee, cold, plus more if needed
• 6 to 8 ice cubes
• 1 medium banana, frozen
• 1 tbsp (7 g) cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp (16 g) almond butter
• 1/4 cup (25 g) or about 1 scoop of chocolate or mocha whey protein powder
• 2 tbsp (30 g) chia seeds

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth, adding more coffee as needed to thin out the mixture.

5. Apple cinnamon hemp heart protein smoothie

This apple and cinnamon smoothie adds additional nutritious ingredients to help increase the total calories.

You may prefer to peel the apples before blending, but keep in mind that apple peel contains insoluble fiber that may benefit gut health.

If you find this shake is too big to drink in one sitting, consider splitting it into multiple servings and drinking it within 24 hours.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) whole milk
• 2 small apples, washed and sliced
• 1/3 cup (26 g) rolled oats
• 2 tbsp (32 g) almond butter
• 2 tbsp (20 g) hemp hearts
• 2 tbsp (30 g) chia seeds
• 1 pitted medjool date
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
• cinnamon to taste
• 2 handfuls of ice cubes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth.

6. Strawberry banana smoothie with kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk beverage that has a slightly tangy taste, similar to yogurt. It’s loaded with beneficial bacteria created during fermentation. Plus, kefir packs about 12 g of protein per 1 cup (240 mL).

This simple recipe uses full fat kefir to boost the calorie content slightly.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (144 g) fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 ripe medium banana
• 1 cup (240 mL) whole milk kefir
• 1/4 cup (20 g) oats
• handful of ice cubes (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture reaches a purée consistency.

7. Chocolate avocado smoothie with flaxseed

While chocolate and avocado may not seem like a natural match, they complement each other quite well in this nutrient-packed smoothie.

The addition of ground flaxseed provides a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which may boost heart, joint, and digestive health.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 mL) whole milk
• 1/2 large avocado, ripe, without brown spots
• 4 to 6 pitted dates
• 2 1/2 tbsp (18 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• handful of ice cubes
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 medium banana
• 1/4 cup (25 g) chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 tbsp (7 g) ground flaxseed

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
2. Add more dates to ramp up the sweetness, if desired.

8. Blueberry smoothie with silken tofu

Tofu can be added to smoothies as a great source of plant-based protein. It’s available in varying firmnesses. This recipe utilizes silken tofu, the softest form, as it blends well in shakes and smoothies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (260 g) silken tofu
• 1 cup (240 mL) unsweetened soy milk
• 1 medium banana
• 2 to 3 ice cubes (optional)
• 1 cup (190 g) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tbsp (21 g) honey

Instructions

1. Drain tofu to remove excess water.
2. Blend tofu, milk, banana, and ice (if using) for 30 seconds.
3. Add blueberries and honey and blend until smooth.

9. 1,000-calorie smoothie with whey protein

With readily available ingredients that you may already have on hand, this smoothie provides a convenient and budget-friendly option to meet your calorie needs without leaving you overly full.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (72 g) frozen strawberries
• 2 tbsp (32 g) peanut butter
• 1 medium banana
• 1 tbsp (21 g) honey
• 1 cup (80 g) oats
• 2 scoops (50 g) whey protein powder
• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) whole milk

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients, starting at the top of the list and working your way down, to the jar of a high-speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth and free of chunks.

10. Bedtime casein protein smoothie

This smoothie uses casein, a slower-digesting milk protein, to help keep you fueled overnight during sleep.

Ingredients

• 1 medium banana, frozen
• 1 scoop (25 g) casein protein powder (chocolate or peanut butter flavor)
• 2 tbsp (14 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp (32 g) peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) whole milk
• 2 to 3 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.

11. Green smoothie with pea protein

This simple green smoothie is a great vegan option, making an excellent breakfast or workout recovery snack.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 mL) unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 medium banana, frozen
• 1 tbsp (16 g) peanut butter
• 2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach
• 1 scoop (25 g) vanilla pea protein
• handful of ice

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender, starting with coconut milk.
2. Blend on high until smooth.

12. Pumpkin pie shake with egg white protein

This pumpkin pie protein smoothie is made with egg white protein powder, an excellent nondairy protein option.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 mL) whole milk (or milk alternative, if dairy-free)
• 1 medium banana, frozen
• 3 tbsp (45 g) pumpkin purée
• 1 scoop (25 g) vanilla egg white protein powder (or protein powder of your choice)
• 1 tbsp (16 g) almond butter
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• handful of ice cubes
• 1 tbsp (6 g) graham cracker crumbs (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except graham cracker crumbs in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Garnish with graham cracker crumbs, if desired.

The bottom line

When trying to gain weight, you’ll have to regularly eat more calories than you burn. One simple way to boost your calorie intake is to incorporate liquid calories from protein shakes and smoothies.

The protein smoothies above use a variety of nutritious ingredients to get you started. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your favorite ingredients to create your own combinations.