During my early middle school years, my mom drove my younger brother and me to a college about 30 minutes away to watch weekend basketball games. With our ages, we qualified for the cheap kid’s ticket prices, and we sat in the upper bleachers so we could see the whole court.
Since I played basketball in elementary school, we attended the women’s games more than the men’s. (Plus their team fared much better that year!) The arena filled with energy as the ladies sprinted up and down the court, led by lots of college kids shouting and even a senior citizen band playing pep songs in the grandstand.
Every once in a while, I invited my best friend along. Although she never played, as a cheerleader, she still understood the game. Shortly before the starting whistle blew, we would run downstairs to the snack stand to buy extra cheesy nachos, our favorite stadium food, to fuel us for the next few hours of cheering.
Back then, my brother was fairly selective about the foods he ate (some might call that “picky”), so Mom always stopped at In-N-Out on our way out of town. He’d order a plain hamburger, ketchup only; my best friend and I would ask for a basket of fries; and if Mom was feeling generous, she would buy a chocolate milkshake to split around the car. As a chocoholic even at that age, I usually tried to sneak an extra sip or two!
When I tasted this Healthy Chocolate Milkshake, those memories began flooding back. Just like In-N-Out’s, this is thick, creamy and extra chocolaty. But with just 5 ingredients (including ice!), it’s actually healthy enough for breakfast!
Normally I’m not a big smoothie-for-breakfast type of person. Even during the summer, my fingers and toes turn white and lose their circulation while I sip, leaving me crawling under thick fuzzy blankets and pulling on warm woolen socks. But this one… This one just may have converted me!
For starters, it’s super simple and uses ingredients you probably store in your pantry and fridge already. No protein powder necessary! The big protein boost comes from Greek yogurt, which also makes the smoothie thick and creamy like a milkshake.
Protein-packed milkshakes… That almost sounds too good to be true!
Cocoa powder and vanilla crème stevia provide the sweet chocolaty taste. I chose vanilla crème stevia because it’s a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener (aka it isn’t artificial or refined!). Feel free to use whatever you prefer instead! Adjust the amount to suit your tastes too: less for a darker, richer smoothie or more for a sweeter, dessert-like milkshake.
Milkshakes for breakfast? That’s definitely something I can get behind! ?? And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your milkshake and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Healthy Chocolate Milkshake | | Print |
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) unsweetened cashew or vanilla almond milk
- 2 tbsp (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla crème stevia OR 1 tbsp (13g) Truvia (or adjusted to taste)
- 1 cup (130g) ice cubes
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender in the order listed, and pulse until thick and creamy. Serve immediately.
Any sweetener may be substituted for the vanilla crème stevia or Truvia. (But vanilla crème stevia is one of my favorite ingredients, and you'll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too! I buy it online here because that's the cheapest price I've found.) You'll want the equivalent of 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
To help prevent the smoothie from separating, add ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, sugar-free, high protein}
More protein smoothies from other food bloggers…
♥ Banana Pie Protein Smoothie by Mariah’s Pleasing Plates
♥ Chocolate Fig Protein Smoothie by A Healthy Life For Me
♥ Strawberry Cheesecake Protein Smoothie by Fit Foodie Finds
♥ Black Forest Protein Smoothie by The Healthy Maven
Amy,
Thank you so much for creating and sharing this recipe. I’ve been making, and enjoying it for quite a while now.
I have stage 4 breast cancer, and as I move through different treatments; radiation, chemotherapy, etc., it is important to me to try to stay as healthy as I can as I have a family that needs me very much. I’ve been educated by a very brilliant oncologist in the way to make your body “uninhabitable” to cancer, and though I am now running a bit behind the “eight ball” there is still much I can do to lengthen my stay here and feel well and healthy.
Sometimes, after treatments, or some of the medications I need, the side effects make it difficult to maintain a healthy diet. This Healthy Milkshake fits all my needs perfectly. It has enough protein, low in carbs and even has more fiber than I would have anticipated (fiber being more important in the dietary requirements for fighting this disease than I could have guessed). As important as all that is, I still have to be able to find something that isn’t creating more nausea than already exists. I find this milkshake to be stomach settling (with the probiotic yogurt). That’s a pretty major gift in my world.
Thank you so much. I always look for your new recipes and appreciate the way you care for the human body by using “healthy” ingredients.
Sincerely,
Patty Nuss
Oh my goodness, Patty! That means the world to me that you’ve been enjoying this milkshake so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know, and I’m honored that you’d share your story with me too. My aunt went through breast cancer as well, so I’ve seen the roller coaster that treatment can be. You are so strong and so brave to continue trying to do everything you can to stay healthy and be there for your family. You’re so inspiring and such a gem, and I hope your days are just as sweet and as beautiful as you are! ♡
Amy, your response is so lovely and heartfelt. I would love to know you better. But, I will get to know you more through this wonderful website. I believe it can be part of the healing process when we do all we can to take care of ourselves. (It sounds like you have a head start on the rest of us!! 😉👍.
Please take care and stay safe. We all need what you are offering here. God bless!
Sincerely,
Patty Nuss
You have such an inspiring and uplifting perspective, Patty! Few people can be so positive when placed in the life situations that you’ve been in, and it shows just how courageous, strong, and loving you truly are. Anyone who interacts with you, whether in person or virtually, is incredibly lucky — myself included! ♡ Sending you so much love!
🖐🥰 💕♥️❤️
Amy, your response is so lovely and heartfelt.
Thank you for your kind words, Ahmed!
thanks
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I’m so glad that protein powder is NOT one of the ingredients! I don’t usually enjoy recipes with protein powder in them. Thanks so much for your hard work in making healthy recipes!
You’re so sweet — it’s my pleasure, Naomi! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. You just put a big smile on my face with your kind words! 🙂 If you end up making this milkshake, I’d love to hear what you think of it!
I just made this to have after my workout. It’s really nice! I will definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe xx
I’m so happy you enjoyed this milkshake, Abbie! That sounds like the best treat after a workout! 😉 Thanks so much for taking the time to share!
Is there an alternative to Greek yogurt (besides dairy free Greek yogurt which we cannot always find locally) for those that do not tolerate dairy products but will work in your recipes?
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Peggy! Yes, you can use any kind of non-dairy yogurt. It doesn’t have to be Greek-style non-dairy yogurt! Options like Silk’s soy-based yogurt and almond-based yogurt or So Delicious’ coconut-based yogurt would all be decent alternatives. I’d love to hear what you think of these milkshakes if you give them a try!
Thanks for your answer. I often bake gluten and dairy free for family members and appreciate the substitutions in the notes. The recipes that I’ve tried have always been good.
That means the world to us, Peggy! You’re so considerate to be sure substitutions are made for your family members…I’m sure they appreciate that so much! 🙂