The beauty of protein powder is in its
simplicity. It’s a meal. It’s a snack. It’s a post work-out pick-me-up. It’s
the only thing you can drink instead of lunch and not have people question your
life choices. It’s healthy and filling and only ever requires two dishes:
blender and spoon.
That said, you can also use protein powder
as a base and really jazz it up. It can be a simple way to add protein to your
existing recipes or a prime ingredient for a whole new creation. If you go
through a lot of protein powder, having an extended set of recipes will keep
your relationship with it fresh, making it a treat you look forward to having
every day.
Here are 7 of our favourite recipes
involving protein powder, from classic shakes to breakfast options to healthy
desserts. You can use your protein powder of choice for these. We always recommend reading the labels before
you buy and making sure you’re using a high-quality protein that doesn’t
contain anything you’d rather not consume.
1. Chai Protein Smoothie
½ – 1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom
½ inch – 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
Pinch of fennel seeds
Pinch of cloves
5 peppercorns, crushed (optional)
1 serving protein powder
4 oz milk (dairy or non-dairy. We love
cashew milk in this)
4 oz strong black tea, hot or cooled
Instructions: if making this beverage cold,
mix all ingredients together until smooth. If making it hot, bring the spices
and the tea to a boil in a small saucepan. Steep for at least 10 minutes. Add
milk and bring back up to a simmer. Remove from heat, add protein powder, mix
well and enjoy.
2. Creamsicle Protein Shake
1 serving protein powder
4 oz orange juice
4 oz milk (dairy or non-dairy)
Handful of crushed ice
Whipped cream (dairy or non-dairy)
Instructions: put all the ingredients
except whipped cream into a blender and blend until smooth. Top with a dollop
of whipped cream. So simple. So decadent.
3. Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
(adapted from The Buttercream’s delicious Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies)
3 bananas
2 cups oats
¼ cup almond butter
1 serving protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey, maple syrup or agave
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
¼ cup hemp seeds
Instructions: line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan
with parchment paper. Mix bananas and almond butter in a mixing bowl until
smooth. Add the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and liquid sweetener and mix
well, adjusting the sweetness to taste.
Fold mixture into baking pan. Top with
berries and hemp seeds. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes or until
the edges appear dry and the centre is firm. Cut into bars once cooled.
4. High-Protein Banana Bread
3 ripe bananas
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg (or flax egg for a vegan recipe)
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
½ cup liquid sweetener
3 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 serving protein powder
1 ¼ cup each: almond meal, oats, flour
Instructions: mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together to combine. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Fold mixture into loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 60 – 75 minutes or until edges are golden and centre is firm.
5. Extra-Protein Vanilla Chia Pudding
¼ cup chia seeds1 ½ cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 tbsp almond butter
1 serving protein powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated is the gold standard)
1 tbsp liquid sweeter of choice
Instructions: mix all ingredients in a large jar until the almond butter is well-combined. Test and adjust for sweetness. Seal the jar and shake well. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy in the morning.
6. High-Protein Chocolate Pudding
1 serving protein powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2-3 ripe, soft avocados
1-2 tbsp liquid sweetener of choice
Instructions: Mix all the ingredients in a
blender or food processor until smooth. Adjust sweetness and cocoa level to
taste. More cocoa might be necessary if your avocados have a strong flavour. If
the pudding is too thick, add a little water or coconut water to get the
desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add another avocado.
7. Fancy Protein Truffles
(The base for these is The Minimalist
Baker’s incredible 5-Ingredient Protein Balls)
Base:
1 cup almond butter
5 dates, softened with water if using dried
instead of fresh
2/3 cup hemp seeds
¼ cup ground chia seeds
1 serving protein powder
Fillings (optional):
Whole roasted almonds or hazelnuts,
unsweetened dried cherries or crystallized ginger
Toppings (optional):
100g melted dark chocolate
Crushed hazelnuts or almonds
Unsweetened shredded coconut
Crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions: blend all the ingredients for
the base in a food processor until well combined and slightly sticky. Add more
seeds if the mixture is too soft to hold together. Add a little water if
mixture is dry. Adjust sweetness for taste.
Roll into balls, using a tablespoon to
measure. If desired, press an almond, hazelnut, cherry or piece of ginger into
the centre of the ball and reform it. Keep the balls on waxed or parchment
paper while you prepare the toppings.
If desired, drop the balls into the melted
chocolate and gently roll until coated, placing them back on the waxed paper to
dry. You can also place the other toppings into separate bowls and roll the
balls directly in the other toppings, sifting until each ball is evenly coated.
If you want to be very fancy, you can coat the balls in chocolate and sprinkle them
with one of the other toppings before the chocolate dries. The sky’s the limit
on creating a variety of beautiful and delicious truffles!
Hope these recipes give you some
inspiration for taking your protein powder to the next level.
featured image: Alexander Mils; image 1: Airin Party
