Making protein shakes without protein powder is easy if you know the right mix of ingredients!

I've never been a fan of the chalky texture or the fake sugar taste of protein powder. So, I've had to figure out how to make protein shakes without it. Lucky for you, I've figured out all the secrets and even quite a few variations!

Jump to:

• How to choose the right protein shake
• How do you make protein shakes without protein powder?
• Protein Shakes Without Protein Powder (10 Recipes)
• 1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake
• 2. Peanut Butter Avocado Protein Shake
• 3. Chickpea Cinnamon Date Shake
• 4. Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Shake
• 5. Chocolate Cherry Tofu Shake
• 6. Chocolate Cheesecake Protein Shake
• 7. Banana Blueberry Protein Shake
• 8. Apple Pie Milkshake
• 9. Strawberry Cloud Shake
• 10. Triple Berry Protein Smoothie

How to choose the right protein shake

Here's a quick table to help you pick from the best protein shake recipes:

How do you make protein shakes without protein powder?

To make homemade protein shakes without powder, you need the right combination of protein-rich whole food ingredients: a liquid, a base, and flavors. Keep reading to learn more so you can make your own. Otherwise, jump to one of our pre-made recipes!

The liquid: Use a high-protein milk such as skim milk with 8g of protein per cup or soy milk with 9g of protein per cup. Use about 1 cup of liquid per shake.

The Base: Use a protein thickener/base such as cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tofu, or chickpeas. Use about ½ cup of base per shake.

Note: A good Greek yogurt will have upwards of 20g of protein per serving. Be sure to look for low-fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, because the lower the fat, the higher the protein content.

The flavors: Use your favorite flavors such as peanut butter, chocolate, berries, cinnamon, vanilla, or whatever you like!

Making a cold shake: We always try to use a frozen ingredient in our shakes to make them cold. This can be a frozen banana or berries. To freeze a banana, simply wait until it's ripe, peel it, place it in a bag, and freeze it. You can also freeze milk into ice cubes to use for shakes.

Protein Shakes Without Protein Powder (10 Recipes)

1. Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

396 cal · 24g protein

This shake uses skim milk as its liquid and cottage cheese as a base to fill it with 24g of protein. It's a treat in drink form, but it only uses natural sugar, so it's on the healthier side!

2. Peanut Butter Avocado Protein Shake

546 cal · 28g protein

This shake has peanut butter, soy milk, and avocado. This combination makes it dairy-free and extra thick and creamy! It has 28g of protein and no protein powder in sight.

3. Chickpea Cinnamon Date Shake

311 cal · 21g protein

This dairy-free shake uses soy milk and chickpeas for a base to give it 21g of protein and 10g of fiber! It uses dates as a natural sweetener and cinnamon and peanut butter for a comforting flavor.

4. Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Shake

306 cal · 21g protein

When fall is in the air, this protein shake becomes my go-to. I put instant coffee in it to make it into a shake latte hybrid drink, but you can easily leave it out if you prefer.

With pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, and cinnamon spices, it's like drinking a pumpkin pie! But unlike pie, it has 21g of protein and minimal natural sweetening.

5. Chocolate Cherry Tofu Shake

477 cal · 19g protein

Tofu in a shake? Yep! If you're dairy-free and like lots of protein (20g) and fiber (14g), then this shake is for you! And if you're not dairy-free but like chocolate and cherries, then this shake is for you, too.

6. Chocolate Cheesecake Protein Shake

323 cal · 16g protein

If you can imagine drinking a chocolate cheesecake, then you can already taste this shake. It uses cauliflower and avocado as thickeners, which also add fiber and healthy fats. And it's sweetened naturally with maple syrup, so it's a protein shake you can feel good about drinking!

7. Banana Blueberry Protein Shake

233 cal · 16g protein

Bananas are one of my favorite shake additions. That's because they make shakes thick and creamy while adding a subtly sweet flavor (as long as they're ripe). And bananas shine in this protein shake with 16g of protein!

8. Apple Pie Milkshake

357 cal · 16g protein

This apple milkshake packs 16 grams of protein and is ready in 5 minutes. It has all the flavors of fall! Using frozen apples with the skins on keeps the fiber high and doesn't require ice.

9. Strawberry Cloud Shake

315 cal · 14g protein

Move over Erewhon, this strawberry cottage cheese smoothie is a dupe of the famous strawberry cloud smoothie. It uses no protein powder but still packs in 14 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. In just 5 minutes, you can have the most delicious and fluffy smoothie (or is it a milkshake?!).

10. Triple Berry Protein Smoothie

262 cal · 20g protein

Triple berry includes raspberry, strawberry, and blueberries that all combine to create a sweet and refreshing drink! For this recipe, we use Greek yogurt to add protein and a bit of ginger to brighten up the shake even more. Yum!