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Coffee Lovers Protein Shake

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High protein, low sugar protein shake is a coffee lover’s dream. Gluten free, vegan coffee shake recipe. Only 4 ingredients- no cream!! Easy to make for an afternoon pick me up.

Coffee Lovers Protein Shake

Breakfast smoothies and coffee are my jam which means this coffee lover’s protein shake is my ultimate fave! So coffee protein shake… umm yes please. And this one tastes like a straight up milkshake.

On a rainy day, there’s nothing I like more than sitting by the window and writing with a delicious treat nearby to sip or snack on. But as the rain falls, sometimes my energy falls, too!

low sugar chocolate coffee protein shakes recipes

So a quick caffeine boost definitely helps. 

But I don’t always want a latte or even just brewed coffee. So, I came up with this breakfast smoothie that comes with a kick of cold coffee and some cacao nibs for a pretty finish. Yay for healthy protein shake! 

low sugar chocolate protein shake with chocolate shavings on top

How to make a protein shake with coffee?

This coffee breakfast smoothie is super easy to make. Literally, toss all ingredients into a blender, top with cacao nibs and sip all the frothy goodness with a straw. We even added a how to video to this post! Here’s what we have in this baby.

Banana 

Vanilla protein powder

Unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Cold brewed coffee

Cacao nibs

coffee protein shake-- the best protein shake recipe

What type of coffee to use for this protein shake?

Any chilled coffee will work in this recipe! So pick your favorite coffee. I actually created this recipe with room temp coffee from my morning pot of coffee, but now that I use a Keurig for single brew– I often will just toss in cold brew or unsweetened iced coffee from the jug.

BTW, I LOVE Starbucks Blonde Roast and that I can buy this at the grocery for a fraction of what it would cost me if I were to go to Starbucks for an iced coffee.

chocolate peanut butter protein shakes

Let’s call this babe Coffee Lovers Protein Shake.

For the love of a breakfast smoothie… I hope you love this gem of a recipe as much as I do. Make sure to look at the notes — I included some options for toppings (I like cacoa nibs!) and also a tip for making this shake more or less sweet, depending on what you prefer.

How to make a vegan protein shake?

This shake is easy to make vegan and dairy free! Just sub in a vegan protein powder. I’m pretty obsessed with Vega sport. I’ve linked to it in my Amazon store below too.

You can use vanilla or chocolate flavor in this recipe so take your pick! Just opt for an unsweetened version to keep sugars low. [amazon_link asins=’B016D9IHZG’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’lovea0fd-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a206106d-c80d-4053-9d83-8fa4d6799e94′]

Vegan coffee protein shakes for the win!

low sugar protein shake made with coffee

Are protein shakes good for weight loss?

If you are trying to lose weight, you need this low sugar coffee shake! 

Because, yo this breakfast smoothie is under 200 calories, 19g carbs and 25 grams of protein! Protein is super important when trying to lose weight!

Amino acids, specifically leucine help with stimulating muscle protein synthesis! Leucine has also been found to help with fat loss, and protein powder is rich in branch chain amino acid leucine.

While more research is need as to how much leucine the athlete needs, much has been discovered that it’s somewhere between 2-3g per meal, with bigger and aging athletes on the higher end. Let me explain.

coffee shake that's high in protein and low sugar

We know that as we age our metabolism slows, as a result of losing muscle mass… good news is this is largely preventable! Research is showing that nutrition can affect the quality of our muscle mass.

After age thirty something {and earlier for some}, high quality proteins that are rich in leucine become even more important to the body and are needed in larger quantities.

Do you need a little pick me up? Go on you coffee lover, grab your favorite glass and the blender and get your coffee on.

creamy low sugar protein shake made with coffee and chocolate shavings

Best high protein breakfast smoothies:

Peaches n Cream Protein Shake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

Coconut Cream Pie Protein Shake

Almond Joy Protein Shake

Almond Butter Date Shake

Peanut Butter Mocha Protein Shake

overhead shot of low sugar coffee shake topped with chocolate shavings and peanut butter

Other coffee recipes:

Coffee Cashew Ice Cream

Coffee Brownies

Honey & Orange Coffee Cake

Double Chocolate Cherry Skillet Brownie

Almond Butter Banana Bread Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Eggnog Frappuccino

DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

a low sugar protein shake made with coffee

 

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Coffee Lovers Protein Shake

★★★★★

4.9 from 17 reviews
  • Author: Kristina LaRue
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 5 mins
  • Yield: 1 shake 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This high protein and low sugar coffee protein shake is a coffee lover’s dream. Dairy free and vegan too. No cream and 100% healthy and only 4 ingredients!! Blend to frothy deliciousness, top with cacao for an afternoon pick me up.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ripe banana
  • 1 scoop no sugar added vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/2 cup cold or room temperature brewed coffee
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed ice
  • sprinkle of cacao nibs, for topping if desired
  • 1–3 drops stevia extract, if desired

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except ice to a high powered blender. and blend until mixed together.
  2. Slowly add ice to blender and process until creamy.
  3. Top with cacao nibs, if desired.
  4. Note: If you desire a bit of a sweeter shake, stir in 1-3 drops stevia extract.
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 recipe
  • Calories: 193
  • Sugar: 9g
  • Sodium: 161mg
  • Fat: 2g
  • Saturated Fat: 1g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1g
  • Trans Fat: 0mg
  • Carbohydrates: 19g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 25g
  • Cholesterol: 30mg

Keywords: coffee protein shake, coffee shake, coffee smoothie, java shake, low sugar, high protein

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Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products we believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, Love & Zest will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items.

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Comments

  1. Sean@Diversivore says

    As a general rule, I’m in favour of coffee-ing (is that a thing) up any recipe! I’m one of those dyed-in-the-wool coffee lovers, so this sounds like a good idea to me. Love the little touch of cacao too – too much overpowers the coffee, but that little touch can do SO much! Cheers!

    Reply

  2. Amanda says

    Love making shakes with almond milk. This looks so perfectly frothy! And those cacao nibs on the top are totally calling my name. I could use one of these on this incredibly long Monday afternoon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  5. Kristin says

    This shake is A-MAZING! I subbed the vanilla protein powder for chocolate and I have died and gone to chocolaty coffee heaven. Good bye morning coffee…hello heaven in a cup. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  6. Wendy Miller says

    I’ve tried this shake and love it! I use coffee ice cubes for a little extra kick . This has become my favorite breakfast smoothie. It’s quick and easy. Thanks so much for sharing this!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  9. Brie says

    I knew I would love this from the second I read the blog title. I made these for my boyfriend and I as a a post-workout little treat yesterday afternoon. I used chocolate protein powder instead of vanilla (since I did not have any) and used a 1/2 cup of espresso (I use the Nespresso pods and machine) in each serving, I am typically a huge coffee snob and am reluctant to drink any coffee that isn’t fair-trade and a strong-bodied pour over but this coffee protein shake was perfect since it used milk, banana, and chocolate protein powder which helped to keep my coffee snobbery at bay (a coffee snob cannot critique something that isn’t pure coffee!). Thanks for the recipe! I will certainly be including it in my shake rotation.

    Reply

  14. Christina @ The Beautiful Balance says

    I’m not a coffee drinker but my boyfriend is and he always skips breakfast. This is the perfect solution! On a side note, ankle pain is the worst! I tore two tendons and fractured my ankle in August doing box jumps and it still hasn’t healed. My ankle feels so weak even just walking and I’ve been using bands to try to strengthen my ankle as well.

    Reply

    • Kristina LaRue says

      WINNING! I’m so sorry about your ankle.. it’s a big bummer. I didn’t fracture mine but aside from massage, I haven’t done any treatments and I’ve been told strengthening the tendons around the ankle is pretty much the only thing that will allow it to heal fully.

      Reply

      • Jeremy says

        Want to heal your ankle, go and get it adjusted by a chiropractor. I had a bad ankle that would roll with the faintest of breezes. Was told to go to Chiropractor by a good friend. After one adjustment, that took 5 seconds, my ankle has not rolled once. This has been over 3 years since going. Hope this helps and thanks for the shake idea.

        Reply

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