This is a mega vegan protein shake (made without protein powder). It can be used two ways, really: as a regular protein shake for people who exercise at a high level or use it as a meal replacement, or as a weight gain smoothie for those who may exercise at a normal level but are trying to reach a healthy weight.
Graham is always trying to gain weight (he’s quite tall and has always struggled with being underweight, even now into his 30s). When he drinks this frequently, his energy levels increase significantly and he fills out a bit. It’s great for someone who’s struggled with weight issues for years.
I also lost a lot of weight when I had gastritis alongside severe anxiety in my late teens, and it took about a year to get back up to a healthy weight again. Even now I’m just on the edge of a healthy weight because I don’t eat when I’m stressed. I don’t think we talk enough about people who have trouble gaining weight – there’s such an unhealthy idea that thin = good. It’s also great for children going through growth spurts.
This is a favourite with a close friend of mine for her family during Ramadan – she swears by it to have before starting fasting for the day. She’s been making it for years now and apparently it makes a big difference.
Scroll to the bottom of the post or click “skip to recipe” above to see the recipe card with full ingredient measurements and instructions.
Ingredients
- Bananas, frozen
- Frozen raspberries
- Nut or seed butter
- Hemp hearts
- Ground flaxseed
- Chia seeds
- Cacao or cocoa powder (see tips)
- Non-dairy milk (like oat milk, almond, cashew, etc.)
- Soft dates (optional)
Method
Do we really need a method section for a smoothie? Just add everything to a blender and blend on high until it’s smooth.
I use an immersion blender for everything – I don’t have a standing blender – and it works well for this recipe. If you have an ultra high powered blender, it’ll probably pulverise your chia and flax. If not, you’ll have some texture in your shake (not a bad thing).
Tips and Notes
This chocolate raspberry smoothie is relatively high in fat. That’s because the protein sources – nut butter, chia, hemp, and flax – all contain fairly high amounts of fat. Since this is specifically made for people who are highly active or those who want to gain weight, I don’t think it’s a problem.
I’m not a nutritionist. I’ve shared this recipe because it’s something that works well for us, both quite active and naturally skinny adults who need something extra to maintain a healthy weight. It’s not meant to be a prescription or anything like that, just a tasty, higher protein smoothie for people who don’t want a kitchen cluttered with protein powders.
Substitutions
Cacao and cocoa can be used interchangeably here. Cacao is a little bitter so you may not like it as much – though raw chocolate is higher in some nutrients, so it’s a toss up.
Strawberries make a good substitution for raspberries. I don’t like blueberries and chocolate so much, but if you do, then they can be used too. Any frozen fruit that you like with the flavours used here will work in place of raspberries.
The original recipe called for almond butter, but I typically don’t have it around anymore, so I usually use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. Any seed or nut butter you like the taste of will be great.
If you hate the idea of texture in your smoothie and don’t have a high-speed blender, you can lose the chia and flax (hemp does blend fairly well) and add extra nut butter instead.
More Smoothies
Blueberry Peanut Butter Smoothie
Creamy Orange Coconut Smoothie
Pink Power Watermelon Smoothie Juice
Honey, Melon, and Rosewater Smoothie
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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Protein Shake
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas frozen
- 60 grams frozen raspberries
- 3 tablespoons nut butter
- 40 grams hemp hearts
- 3 tablespoons ground flax
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 2 soft dates optional
- 180 ml oat milk
Instructions
- Add the bananas, raspberries, nut butter, hemp, flax, chia, cacao, and dates to a blender or tall container (for an immersion blender).
- Add the milk, then blend on high speed until very smooth. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Newsletter
This post was originally published in September 2015. It has been updated with new photos and improvements to the text and recipe as of August 2020.
sophie says
Protein: 705 calories, 22 grams protein, 32 grams fat.
Weight Gain: 945 calories, 24 grams protein, 52.5 grams fat.
These are numbers based on total each or per serving (2) ?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Sophie! The numbers are for one serving, so the recipe will make two smoothies (or about 1 litre in total), each with 705 calories. Alexandra
Unknown says
where did you purchase these ingredients?
Alexandra Daum says
Hi there! It depends on the ingredient. I order some online at places like amazon.ca (I love the Yupik brand on amazon) or well.ca, get some at my local bulk food store, and some at the supermarket. I guess it all depends on where I can get different ingredients for the best quality/price. I hope that helps!
Emma Varley says
Our family is fasting for the month of Ramadan, and this is exactly the recipe we needed to start each day!
ibadat says
That's a good recipe especially for sick people
Brenda White says
This has got to be my favorite shake. Two of my favorite food mixed into a smoothie. I really loved the smoothie, It tastes awesome and is really good for health too. Thanks.