How to make the best protein shakes

When you’ve got a smaller appetite—because you’ve had bariatric surgery or you’re on appetite-suppressing weight loss medications—you’re probably looking for more protein and other nutrients in less volume. Here’s how to make protein shakes at home that deliver both. They're a convenient way to nourish your body and can stand in for a meal.

Your mighty ingredient for the best protein shakes: freeze-dried fruit. You get all the vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, but without the volume of fresh fruit or the sugar that’s added to some dried fruit.

Each of these protein shakes is about 12 ounces (1 ½ cups). Most have 30 grams of protein or more. They’re all bold in flavor, and there’s no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. Recipes first, and tips on blenders and ingredients below.

Protein shake recipes

Blueberry Pecan Pie 

Malted milk powder is what makes this taste like pie. You're well on your way to meeting your protein needs with this shake—it's got 29 grams.

• 1/2 oz (1/3 cup) freeze dried blueberries

• 1 cup unsweetened almond or pecan milk

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 1 tablespoon pecan butter

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened malted milk powder

Grind the freeze-dried blueberries in a food processor or the blender until they’re a fine powder.

Add the almond milk to the blender jar first, followed by the blueberry powder and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 350 calories, 29g protein, 16g fat, 24g carbs, 4g fiber

Peanut Butter Cookie

That baked cookie flavor? Malted milk powder delivers again. This uses a combo of powdered and actual peanut butter for texture and an extra protein source. If you want some chocolate flavor, add a teaspoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder. Protein content: over 36 grams.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter (such as PB2)

• 1 tablespoon peanut butter

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened malted milk powder

• 1/2 small banana

Add the vanilla almond milk and vanilla extract to the blender jar first, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 362 calories, 36.8g protein, 12.7g fat, 28.4g carbs, 4.8g fiber

Salted Raspberry Pistachio

A little pinch of salt brings out the flavors in the raspberries and pistachios. Protein here: 34 grams.

• 1/3 ounce (scant ½ cup) freeze dried raspberries

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 2 tablespoons pistachio butter or finely ground unsalted pistachios

• Pinch of sea salt

Grind the freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor or the blender until they’re a fine powder.

Add the almond milk to the blender jar first, followed by the raspberry powder and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 332 calories, 34g protein, 15.5g fat, 18.1g carbs, 7.4g fiber

Tahini & Date

Tahini and date syrup is a classic combo in North Africa and the Middle East. It’s a similar vibe to PB&J. Tahini is an extra protein source; you get 32.7 grams toward your daily protein intake here.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 4 pitted dates

• 2 tablespoons tahini

Add the vanilla almond milk to the blender jar first, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 400 calories, 32.7g protein, 19.5g fat, 24.7g carbs, 3.5g fiber

Strawberry Vanilla Almond Wow

The wow comes from the intense flavor you get from using freeze dried strawberries instead of fresh. Protein content: 29.5 grams.

• 1/4 ounce (about 1/3 cup) freeze dried strawberry slices

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

Grind the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or the blender until they’re a fine powder.

Add the almond milk and vanilla extract to the blender jar first, followed by the strawberry powder and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 251 calories, 29.5g protein, 10.3g fat, 11g carbs, 2.5g fiber

Nutty Espresso 

Coffee goes so well with nuts. You could also add a half of a banana if you want. Protein content: more than 32 grams.

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 2 teaspoons espresso powder

• 1 scoop unflavored protein powder

• 1 tbsp almond butter

• 1 tbsp pecan or natural peanut butter

Add the vanilla almond milk to the blender jar first, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Estimated nutrition: 294 calories, 32.3g protein, 15.5g fat, 7.5g carbs, 2.5g fiber

Blenders for protein shakes

At home, I use a Ninja high speed blender with the 16-ounce to go cups. A high-speed blender isn’t necessary for these recipes, especially because there’s no ice, no leafy greens, and no fibrous fruits like mango or pineapple.

When I’m traveling, I take a BlendJet Portable blender with me.

When you make your shake, always put the liquid (the milk) in so it’s close to the blades. This will help the blender create a vortex that incorporates all the other ingredients as fast as possible.

Ingredients for protein shakes

Protein powders. Use your favorite vanilla or unflavored protein powder. I used whey protein—unflavored Isopure Protein Powder, which has 25 grams of protein per scoop and 0 carbs. That gives you room for better-tasting carbs.

Milk. Use what you like. For me, it’s almond milk with no added sugar. Dairy milk is a high-quality protein, but if you can't tolerate or choose not to drink dairy, a good option for you might be pea protein milk, nut milks, or another plant-based protein milk.

Nut and seed butters. Add concentrated nutty flavor, a little more protein, and creamy texture to your shakes. Be mindful of added sugar—try to find butters and powders without. If you want to splurge, pecan butter and pistachio butter are awesome. (Check out The Pistachio Factory pistachio butter.)

You can also make your own: toast nuts, let them cool (important step!) and then pulse in a food processor until you’ve got nut butter.

Nut powders. These add flavor without the fat and calories of actual nut butter. Some powders are fortified with extra protein, like PBFit. Tip here: if you’ve got some time, combine the nut powder and the milk in the blender jar and let it sit a few minutes before blending so the powder can hydrate a bit.

Freeze-dried fruit. There are a couple ways these can be used in protein shakes and smoothies. Here, I call for pulverizing them in a mini food processor or the blender first. They’ll distribute more evenly in your protein shake. I’ve also seen recipes that call for rehydrating them in a bit of water or milk before making a protein smoothie.

Get freeze-dried fruit from Target (I use the Good & Gather brand), Walmart, Trader Joe’s, a local grocery, or buy in bulk online.

• Can you use dehydrated fruit? Yes. If you’ve got some great local fruit or grow your own, and you’re tight on freezer space, consider drying it. For protein smoothies and shakes, dehydrated fruit doesn’t pulverize like freeze-dried fruit. Rehydrate it in some of the milk in the recipe before making the shake.

Malted milk powder. Handy for making things taste baked, like a cookie, pie, or cake. Malted milk powder has natural sugars from the wheat and milk (note to people with dairy, gluten or wheat intolerances). Some brands of malted milk powder have added sugar. I use Hoosier Hill Old-Fashioned Malted Milk Powder which comes in a big container, but it lasts a really long time. Malted milk powder is not the same as powdered milk, Ovaltine, or straight malt powder.

If you’re not in a rush, it’s not a bad idea to combine the malted milk powder with the milk in your shake recipe in the blender jar and let it sit a few minutes before you blend. This gives the powder a chance to hydrate and dissolve.

Other ingredients. Espresso powder and cocoa powder bring a lot of flavor. If you make a lot of protein shakes, consider keeping these in your pantry. And, finally, about bananas: if you use half, cover the rest in plastic immediately to keep it from turning brown. Eat or use it in 2-3 days.

Got leftovers?

If you’re a bariatric patient, a 12-ounce shake may be too much at once. You can put these in the fridge if you plan to finish them the same day. They’ll separate, so blend them again before drinking. Your other option is to freeze them.

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