Apple Protein Shake

Name: Apple Protein Shake
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1-2 Apples, Sliced; 8-12 Oz Soy Milk (or any non-dairy milk); 1-2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup or Agave, Optional; 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder; 1/4-1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon, to taste; 1/2 Cup Ice Cubes

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This Apple Protein Shake is a great way to refuel after a workout or just enjoy as a healthy treat. With crisp, sweet apples, this recipe is a refreshing way to get in your plant-based protein powder. It tastes like fall and it's only a 6 ingredient smoothie!

Hey Internet, we've been really enjoying apple season this year. We've got a surprising number of orchards just a short drive from our quaint little town and many of them are open to the public (for a fee, of course). You can walk right down the row of apple tress and pick from the heavy-load trees. Seriously, there's so many apples that you have to wonder how the trees don't break!

With all these fresh apples, we've started developing new recipes with them. We already have our Apple Pie Baked Oats and our Apple Cider Slushies on our blog, but we need more.

And that's where our high-speed blender comes in. We just chopped 1 or 2 apples a few times and tossed them in to make a vanilla protein powder based smoothie! With the apple-vanilla combo, it was like having a slice of apple pie in liquid form.

Don't have a high speed blender? No worries, Just chop your apple in smaller pieces to help out your blender or use applesauce instead!

So grab some crisp apples and let make this apple smoothie!

Why You'll Love This Apple Protein Shake

Fresh: This is a great morning smoothie. The crispness of the apples is so nice, it just might become your favorite breakfast drink.
Protein Packed: With the right protein powder, you'll be fueled for the rest of the day. Use your favorite plant based protein powder.
Plant-Based: With the health benefits of apples and no cholesterol or saturated fat, you'll have a better way of getting protein. This apple cinnamon smoothie is an excellent way to get more nutrients in.

Ingredients

Pick up these simple ingredients the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutrition information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs or need to meet a certain daily value of any nutrient). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

1-2 Apples, Sliced: Use sweet or tart apples, either will work, it just depends on your preference. You could even do one of each for a flavor explosion! If you're doing two, pick small apples or use half (or you'll wind up with a lot of shake, which isn't necessarily a bad thing!
8-12 Oz Soy Milk: We prefer to buy shelf stable unsweetened soy milk and we buy it by the case pretty much because it's super high in protein, only 2 ingredients (organic non-GMO soybeans and water).
1-2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup: The amount you'll use will be based on how sweet your protein power is. The one we use has very little sugar but yours may be very different!
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
¼-1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Cup Ice Cubes

Substitutions and Additions

Apples: We've made this recipe with 8 oz unsweetened applesauce packets. Not as good as fresh, but if you have it around the house it will work in a pinch!
Soy Milk: Unsweetened almond milk and oat milk will work 1-to-1 for the soy. For a more creamy smoothie, try coconut milk! Any non-dairy milk will work.
Maple Syrup: You'll want a liquid sweetener as sugar has trouble dissolving in cold drinks. Agave and date syrup are great choices. You could also try sweetening it with sugary nut butters for more protein, healthy fats, and fall flavors. Almond butter or peanut butter would be a great option.
Cinnamon: Instead of cinnamon, try apple pie spice for apple pie shakes!

How to Make an Apple Pie Protein Shake

Slice the Apples: If you do not have a high-powered blender, make sure to peel your apples before blending them. Otherwise, slice your apples into medium slices.
Add To Blender: Add your apples, soy milk, maple syrup, protein powder, cinnamon, and ice cubes to the blender. Blend for at least 30 seconds
Serve: Add to a glass and enjoy! Sprinkle addition cinnamon on top if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't have a blender! What can I do?

Using the apple sauce method mentioned above, you could use a shaker bottle. Just put all the ingredients in it and then place your shaker ball in the cup and shake!

How could I even make this taste even more like an apple pie protein smoothie?

Make sure you use a good tasting vanilla protein powder. The flavor of the protein powder will help this taste like pie. You can add a little agave to sweeten it if you like. We find that agave has a slightly apple-like flavor to it that pairs well with other other flavors in this protein shake.

Which plant based protein powder tastes good?

Our absolute favorite plant based protein powder is Sun Warrior Protein Warrior Blend in the vanilla flavor (the chocolate is really good too, but maybe with banana or strawberries instead of apples!). We also enjoy Orgain Vanilla Protein Powder. Whatever protein powder you use, just make sure it's one you already you know you enjoy.

How can I get even more flavors into this shake?

If you want even more vanilla your could use unsweetened vanilla almond milk as your milk of choice. Some nutmeg would also be a great addition for a fall recipe. Also ground cardamom.

Can I use granny smith apples?

Sure, if you don't mind a more tart apple protein shake! You could balance it out with a squeeze of agave or maple syrup if you like. You could also try using half a granny smith apple and half of a more sweet apple if you'd like!

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