Vanilla Chai Protein Smoothie
I always whip up this easy delicious smoothie for my husband and myself after we work out in the mornings.
With only 4 ingredients plus water + ice, it comes together quickly after I stretch but before I jump in the shower.
I recently ran a 10-mile race that I did a lot of training for, and this smoothie was a staple for workout recovery, as it was a quick way to deliver 34 grams of plant-based protein for repairing muscles.
Here I am, feeling victorious after my finish at the 2025 Broad Street 10-Miler in Philadelphia on May 4th.
While I didn't make it all the way to my big, audacious time goal of finishing in 1 hour 40 minutes, I did come close at 1:42:15, which was a vast improvement over last year's time, so I was pretty excited about that.
I had so much fun! 😎
But back to the smoothie...
Scroll down for all of my favorite ingredient recommendations (protein powders, probiotic capsules, etc.) 👇
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If you missed it, you can watch me make this recipe in my YouTube video.
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Ingredients
Recipe yields two pint-sized smoothies. Halve the ingredient quantities for a single serving. Scroll to the bottom for nutrition information.
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 servings vanilla plant-based protein powder (brand recommendations below)
- 2 servings high-protein almond powder
- 2 scoops of Amla Green Pumpkin Spice (or ½ tsp pumpkin spice blend)
- The contents of 2 probiotic capsules (optional, but recommended)
- 6 to 8 ice cubes
- 2 cups of water
Instructions
Slice two frozen bananas into small chunks.
Transfer the chopped frozen banana to a blender.
Add 2 servings of vanilla plant-based protein powder. With the brand I use (more details below), that means 4 scoops (2 scoops per serving).
Then add 2 scoops (servings) of high-protein almond powder (brand mentioned below).
Add 2 scoops of Amla Green Pumpkin Spice, or ½ tsp of any brand of pumpkin spice blend from your spice cabinet.
The added benefit of Amla Green is the huge antioxidant content of the amla (Indian gooseberry) which is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that may consequently also help with workout recovery.
This next ingredient is optional, but I recommend it!
Adding the contents of two probiotic capsules not only helps with digestion and nutrient absorption, but I also recently learned that it can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body as well, so this is another great thing to have after exercise.
Just twist open the capsules and empty their contents into the blender.
Then add about 6 to 8 ice cubes. This helps keep the ingredients nice and cold while they're blending, and that makes the smoothie taste even better.
Finally, add 2 cups of water.
Then put the lid on the blender and blend until smooth.
You may need to stop the blender to scrape down the sides, because sometimes the powders stick to the sides of the container. This way you'll make sure all the powders actually get blended into the smoothie.
Blend again until it's smooth and bubbly.
Pour immediately into two pint-sized glasses.
Serve and enjoy!
Cheers!
Ingredient Notes
I'm happy to share with you the brands I'm currently using and loving in this smoothie, but please know that neither this recipe, nor the blog post, nor my YouTube video were sponsored by any of them.
And of course, I would never recommend any products to you that I didn't truly believe in and use myself.
That said, some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I really appreciate your support, as this helps me continue to create recipes and videos for you. Thank you!
Protein Powder
I'm really loving Ora So Lean & So Clean Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder. I find it's really yummy and easy to digest.
Use my link to save 25% on your first order directly from the company.
You can also order it on Amazon.
Almond Powder
I use Naked Almond, which contains just one ingredient -- ground almonds. However, much of the fat has been extracted, so it's a lower calorie powder that's higher in protein content and also intensely flavorful. I love it in smoothies and sauces!
Chai Spices
You've got options:
- My best recommendation is Amla Green Pumpkin Spice because, as I mentioned above, the amla (Indian gooseberry) is extremely high in antioxidants and may help with workout recovery.
- If you don't have Amla Green Pumpkin Spice, keep it in mind for the future. But you can substitute about ½ tsp of any brand of Pumpkin Spice Blend from the spice aisle of your grocery store.
- To create your own blend of chai spices, you can also combine a few pinches each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.
Probiotics
My probiotic capsules also happen to come from the same company that makes my favorite protein powder. I'm using Ora Trust Your Gut Daily Essential Probiotic & Prebiotic.
Of course, you can use any brand you like, for any of these items.
We all need to find what works best for our bodies, and everyone is different!
Equipment Notes
- I use a Vitamix 5200 every day in my kitchen. Smoothies tend to turn out smoother when you use a high-powdered blender like this. Vitamix makes a slightly more affordable Explorian model that's also fantastic. Of course, any blender will work, though!
- The Kitchenaid blender spatula I use really comes in handy, not just for scraping down the sides of the blender, but also for getting every ounce of my smoothie (or whatever else I'm blending) out of the container and into my glass or bowl.
Nutrition Information
As written, this recipe contains 304 calories, 354 grams of carbohydrates, 4.8 grams of fat, and 34 grams of protein per serving.
If you'd like to reduce some of the calories while keeping most of the protein, use only half the banana. In this case, the smoothie will contain 260 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 4.7 grams of fat, and 32.5 grams of protein per serving.
I hope you love this recipe! ❤️
If you make this Vanilla Chai Protein Smoothie, please snap a photo, share it on social media, and tag me @greensagelife.
I'd love to see and cheer you on!
Thank you for blending with me! 😀
