This coffee protein smoothie uses cold brew blended with a few other ingredients to make a delicious and healthy coffee protein shake.
I love a good smoothie in the morning. But I only love them when they actually keep me full until lunch.
There’s nothing worse than making a healthy smoothie and then being starving an hour later.
This cold brew coffee protein smoothie is the perfect breakfast, and will give you a caffeine boost but also keep you from ending up starving hours before lunch.
As a busy mom, this coffee protein shake is a go-to when I’m in a hurry or in need of an afternoon pick-me-up!

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What does it taste like?
This protein shake with coffee tastes a lot like those cold brew smoothies Starbucks put out a few years ago. I remember absolutely loving them because they were filling, low-carb, and low-calorie, too.
If you never tried one of those smoothies, then basically this tastes like a blended vanilla latte with a hint of cinnamon. It’s creamy and absolutely delicious. You’ll love it!
Ingredients
Cold brew coffee – Make sure to use unsweetened, medium roast cold brew coffee in this. You can also brew a cup of coffee and chill it in the fridge first, but I find that having cold brew ready to go is much more convenient.
Coconut milk – Full fat coconut milk makes this smoothie extra creamy and filling. I love the texture it gives this coffee protein shake, so don’t substitute it out for another plant milk if you don’t have to!
Cinnamon – I love coffee and cinnamon mixed together. It’s not required but it does give the smoothie an extra flavor and makes it seem sweeter than it actually is.
Frozen banana – I like to buy 3-4 bunches of bananas at one, let them ripen in my pantry for a few days, then cut them up in pieces and freeze them in an even layer on a sheet pan. This allows me to have frozen bananas at the ready for all my morning smoothies.
Chia seeds – You honestly barely notice these in the smoothie because there are only 2 tablespoons. Chia seeds are extremely healthy, filling, and give a powerful nutritional boost to this coffee protein drink, so don’t skip this!
Vanilla protein powder – I always use Designer Whey Protein Powder for all my smoothies, protein donuts, and even my protein coffee every morning. It’s not chalky at all, and is low-carb and high in probiotics, too!
Instructions
- Put all of your ingredients (except the protein powder) in the blender.
- Blend until smooth. If it’s a little runny, add 4-5 ice cubes and blend it up again until smooth.
- Add your scoop of vanilla protein powder and pulse 4-5 times until incorporated well. I always add this last because I find if I add it in with everything else, my smoothie ends up fluffy. It’s the strangest texture and I’m not a fan.
- Serve!
Tips & FAQ
The easiest substitute would be to use frozen avocado or frozen pureed pumpkin in place of the banana. It may alter the sweetness by doing this, so add 1-2 T of maple syrup if it isn’t as sweet as you’d like.
Protein powder, peanut butter and other nut butters, chia seeds, flaxseed, plain Greek yogurt, seeds, and tofu can all add protein to your daily smoothie. This coffee protein smoothie uses protein powder and chia seeds!
Nutritional Info
You may be thinking that 400 calories is a lot for a smoothie. And it definitely is if you’re just having it as a snack. But if you’re drinking it as your breakfast in the morning, 400 calories is perfectly reasonable.
If you are drinking these as a snack in the afternoon, I would cut the recipe in half or make a full smoothie and share it with someone else!
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 400 calories
- Protein: 25 grams
- Sodium: 104 mg
- Carbohydrates: 25 grams
- Fiber: 12 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Looking for another easy way to add protein to your morning? Try making protein coffee at home!
Pricing Info
The entire cost of this cold brew protein shake is roughly $2.10 per smoothie. The most expensive part is the protein powder. High quality protein powder cost more money, but are 100% worth it for your health.
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Recipe
Coffee Protein Smoothie
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cold brew or chilled brewed coffee
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 T chia seeds
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 4-5 ice cubes
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Instructions
- Put all your ingredients except the protein powder in your blender. Blend until smooth. If your smoothie is a little thin, add 4-5 ice cubes and blend again until smooth.
- Add your scoop of protein powder and pulse 4 or 5 times until mixed well.
- Serve!
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Nutrition
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I seriously love making these in the mornings or in the afternoons when my toddler is destroying the house and I don’t have the energy to stop her. Make this and let me know what you think!
xoxo Megan
This recipe tasted good… But it certainly was not filling by any means.
I’m sorry to hear that! :/ This recipe always fills me up! Maybe you could try adding another tbsp of chia seeds to help with that!
Which protein powder do you recommend for protein coffee’s?
Hi Teresa! It’s funny you should ask this morning because I’m sitting here drinking my protein coffee right now haha I use Designer Whey Protein Powder for my protein coffee every single day! You can check it out here (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3uhb91Y. My favorite flavors are vanilla, coconut vanilla, and chocolate mocha!
Can you replace coconut milk with unsweetened vanilla almond milk? Also, what is the nutritional information? I saw that it has 25 grams of carbs if nothing else is added.
Thanks! Looking forward to try this!
Hi Ana, you can absolutely replace the coconut milk with almond milk. It just may not be quite as creamy! The nutritional content of this recipe is:
Calories: 400 calories
Protein: 25 grams
Carbs: 25 grams
Fiber: 12 grams
Sodium: 104 mg
I’ve updated the post as well to include the nutritional information! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
I love making smoothies and I love protein coffee, but my Ninja blender just quit on me 😢, but I’m getting another blender and I Can’t wait to make this
Oh no! That happened to me a few months ago. I bought a new one that works great. Can’t wait to hear what you think of this smoothie soon! 🙂
Can I substitute something for the 1/2 banana? I am allergic to banana..
Hi Stephanie! You could use frozen avocado or pumpkin puree in place of banana! That would make it creamy but totally get rid of the banana 🙂
Thank you so much! 😍😍