Iced Vanilla Protein Shake
Thick, frozen-banana creamy, 31g of protein. Closer to a milkshake than a shake.
You'll Need
- Blender
- Tall glass
Ingredients
- ✓2 scoops French Vanilla Protein Coffee (one 30g serving)
- ✓1 frozen banana, broken into pieces
- ✓1 cup milk of choice (2% dairy, oat or almond)
- ✓1/2 cup ice
- ✓A pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- 1Put the milk in the blender first, then the banana, then the powder and ice on top.
- 2Blend 30 to 45 seconds until thick and completely smooth.
- 3Pour into a tall glass and dust with cinnamon.
Frozen banana is what separates a shake you want to drink from a glass of cold, grainy protein. It brings sweetness without sugar being added, and it thickens the whole thing the way ice never quite does. With a cup of milk this lands at 31g of protein and about 330 calories, which makes it a legitimate breakfast rather than a snack.
Nutrition Per Serving
| Serving size | 1 shake (about 16 oz) |
| Calories | 332 |
| Protein | 31g |
| Total carbohydrate | 45g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Total sugars | 26g (naturally occurring, from the banana and milk) |
| Added sugar | 0g |
| Total fat | 8g |
| Sodium | 190mg |
Why This Works
Banana has to be frozen, not fresh. Fresh banana plus ice gives you a thin shake with ice shards in it. Frozen banana blends into something dense and genuinely creamy, because the fruit's pectin and starch do the thickening instead of the ice. Peel and freeze them in chunks when they go spotty - that's also when they're sweetest.
Load order matters more than people expect. Liquid on the bottom means the blades catch immediately instead of spinning under a packed dome of powder and frozen fruit. It's the difference between 30 seconds and stopping to scrape the sides three times.
Tips From Our Kitchen
- Freeze a batch of banana chunks on a tray so they don't fuse into a brick. One shake, one handful.
- A tablespoon of peanut butter takes it to 39g of protein and makes it taste like a diner milkshake.
- Too thick to drink? Add milk two tablespoons at a time. It goes from spoonable to drinkable fast.
- Skip the ice entirely if your banana is properly frozen - you'll get a thicker result.
Swaps & Variations
- Peanut butter banana: one tablespoon of natural peanut butter. The most popular version by far.
- Berry vanilla: swap half the banana for frozen strawberries. Less sweet, more tart, fewer carbs.
- Green shake: a large handful of spinach. You'll taste nothing and the colour barely shifts against the vanilla.
- Overnight version: blend it the night before and keep it in a sealed jar. Shake hard before drinking - separation is normal.
Common Questions
Can I use a fresh banana instead of frozen?
You can, but the shake will be thin. Frozen banana is what makes it creamy - fresh banana plus extra ice gives you a watery drink with ice shards. If fresh is all you have, add another half cup of ice and accept it'll be lighter.
How much protein is in this vanilla protein shake?
31 grams - 22g from one 30g serving of French Vanilla Protein Coffee, about 8g from the milk and roughly 1g from the banana. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter and it's about 39g.
How many calories?
332 with 2% milk, or 250 with unsweetened almond milk. Most of the carbs come from the banana, which is also where the 26g of naturally occurring sugar comes from - none of it is added.
Does it have caffeine?
Yes, about 40mg from the arabica coffee blended into the powder. That's roughly half a standard cup, so it works as a breakfast shake without being a lot.
Can I make it without a blender?
Not this version - the frozen banana needs one. For a no-blender option, use the Vanilla Iced Protein Latte instead, which comes together with a spoon.
French Vanilla Protein Coffee
The smoothest way to get 22g of protein into your morning. Soft and creamy, with 22g of grass-fed whey protein and 4.5g of BCAAs to support muscle recovery and keep you full through the morning, plus organic adaptogen...
Try Product ›More Recipes To Try
Get Your Main Ingredient
Every recipe starts with a scoop of OrganiiLand.
Join the OrganiiLand Table
New recipes, exclusive offers, and wellness tips - straight to your inbox.