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3 Minute Blueberry Milkshake Smoothie

By Nicole Vranjican

5 from 1 vote

on Apr 06, 2021, Updated Jan 27, 2022

3 Minute Blueberry Milkshake Smoothie…a healthy protein packed smoothie that tastes like a milkshake. Best part? It’s incredibly quick and easy to make! This smoothie gets a natural boost of plant-based protein from one of my favorite budget-friendly ingredients: Pumpkin Seeds. I sprinkle them straight into the blender along with a frozen banana, blueberries, baby spinach, a dash of cinnamon, and a spoonful of silky almond butter. This combo makes an absolutely delicious smoothie but it’s really the technique that makes this easy recipe taste like a milkshake. And let me tell you, it’s heavenly.

HOW TO MAKE A PROTEIN RICH VEGAN SMOOTHIE WITHOUT PRICEY INGREDIENTS

My two best tips for tips for adding plant protein to your breakfast? Seeds and choosing the right plant milk. Let’s start with seeds.

I love using Pumpkin Seeds in smoothies because just two tablespoons adds 4.8 grams of protein! But they also pack a major nutrient punch that goes well beyond just protein. Pumpkin seeds also offer magnesium (a mineral many people don’t get enough of) zinc (which has anti-inflammatory properties) and healthy fats and fiber too. Plus they’re typically less expensive than many other nuts on and seeds on the market so I love to sprinkle pumpkin seeds on to just about everything! If you’re not a fan of eating them whole – or you can’t get your kids to eat them – this smoothie recipe is a great way to add more seeds to your diet because they blend so seamlessly.

Next, I deliberately choose a protein-rich plant milk. Don’t get me wrong, oat milk is delicious, and it’s great in this recipe too if that’s what you have on hand. But subbing something like soy milk or pea milk is ideal because they’re also creamy and both add around 8 grams of protein to this recipe. That’s a win win in my book!

HOW TO MAKE THIS SMOOTHIE TASTE LIKE A MILKSHAKE

As with most recipes, flavor is important but we can’t forget about texture! Texture is what makes a meal in my opinion because you have a delicious tasting smoothie that is somehow watery AND chunky at the same time. Raise your hand if you know exactly what I’m talking about!

Luckily, those chunky smoothies are a thing of that past because I’ve learned few tricks to make the perfect smoothie each and every time.

1. Use an overripe, spotty, frozen banana. Frozen is key for creating a creamy texture because it almost acts as the ice cream in this “milkshake.” It’s also important that it’s overripe. Avoid a perfectly yellow banana here if possible. We want speckled and spotty because a ripe banana will naturally sweeten the smoothie perfectly, making it completely unnecessary to add any sweeteners later on.
2. Just like with salad dressing, adding a healthy fat makes all the difference when it comes to creating a silky smooth smoothie. In this case, the almond butter is a real game changer, and in addition to complimenting the flavor of the banana and cinnamon (such a good combo!) it also works to emulsify this smoothie into the perfect milkshake consistency.
3. MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Don’t just blend until all of the contents in the blender liquify. Really let it whirl for a good 30 seconds or so after that to allow for the blender to work it’s magic and emulsify this smoothie into a perfectly smooth vegan “milkshake.” This is also why using a frozen banana and frozen blueberries is key!

I hope you enjoy my 3 Minute Blueberry Milkshake Smoothie! It really is such a delicious treat, especially if you serve it with a sprinkle of granola and some extra blueberries on top!

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please comment below and give this recipe a 5 star review! It would mean a lot!

Happy smoothie making everyone! Sending you love ☀️

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5 from 1 vote

3 Minute Blueberry Milkshake Smoothie

By: Nicole Vranjican

A quick, healthy, and balanced Blueberry Smoothie recipe made from simple, everyday ingredients. Rich and creamy from ripe bananas and frozen blueberries, and packed with plant-based protein thanks to the all star combo of pumpkin seeds, soy milk, and almond butter. The flavor is out of this world and it can be yours to enjoy in 3 minutes or less!

Prep: 3 minutes mins

Total: 3 minutes mins

Servings: 1 serving

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Ingredients 

• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 frozen banana, over ripe and spotty is best for this
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• 1.25 cup soy milk, unsweetened
• 2 dashes cinnamon
• 2 dashes turmeric , optional
• 1 tbsp almond butter

Instructions 

• Combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend for about 40 seconds. That's it 😊

  Tip: You may want to pulse it a few times first, but blending it for a little longer than you think it needs helps to make smooth and super creamy so let it whirl!

  If you want the smoothie to be thicker, use a little less soy milk and vice versa if you want it thinner.

Notes

Tip: When a recipe is this simple, the ingredients are important so having a very ripe, spotty banana that’s frozen ahead of time really plays a big role in how creamy and also how flavorful this smoothie will be. 

Out of Almond Butter? Cashew butter is another nice onion for this and goes well with the blueberries! If I use cashew butter I sometimes also to a a few drops of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. So good! 

Want it to be bright purple? The spinach makes this smoothie a little darker but if you want a vibrantly purple smoothie you can just leave the spinach out or add a handful of cauliflower rice instead. 

Spices: The cinnamon plays a big role here so I wouldn’t skip that step, but the turmeric is totally optional. I love adding it because it’s a quick and easy way to get more turmeric into my diet, and since it’s a small amount it doesn’t effect the flavor very much.