9 Protein Smoothie Recipes to Get You Out of Your Post-Workout Rut

Updated on 3/26/2024 at 11:45 AM

If smoothies have one downside, it's that they don't always keep you full. That's why we're always on the hunt for tasty protein smoothie recipes. Getting enough protein in your smoothies can make a huge difference in terms of satiety, helping you actually stay full for hours. High-protein smoothie recipes can also help you recover from a workout — and they're as easy as throwing some ingredients into a blender, which is perfect when you're drained from the gym and don't want to cook a full meal, or even figure out a high-protein snack.

We gathered up nine delicious high-protein smoothie recipes, including smoothie recipes with protein powder and protein smoothie recipes that get their macros from another source (looking at you, cottage cheese). Exactly how much protein these smoothie recipes deliver will depend on the ingredients you use, but you can expect to be getting anywhere from 15 gram to 30-plus grams per glass, from sources including nuts, tofu, and yogurt in addition to the aforementioned protein powders and cottage cheese.

Here, nine protein smoothie recipes that will keep you full and help you recover, all while tasting amazing. Enjoy!

— Additional reporting by Mirel Zaman

Strawberries 'n' Cream Protein Smoothie

This strawberries 'n cream protein smoothie uses TikTok's favorite "secret ingredient" to up the protein content without needing to add any chalky protein powder to the mix: cottage cheese.

Vegan Vanilla Milkshake Smoothie

This vegan "vanilla milkshake" smoothie uses tofu to sneak in a protein punch — and to add a delicious silky smoothness to the drink, which really does taste like a milkshake (albeit, one that's OK to drink for breakfast).

Poosh Potion Detox Smoothie

This Poosh Potion Detox Smoothie is a copycat of Kourtney Kardashian's Erewhon smoothie. It calls for protein powder and yogurt for its protein — and uses charcoal powder and fulvic drops for its chic black color. But don't worry: it tastes nutty, sweet, and a little salty — totally delicious.

Justin Bieber's Blueberry Smoothie

Hailey Bieber shared with her TikTok audience that her husband loves this protein-packed blueberry smoothie, which is made with protein powder and a few glugs of a premade protein shake — plus bananas and berries. Simple, tasty, and with some serious staying power.

Sweet Potato Pie Protein Smoothie

Never put sweet potato in your smoothies before? This sweet potato pie protein smoothie will teach you the error of your ways. The potato adds some serious creaminess to the shake, and a sweet-savoriness you won't be able to get enough of. The protein comes from Greek yogurt and a protein powder of your choice. This is a great smoothie for when you need to stay full for a while, thanks to the combo of fiber and protein.

Banana Bread Smoothie

This banana bread smoothie also uses cottage cheese for some extra protein, plus a protein powder. Depending on which cottage cheese and powder you use, it can contain upwards of 34 grams of protein per glass.

Julianne Hough's Thin Mint Smoothie

This Thin Mint smoothie is actually from Julianne Hough's website — and if you love that mint-chocolate combo, it's sure to become a regular in your smoothie rotation.

Jennifer Aniston's Cherry Smoothie

Jennifer Aniston shared this vegan cherry smoothie recipe with PS years ago, and our editors never stopped making it. Aniston wasn't lying when she said it tastes so sweet it could be dessert — but it packs in some serious healthy ingredients including cherries and walnuts, plus a scoop of protein powder.

Mango Protein Smoothie

This mango protein smoothie is for people who are a little wary of using cottage cheese as a protein source. The bright, acidic mango cuts through the slight cheesiness cottage cheese can bring to a smoothie, for a light, sweet smoothie that delivers plenty of protein.

Dominique Michelle Astorino enjoys sunshine and beaches, tropical escapes, pastels, and carbs.

Mirel Zaman is the health and fitness director at POPSUGAR. She has nearly 15 years of experience working in the health and wellness space, writing and editing articles about fitness, general health, mental health, relationships and sex, food and nutrition, astrology, spirituality, family and parenting, culture, and news.