I originally found this gem right here on Pinterest. (please click the link to her blog, since I don't want anyone to think I'm stealing her recipe and using it as my own.)
So, anyway I find this thing on Pinterest, and I'm all "no, there's no way. Just, no" and forgot about it promptly. Now, I have been practically dreaming about it for the last week when I wanted ice cream and remembered I had pinned this thing like, 3 months ago or something.
Here's the picture that came up on Pinterest-
Does this not look like a chocolate shake that's terrible for you? Because It's filling, delicious & actually good for you. Which is something I cannot say about any other health "shake" I've ever tried.
I made a few modifications, but here's how it goes:
(In a blender)
- 3/4 cup(6 oz) almond milk, or milk of your choice
- 15 ice cubes
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/4 tsp guar gum
- sweetener of you choice (rice syrup, maple syrup, agave, sugar, stevia, honey, etc.)
blend until smooth.
Ok, so here's my two cents on this whole thing.
First, I felt 15 ice cubes (which I actually counted out) was too much for me, as a personal preference, but also because I felt like I might burn out my blender. I don't have a Vitamix, so my world is not peaches and rainbows in the blender dept. (har, har that's supposed to be a joke)
I didn't have protein powder because I'm just not big on that stuff in general. I debated using flax (which would probably work out fairly well, actually) but I was afraid it might get a little mealy if the blender didn't puree it as much as I wanted. So, I went out and found soy flour which has 35% soy protein in it. But, I do wonder if just using chocolate soymilk (I used plain unsweetened enriched rice this time) would have worked a little better in the long run.
I used 1 tbsp cocoa, next time I will up it to 2. Unless I sub chocolate soymilk, then I'll leave it alone.
I also used a full teaspoon of xanthan gum, since I could not find guar gum, and the thickening was excellent, right on point.
For sweetness I used half a banana and some agave, maybe like 1-2 tbsp. It did taste "banana-y" so I think I should have upped the cocoa, but it was my first try and I know for next time.
So, all in all:
- use more cocoa next time, or
- use chocolate soymilk next time
- possibly throw some flax in next time.
