Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie

Name: Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup dairy free milk (, I used cashew); 1 cup fresh spinach; 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 3 dates; 1 tablespoon pea protein; 2 teaspoons chia seeds; ½ teaspoon finely ground espresso; ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder (, or you can use vanilla extract); ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 12 ice cubes

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Start your day with a healthy protein coffee smoothie made in 5 minutes! This recipe is filled with nutrients and spinach you can't taste!

This coffee smoothie recipe has enough coffee to give you a boost, but is full of wholesome ingredients!

Chocolate coffee smoothie in a glass milk jar with two striped straws

This post was originally published on August 27, 2020.

Green smoothies are a morning regular for me, but sometimes I want to switch up the flavors. This healthy coffee smoothie is filled with protein and give me the energy I need and the nutrients I like!

Ingredients

I use a few main ingredients to make sure this protein coffee smoothie recipe is packed with all the things I want in my body, and leaves out those I don't.

Below you will find the dry ingredients separate from the fresh ones to help with prep, which makes making this coffee smoothie even easier!

Dry ingredients:

Cocoa powder
Dates to sweeten
Pea protein
Chia seeds
Espresso (finely ground)
Cinnamon
Salt

Fresh ingredients:

Milk
Spinach
Vanilla (if you use extract or you can use vanilla bean powder)
Ice

Top view of bowls on a wooden surface with ingredients needed for a coffee smoothie with spinach.

How To Make A Coffee Smoothie

Making healthy smoothies with coffee is SO EASY, you won't even need a cup of coffee first!

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.
Pour in a cup and enjoy!

Top view of a blender with blended chocolate coffee smoothie.

Hand grabbing a glass milk jar filled with a chocolate coffee smoothie.

Tips for Adding Extra Nutrition

This healthy coffee smoothie recipe smoothie already packs a punch of nutrients, but any of these additions can boost the health factor even more! (Not to mention make the smoothie more substantial and filling!)

Protein powder
Sunflower seeds
Other greens like kale or collard greens
Oats
Chickpeas
Sweet potato
Avocado

Flavor Variations

While this coffee protein smoothie is excellent as it is, it's nice to shake things up once in a while! Try adding in any of these ingredients to give a little extra flavor:

Peanut butter
Banana
Strawberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Pumpkin
Chili powder
Mint

How to Make Ahead Smoothies

As fast as this comes together, having breakfast smoothies with coffee prepared ahead of time and ready to go in the morning is even better!

While you can make a smoothie the night before, then store in the freezer and blend again in the morning, this isn't my favorite way to prep ahead. I prefer my smoothies freshly blended, but that doesn't mean you can't prep!

One thing I like to do for this coffee smoothie is add all of the ingredients, except the milk, spinach and ice, into glass containers and keep them in the cupboard to grab and dump in the morning.
You can prep up to a week at a time.
You could also add the spinach and milk to these and keep them in the fridge, but I don't find those hard to measure and add to the blender each morning.

Glass jar filled with protein powder, espresso, cocoa and dates

Common Questions

How do you add caffeine to a smoothie?

The best way to get a pick me up from your smoothie is to add some coffee! I've found that ground espresso gives the most flavorful & creamy flavor.

Can you add coffee grounds to a smoothie?

Absolutely! Although you want to make sure it’s finely ground or the smoothie will be gritty. Freshly ground coffee, or espresso, is packed with antioxidants and caffeine so you don’t need much to get the boost you usually get from the brewed version. A little goes a long way!

Can you add coffee to a smoothie?

When making healthy smoothies with coffee grounds are best, but you can substitute some of the milk for brewed coffee, but the flavor won't be as rich, and it could be more icy instead of creamy.

What is the difference between ground espresso and ground coffee?

Espresso is coffee, it's just a mix of different types of coffee beans from different places. It is also ground finer than regular coffee beans, which is why I use it in this coffee smoothie. When brewing espresso, the brewing time is also much shorter than drip coffee.

Are raw chia seeds good for you?

Chia seeds are nutrient powerhouses! They are so easy to add to things, and a great way to pack in some extra health benefits into things. Here are some of the top reasons to add chia seeds into this coffee smoothie:

1. They have very few calories for all the nutrients they carry
2. Loads of antioxidants
3. High fiber content
4. They have a good amount of protein for their size
5. They are higher in omega-3 fatty acids than many other plant based foods
6. They absorb water, which helps to thicken the smoothie!

What fruit goes well with coffee?

I think the question should be what DOESN'T go well with coffee? Pretty much any fruit will taste great in this smoothie, but a good rule of thumb is to use any fruit that tastes good dipped in chocolate. Strawberries, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, etc.!

Can drinking coffee be healthy?

Coffee beans are full of antioxidants and in small amounts can actually be beneficial for a variety of things. It's when you add all the extra crap that coffee drinks take a turn for the worst. Which is why I created this perfect cold way to get my buzz on!

Other Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Breakfast smoothies with coffee are so delicious and give you the perfect pick me up. For some variety, try out these other flavors: