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    Home ▸ Vegan Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

    Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie

    Last modified: February 25, 2023. Originally posted: February 25, 2023 By Sophia DeSantis

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    Text overlay on a collage of three photos of the ingredients for the smoothie, it in a blender and in a glass milk jar with straws.
    A coffee smoothie in a glass milk jar on a tray with two black and white straws in it.

    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
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    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!

    1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.
    2. 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:

    • Salted Caramel Cashew Cacao Chunk Smoothie
    • Healthy Pina Colada Smoothie
    • Strawberry Banana Spinach Protein Smoothie
    • Salted Caramel Pretzel Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
    • Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie
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    Coffee smoothie in a glass milk jar with two straws.

    Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie

    Sophia DeSantis
    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!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course 30 Minutes or Less, Breakfast, Drinks, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1
    Calories 238 kcal

    Equipment

    • Blender

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¾ 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

    Instructions
     

    • Add everything into a blender.
    • Blend until smooth and creamy.
    • Serve!

    Notes

    • You can sub brewed coffee for some of the milk, but the result won’t be as creamy.
    Tips to prep ahead:
    • Put all the ingredients except the milk, spinach and ice into containers or bags to make one week worth of prep. The dump into a blender the day you are making it.

    Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 21gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 674mgPotassium: 458mgFiber: 10gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 2815IUVitamin C: 8.4mgCalcium: 318mgIron: 3mg

    Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.

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    1. Diana

      March 01, 2023 at 5:53 am

      Yummy! Always love a good smoothie recipe and this one is super good. I don’t like protein powders so I subbed a tablespoon of almond butter for the pea protein. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Sophia DeSantis

        March 03, 2023 at 2:45 pm

        So happy you liked it!!

        Reply
    2. NR

      February 26, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      Absolutely delicious!! It will be my go-to weekday breakfast!!! THANK YOU!

      Reply
      • veggiesdontbite

        March 01, 2021 at 12:30 pm

        Yay! Thrilled you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Anne

      September 02, 2020 at 9:22 pm

      This should be renamed the “I think I have died and gone to heaven smoothie”!!! It was so absolutely delish. Didn’t have spinach so added Swiss chard from the garden. This WILL BE a make again!!!!

      Reply
    4. Amy

      August 18, 2020 at 2:06 am

      So delicious!

      Reply
      • veggiesdontbite

        August 18, 2020 at 11:15 am

        Thank you Amy!!

        Reply
    5. Sophia

      July 30, 2019 at 9:09 am

      Not sure if I didn’t do this correctly, but for some reason my smoothie came out quite bitter. I tried adding some date butter, but only slightly upped the sweetness, any suggestions ?

      Reply
      • veggiesdontbite

        July 30, 2019 at 3:27 pm

        Hi Sophia! I am guessing it's the coffee you used. Did you use finely ground espresso? It could also be the dates, some aren't as sweet as the others. It could also be the cocoa powder. Did you use cacao or cocoa? Some is more bitter than others. This isn't the sweetest smoothie, but it definitely should not be bitter.

        Reply
    6. Lea

      July 09, 2019 at 8:44 pm

      This looks ggrreeat. Question. You mentioned brewing espresso take less time, which I know. But I’m assuming you put the fine expresso ground in the smoothie and don’t brew.

      Thx.
      Lea

      Reply
      • veggiesdontbite

        July 10, 2019 at 9:51 am

        Hi Lea! Yes, I put finely ground espresso into the smoothie! It's so good! Let me know if you try it.

        Reply
    7. steviefbillman

      July 08, 2019 at 10:44 am

      I absolutely love coffee and hate eating a heavy breakfast in, so this looks like the perfect solution to waking up and feeling full in the morning! I must try!!

      Reply

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