I put a video of me pouring this thick homemade chocolate shake into a glass on my Insta Stories the other day and quickly received a ton of messages begging for the recipe. I love coming up with new ideas in the kitchen, but I’ve never actually posted them here before as I didn’t really think they were recipes… I just play around with ingredients, adding a little more of this and that until I’ve perfected it, but since it was so hotly requested I had to share my Nutty Cacao Mylkshake.
I came up with this recipe around a month ago and I’ve been making it almost every day since. I’d just started a course of pilates and thought it might be good to introduce a little extra protein into my diet. I also have such a sweet tooth, particularly in the evenings, so I wanted a healthy but delicious alternative to my usual after-dinner pud and I think this is perfect! It’s thick, creamy and so delicious, but also packed with antioxidants, flavanols, natural plant based protein and fibre. Have it for breakfast, before or after a workout, or as an evening treat.
Here’s how it came together…
I’d heard people rave about WelleCo Nourishing Protein so I picked up a tin and headed off to Waitrose to grab some other ingredients that would jazz it up a little. The first iteration was made with almond mylk, as suggested on the tin, but I switched to cashew mylk as I prefer the flavour and creaminess. I like the Plenish or Rude Health versions as they only contain filtered water, cashew nuts and a little sea salt – no sweeteners or fillers like some of the other brands. I also added some natural cacao powder to boost the benefits and of course I love the rich dark chocolate-y flavour, so this has now become the base of the shake. Ice cubes and “coins” of frozen banana give it the creamy thickness and peanut butter gives an extra nuttiness. I use this one that’s just made from peanuts, so no added salt, sugar or oils. It definitely needed a little sweetness so first of all I tried agave syrup, but I actually found it a little too sweet, so I started chopping up one date and for me, that’s just right. I also increase or decrease the amount of protein powder I add depending on when I’m having it – so a little more after a workout, and sometimes none at all if it’s just an evening treat. The final recipe is below, but feel free to switch it up, adding a little more of this and that, just like I do, so it’s to your taste. You could change the type of mylk (hazelnut mylk could be delicious), or switch to a different nut butter if you like.
To make 2 small cups:
- 1 scoop of natural cacao powder
- 1/4 scoop of Welleco Cacao Nourishing Protein
- 1 cup of cashew mylk
- 1 spoon of peanut butter (no added salt, sugar or oil)
- 1 date (chopped)
- 4 ice cubes
- 4 frozen banana coins
Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz up into a thick, creamy mylkshake. Enjoy!
