Last updated on January 10th, 2024

This chocolate cherry protein smoothie is a tasty high-protein snack or treat for athletes and non-athletes alike. It’s thick, creamy, and the perfect blend of chocolate and cherry. 

If you’re into thick, creamy smoothies you can eat with a spoon, you’re going to love the texture of this chocolate cherry protein smoothie! 

This chocolate cherry protein smoothie features 32 grams of protein thanks to the protein powder and soy milk. For the record, athletes should aim to consume 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg of protein per day. This means a 150-pound person should eat 81 to 136 grams of protein per day. 

Since I’m dairy-free, I made this chocolate cherry protein smoothie with plant-based ingredients. You can easily swap the plant-based protein for whey and the soy milk for another plant-based milk or cow’s milk if that’s your preference. 

You can even use this chocolate cherry protein smoothie recipe as the base for a smoothie bowl, topped with fresh fruits, nuts, and seeds. 

Ingredients

The ingredients for this chocolate cherry protein smoothie are really simple. You’ll need: 

Protein powder: I used BioSteel Plant-Based Protein in chocolate. It’s NSF Certified for Sport, which is important for athletes. BioSteel’s Plant-Based Protein is 100% vegan and includes a blend of brown rice, pea, and pumpkin seed proteins. In this chocolate cherry protein smoothie recipe, the protein powder blends very well. There’s none of that grittiness or aftertaste that some plant-based protein powders have. You can use your favourite chocolate protein powder. 

Milk: I used Silk Organic Vanilla Soy milk because it’s packed with calcium and extra protein. I’ve also used Silk Organic Unsweetened Original Coconut milk, but because it’s much lower in calories and contains no protein and very little calcium, it’s not my first choice. You can use your preferred plant-based milk or cow’s milk. 

Chia seeds: I love to include chia seeds in smoothies because they add a nice boost of essential fatty acids and approximately 4 grams of fibre per tablespoon. Athletes don’t need to fear fat. In fact, athletes should consume 20 to 35% of their calories from fat! 

Frozen cherries: I love the frozen dark sweet cherries by Nature’s Touch. We buy them at Costco. Cherries are a great source of fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Sweet cherries are different than tart cherries but still provide valuable nutrients for athletes.

Ice: For thicker smoothies, ice is the star of the show. If you don’t like thick smoothies, use less ice and more liquid.

Nutrition Facts 

Here’s the nutritional information for one serving of this chocolate cherry protein smoothie: 

Calories: 368 kcal 

Total fat: 7.8 g

Total carbohydrates: 43.3 g

Fiber: 7.2 g

Protein: 32 g

Potassium: 310 mg

Calcium: 43.4%

Iron: 43.8%

Vitamin A: 12%

Vitamin C: 20%

Step-by-step instructions

This chocolate cherry protein smoothie is super easy to make. All you need to do is add the ingredients to the container of a high-performance blender (or food processor) and blend until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Because this makes a thick smoothie, you’ll likely need to use a tamper to fully incorporate all the ingredients and get things moving in the blender. Without a high-performance blender or tamper, you may have to add more liquid and less ice to your blender, which will result in a different texture. On my Vitamix 6500, I use the frozen desserts setting (a snowflake icon). 

Once the ingredients are well-blended, pour the chocolate cherry protein smoothie into a glass and enjoy right away. 

Recipe FAQ

Can I use regular milk? Yes. You can use dairy milk or another plant-based milk that better suits your preferences. 

Do I have to use a plant-based protein powder? No. If you don’t need to use a plant-based protein powder, feel free to use whey protein powder. Use my protein powder checklist to help you source the best one for your needs.

I don’t like cherries, can I use a different fruit? Absolutely! I’ve made chocolate strawberry and chocolate raspberry variations. I’ve even done a blend of cherry and raspberry. 

Can I make this ahead? Smoothies are best enjoyed right away for optimal freshness, the best texture, and to preserve nutrients. You could make this up to 24 hours in advance if you store it in a tightly sealed container, like a mason jar, and keep it refrigerated. Since the smoothie will melt a bit, it won’t have the same thick and creamy texture. 

Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie (Vegan)

Chocolate protein powder and frozen cherries combine to make this deliciously thick and creamy protein smoothie.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Drinks, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 1

Equipment

• 1 Blender high-performance blender and tamper

Ingredients

  

• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1 cup frozen sweet cherries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup soy milk or other milk of choice
• 1 cup ice

Instructions

 

• Add all the ingredients to a high-performance blender
• Blend for 30-60 seconds, until ingredients are well combined. You will likely need to use a tamper while blending.
• Poor into a glass and serve immediately

Notes

This makes a thick smoothie that you could eat with a spoon. Using a high-performance blender with a tamper will allow you to process the thick smoothie and fully incorporate all the ingredients into the blend. If you don’t have a high-performance blender or tamper, you may need more liquid to blend, which will result in a less thick and less creamy smoothie. 

Keyword chocolate protein powder, frozen cherries, protein shake, smoothie, vegan smoothie