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Protein Blended Cold Brew with the flavors of chocolate and almond (because why limit yourself to just one?) is a cool and creamy way to kickstart your day or fuel a busy afternoon. This better-than-Starbucks copycat is a smooth blend of cold brew coffee with banana, almond butter, and cocoa powder, plus your favorite protein powder. It’s like a dairy-free healthy Frappuccino with nutritional benefits to give you energy. And since that famous coffee shop no longer sells it, now is the perfect time to fire up the blender and make your own Chocolate Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew right at home
Starbucks copycat recipes are totally a thing. It could be these Copycat Starbucks Flourless Chewy Chocolate Cookies from A Dash of Sanity. Or it might be an Iced Caramel Macchiato like this one from Gather for Bread. But all the Starbucks-lovers out there want to know how to make their drink or baked good of choice from their favorite coffee shop. This way they can have them any time they want and even save a few dollars in the process.
I’ve taken a completely different approach. I make Starbucks recipes that are actually nothing like the original.
Because that makes complete sense, am I right?
Basically, I took a bunch of their menu items and turned them into Starbucks-Inspired Chocolate Bark Recipes. Your favorite holiday cookie bar became Cranberry Bliss White Chocolate Bark. And there’s no need to sip when you can snack on Salted Caramel Mocha Chocolate Bark or Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Bark.
This time I decided to be true to the original. Except the original had two different versions and I couldn’t decide which I liked more. So I combined them into one yummy coffee smoothie. Because that’s the obvious solution…
What is in a Starbucks Protein Blended Cold Brew?
Starbucks had two versions of this drink, the Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew and the Cacao Protein Blended Cold Brew. These were both frosty coffee beverages made with plant-based protein, nondairy milk, and, and cold brew coffee. It was a healthier, vegan alternative to those sugar-laden Frappuccinos.
- The almond version contained:
- Ice
- Almondmilk
- Brewed coffee
- Banana date fruit blend
- Plant-based protein blend
- Almond butter
- The cacao version contained:
- Ice
- Coconutmilk
- Brewed coffee
- Banana date fruit blend
- Plant-based protein blend
- Cacao blend
So I took elements of both of these, plus things I keep in my own pantry and blended up a healthy Frappuccino type drink I can make on the regular.
How to make Chocolate Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew…
- To make this coffee smoothie, combine the following ingredients in your blender:
- Cold brew coffee
- Unsweetened almondmilk
- Frozen banana cut into chunks
- Almond butter
- Cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt (just trust me on this one)
- Protein powder – I like to use collagen powder, but you can choose a whey protein powder, or keep it vegan with a plant-based protein powder
- Ice
- A bit of Stevia, erythritol, or even a little sugar or another natural sweetener of choice if you feel you need a little more sweetness, based on how sweet and/or large your bananas are
- Blend until smooth and enjoy!
How do you make cold brew coffee?
Cold brew is basically made by soaking ground coffee in cold or room temperature water for an extended time and then filtering it off.
- I always keep a pitcher of cold brew coffee made just like Pioneer Woman’s perfect iced coffee in my fridge. I use 6 ounces of coffee (I do mix half decaf, half regular) in a 4-quart pitcher filled to the top. This makes the perfect drinking strength for me.
- You can also make cold brew concentrate like this from Kitchen Treaty and then dilute it to drinking strength.
What else can you make with cold brew coffee?
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- Blended Iced Coffee adds a little extra creaminess to your iced coffee without going to the full-on frozen blended beverage.
- Banana Almond Mocha Smoothie uses Greek yogurt or cottage cheese for creaminess and protein if you don’t mind dairy.
- Raspberry Mocha Latte Overnight Oats adds some caffeine to your breakfast.
- Mexican Mocha Hot Chocolate combined the kick of caffeine, chocolate, and warm spices in a toasty hot drink.
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Where can I buy cold brew if I don’t want to make it?
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Cold brew is super simple to make. But if you’d rather buy it, you can order Starbucks Cold Brew or even a Cold Brew Concentrate from Amazon. You’ll also find it in the grocery store and Target. Seriously, though, just make it. It’s so much cheaper. I use a regular pitcher and strain it myself, but these cold brew coffee makers make it even simpler.
Chocolate Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew Recipe
Craving a Starbucks fix? Have a healthy Frappuccino instead. This coffee smoothie recipe is based on their plant-based beverages that packed the double punch of caffeine and protein. But since these are no longer available, here is an easy way to make them at home. It’s the perfect way to kickstart your morning or fuel a busy day when the afternoon slump hits you.
I hope you’ll leave a comment and give it a FIVE STAR rating or share a photo on this pin on Pinterest!
Chocolate Almond Protein Blended Cold Brew
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold brew coffee (if using a concentrate, dilute as per instructions)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almondmilk
- 1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon almond butter
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use collagen powder, but you can use whey or a plant-based protein powder)
- 1/2 cup ice cubes (can use more or less to achieve desired consistency)
- pinch salt
- Stevia, erythritol, or sugar, to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth.
Notes
Did you make this?
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Enjoy!
Thanks for the great recipe. Can’t wait to try it. curious………where did you get the cute mug? I need one LOL
Thanks so much! And you know what, I can’t remember where I got that. I might have been visiting a science museum or something like that!