You know that struggle when you need a little energy but you’re craving something sweet? You know you’d be better off choosing a low carb high protein recipe but you really want a slice of cake. Well, this Birthday Cake Protein Shake is the perfect solution.
It’s rich and creamy, has a lovely sweet vanilla flavor, and packs a whopping 28 grams of protein into each glass. Plus the name is fun to say. Ostensibly, it’s a vanilla protein shake. But cake rhymes with shake and it just rolls off the tongue. And makes you want to do a little boogie-woogie while you’re at it.
Easy smoothie recipes like this can really help when you are trying to increase your protein consumption. I have several popular recipes, including Coffee Protein Shake and Raspberry Lemonade Protein Shake. But I decided to shake it up a bit (pun intended) and make a birthday cake flavored beverage, replete with a little whipped cream and some sugar-free sprinkles. Fun to say and fun to eat!
Why I love this recipe
- So ridiculously easy! Who doesn’t love a recipe that takes only 5 minutes to make?
- Great flavor: While you can just do vanilla, a little almond extract helps it taste like birthday cake.
- Thick and creamy: No thin, milky shake here. This has a wonderful rich, creamy consistency.
- Meal replacement: This vanilla protein shake is satisfying enough and has enough protein to be a light on-the-go breakfast. But you can also use it for a post-workout snack.
- Low carb: Each serving has less than 7 grams of carbs.
Ingredients you need
- Cottage cheese: This shake gets its thicker consistency and extra protein kick with the addition of cottage cheese.
- Unflavored low carb milk: I like to use hemp milk in smoothies and shakes, as it has no carbs. But you can also use almond milk or macadamia milk. Just be sure to choose the unsweetened variety.
- Vanilla protein powder: I used Just Ingredients Vanilla protein powder, which has multiple sources of protein. But you can use your preferred brand. See the expert tips if you only have unflavored protein.
- Sweetener: Use a powdered sweetener for this recipe. You can also use highly concentrated extracts like stevia or monkfruit.
- Almond extract: A little almond extract can give it a “birthday cake” flavor. But you can just use vanilla, if you prefer.
- Heavy whipping cream: Since this is a shake and not a smoothie, we are going to top it with some homemade whipped cream!
- Sugar free sprinkles: This is optional, but it’s so fun with some sugar free spinkles!
Step by Step Directions
- Blend the ingredients: In a high powered blender, combine the ice, cottage cheese, hemp milk, protein powder, sweetener, and the almond extract. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the jar as needed. Adjust sweetener to taste.
- Pour into glasses: Divide between two glasses that hold at least 12 ounces.
- Make the whipped cream: In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream with the remaining sweetener until it holds stiff peaks.
- Finish the shakes: Pipe the whipped cream overtop the smoothies and sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles.
Tips for Success
Using crushed ice rather than ice cubes makes the shakes smoother without big chunks. If you don’t have crushed ice, you can add the cubes to the blender before you add any other ingredients and give them a few quick pulses. They break up pretty easily.
If you don’t have vanilla protein powder, you can use plain. Add 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla and adjust the sweetener to taste.
Protein options: In terms of protein source, it really doesn’t matter for a shake recipe like this. You can use whey, egg white, plant-based, or even collagen. Remember that you may not be getting a full amino acid profile with collagen.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find all kinds of ready-made “keto friendly” foods out there, but not all of it is truly keto friendly. So I always suggest to read the labels carefully. Look for shakes that are under 7 or 8 grams of total carbs. Or even better, make your own keto friendly protein shakes at home. It’s easy and you can control the ingredients. They taste much better too!
While these protein shakes are best when served immediately, I’ve been known to stick mine in the fridge for a day or two. They stay rich and thick, but they do tend to settle a little, so give them a stir before you drink it.
This keto protein vanilla shake recipe has 6.5g of carbs and 1.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5.5g net carbs per shake
New protein powder that I love!
I want to introduce you to Just Ingredients protein powder. I discovered it recently at a conference and I love it! Many vanilla protein powders taste artificial but my first taste of this was like drinking a melted milkshake. It’s a mixed protein source that includes whey, collagen, and pea protein (that’s why it also has some fiber in it).
They also make numerous other products, including electrolytes, probiotics, and body and face lotions. All with clean, natural ingredients!
They’ve offered me a coupon code for my readers. Use CarolynKetchum at checkout.
Keto Vanilla Protein Shake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (354.88 g) crushed ice
- 3/4 cup (157.5 g) cottage cheese
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) unflavored hemp milk, (or any low carb milk)
- 6 tbsp (85.21 g) vanilla protein powder
- 5 teaspoons powdered sweetener, divided
- 3/4 tsp almond extract, (or more vanilla extract)
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) heavy whipping cream
- sugar free sprinkles
Instructions
- In a high powered blender, combine the ice, cottage cheese, hemp milk, protein powder, 3 teaspoons of the powdered sweetener, and the almond extract.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the jar as needed. Adjust sweetener to taste.
- Divide between two glasses that hold at least 12 ounces.
- In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sweetener until it holds stiff peaks.
- Pipe the whipped cream overtop the smoothies and sprinkle with sugar-free sprinkles.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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