Smoothies and smoothie bowls are having a moment. They are quick and easy and make a great backdrop on a social media post. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’ve ever met an athlete who would turn down a smoothie. One of my all-time favorite smoothies is the Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Strawberry™. I feel like people sleep on the strawberry! Sure, the banana, chocolate, and peanut butter in the Peanut Power Plus is a classic delicious option. Still, when you incorporate the sweetness of fresh strawberries, it takes this smoothie to the next level.
Why make your own smoothie?
Smoothies can be great pre-workout, post-workout, or a quick snack during a busy day. While there are so many places to choose from, no matter where you go, buying a smoothie will set you back at least ten bucks and may include add-ins like added sugar or supplements you don’t want. Getting a protein smoothie can be risky for athletes in a drug-testing sport. You often can’t verify the type of protein powder or other supplements (energy boost, electrolytes, or vitamin blends) they use and whether it is third-party tested. And if you have allergies? Forget it. The cross-contamination risk between blenders can make anyone uneasy.
Save yourself money and gain peace of mind by making this nutritious smoothie at home! I promise this dupe recipe will taste just like your favorite chain restaurant, with the bonus of customizing it with your choice’s milk and protein powder.
What ingredients do you need for this copycat smoothie?
The smoothie king menu states that the Peanut Power Plus Strawberry™ contains bananas, strawberries, peanut butter, dates, nonfat milk, protein blend, and turbinado. While dates can be a great addition of calories and dietary fiber for a weight gainer and add natural sweetness to a smoothie, I personally haven’t used them in recipes, and I need to get better at it! But for this recipe, you can create the taste without the dates.
Frozen Fruit
I suggest using frozen strawberries and bananas to create a thicker smoothie consistency, but you can also use fresh fruit and pair it with ice for a cold, thicker outcome. You can purchase frozen strawberries easily, but bananas are more difficult to find. Not to fear, those bruised and yellow bananas on your counter? Peel them, throw them in a resealable bag, and toss them in the freezer. They will be frozen in just a few hours. Keep adding to your bag whenever your nanners start to get soft, and you’ll have a constant supply for smoothie making.
Peanut Butter
I think this recipe tastes best with creamy peanut butter, but you could also go with a dehydrated powder peanut butter or actual nuts. You could do almond butter or another nut butter, but then it wouldn’t really be a peanut butter protein shake, would it? And for my allergy friends, sunflower butter will give you that same nutty flavor and creamy flavor profile.
Liquid Base
I like to use chocolate milk to make it taste decadent, but you could use regular cow’s milk, oat milk, or almond milk combined with a chocolate protein powder for a chocolatey flavor. Don’t have chocolate-flavored milk or protein powder? A tablespoon of cocoa powder will also do the trick.
Protein Powder
To the credit of Smoothie King, their gladiator protein is NSF Sport Certified but they are the only smoothie chain I know of that utilizes a third-party tested for sport supplement. There are a ton of third-party tested protein powders you could choose and I’ve found a chocolate flavored one works best for this recipe, but strawberry or unflavored would also work!
So here it is, a simple and delicious copycat recipe for Smoothie King Peanut Butter Power Strawberry smoothie, perfect for adding calories or getting recovery post-workout! And if you are interested in more chocolate-based smoothies, check out my post on chocolate protein smoothie recipes.
Strawberry Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 scoop Chocolate protein powder
- 1 cup Whole Chocolate milk
- 1 cup Frozen strawberries They are tricky to measure in a cup! About 4 frozen strawberries will do the trick.
- 1 each Frozen banana
- 1.5 tbsp Peanut Butter
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to your blender.
- Blend to desired smoothness.