The ultimate smoothie for coffee lovers! This thick and creamy Coffee Protein Smoothie is made with nourishing ingredients like banana, hemp hearts, flax seed and almond butter. It’s a delicious on-the-go breakfast!

If you’re looking for more higher protein smoothie ideas, check out my Apple Cinnamon Smoothie!

A coffee protein smoothie garnished with cacao nibs in a tall clear glass with a silver straw.

Are you a coffee lover like me? I drink coffee every day and this smoothie is the perfect way to get my coffee fix in a convenient breakfast form. The frozen coffee cubes give it a nice coffee flavour, while also giving the smoothie a frosty texture. You can also make the coffee cubes with decaf, if you’re watching your caffeine intake.

This coffee smoothie is creamy and sweet. It’s also full of nourishing ingredients that provide healthy fats, protein and fibre, without the need for protein powder. You’ll love starting your day with this smoothie, especially in hot summer months!

Ingredients

Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions. See the recipe card below for all the details!

Brewed coffee – frozen into cubes in an ice cube tray; the smoothie works without freezing the coffee, but the texture and temperature are more pleasing if you use frozen coffee.
Almond milk – or your milk of choice
Frozen bananas – for sweetness and creamy texture; frozen bananas let us avoid using ice which would water down the flavour!
Almond butter – or any nut butter you like; adds creaminess, protein and healthy fats.
Flax seed – for healthy omega-3 fats and fibre.
Hemp hearts – a great source of protein (about 25% of their calories are from protein), as well as healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
Medjool dates – added for sweetness. You can omit or replace with your sweetener of choice, to taste.
Cacao nibs – for the slightly bitter, chocolatey flavour that enhances the taste of the coffee. You can omit if you don’t have this ingredient, but I highly recommend including them if you can! Cacao nibs are rich in antioxidants and are a good source of protein, fibre and healthy fat!
Ground cinnamon and salt – for flavour

Ingredients needed to make coffee protein smoothies, viewed from overhead.

How to make it

First, freeze the coffee into cubes for 4 hours or overnight. Be sure you also have frozen banana!

Next, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

Divide the smoothie into two servings for a meal-sized smoothie, or divide it into four for a snack-size portion.

Coffee Protein Smoothie being poured from a blender into a tall clear glass.

Tips for success

Use frozen coffee and banana. For the most pleasing temperature and texture, you’ll want to freeze these two ingredients. You could also add ice in a pinch, but it will water down the flavour.

Make a double batch of coffee cubes. A standard ice cube tray will hold two cups of coffee (double what we need for this recipe). I like to make a whole tray, then store the leftover cubes in a freezer bag for later use.

Use a tamper while blending. This smoothie is thick and doesn’t use a lot of added liquid, so the tamper can speed up the blending process (though it’s not required!).

Freeze banana in smaller pieces. If your blender isn’t as strong as mine (I use a Vitamix), you might find it has a hard time blending whole frozen bananas. Simply cut the banana into smaller pieces before freezing!

A closeup of a coffee protein smoothie served in a clear glass with a silver straw.

More smoothie recipes

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