My Secret To The Perfect Chocolate Shake!

Make Your Best Chocolate Shake Ever
Photo: ThePinkApronBlog

I just had an epiphany, literally five minutes ago. I had just returned home from the gym and was making my post-workout protein shake. Let me start by saying I'm not the best protein-shake maker in the world. I often err on the side of putting too much ice in the blender, so there's an unequal ratio of ice to milk to protein powder. The shake inevitably gets gritty, and there's always one of two chunks of ice that didn't make it to the blades. Not super appetizing. Suffice to say Bryan won't let me make him protein shakes (for obvious reasons), but that might change after I made a chocolate protein shake that was silky smooth and tasted -- honest to God -- like a full-fat milkshake! All it took was a few slices of ripe AVOCADO.

Stay with me here. Avocado is a natural, delicious binder. It's a great substitute for butter or oil in baked goods. It guarantees moisture and body without making your cookies or cake taste like guacamole. Turns out it's also perfect in protein shakes, which at best are watered down, less chocolate-y versions of the real thing.

All I did was toss one quarter of a ripe California Haas avocado in my blender along with 3/4 cup ice cubes, one cup non-fat milk and one scoop of Trader Joe's chocolate protein powder. I blended everything on high for 30 seconds to one minute or until the mixture was smooth. When I poured the shake in my cup, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like liquid silk... no grit, no chunks of unblended ice, no watery texture. It looked like, dare I say, the perfect milkshake. When I took my first sip, I was sold. It was absolutely delicious. Cold, creamy, chocolate-y goodness while still light and airy. I'll never make another "healthy" shake again without avocado. That is, unless, it involves ice cream. But that's a recipe for another time...