Blueberry Zucchini Protein Smoothie

This blueberry zucchini protein smoothie is packed full of creamy goodness – frozen zucchini is a miracle smoothie ingredient! Blended with vanilla protein powder for a replenishing protein hit, this gluten free and paleo / vegan friendly smoothie makes a wonderful quick healthy breakfast, snack or post-workout option.

Frozen zucchini is the perfect veggie for adding nutrition AND thick creaminess to a smoothie, with its mild flavour. No need to precook it or anything before you freeze it either. Simply wash and cut into little blender-friendly chunks, and pop into a zip lock bag for the freezer. And then bam – you’ve got some ready for this Blueberry Zucchini Protein Smoothie. I always make up some frozen zucchini to have on hand for luscious thick smoothies, especially as the weather starts getting warmer!

Since returning back to Sydney from London I’ve been boosting my protein intake with Bare Blends‘ Vanilla Bean WPI (whey protein isolate). This is a brand I used to use a few years ago, and BB were kind enough to send me a welcome package once I moved home. The gentle vanilla flavour of their protein works perfectly in this smoothie. And I love that this protein doesn’t have a huge ingredients list and is sweetened with only a tiny bit of stevia. It’s actually not very sweet at all and doesn’t have that tang like some stevia-sweetened products.

This protein smoothie recipe is pretty darn simple – frozen zucchini, frozen blueberries, coconut milk, cinnamon, cashew butter, protein. There’s an option to throw in a medjool date if you prefer it a touch sweeter. But whether you do that really depends on the protein powder you use and the intensity of the flavour. I don’t find that I need it, but it can be yummy if you want a bit more of a sweet treat! Between the coconut, cinnamon and cashew butter, you get a lot of sweetness already.

Don’t have a ton of frozen blueberries on hand? I’ve also used a frozen berry mix (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) and it’s worked well too. You may not get as much of a crazy purple colour but it still tastes damn good! And of course, please remember to add some CRUNCHY toppings to this. Not only are they an extra dimension of delicious, adding toppings also helps you slow down and enjoy the smoothie. You’ll have better digestion as chewing signals your digestive tract to expect food and produce digestive enzymes. Winning. Try some crunchy granola, seeds, coconut flakes or cacao nibs.

Blueberry Zucchini Protein Smoothie

This gluten free and paleo blueberry zucchini protein smoothie makes a wonderful quick healthy breakfast, snack or post-workout option.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Smoothies and Drinks, Snacks and Bites

Cuisine: egg free, gluten free, grain free, paleo, vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup zucchini chopped into small chunks and frozen
• 3/4 cup blueberries frozen
• 3/4 cup coconut milk carton milk for pouring/drinking, not canned
• 1 tbsp cashew butter
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 serve vanilla protein powder approximately 3 heaped tablespoons
• 1 medjool date - OPTIONAL

Instructions

• Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Add toppings of choice and enjoy immediately!

Notes

*you can use a different milk instead of coconut if preferred - try almond milk, rice milk or oat milk.

*use a vegan-friendly, plant based protein powder for a vegan, dairy free option.

*cashew butter can be substituted with almond butter or another nut or seed butter of choice, though this can affect the taste of the smoothie slightly - e.g. peanut butter obviously gives a slightly peanut-butter taste!

Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!

p.s. If you love adding zucchini to your brekky and snack options, you may also love this Green Vegetable Smoothie Bowl or one my fave absolute fave brekkies – Chocolate Zucchini Overnight Oats. SO good.