Some of my favorite protein smoothie recipes are actually rather basic recipes that only require a few simple ingredients. Today I’m going to be sharing a great example of that with the best 3-ingredient chocolate protein smoothie recipe that you’ll ever try. It makes an incredibly satisfying post-workout smoothie with only three simple ingredients (plus water and ice). It’s quick and easy to make for when you need to refuel after a hard workout and provides a solid amount of protein for your muscles to repair and grow. It doesn’t just provide you with protein though — it’s also a great source of high quality essential fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Your Muscles Will Love This Smoothie

Let’s take a closer look at each of the three ingredients that go into making this smoothie in order to see why they’re all such great choices. Starting with ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, you’ll be adding a great tasting source of protein (11 grams!). Not only does adding Greek yogurt help to considerably ramp up the protein content of this recipe, but it’s also an excellent source of probiotics for giving your gut health a boost as well. Research has shown that probiotic intake has been linked with a better immune system response as well as improved metabolic processes. (1) Greek yogurt also provides all of the same great nutrients that regular yogurt provides you, including vitamin B12, calcium, and potassium.

In order to further up the protein content of this recipe, you’ll also be adding in one scoop of chocolate whey protein powder. As I’ve mentioned before, whenever I purchase whey protein, I always make sure to buy whey isolate. It’s the purest form of whey available and it’s a complete protein source. You can get the exact brand of chocolate whey isolate that I use by clicking here — it’s made by Isopure and provides 25 grams of protein per serving. It also provides five grams of branched chain amino acids per scoop along with an excellent added blend of vitamins and minerals.

The protein powder isn’t the only ingredient adding a delightful chocolate flavor to this recipe. It also includes a single tablespoon of raw cacao powder. While raw cacao can admittedly taste rather bitter, it’s also an incredibly nutrient-dense source of chocolate flavoring. It’s rich in vitamin E and B-complex vitamins, minerals like calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, and iron, and heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Cacao is also an excellent source of fiber and contains potent flavonoid antioxidant properties that have been found to be incredibly beneficial when it comes to treating and preventing both cardiovascular and neurodegenerative health conditions. (2)