Home > Beverages > Shakes & Smoothies > Chai Smoothie Chai Smoothie May 18, 2020 | 8 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This Chai Smoothie is ultra filling and mega creamy, loaded with good-for-you ingredients, and super flavorful with notes of cinnamon and cardamom. This smoothie can be made dairy-free and vegan, depending on the ingredients used! We’re obsessed with smoothies around these parts; they’re the perfect way to start your day or meet your sugar cravings! Try our Oatmeal Smoothie, Green Smoothie Recipe, or 4-ingredient Cherry Smoothie next! Chai Smoothie My love for Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Lattes may need to be re-labeled as an obsession. The minute it gets hot outside, it’s the treat I crave constantly! But, since the nearest Starbucks isn’t actually all that close to me and the lattes aren’t the cheapest treat, it was time I took my obsession with chilled chai and channeled it into a nutritious breakfast beverage. Enter: this amazing Chai Smoothie! This drink has not only quelled my cravings for Starbucks lattes, it’s now my new favorite drink. It’s also far more nutritious, packed with protein, and — hey — my wallet thanks me too, ha! If you love chai flavors, you are going to love this smoothie. It’s creamy, refreshing, sweet, and perfectly spiced! Chai Smoothie Ingredients A lot of the ingredients in this Chai Smoothie serve to make it a filling, satiating drink. This smoothie makes a great breakfast or snack that will keep you fueled and full for hours! Milk: Any milk works, but we prefer plant-based milk in this smoothie. Macadamia nut milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk are favorites in this drink. Frozen banana: The banana sweetens and thickens the smoothie beautifully. It also ensures the smoothie is filling! Make sure to freeze a fully ripe banana before adding to this smoothie. Almond butter: Almond butter adds lots of flavor, protein, and good-for-you fats, helping to ensure this Chai Smoothie is satiating. As far as almond butter goes, I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar. If it’s not a tasty almond butter on its own, it won’t add a whole lot to this smoothie. Old-fashioned oats: This is another ingredient that provides satiety. The oats add thickness, nutrients, and add a slight texture (which we love!) to the drink. Flavor enhancers: Vanilla and a tiny pinch of salt add loads of flavor and emphasize the taste of this smoothie. Why salt? It helps intensify and balance all the ingredients in this smoothie — a very small pinch goes a long way! Chai Smoothie Ingredients, Continued Spices: To get that true chai flavor we add cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It’s a lot, but we love this blend of spices — we find it gives the smoothie the perfect chai flavoring! Vanilla protein powder: The protein powder makes this shake filling and packs in additional protein. It also contributes to the sweetness and vanilla flavoring of the Chai Smoothie. I highly recommend a stevia-sweetened protein powder for this smoothie — this will sweeten the smoothie without requiring additional sugar. Instead of adding a whole scoop of protein powder, we add just a few tablespoons to ensure the protein flavor is not the main flavor here. I like using Orgain® or Truvani’s® vanilla protein in this smoothie (neither are sponsors of the site). Ice: Ice gives us a thick milkshake consistency without all the calories! I use eight regular ice cubes or about 1 cup of ice. The ice also ensures a super cold and nicely thickened smoothie. QUICK TIP Raw oats are perfectly safe to add to a smoothie. Flavor-wise they add a pleasant (mild) grittiness and thickness to the shake. And health-wise, you’re looking at myriad benefits. Chai Smoothie Tips If needed, add a little maple syrup, stevia, or honey to further sweeten this smoothie. Depending on the protein powder used and/or how ripe the banana is, you may want it a little sweeter. Dates are another great sweetener — throw one in if you’d like it sweeter! Measure the ingredients. While it is much easier to just eyeball a smoothie and throw it all together, I highly recommend measuring ingredients the first few times, so you get proportions/quantities right. Throwing random quantities in a blender can often end up giving you way too much smoothie or tasting… well… nasty. Blend the oats first if desired. If you don’t want the texture from the oats, blend them first before adding the other ingredients. We do love the slight texture they add — a slight gritty/spice mouthfeel. Chai Smoothie Tips, Continued Blend fully until smooth. I mentioned this previously, but before transferring the Chai Smoothie to a glass, give it a quick stir to be sure everything is smooth. If you’ve got any chunks, blend it again until smooth. Freeze bananas right away. Remove the peel, slice the banana into coins, place in freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze overnight before using in this smoothie. It’s easy to forget, so do it right away! QUICK TIP Use a high-powered blender: This Chai Smoothie is intended to be very thick. You may need to blend it a couple of times or be patient as it blends; it’s worth it for how thick and creamy this shake ends up! If you are looking for a great blender, here’s the one I use. QUICK TIP Chai Smoothie is best enjoyed right after blending. It doesn’t sit, store, or re-freeze well. If you won’t consume the whole smoothie in one sitting, I recommend halving the recipe! More smoothie recipes Banana Smoothie with cinnamon Peanut Butter Protein Shake with chocolate protein powder Pumpkin Protein Shake with vanilla protein Mango Smoothie with lots of tropical fruit Pumpkin Protein Shake with pumpkin puree FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chai Smoothie 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe This Chai Smoothie is ultra filling, loaded with good-for-you ingredients, mega creamy, and super flavorful with notes of cinnamon and cardamom. This smoothie can be made dairy-free and vegan, depending on the ingredients used! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chai Smoothie 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This Chai Smoothie is ultra filling, loaded with good-for-you ingredients, mega creamy, and super flavorful with notes of cinnamon and cardamom. This smoothie can be made dairy-free and vegan, depending on the ingredients used! Course Breakfast, Dessert, Drinks, Snack Cuisine American, Healthy, Vegetarian Keyword chai smoothie Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 10 minutes minutes Servings 1 -2 smoothies Chelsea Lords Calories 266kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $1.21 Ingredients▢ 1 cup milk Note 1▢ 1 cup frozen banana coins Note 2▢ 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats▢ 2 tablespoons dry roasted and lightly salted almond butter Note 3▢ 3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder Note 4▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ 1/4 teaspoon EACH: ground ginger, ground cardamom▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg▢ 1/16 teaspoon (tiny pinch) ground cloves▢ Very tiny pinch of fine sea salt▢ 8 large ice cubes (~1 cup)US - Metric USMetric InstructionsCOMBINE: Add all of the ingredients in the order listed into a high-powered blender.BLEND: Blend until smooth. If needed, stop the blender and stir around with a spoon and begin blending again. Taste and add additional spices or add sweetener if desired. Enjoy immediately! This shake doesn't sit/store well. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Any milk works, but we prefer plant-based milk in this smoothie. Macadamia nut milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk are both favorites in this drink. Note 2: Remove the peel, slice the banana into coins, place in freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze overnight. Honestly, having a completely frozen banana (as opposed to an unfrozen one) is what makes this smoothie. (I like to prep the bananas right after the grocery store so I don’t forget! A lot of stores also now sell already frozen banana chunks -- found with other frozen berries and fruit. These work great if you prefer that option. Note 3: I recommend a slow-roasted and lightly salted almond butter you enjoy eating straight from the jar. If it's not a tasty almond butter on its own, it won't add a whole lot to this smoothie. Note 4: The protein powder contributes to the sweetness and vanilla flavoring of the smoothie. I highly recommend a stevia-sweetened protein powder -- this will sweeten everything so you don't need to add additional sugar. I like using Orgain or Truvani's vanilla protein in this smoothie (not sponsored). If you leave out the protein, you'll likely want to add some type of sweetener to the smoothie. Note that we are using only 3 tablespoons, not an entire scoop. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.1g | Protein: 10.1g | Fat: 10.8g | Cholesterol: 0.9mg | Sodium: 122mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 14.7g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! 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So sorry Stephanie, I don’t have a good sub for the banana here. It delivers the creaminess and sweetness needed. Reply
Yes you should be able to! The protein powder adds a lot of flavor and sweetness. You can leave out cardamom if desired Reply
