Home › Recipes › Breakfast

Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie

Name: Healthy Protein Coffee Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup dairy free milk (, I used cashew); 1 cup fresh spinach; 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; 3 dates; 1 tablespoon pea protein; 2 teaspoons chia seeds; ½ teaspoon finely ground espresso; ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder (, or you can use vanilla extract); ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; 12 ice cubes

By Sophia DeSantis, Reviewed by Anjali Shah on March 22, 2025

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I love starting my day with this healthy protein coffee smoothie that takes just 5 minutes to make. It’s packed with nutrients and has a handful of spinach you can’t even taste. Made with dates, espresso, and dairy free milk, it keeps me full and energized all morning.

Chocolate coffee smoothie in a glass milk jar with two striped straws

Green smoothies are part of my morning routine, but sometimes I crave that cozy coffee shop feel. My best friend is also a total coffee lover and kept asking me for more coffee-forward recipes, like this coffee and walnut loaf cake , so I came up with this protein-packed coffee smoothie that’s both energizing and nourishing.

Table of Contents hide

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

🍽 Serving Suggestions

🧊 Storage Directions

❓Recipe FAQs

🥤 More Healthy Smoothie Recipes!

📋 Recipe Card

It has the vibe of a creamy biscoff latte but is loaded with good stuff like spinach, chia seeds, and dates. If you love cozy drinks too, you might want to check out this mocha latte recipe.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why I Love This Recipe

I love this healthy coffee smoothie recipe because it’s the perfect mix of coffee and breakfast in one glass. It hits the spot with creamy dairy free milk, sweet dates, and just enough espresso to wake me up. My kids always ask, “Mom, why are you adding salad to your coffee?” when they see the spinach go in. But you can’t taste it at all, which makes me smile every time. Ha!

I use long-lasting pantry staples like chia seeds, cocoa powder, and pea protein, which blend together with fresh spinach and cold dairy free milk. The ground espresso gives it a rich flavor without needing brewed coffee, which keeps the texture nice and creamy. I recommend prepping the dry ingredients in small jars or containers so they’re ready to toss into the blender during a busy morning.

What makes this smoothie the best for me is how balanced it is. It’s not just a sweet drink or a caffeine boost. It’s a full breakfast that fits the way I eat and the way I coach my clients to eat. It’s packed with nutrients and fiber, it tastes like a treat, and it comes together in under five minutes. I make it often for myself and even shared it with my best friend who always wants more coffee-inspired recipes. I highly recommend giving this healthy, high protein coffee smoothie a try!

🥘 Ingredients

I use a few key ingredients to make sure this protein coffee smoothie gives me everything I want in my body and skips the stuff I don’t. Here’s what I use to make it:

Cocoa Powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder because it gives a rich, chocolatey taste without adding any sugar.

Dates: This is my natural way of adding sweetness. Dates also bring fiber and potassium to the mix. If they’re a little dry, I soak them in warm water for five minutes before blending for a smoother texture.

Pea Protein: I like using pea protein, but any unsweetened protein powder works well here. Vanilla or chocolate-flavored options are also great in this smoothie.

Chia Seeds: These add fiber, omega-3s, and help thicken the smoothie. My tip is to let the smoothie sit for a few minutes so the chia seeds can absorb liquid and make it even creamier.

Espresso: I always go for finely ground espresso because it blends best and gives that smooth coffee flavor.

Cinnamon, Salt, Vanilla: These add such great flavor to this recipe. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder depending on what you have.

Milk: Any type of milk will work in this recipe. I used unsweetened cashew milk because I love the creaminess it provides, but almond, soy, coconut or any non-dairy milk will also work.

Spinach: This is my secret way of sneaking veggies into a smoothie that tastes like a chocolate coffee shake! Spinach is a nutrient powerhouse that adds iron, fiber, and vitamins, but its mild flavor makes it undetectable in the smoothie.

Ice: I like adding it because it gives the smoothie that chilled, frosty feel I really enjoy in the morning.

🔪 How To Make

Making my healthy smoothie with coffee is SO EASY, you won’t even need a cup of coffee first! This is a one step recipe, here’s what to do:

Blend: I add all the ingredients to my blender, starting with the milk at the bottom and layering the rest on top. Then I blend it all up until it’s smooth and creamy.

Top view of a blender with blended chocolate coffee smoothie.

Serve: I pour it into my favorite glass and enjoy it right away while it’s cold and creamy. It’s the best way to start the day!

Hand grabbing a glass milk jar filled with a chocolate coffee smoothie.

💭 Expert Tips

My #1 Secret Tip for this healthy coffee protein smoothie recipe is to use a high-powered blender and blend in stages for the smoothest texture. If you’re using a regular blender and toss everything in at once, you might end up with spinach pieces or gritty seeds. Here’s the order I recommend:

First, blend the spinach, milk, and dates until smooth.
Then add the protein powder, cocoa, espresso, cinnamon, and salt and blend again.
Finally, add ice and chia seeds and blend until thick and creamy!

Other Tips To Keep In Mind:

Adjust The Coffee: If I’m making this for someone sensitive to caffeine, I use decaf espresso or swap in a little brewed coffee. If I want a stronger coffee flavor, I just add a bit more espresso.
Add Ice Last: I always blend the ice at the end to keep the smoothie cold without making it too watery. This helps keep the texture thick and creamy.
Taste And Adjust As Needed: Different brands of cocoa, protein powder, and milk vary in sweetness and strength, so I always recommend tasting before serving to make sure the flavors are balanced. If your smoothie is too bitter, add ½ a date or a splash of maple syrup. If your smoothie is too thick, add a little more milk and re-blend.

📖 Variations

My healthy coffee smoothie without banana already tastes amazing as it is, but sometimes I like to switch things up to boost the nutrition or try new flavors. Here are a few of my favorite ways to change it up:

Make It Even Healthier: For even more nutrition, I like adding any of these to my smoothie: 1 extra scoop of protein powder, 2 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1-2 cups greens, 1/8 cup oats, 1/8-1/4 cup chickpeas, 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato, 1/8 cup mashed avocado.

Other Flavors: For a fun twist, I love adding in 2 tbsp peanut butter + 1/2 a banana for a banana-PB flavor, or 1 cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) for a berry-chocolate flavor! A pinch of chili powder would also be a nice way to give this a sweet-and-spicy hit!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Make It A Smoothie Bowl: While I typically serve this as a smoothie to drink, I have also served this as a smoothie bowl and it tastes great! To do this, blend with a little less liquid so that it’s thicker. Pour into a bowl and top with: chia seeds, coconut flakes, sliced bananas, berries, granola and/or cacao nibs. Much like my vegan thick smoothie bowl recipe or this banana smoothie bowl.

Alongside Other Breakfast Foods: This is a great breakfast on its own, but for something more filling, I’ll serve this with oatmeal, a tofu scramble, avocado toast, or these oat flour pancakes.

🧊 Storage Directions

Refrigeration: While I recommend serving this smoothie immediately for the best flavor and texture, it will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Give it a good stir before you serve it.

Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the smoothie after it’s blended because the texture changes. But you can freeze the ingredients ahead of time to make mornings easier. I add everything except the milk and ice to a container or freezer bag, then pop it in the freezer. When I’m ready, I just toss the frozen mix into the blender with milk and ice, blend, and enjoy.

Glass jar filled with protein powder, espresso, cocoa and dates

❓Recipe FAQs

Could I use regular coffee instead of espresso?

I personally find that coffee grounds are best for flavor, but you can substitute some of the milk for brewed coffee. Keep in mind though, the flavor won’t be as rich, and it could be more icy instead of creamy.

How can I make this smoothie sweeter without using dates?

You can swap the dates for ½ frozen banana for natural sweetness. Or, feel free to add in 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup, agave or monk fruit (or add it to taste).

Can I use a regular blender instead of a high speed blender?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it because your smoothie likely won’t get super creamy and smooth. If you do use a regular blender, make sure to blend for longer and soak your dates ahead of time so they’re easier to blend.

🥤 More Healthy Smoothie Recipes!

Love this healthy smoothie recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!