Chocolate and Peanut Butter Protein Shakes

This is the shelf for when a fruit shake feels like homework. Chocolate, peanut butter, or both. The amounts are small, a teaspoon here and there, because a little cocoa or peanut butter goes a long way in something this cold and creamy.

Ice goes in last

Cold dulls flavor, and peanut butter is the first thing to disappear. So blend everything without ice, taste it, and only then add a handful if you want it thicker. If you add the ice first and it tastes flat, you've got no way to tell whether it needs more peanut butter or just less ice.

Tip

Scrape the teaspoon of peanut butter onto the powder, not the side of the blender jar. Stuck to the wall, it never makes it into the shake.

What to do about the chips

Chocolate chips don't fully blend. Some people like the little bits, the way a cookie has pockets of chocolate. If you don't, blend longer or use mini chips, which break down faster. Either way, a teaspoon is enough to taste in every sip.

The double chocolate is the one flavor where the base changes: use chocolate powder instead of vanilla, and chocolate milk if you want to go all the way.

Try this

Want these as something you can bite? The Double Chocolate Protein Muffin and PB Chocolate Cookies hit the same notes, and the microwave chocolate chip cookies are the solid version of the last shake.