9 Healthy Whey Protein Recipes

Does a sink full of shaker bottles have you singing the protein shake blues? Good news: With a little kitchen creativity and dash of cooking panache, you don't have to drown in a sea of shakers.

Gain all of whey protein's muscle-building benefits in complete meal form with these recipes, which offer delicious ways to incorporate protein in everything from breakfast smoothies and pancakes to dessert bars and brownies. Whip up one of these concoctions—they're sure to meet your macros and leave you in a better mood.

1. PB&J Protein Smoothie

IFBB Pro Alex Carneiro knows that going low(er) carb can be rough. Not only do you have to limit your bread intake, but childhood favorites are off limits—crustless peanut butter and jelly, anyone? Well, there's good news. It turns out you can have your protein PB&J and drink it, too!

Ingredients

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Vanilla Ice Cream 1 Scoop
• Almond Milk (unsweetened) 1 Cup
• Peanut Butter 1 Tbsp
• Raspberry preserves (Stevia sweetened) 2 Tsp
• Raspberries 1/4 Cup
• Blackberries 1/4 Cup
• Ice 1 Cup

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients together.
2. Enjoy your super shake!

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 shake)
• Recipe yields 1 serving
• Calories 347
• Total Fat 9.5 g
• Total Carbs 38 g
• Protein 32 g

2. Sunrise Smoothie

Mornings can be rough. You wake up late, head into work flustered, and spill your morning cup of Joe on your new shirt. Follow Alex's suggestions: Lessen the blow and nix the caffeine with a sweet protein treat.

Ingredients

• Banana 1 (medium size)
• Strawberry 1/2 Cup
• Peanut Butter 1 Tbsp Natural
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Strawberry Banana 1 Scoop
• Almond Milk8 oz

Directions

1. Blend all of the ingredients together.
2. Slam it!

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 shake)
• Recipe yields 1 shake
• Calories 394
• Total Fat 8.6 g
• Total Carbs 37.5 g
• Protein 29.8 g

3. Peanut Butter-Coconut Craving

Athlete Stephanie Toomey makes this shake every morning. The combination of coconut and almond milk makes for a silky smooth base, while peanut butter kicks the flavor profile up a notch. Go nuts with this flavor combination!

Ingredients

• Coconut Milk 1/4 Cup
• Almond Milk 1/3 Cup (unsweetened)
• Peanut Butte r 1 Tbsp
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Vanilla Ice Cream 1 Scoop

Directions

1. Blend and freeze.
2. Remove from freezer five minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 shake)
• Recipe yields 1 shake
• Calories 350
• Total Fat 21 g
• Total Carbs 7.5 g
• Protein 29.3 g

4. Almond Butter Protein Pancakes

National bikini competitor Lindsey Renee prefers her protein in pancake form. Who could say no to a sizable stack of flapjacks first thing in the morning? Forget the tasteless, frozen variety and dig into these freshly baked hot cakes instead.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Mix ingredients in a bowl. If needed, add a bit more water.
2. Cook over medium heat.
3. Plate and spread 1 tbsp almond butter on top of the pancakes.
4. Sprinkle with 1 packet Splenda and drizzle with maple syrup.
5. If desired, add a few strawberries and bananas for deliciousness!

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (2-3 pancakes)
• Yields 1 serving
• Calories 145
• Total Fat 1.3 g
• Total Carbs 3.6 g
• Protein 34.8 g

5. Morning Breakfast Shake

Need a powerful morning punch? Noah Siegel has just the recipe. Peanut butter? Good. Berries? Good. Oatmeal? Really good! Really, what's not to love about this shake? With a healthy dose of healthy fats, vitamin C, fiber, and protein, it's a well-rounded meal in a glass.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Blend ingredients together.
2. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 shake)
• Recipe yields 1 shake
• Calories 599
• Total Fat 12 g
• Total Carbs 46 g
• Protein 57 g

6. Banana Pancakes

Why limit banana flavor to bread? Try this recipe by Jaquelyn Kastelic, Optimum Nutrition athlete and owner of Crossfit Unrivaled. Break the standard baking mold by serving up a batch of these fruit-flavored pancakes.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Preheat your pan to 300 degrees.
2. In a bowl mix eggs, 1/4 cup coconut flakes, 1/2 of a mashed up banana, and 1/2 drop liquid Stevia.
3. Melt coconut oil in microwave and add to mix.
4. Stir in flax meal and protein to a desired creamy consistency. Add cinnamon.
5. Pour on pan and cook a few minutes on each side.
6. Once all pancakes are made, slice up the remaining 1/2 banana and top the pancakes with zero-calorie maple syrup.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 pancake)
• Recipe yields 8
• Calories 127
• Total Fat 6.5 g
• Total Carbs 5.5 g
• Protein 11.7 g

7. Pumpkin Protein Bars

Power-up on protein with these tasty bars! Spices like cinnamon and clove will awaken your flavor palate while alternatives to butter like applesauce spell a lower fat content while still providing the moisture necessary for a delicious cake.

Ingredients

• Stevia Powder 1-2 Tsp
• Applesauce 4 oz (Baby Food Jar)
• Cinnamon 2 Tsp (Ground)
• Ginger 1 1/2 Tsp (Ground)
• Clove 1/2 Tsp (Ground)
• Baking Powder 1 Tsp
• Baking Soda 1 Tsp
• Salt 1/2 Tsp
• Vanilla Extract 2 Tsp
• Egg Whites 4 Large
• Can of Raw Pumpkin 15 oz
• Oats Flour 2 Cups
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Vanilla or White Chocolate 2 Scoops
• Walnuts Chopped 1/2 Cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 9 X 13 Pyrex dish with non-stick spray.
3. Combine first 11 ingredients and mix well.
4. Add the final 3 ingredients and mix together.
5. Spread batter into the Pyrex dish and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool. Then cut into 30 squares.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1 square )
• Recipe yields 30
• Calories 41
• Total Fat 0.5 g
• Total Carbs 6.2 g
• Protein 2.9 g

8. High-Protein Ezekiel French Toast

Breakfast doesn't have to come in the form of a protein shake. Serve up healthy slabs of French toast for your next brunch with this recipe from Noah Siegel.

Ingredients

• Ezekiel Bread 2 Slices
• Egg Whites 3
• Cinnamon 1 Tsp
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Cinnamon Graham Cracker protein 1 Scoop

Directions

1. Spray pan with non-stick spray and place on medium heat.
2. Combine egg whites, protein powder, and cinnamon together in a large casserole dish.
3. Place a slice of Ezekiel bread in mixture and let each side sit until thoroughly saturated with mixture.
4. Place bread in pan, turning so both sides get done before the center is completely cooked. Make sure temperature is low enough to cook thoroughly without burning.
5. Remove from pan and let cool for about 2 minutes. Add toppings.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (2 slices)
• Recipe yields 1 serving
• Calories 334
• Total Fat 2 g
• Total Carbs 34 g
• Protein 45.7 g

9. Mocha-Cappuccino-Cinnamon Brownies

Get your coffee fix in protein brownie form with this recipe from IFBB Pro Bikini competitor Anna Starodubtseva.

Brownie Ingredients

• Eggs 2
• Egg Whites 3
• Cream Cheese 8 oz (Fat-Free Philadelphia)
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Mocha Cappuccino 4 Scoops
• Cocoa Powder 3 Tbsp (Raw)
• Truvia 4 Tsp
• Cinnamon 2 Tbsp (Ground)
• Baking Powder 1 Tsp
• Optimum Nutrition Fitness Fiber 4 Tsp
• Vanilla Extract 1/2 Tsp
• Fresh Expresso 1 Shot

Directions

1. Blend egg white separately from yolks until they become foam.
2. Add yolks, Truvia, cacao powder, cinnamon, baking powder, Fitness Fiber, and protein powder and mix in a blender.
3. Manually mix in cream cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sauce Ingredients

• Raspberries 5 oz
• Stevia
• Coconut Oil 2 Tbsp

Directions

1. Heat a pan with coconut oil.
2. Mix berries with Truvia in a bowl. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 min until the juice comes out of the berries.
3. When the brownies are ready, place them in a fridge for two hours. Serve with warm berry sauce on top.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size (1/5 of batch)
• Recipe yields 1 batch
• Calories 204
• Total Fat 3.9 g
• Total Carbs 14.4 g
• Protein 31 g