Chai Smoothie

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.

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!

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

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5 from 3 votes

Chai Smoothie

By Chelsea Lords

This Chai Smoothie is incredibly filling, packed with nutritious ingredients, and boasts a rich, creamy texture with delightful hints of cinnamon and cardamom.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 smoothie

Equipment

• Blender high-powered

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup milk see note 1
• ▢ 1 cup frozen banana coins see note 2
• ▢ 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• ▢ 2 tablespoons almond butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder see note 3
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1/16 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 8 large ice cubes

Instructions 

• Add all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender.
• 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 Notes

Note 1: Any milk works, but I prefer plant-based milk in this smoothie. Macadamia nut milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk both work very well in this drink. 

Note 2: Remove the peel, slice the banana into coins, place in freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze overnight. A lot of stores also sell frozen banana chunks, these work great for a less time-consuming option.

Note 3: The protein powder adds sweetness and vanilla flavor to the smoothie. I recommend using a stevia-sweetened protein powder, like Orgain or Truvani's vanilla, to eliminate the need for extra sugar. If you skip the protein, consider adding a sweetener. Remember, we only use 3 tablespoons, not a full scoop.

Storage: This smoothie doesn't sit or store well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.1g | Protein: 10.1g | Fat: 10.8g | Cholesterol: 0.9mg | Sodium: 122mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 14.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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