Shake With High Protein: A Banana Peanut Butter Recipe With 46 g and No Powder

For a high-protein shake without powder, blend 3/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1 cup of milk, a banana, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds for about a minute. It makes one large glass with about 583 calories and 46 g of protein (USDA estimate).

Most people who want a shake with high protein reach for a scoop of powder. This one starts in the fridge. Greek yogurt and cottage cheese do the heavy lifting, milk makes it drinkable, and the banana means you do not need any sugar. Five minutes, one blender, one glass.

Quick comparison of the shakes in this guide

Shake	What goes in	Where to find it
Banana peanut butter shake (the recipe)	Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, banana, peanut butter, chia	The recipe card below
Breakfast shake with high protein	The same shake with 1/4 cup of rolled oats	The swaps section
Higher-calorie shake	A second tablespoon of peanut butter, or whole milk	The swaps section
Lower-calorie shake	Water or unsweetened almond milk instead of milk	The swaps section

What goes into this shake with high protein

Everything is a normal grocery item. Measure it before the blender runs.

• Nonfat Greek yogurt. Three quarters of a cup. It brings the most protein and the thick, creamy texture. Our Greek yogurt protein parfait uses the same tub.
• Cottage cheese. Half a cup of 2%. It is mild once blended and adds protein and body. If you like it on its own, try our cottage cheese breakfast bowl.
• Milk. One cup of 2% dairy milk, or unsweetened soy milk if you avoid dairy.
• Banana. One medium, ripe. Freeze the chunks the night before for a thicker, colder shake.
• Peanut butter. One tablespoon of smooth, for flavor and a little fat that keeps you full.
• Chia seeds. One tablespoon, for fiber and thickness.

Nutrition of this high-protein shake

Per large shake: about 583 calories, 46 g of protein, 60 g of carbohydrate, 20 g of fat and 608 mg of sodium. These are estimates calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient and the weights above.

Where does the protein come from? About 19 g from the Greek yogurt, 12 g from the cottage cheese, 8 g from the milk, and the rest from the peanut butter, chia and banana.

The sodium comes mostly from the cottage cheese, so if you watch sodium, look for a lower-sodium brand or use all Greek yogurt in its place.

What the evidence says about protein, fullness and weight

Shakes are often sold on one idea: more protein keeps you full and helps with weight. Here is what the research we found does and does not say.

• A 2004 systematic review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (PMID 15466943) looked at randomized studies of higher-protein diets. The authors reported convincing evidence that higher protein increases thermogenesis (the energy the body uses to digest food) and fullness compared with lower-protein diets, and that high-protein meals seem to lower the energy eaten afterward. They also wrote that the evidence for extra weight and fat loss was not consistent, and that longer, rigorous studies were needed.
• A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in Nutrients (PMID 40871607) pooled studies of whey protein, a milk protein, combined with exercise in healthy adults. It found higher muscle protein synthesis after the whey, with the effect rising with doses from 10 to 60 g. It measured muscle biopsies after single sessions, not long-term muscle growth.

These studies leave important gaps. These studies did not test this shake, and the second one used whey supplements with exercise, not a yogurt and cottage cheese shake. Neither promises weight loss or muscle for any one person. What we can say: this shake has a good amount of protein from ordinary foods, and protein is one reason a meal can feel more filling.

Swaps: breakfast shake, best protein shake with high calories, lighter version

• Breakfast shake with high protein. Add 1/4 cup of dry rolled oats before blending. For a shake that sits overnight and you spoon in the morning, see our high-protein overnight oats.
• Higher-calorie shake. Use whole milk, or add a second tablespoon of peanut butter. USDA data lists about 94 calories in a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter.
• Lower-calorie shake. Replace the milk with water or unsweetened almond milk.
• Dairy-free shake. Use unsweetened soy milk and a plain unsweetened soy yogurt. The protein will differ, so check the labels.
• Berry shake. Swap the banana for 1 cup of frozen berries. If you want a fruit-forward drink, our antioxidant smoothie is built around blueberries and spinach, and our collagen smoothie uses strawberries.

Milk or yogurt? What to mix a protein shake with

Both, and here is why. Milk keeps the shake pourable and adds about 8 g of protein per cup. Greek yogurt is the thick, high-protein part: nonfat Greek yogurt has about 10 g of protein per 100 g, against about 3 g in milk. Cottage cheese adds more protein and a mild taste once blended. Water or unsweetened almond milk are fine if you want fewer calories, but you give up some protein and creaminess.

Tips for a thick, smooth shake

• Liquid first. It keeps the blades turning.
• Blend a full minute. It is the only way to lose the cottage cheese texture.
• Freeze the banana. It replaces ice without watering the shake down.
• Drink it fresh. Chia keeps thickening as it sits.
• Make it a meal on purpose. A shake is easy to drink fast, so sit down with it and add fruit or toast if you are hungry.

Emma called the shake delicious and made it exactly as written, with the texture Emma hoped for and almost no effort. It will be made again.

Safety: who should check first

Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and milk are dairy, and peanut butter and chia are common allergens or can be cross-contaminated, so read the labels. If you have a kidney condition, follow a special diet or take medicine, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian how much protein is right for you before making shakes a daily habit.