This vegan high-protein smoothie with silken tofu has an incredibly creamy texture and tastes like iced hot chocolate. And no, you don't taste the tofu! One serving contains an incredible 22 grams of protein, which is just as much as a protein shake but without protein powder.
This silken tofu smoothie makes a great post-workout or afternoon snack. It has such a rich chocolate taste and a super creamy texture but you would never guess there's tofu in it. Even your kids will like it!
You can also have it for breakfast or try one of these breakfast smoothies (coffee breakfast smoothie or chai breakfast smoothie).
6 reasons to add tofu to your smoothie
- Silken tofu, also known as soft tofu is an incredible plant-based protein source that turns any smoothie into a high-protein drink. It has about 8 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is almost as much as Greek yogurt. Hence, why it's great for anyone on a vegan or dairy-free diet.
- It's much cleaner than most vegan protein powders. Silken tofu is purely made of water, soybeans, and a coagulant, such as magnesium chloride. In comparison, many protein powders contain long lists of ingredients, including filler ingredients, sweeteners, gums, and flavorings.
- It provides an amazing silky-smooth texture to any smoothie and blends easily with other ingredients due to its soft and wobbly consistency.
- It has a very neutral taste that cannot be detected in smoothies, especially if they contain fruits, nut butter, or cocoa powder. It also doesn't provide a weird aftertaste.
- It's a great substitute for frozen bananas and yogurt.
- It's pretty affordable if you consider that one pack of 12 ounces costs between 2 and 3$ in most grocery stores.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Silken tofu is the key ingredient for this vegan and high-protein shake. It blends perfectly into a creamy consistency. You CANNOT replace it with firm tofu, which would provide a grainy texture.
- Non-dairy milk is my liquid of choice as it makes the smoothie creamier than water. I use unsweetened soy milk for its neutral taste but you could also use unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or (gluten-free) oat milk.
- Cocoa powder. I like raw unsweetened cocoa powder which has a strong, slightly bitter taste. Feel free to use the cocoa powder you like best as it largely impacts the flavor of this smoothie.
- Almond butter adds both protein and healthy fats. It also gives the smoothie a nutty flavor that you'll absolutely love. You can replace it with peanut butter if you prefer.
- Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness that balances out the bitterness of the cocoa powder. Feel free to leave it out if using sweetened cocoa powder. You can substitute it with date syrup or agave syrup.
- Vanilla extract adds a hint of vanilla that pairs really well with the chocolate.
- A pinch of salt really makes all the difference and enhances the chocolate flavor of the smoothie.
Elo's tips
- Adjust sweetness. Depending on how bitter or earthy your cocoa powder is, you may want to add a little more maple syrup.
- Add frozen cherries or raspberries if you want a fruity touch.
- Add the almond butter as one of the last ingredients to your blender to make sure it blends in perfectly and doesn't stick to the blades or sides of the blender jar.
- You can make this smoothie in a food processor as all the ingredients are super soft if you don't have a blender.
- Turn this smoothie into a thick smoothie bowl by adding a frozen banana and topping it with your favorite toppings (e.g., this vanilla almond granola).
Step-by-step instructions
STEP 1: Add all the ingredients to your blender. Start by pouring away the excess water from the silken tofu. Then, add the required amount to your blender with the milk, almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. I also like adding some ice cubes to make it extra cold.
STEP 2: Blend until perfectly smooth. This should take less than 30 seconds. Pour the smoothie into your favorite smoothie jar or a to-go cup and drink it right away.
Watch how to make it!
Favorite blender for smoothies
I use the Kitchenaid K400 for smoothies every single day. It's powerful enough to crush frozen fruits, provides insanely smooth results, and is super easy to clean. If you want to read all the specificities, things I love about this blender, and its pain points you can read my Kitchenaid K400 review.
Frequently asked questions
Silken tofu has a neutral taste that could be described as slightly sweet, nutty, and buttery from the soybeans.
No, you cannot taste the tofu in smoothies. Its very neutral taste is instantly masked by all the other ingredients you're adding (e.g., fruits, nut butter, cocoa powder).
Silken tofu should definitely be your first choice for smoothies. Its soft and wobbly texture blends really easily compared to firm or extra firm tofu, which would provide a grainy consistency.
An opened package of tofu should be consumed within 3 days and stored in a clean airtight container with a little fresh water. Change water daily until consumption.
You can buy silken tofu at most supermarkets or organic shops. It's commonly sold in vacuum-sealed boxes that do not require refrigeration and that can be found in the shelf-stable aisles of the grocery store. You will usually find it next to organic, natural foods or vegetarian products. Sometimes it's also packed in water and stored in the refrigerators of the supermarket.
Yes, you can eat tofu right from the package. Technically tofu isn't raw as it's heat-treated during the production process.
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The recipe
Silken Tofu Smoothie (High-Protein, Vegan)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (180 ml) cold milk I use unsweetened soy milk
- 3-4 ice cubes
- 6 ounces (120 g) silken tofu
- 1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons almond butter sub peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour away the water from the pack of silken tofu.
Add the milk, tofu, cocoa powder, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to your blender. I also like adding some ice cubes to make it extra cold.
Blend on high until perfectly smooth. Drink straight away.
Video
Notes
- Don't substitute silken tofu with firm tofu as it would provide a grain texture.
- I use raw unsweetened cocoa powder which has a strong, slightly bitter taste. Feel free to use the cocoa powder you like best as it largely impacts the flavor of this smoothie.
- Storage tips: an opened package of tofu should be consumed within 3 days and stored in a clean airtight container with a little fresh water. Change water daily until consumption.
Nutrition
Equipment
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Such a good recipe for breakfast when you love sweet breakfast but want to take care of your health! As satisfying as bread with chocolate spread but way heathier and the high protein is an extra bonus to keep you full until lunch! 😍🙏🏻
Yes! Love that you had it for breakfast, I do that too from time to time 😊
Amazing, this smoothie tastes delicious. I ran out of my usual vegan meal replacement powder, I’m so glad to have found your recipe. Thank you
Oh I love to read this! It really is a great alternative to vegan protein powder shakes. Happy it worked for you.
Tasted really good and met my protein requirements for my workout. It didn't have the weird aftertaste so many protein powders have now that they are using Stevia instead of sugar. I substituted monkfruit sweetener, as I am controlling my blood sugar, and it tasted great. Now for a fruit version.
Really happy to read that it worked so well for you! Will definitely share a fruity option in the future.
Yummy! I used homemade nut milk and just a tiny bit of maple syrup, so it wasn’t very sweet, but I loved it anyway. What a great midday pick-me-upper! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
It must be amazing with homemade nut milk! Glad you liked it!
This protein smoothie was wonderful! So so much better than a protein powder smoothie. Also couldn’t be easier. Thanks for the recipe.
That was exactly my intention when creating this recipe: a high-protein smoothie without having to use protein powder! So glad you liked it ☺️
I added 1 tbsp of chocolate proteine powder and left out some of the maple syrup (because it was already sweetened). IT WAS GREAT. The idea of combining nut butter+milk+silken tofu as the base of the smoothie is amazing and I will always use it from now on
So happy to hear that you like it and were able to make your own version of it! I hope you'll enjoy it for a long time😊
This looks great! What firmness should I get for the silken tofu, or do all work about the same?
Choose the softest kind you can find to get a silky-smooth result 😊
I made a double recipe and thought it was blah tasting. However, my partner liked it. I poured my smoothie back in the blender and added frozen BB, banana, and blackberries. Still too blah for me. Also the PB seemed to dominate the flavor. I was gifted a 12 boxes of silken tofu and I was hoping this smoothie would help use them. Will keep looking for recipes.
Hi Keith, I'm sorry to hear that. My recommendation would be to add more cocoa powder to intensify the chocolate flavor and an extra pinch of salt to elevate the flavors. You could also try to use hazelnut butter instead of almond butter for a richer flavor.