I spend an aggressive amount of money on smoothies every month. I admit it! I can say it with only a little bit of shame. I know they’re easy to make at home, but I don’t have time to sit around researching easy smoothie recipes on Pinterest, and it’s often easier to just head to my local juice shop and pick one up. That said, I felt compelled to try a recipe my friend sent my way, joking that it seemed so easy, even I (with my less-than-zero kitchen skills) could manage it.

Well, challenge accepted! I dusted off my never-been-used blender and vowed right then and there to try this easy smoothie recipe and see if it was truly as simple as Pinterest users claimed. The pin itself came from Keurig, highlighting a way to use their K-cup coffee pods in a Peanut Butter Mocha Smoothie. Seeing as I make a cup of coffee with my Keurig on the daily, it seemed as good a recipe as any for me to try. Plus, I definitely prefer chocolatey, more milkshake-like smoothies over green or fruit smoothies anyway. Sue me!

Another reason I was so dead-set on giving this easy smoothie recipe a go? I’d received a box of hi! Protein Powder, which uses chitin, a sustainable source of fiber. I was immediately intrigued by the product (especially the chocolate flavor!) and knew I wanted to give it a go. On the brand’s site, they actually have an entire Museum of Smoothies filled with recipes to try, but because this was to be my first at-home smoothie ever, I knew the easy Pinterest recipe would be a better fit. I’ll work my way up!

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The Ingredients

Keurig Coffee K-Cup

Protein Powder

Peanut Butter

Ice Cubes

Milk

No, seriously, that’s it. Not even a banana! Talk about a simple starting point. My only worry was that the recipe didn’t specify how much of each item to use, so I knew I’d have to eyeball it.

The Process

Buy: Keurig K-Classic Coffee Maker $79

The original recipe recommends the Folgers Black Silk Coffee K-Cups, but I used the Starbucks Pike Place Roast instead. After brewing in my Keurig Coffee Maker, I let my coffee chill in the fridge until it was a little colder, since I certainly didn’t want a warm smoothie.

 

Next up, combining the ingredients. The only ice I had was from a circular mold typically used for whiskey drinks, so I dropped two large balls in and prayed my baby blender could break them down. I also added one and a half spoonfuls of peanut butter, one spoonful of the hi! Chocolate Protein Powder, a generous splash of milk and then coffee until the blender was filled.

 

Buy: Portable Mini Blender $21.99

If I decide smoothies are to be a regular thing in my future, perhaps I’ll invest in a bigger blender, but for now, this water bottle-sized one certainly does the trick. I had to stop and start it a few times as it worked to grind up the ice, but it really didn’t take long at all for my smoothie to reach a perfect texture.

 

The Results

You guys? My only regret is not getting a cuter photo of it. This smoothie was so good!! And I was hella impressed with myself for putting it together, even though I know it was super basic. In the future, I do think I would consider adding a banana to the mix for a little extra thickness, but all in all, I was pleased with the turnout.

I think the addition of coffee makes this a great smoothie for a post-workout morning treat, or an afternoon pick-me-up, and I was really impressed with the hi! protein powder as well. I definitely think the chocolate flavor helped with the mocha vibes, but I could totally see the vanilla flavor giving this blend a completely different taste, and I’ll probably try that, too.

All in all, I’m still no Master Chef, but I do think I’ll be able to save a little coin on my smoothie addiction by making this easy smoothie recipe at home. Shout out to Pinterest for—as usual—having the solution to all my problems.

 

from StyleCaster