For a while now I’ve been seeing the blueberry maple flavor combination pop up, and every time I do I start to salivate immediately. Cakes, syrups, pancakes – it makes sense. The two just seem to be meant together much like peanut butter and basil (trust me, I know what I’m doing.)
But being the simplicity-obsessed person than I am, I knew I wanted to make a blueberry-maple recipe that was a bit less involved. Call it lazy, I call it uncomplicated. And since I have a protein shake most mornings on my walk to work, I thought it the perfect opportunity to put a creative spin on one of my favorite breakfasts.
Blueberry and maple are a perfect summer flavor combination, and when thrown into an ice-creamy health drink, the pairing tastes all the better. You can make this recipe vegan-friendly by opting for a non-dairy milk or yogurt base and protein powder. You can also throw in a big handful of spinach without it affecting the taste at all, which makes it even more of a well-balanced meal.
- ½ cup cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt (I use a mix of the two)
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use MRM rich vanilla)
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon maple extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
- Sweetener of choice (I use 2 packets of stevia)
- 1 pinch of xantham gum (optional)
- 10-15 ice cubes + ¼ cup water
- Place all of your ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined. If it appears too runny, add more ice. If it’s too thick, add more water. Add more sweetener or extract at the end if the flavor isn’t strong enough for your taste.
This recipe was exactly what I was hoping for out of my blueberry and maple combination. Refreshing, perfectly sweet and adequately maple-y. I think this is love.
Enjoy,
Dana
Megan Davis July 1, 2012 at 4:57 am
I love your website! I stumbled upon your Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes on Pintrest. Everything looks delicious :)
dana July 1, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Thanks! Hope you’ll stick around :D
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) July 3, 2012 at 5:03 pm
The pictures are amazing, Dana!
melissa January 21, 2013 at 4:27 pm
I absolutely LOVED this shake! I subbed the cottage cheese for blueberry greek yogurt as it was what I had on hand and it was great! Thanks so much for sharing =)
Barbara April 3, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Im new to your site from Iowa Girl. Could you speak to protein powders for us who have never used them. I’d love to find one that does not alter the taste and is not chalky in texture. Thank you!
Dana April 5, 2013 at 10:19 pm
Barbara, there are so many protein powders out there it’s kind of overwhelming. The only one I’ve tried with any luck is MRM whey in rich vanilla, and the taste/texture/nutrition are spot on. The main concerns with protein powders are added sugar (you wanna keep sugar low), artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame (which you want to avoid), and ensuring they’re as natural as possible. Get a non-gmo/organic brand if you can. The flavor preference is then left up to you! Hope that helps.