Sugar Cookie Shake (raw, vegan, gluten-free, high-protein)

My fiancé Matt is pretty easy to please in the food department. He tends to eat the same things every day, including lots of beans, big salads, smoothies, and oatmeal. He does have a weakness for desserts, but his cravings don’t vary much; he pretty much only ever requests one specifically (brownies), and he always acts a little let-down when something doesn’t contain chocolate. Although he’s my #1 recipe taste-tester, he’s not terribly expressive when giving me feedback—after giving him a bite of a new sweet treat, usually I’ll just get either a nod, a “Good,” or a “Maybe you could make brownies?”

So when Matt finished a workout last week and asked me to make something sweet for him afterward, and I distractedly asked him what kind of treat he wanted (fully expecting to hear “Brownies!”), I was taken by complete surprise when his reply was “Um…a sugar cookie shake!” You should’ve seen the look on my face! Not only had Matt just asked for something entirely out of the ordinary for him, but he’d come up with – all on his own – a brand new idea for something I’ve never thought of creating before. I was beyond delighted and downright giddy with pride. I still don’t think he understood what exactly the big deal was, but it put a smile on my face for the rest of the afternoon.

I got right into the kitchen and whipped up this quick, nutritious, and satisfying post-workout drink for him. Without further ado, here is Matt’s very own raw vegan Sugar Cookie Shake!

Sugar Cookie Shake

dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, sugar-free, high-protein, raw
(with low-fat and nut-free variation options)

1 small or ½ large banana, peeled and frozen
1 cup filtered water
1 oz. (scant ¼ cup) raw macadamia nuts
1 scoop vanilla-flavored nondairy protein powder (like Sunwarrior)
½ teaspoon maca powder (optional, but awesome)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Stevia, if needed

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste for sweetness and add some stevia if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 1 big or 2 smaller servings
Per serving (if 1): 350 calories, 23.2g fat (4g sat), 23g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 19.1g protein
Per serving (if 2): 175 calories, 11.6g fat (2g sat), 11.5g carbs, 3g fiber, 9.6g protein

Substitutions
Water: nondairy milk (or even coconut water!)
Macadamia nuts: cashews

Variations
Low-Fat Sugar Cookie Shake: Cut 134 calories and 19g fat from the total recipe by omitting the macadamia nuts, replacing the water with ¾ cup almond milk, and adding a pinch of xanthan or guar gum. (It will lose its rich flavor if you do this, though!)
Nut-Free Sugar Cookie Shake: Replace the macadamia nuts with 2 tablespoons coconut butter, OR reduce the water to ¾ cup and replace the macadamia nuts with ¼ cup chopped young coconut meat.
Snickerdoodle Shake: Blend in ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Cookies ‘n Cream Shake: Blend in 2 tablespoons cacao nibs.

Of course, after taking these photos of the shake garnished with cacao nibs, I handed it to Matt…and he immediately declared “Wait a second—you should add chocolate!” So in the end, I made this into a Cookies ‘n Cream shake for him (see Variation above), and indulged his usual chocolate craving after all.

Some things never change. 🙂