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Whether your goals include weight loss, or just fueling your family with a nourishing breakfast, this Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie is the perfect way to start the day. It tastes like a thick, creamy milkshake, but the 5-minute treat is actually low sugar and low calorie!

Glass of Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie with text overlay

Cake batter-flavored anything is a win in my book! From ice cream to dip, pancakes to healthy smoothies, if it involves rainbow sprinkles…count me in!

Vanilla cupcake

Are smoothies actually good for you?

If you’re wondering which smoothies are good for weight loss, you’ll have to look at the ingredients. You can fill your glass with nourishing fruits, vegetables, vitamins and minerals, or you can purchase a store-bought smoothie that’s loaded with sugar, fat and calories.

This healthy smoothie recipe is perfect for almost any diet or nutritional goals because it can be adapted to suit your needs. Add nut butter for healthy fats, use vegan ingredients for a plant-based option, or throw in some spinach for an undetectable veggie boost!

Glass of cake batter healthy smoothie recipe with cupcakes in background

How to Make a Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie:

This 5-minute breakfast smoothie only requires a handful of ingredients. I’m going to show you how to get that classic “cake batter” flavor in a healthy, sugar free recipe!

First, the ingredients: you’ll need vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder, unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice), ice, almond extract, butter extract and a pinch of salt.

Ingredients for healthy smoothie

Trust me — the almond extract and butter extract make the healthy smoothie taste like a box of yellow cake mix!

Butter flavor and pure almond extract for cake batter smoothie

This IdealLean Cake Batter is my favorite protein powder, which has 0 grams of sugar and only 80 calories per scoop. It adds the perfect thick, creamy texture to the smoothie! I also like this Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder.

That said, you can substitute with your own favorite protein powder — or see my notes below for a recipe variation without protein powder.

Ideal Lean protein powder for healthy smoothie

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Healthy smoothie ingredients in blender

That’s it! Garnish with rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream (if desired) for a fun touch, and dig in!

Overhead image of cake batter healthy smoothie and cupcakes

What are healthy smoothie ingredients?

I’ve included protein powder in this recipe (for both flavor and staying power), but you can feel free to mix in even more healthy ingredients as well. Good options include:

  • chia seeds
  • nut butters
  • coconut oil
  • ground flax seeds
  • milk or non-dairy milk alternatives
  • vegetables that you can’t taste in a smoothie, such as baby spinach or frozen cauliflower florets
  • frozen fruit for added sweetness and a thicker texture, such as frozen sliced banana or frozen berries
  • Greek yogurt

What to serve with a Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie:

On its own, this smoothie is probably not enough to serve as a stand-alone meal. You’ll either need to boost up the calories and fat content to make it more satisfying by adding some of the mix-in’s listed above; or, you can serve the smoothie as a side along with a larger breakfast. For instance, I like to enjoy my protein smoothies with:

  • Peanut butter toast
  • A bowl of oatmeal or a slice of baked oatmeal
  • A bagel topped with nut butter, butter, or cream cheese
  • Granola on top
  • Pancakes or frozen waffles
  • A muffin

Or anything else that you think sounds delicious! Just make sure that you’re pairing the smoothie with enough carbs and healthy fats to create a satisfying meal that won’t leave you starving an hour later. That said, the smoothie makes a perfect light snack on its own — at any time of day!

Healthy smoothie topped with rainbow sprinkles

COOK’S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:

  • Make this a chocolate cake batter healthy smoothie by using chocolate protein powder and about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder!
  • Blend in any of the healthy mix-in’s listed above for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach and frozen sliced banana, giving my breakfast a healthy does of fruits and veggies (without impacting the taste of the smoothie).
  • If you’re preparing this healthy smoothie for kids, you can omit the protein powder and substitute with Greek yogurt. Since the protein powder adds not only thickness, but also flavor to the smoothie, you’ll want to use a sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt or use a plain Greek yogurt and add your own sweetener, to taste. The taste and texture of the smoothie recipe with yogurt will not be quite the same as the protein powder version, but your family will still love it!
  • Keep the healthy smoothie recipe low sugar by using unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a sugar free protein powder.
  • I prefer whey protein for flavor and thickness in this smoothie, but if you prefer a plant-based breakfast, you can substitute with a vegan protein powder.
  • You can find butter extract and almond extract in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (near the vanilla extract).

Birthday cake flavored healthy smoothie recipe in a glass with whipped cream and sprinkles

You might also enjoy these healthy smoothie recipes for breakfast:

Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie

5 from 1 vote
Prep: 5 minutes
Servings 1 person
Calories 95 kcal
Whether your goals include weight loss or just fueling your family with a nourishing breakfast, this low calorie and high protein Cake Batter Healthy Smoothie is the perfect way to start the day!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 scoop vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder*
  • 1.5 cups ice (or more, as desired)
  • .5 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or other milk of choice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon butter extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Optional topping: rainbow sprinkles or whipped cream

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth.
  • Pour in glass and top with sprinkles or whipped cream.

Notes

*For purposes of calculating nutritional information, I used my favorite IdealLean Cake Batter protein powder. You can substitute with a similar vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder, but the nutritional stats will change. As an alternative, I also like Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder in this recipe.
You can find butter extract and almond extract in the baking aisle of most grocery stores (near the vanilla extract).
COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:
  • Make this a chocolate cake batter healthy smoothie by using chocolate protein powder and about 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder!
  • Blend in any of the healthy mix-in's listed above for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach and frozen sliced banana, giving my breakfast a healthy does of fruits and veggies (without impacting the taste of the smoothie).
  • If you're preparing this healthy smoothie for kids, you can omit the protein powder and substitute with Greek yogurt. Since the protein powder adds not only thickness, but also flavor to the smoothie, you'll want to use a sweetened vanilla Greek yogurt or use a plain Greek yogurt and add your own sweetener, to taste. The taste and texture of the smoothie recipe with yogurt will not be quite the same as the protein powder version, but your family will still love it!
  • Keep the healthy smoothie recipe low sugar by using unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a sugar free protein powder.
  • I prefer whey protein for flavor and thickness in this smoothie, but if you prefer a plant-based breakfast, you can substitute with a vegan protein powder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1smoothie (not including sprinkles or whipped cream)Calories: 95kcalProtein: 20.5gFat: 1.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.8gSodium: 425.7mgPotassium: 80.1mgFiber: 0.5g
Keyword: healthy breakfast smoothies, healthy smoothie, smoothie recipes
Course: Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan

This post was originally published in February, 2013. It was updated in January, 2019.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Comments

  1. I added blueberries with the bananas and my 26 month old LOVED it! Thank you for such a fast and easy breakfast for him! I would NEVER have thought about using cake mix in a smoothie……..

    1. Hi Jennifer! That’s great! I’m so glad that your little one liked it. That’s a great idea to add the extra fruit, too. I might just have to try it. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    Tried it with my birthday cake protein powder! Amazingly good!! I didn’t have the butter extract, but I put vanilla extract and almond extract and it was so good! Totally recommend