Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake

Have your cake and eat it, too! This Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake is packed with all of the flavors of your favorite dessert -- in a low calorie, healthy breakfast smoothie!

After sharing quite a few recipes for some of my favorite protein shakes, it's probably pretty apparent that I'm a huge fan of these sweet, filling, and healthy treats. No, I'm not a fitness fanatic. And no, I'm not a body builder looking to bulk up my muscles! But I definitely rely on protein-packed meals and snacks to get me through my busy days and to keep me going without that constant nagging pit of hunger in my stomach.

This particular healthy smoothie flavor will soon become one of your favorite ways to satisfy your sweet tooth, too!

What is an Upside Down Pineapple Cake?

An upside down pineapple cake is a cake that is baked in a single pan with its toppings (pineapple rings and maraschino cherries) at the bottom of the pan, hence “upside-down”. Then, when removed from the oven, the upside-down preparation is de-panned onto a serving plate, thus righting it, and serving it right-side up.

The toppings become caramelized and give the cake so much delicious, rich flavor!

This healthy pineapple smoothie borrows all of the same flavors, from the cake bake batter base to the pineapple, the caramel and even the cherry on top! Thick and creamy, you can even eat this with a spoon!

How to Make an Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake:

First, let's start with the basic ingredients: a scoop of vanilla or cake batter-flavored protein powder, frozen pineapple, milk and caramel flavor. You'll also need ice and a pinch of salt.

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.

Place the ice, protein powder, pineapple, caramel flavor and salt in a blender.

Slowly add just enough milk to reach a smooth and creamy.

The key to a thick and creamy milkshake-like smoothie is a lot of ice and just a bit of milk! It should have the texture of your favorite Dairy Queen Blizzard (i.e., it's thick and satisfying and can be eaten with a spoon)!

No matter what, please be sure to garnish your smoothie with at least a little drizzle of caramel sauce (I like this sugar free version). It wouldn't be an Upside Down Pineapple Cake without a sticky, gooey, caramel topping and a bright red marschino cherry!

What to serve with an Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake:

On its own, this smoothie is probably not enough to serve as a stand-alone meal. You’ll either need to boost the calories and fat content by mixing in nut butter, coconut oil, or flax; 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!

COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS -- HEALTHY PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE:

• I like to use frozen pineapple for two main reasons: (1) it stays fresh for months in the freezer, so you don't have to worry about a pineapple going bad in your refrigerator before you have a chance to enjoy it; and (2) the frozen fruit adds a thick, rich, creamy texture to the smoothie that you don't get from fresh fruit.
• Blend in healthy mix-in’s for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach, frozen sliced banana, flax, oatmeal, peanut butter, or almond butter to give my breakfast a healthy dose of fruits, veggies, and fats (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 protein shake 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 might also enjoy these healthy protein shake recipes:

• Salted Caramel Mocha Protein Shake
• Bananas Foster Protein Shake
• Apple Pie Protein Smoothie
• Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
• Cake Batter Healthy Smoothies

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5 from 2 votes

Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake

Have your cake and eat it, too! This Upside Down Pineapple Cake Protein Shake is packed with all of the flavors of your favorite dessert -- in a low calorie, healthy breakfast smoothie!

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword banana protein shake, healthy smoothie, pineapple smoothie

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1 person

Calories 135kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

• 1 scoop cake batter flavored protein powder you can substitute with vanilla protein powder
• 1 ½ cups crushed ice or more, for thickness
• ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or other milk of choice
• ½ cup frozen diced pineapple
• ½ teaspoon caramel flavor
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Optional: whipped topping, caramel syrup, and maraschino cherry for serving

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Top with optional whipped topping, caramel syrup, and maraschino cherry. Serve immediately.

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. Nutrition information does not include optional toppings.

You can find caramel flavor in the baking aisle at many grocery stores (near the vanilla extract).

COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:

• I like to use frozen pineapple for two main reasons: (1) it stays fresh for months in the freezer, so you don't have to worry about a pineapple going bad in your refrigerator before you have a chance to enjoy it; and (2) the frozen fruit adds a thick, rich, creamy texture to the smoothie that you don't get from fresh fruit.
• Blend in healthy mix-in’s for a nutritional boost. For instance, I often toss in some spinach, frozen sliced banana, flax, oatmeal, peanut butter, or almond butter to give my breakfast a healthy dose of fruits, veggies, and fats (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 protein shake 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: 1shake | Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20.5g | Fat: 1.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 705.7mg | Potassium: 245.1mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 7g

This recipe was originally published in May, 2015. It was updated in January, 2019.

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