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This protein shake combines three of my favorite things: biscoff cookies, pumpkin, and proyo.

Biscoff Cookies

When I first saw these Biscoff cookies on sale at Costco, I knew I had to have them. I grew up eating the Dutch version of these cookies (called speculaas) and have always enjoyed their crispy texture and spicy flavor. They are perfect with a cup of coffee, or I’ve been eating one as a little treat after lunch. The macros are pretty reasonable, too. For 4 cookies (although they are small cookies) it’s just 6F/23C/2P, or 150 calories.

Pumpkin

My love for pumpkin is not a secret. I have on the blog pumpkin oatmeal bars, pumpkin bread, and snickerdoodle protein bites. I even have a savory pumpkin and green chile crunch wrap. This recipe varies from them, though, because it has a much higher protein content than my other sweet pumpkin goodies. It also can be a great use of any leftover pumpkin you might have from making some of these recipes!

Proyo

I absolutely adore this proyo from Lille Eats and Tells. I enjoy it every night, and I really think it helps curb my sweet tooth. Ever since I got my ninja blender  (a refurbished one from Amazon), I like it even more. It is thick, creamy, and almost like ice cream. I usually eat mine with some PBfit, black cocoa powder, and Rice Krispies. But now and then I like to switch it up and use some seasonal ingredients.

The Recipe

Believe it or not, but you actually do need a recipe to make this protein shake. Of course, you can just throw a bunch of ice, some almond milk, and protein powder into a blender and make a shake. To get the irresistible, almost dessert-like texture, you’ll need to follow a recipe.

It begins with measuring out 180 g of ice and 150 g of almond milk. You’ll see in Lillie’s original proyo recipe that she uses more almond milk than this. Since we are adding pumpkin, which has a lot of moisture, you’ll need less almond milk to produce a creamy and thick shake.

We will also be adding some protein powder. I have personally been a big fan of the PEscience protein powders lately. I think they have great flavor and great macros. They do have some artificial sweeteners, but I am ok with that for the moment. You can sub whatever protein powder you enjoy (probably a vanilla or something similar is best), but keep in mind it may change the macros. I used the PEscience snickerdoodle protein powder for this shake, and I think it adds another layer to the fall flavors we are going for. I almost forgot to mention that I also add a little pumpkin pie spice! This will be crucial if you are using a vanilla protein powder.

Last to add before we begin blending is a 1/4 of a teaspoon of Xantham Gum. If you have never heard of it before, it is an ingredient that is added to foods to help stabalize or thicken them. It is really popular is gluten-free goods. I purchased a bag from Amazon, and it is the secret to create a silky and creamy shake. Some have reported that they have tummy trouble after they use the Xantham Gum. I haven’t found that to be a problem for me, especially in such a low quantity.

Now, that those ingredients are in your blender, it’s time to blend. The key to getting it to the perfect texture is to blend this mixture until smooth and then a little bit more. Lillie describes it well in this post, but you’re basically looking for the mixture to get lighter in color and then get bigger. If you are blending for too long, your shake might get foamy. I find blending mine for about 30-40 seconds it just enough to get some volume, but keep a more ice cream-like texture.

If you’re having a hard time getting your mixture to blend, you can add a few more grams of almond milk at a time. Be cautious though of adding too much, because you could end up with protein soup. HA! I find that my blender only blends it well while holding down on the pulse setting. I also occasionally have to stop and give it a couple of shakes to get it moving again. You might have to play with your blender to get it to the right consistency, as every one can be different.

After your shake is thick and ice cream-like, it’s time to add some toppings. I like to dump mine out into a bowl. After that, I add two crushed up Biscoff cookies. I like my crumbs to be varying in sizes and then stir some of them into the shake. Then top with a little reddi-whip and a few cinnamon chips, if desired. It’s the perfect way to get a taste of fall and a bunch of protein! Win-win in my book!