12 High Calorie Smoothies For Weight Gain

Weight gain smoothies can be a way to make weight gain easy. Delicious flavors, high calorie smoothies, and healthy fresh ingredients can be the missing link in your weight gain diet.

We’ll cover gaining weight with smoothies, essential nutritious ingredients for your smoothie recipes, and important questions on how you can use them best for muscle gain!

How Can You Gain Weight With Smoothies?

You can gain weight with high calorie smoothies, which increase your calorie intake and supply nutritious ingredients to provide muscle building resources. High calorie smoothies are:

1. Calorie dense,
2. Packed with protein, and/or
3. Focus on fats or carbohydrates based on your needs

These all help you gain mass in a healthy way. They promote muscle gain, as well as using healthy ingredients to support wellbeing along the way.

When you consume calories above your body’s daily maintenance needs (Total daily energy expenditure, or ‘TDEE’) you gain weight. Add protein powder to your high calorie smoothies and, just like that, you’re on your way to muscle building without changing your diet.

High Calorie Smoothies: Calorie Dense Liquids for Healthy Weight Gain

High calorie, weight gain smoothies are a way that you can add more calories to your diet without adding more meals.

The liquid calories help you gain weight without too much fullness, which is perfect if you’ve struggled to eat enough to build muscle.

There are also a wide range of calorie dense healthy ingredients, which means that you can experiment. The versatile nature of smoothie recipes means you can tailor them to your specific tastes: a green smoothie and a chocolate peanut butter smoothie have very little in common on the taste buds.

This gives you even more control and all you need to do is match healthy ingredients to your ‘base liquid’ of choice.

You can make a thicker smoothie with more calories, use a chocolate flavor high calorie shake as a decadent treat, or tailor your high protein smoothie to a plant based diet. As long as it’s high calorie, you can really make these weight gain smoothie recipes your own.

Nutritious Foods: Vitamins, Minerals, and Health Benefits of Smoothies

The main benefit of smoothies is that you can add nutritious ingredients – like sliced banana, cashew butter, and mixed nuts – in a single serving. This gives them amazing potential to provide macronutrients and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) beyond their satiety.

The satiety is also important: you can drink more food than you can eat. Blending high-quality ingredients together makes them all easier to consume, which can help you gain weight by eating more in total in a day.

Smoothie ingredients are often healthy and support muscle gain by themselves – like blueberries (1).

However, you can add protein powder to maximize the healthy nutrients and gain lean mass.

Delicious Smoothie Recipes: Making Weight Gain Enjoyable

One of the main benefits of high calorie smoothies is that they’re often more enjoyable than other forms of healthy meals. There’s less of a challenge to take them in than eating larger meals, or more regularly.

High calorie smoothies are a great alternative when you want to feel light, while calorie dense foods typically fill you up.

For hardgainers and skinny guys trying to get extra calories, this is one of the most important experience benefits.

Remember there’s a person at the middle of any diet, and a smoothie recipe that focuses on delicious flavors as well as protein powder and weight gain is a great addition if you’re struggling to stay consistent with a calorie surplus.

12 High Calorie Smoothies for Weight Gain

These 12 smoothie recipes bring you high calorie smoothie ingredients, plenty of protein, and a range of flavors. They come with a range of macro- and micro-nutrient profiles, but they’re all excellent to boost your calorie intake and push weight gain quality and quantity!

1. Nutella Fitzgerald

This is a classic chocolate banana smoothie, with a focus on ingredients that satisfy the taste buds, while also providing a ton of calories (making it a great weight gain milkshake).

It uses classic high calorie smoothie ingredients, and you shouldn’t have any trouble figuring this one out!

• 1 chopped banana, frozen
• Milk to preference (add more slowly to get your desired consistency)
• 1 – 2 scoops protein powder (vanilla preferable, chocolate is also acceptable)
• ½ – 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder (obviously, more cocoa, more chocolate-y)
• ½ – 1 tablespoon of Nutella
• ½ – 1 cup steel-cut oats or oat flour
• ½ – 1 teaspoon of maple syrup or honey
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Optional: 1 scoop vanilla ice cream

2. Oatmeal Snickerdoodle Smoothie

This is a personal favorite that combines the high quality carbs of oatmeal with the flavors of fruit, high calorie smoothie ingredients like peanut butter, and optional maple syrup for a little extra caramel flavor.

• 1 chopped banana, frozen
• Milk to preference (test the consistency and add more as necessary)
• 1 – 2 scoops protein powder (vanilla flavors work best here)
• 1 – 2 pitted dates, chopped
• ½ cup – 1 cup of steel-cut oats or soaked rolled oats
• ½ – 1 tablespoon cashew
• ½ tablespoon peanut butter
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: maple syrup or agave nectar to taste

3. Avocado Protein Smoothie

Avocado is an interesting choice that provides a creamy high calorie smoothie with plenty of nutrients. This is an easy recipe that has a lot of fruits and offers a comprehensive, green smoothie for weight gain.

• 8-10 oz milk – any kind
• 1 standard sliced banana – half-frozen is perfect
• 1 – 2 scoops plain vanilla protein powder
• 5 oz plain or vanilla low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 regular avocado, diced
• 1/2 regular mango, diced
• 1/2 kiwi, sliced
• 5 oz small ice cubes
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of honey or agave nectar

4. Frozen Strawberry Shake

Frozen strawberry shakes are excellent for their taste and freshness. This is a super basic smoothie that uses basic ingredients, but produces a fantastic smoothie with all the carbs and protein you need to build muscle in a healthy way.

• 8-10 oz milk – any kind
• 1 sliced peeled banana – half frozen
• 1 cup half frozen strawberries (chop the tops off)
• 1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 4 oz low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: top with chopped frozen strawberries

5. Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

The chocolate peanut butter smoothie is a classic, and one of the best decadent high calorie smoothie recipes out there. It’s not revolutionary, but it produces one of the best tasting protein shakes for weight gain every time.

• 8-10 oz milk – any kind
• 1 sliced peeled banana – half frozen
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (smooth)
• 1-2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder
• 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1/2 – 1 tablespoon Nutella or roasted hazelnut butter
• Optional: 1/4 – 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Optional: top with chopped frozen strawberries

6. Cookies and Cream Frozen Protein Shake

• 1 large peeled banana, frozen and sliced (or 1 1/2 normal banana)
• 1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon oat flour or almond flour
• 1/4 cup double cream
• A few Oreos – crumbled, relative to milk! more oreos – more milk!
• Optional: 1 Oreo, crumbled, to garnish

7. Triple Chocolate High Calorie Smoothie

Did you want a chocolate banana smoothie, but with more chocolate flavor? Well this chocolate protein shake has you covered with more chocolate, less banana, and even more options to increase the calories.

• 8oz cup milk or chocolate milk
• 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 2 tablespoons lower-calorie chocolate syrup
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• Non-nutritive sweetener to taste
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: 1/4 – 1/2 cup single cream

8. Chia Seed Vanilla Smoothie

Chia seeds are one of the best smoothie ingredients if you know how to use them properly. This high calorie recipe combines them with classics like oats and protein powder to make a vanilla smoothie with some of the best macronutrient values on this whole list.

More milk – especially whole milk – can add more calories and even out the texture, if you decide to add cashew nut butter, extra oats, or chopped nuts.

• 8-10 oz milk – any kind
• 1 cup soaked chia seeds
• 1 – 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 – 1 cup oat flour or steel-cut oats
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• Optional: 1/2 tablespoon cashew butter
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Optional: to with mixed nuts, chopped

9. Dark Berry Protein Smoothie

This is an excellent choice for a fruit-packed smoothie that still offers the calories, carbs, and protein you need to gain weight.

It’s a perfect choice to level up your normal fruit smoothie and get the benefits of superfoods like blueberries.

• 8-10 oz coconut water, water, or almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup dried berries (cranberries, black currants, or others)
• 1/4 cup ice
• Optional: soaked chia seeds to taste (consider reducing them to a smooth consistency paste before blending)

10. Chocolate Mocha Weight Gain Shake

This is a simply combination of chocolate and coffee that continues to be a fan favorite.

I strongly prefer this smoothie with added ice cream, and recommend trying both before you make up your mind on which is your favorite.

• 1/2 – 1 chopped banana
• 8oz milk – any kind
• 1 – 2 espresso shots (to taste)
• 1 – 2 scoops chocolate protein powder
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or
• Optional: 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• Optional: 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cocoa powder

11. Chia Seed Weight Gain Smoothie

This is a super simple chia seed weight gain smoothie that relies on coconut water, chia seeds, and mango. You can add just about any fruit to-taste, but I personally like it with diced kiwi, blueberries, and topped with shredded coconut (thought the texture is an acquired taste).

• 8-12 oz Coconut water (keep adding once you produce a smooth consistency paste until your preferred consistency)
• 1 cup Chia seeds, soaked
• 1/2 Frozen mango, peeled and diced
• Optional: half a diced kiwi
• Optional: top with chopped walnuts
• Optional: any fruit, but particularly blueberries, strawberries, or shredded coconut!

12. Green Smoothie Ingredients for Healthy Weight Gain

Green smoothies are a classic choice: they’re just healthy meals in a cup. This variation is a great way to use healthy foods to build muscle and gain more mass. It’s got a ton of variations you can use based on your own tastes.

Try this out with pineapple and mango, which make it super fresh and balance up the earthy green leaf flavors. Make sure to strain it before drinking!

• 8-10 oz coconut water, water, or almond milk
• 1 small chopped banana
• 1/4 cup mixed shredded kale and shredded, wilted spinach
• 1/4 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1/4 cup ice
• Optional: 1/4 cup avocado, diced and frozen
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon spirulina
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon chlorella
• Optional: 1/4 diced frozen mango
• Optional: 1 handful diced pineapple
• Optional: 1 serving-scoop matcha powder
• Optional: 1/4 cup soaked chia seeds

Protein Source for Smoothie Recipes

High protein smoothie recipes are key. This is the ingredient that builds muscle mass and ensures your metabolic wellbeing – as well as workout performance – while you’re gaining weight (2).

Protein powder is the most common and effective way to make a high protein smoothie.

Whether you’re using whey protein powder, or a plant based protein powder alternative, the result is still the same: a weight gain smoothie that focuses on quality as well as just supporting calorie numbers.

You can use some other ingredients to support better protein intake. Mixed nuts are a good topping for a smoothie, while soaked chia seeds can be used as another protein source (though they will produce a thicker smoothie consistency).

Zero-fat greek yogurt is also a great choice for its high protein content.

Carbohydrates For Weight Gain Smoothies

Carbohydrates are an important energy source to help you get extra calories and gain weight.

They’re the short-term energy your body needs to support energy levels, workout performance, and then high quality weight gain and muscle building (3).

Your base liquid – whether you used whole milk, plant-based alternatives, or juice – is your first carb source.

After that, consider things like sliced banana, frozen banana, and/or frozen strawberries (depending on your base liquid). These are nutrient dense as well as being moderately calorie dense.

You can also use whole grains like oats, though this will produce a thicker texture. Chia seeds are another contender, with a higher protein content and some extra fats.

You can add maple syrup and other super-dense carbs in moderation. They’re great on the taste buds but shouldn’t be your main form of carbohydrate.

Healthy Fats: Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, Nut Butter, and More

Fats are great for weight gain smoothie recipes because they’re very high calorie, while still offering some excellent health benefits.

What we mean by ‘healthy fats’ is hard to be 100% clear with, because some fats are much better than others.

Saturated fat isn’t bad for you by itself, but unsaturated fats are typically the main focus. These usually offer a creamy texture, and they’re often mild enough to be amazing for the flavor and texture.

The best high quality fats for your weight gain smoothie include:

• Greek yogurt (full fat yogurt has less protein but more calories)
• Cashew butter, almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, and others
• Coconut oil (which is more like coconut butter, honestly)
• Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
• Shredded coconut (if you like the texture)
• Heavy coconut milk (the kind made from the flesh of the coconut)
• Mixed nuts or pumpkin seeds (chopped, as a topping)
• Chia seeds, again
• Coconut milk – the thick kind
• Avocado (for a green smoothie)

These are a few of the best healthy fats, but you can experiment for yourself. Remember that you don’t want all the ingredients to be fats, and only some will pair with each other.

While peanut butter, frozen banana, and dark chocolate go well (as in the perfect peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie), they won’t work as well with avocado or shredded coconut.

These are just some ideas and you will get the best results if you really lean into the experimentation process!

Healthy Weight Gain Smoothies: FAQ

What Smoothies Are Good For Weight Gain?

We’ve already listed 12 of the best weight gain smoothies around – but anything that combines high calorie content with protein powder and smart ingredients is a winner.

We particularly enjoy peanut butter smoothie recipes and anything that uses cocoa powder – which is actually healthier than your normal bar of chocolate by far.

Chocolate peanut butter smoothies are decadent, while strawberry-banana smoothies are a great refreshing choice. You can experiment with your own additions – maple syrup, almond butter, or greek yogurt – as you like.

All that matters is that you’ve got a good protein source, high calorie ingredients (from fats or carbs), and some extra vitamins and minerals from fruit and other healthy smoothie ingredients.

Can You Gain Weight From Smoothies?

Yes – you can gain weight from smoothies when you use them to reach daily calorie surplus. High calorie smoothies with added protein powder are perfect for gaining weight.

Smoothies are great for gaining weight because they allow you to get extra calories without eating more food. This is a way to gain weight more easily, which is quite rare.

You can add 1-2 high calorie smoothies to your daily intake, without changing anything, to achieve a weight gain diet.

High protein smoothie recipes also improve muscle growth directly, reducing fat mass while gaining weight, and improving your workout performance.

Can You Use Weight Gain Smoothies Without Protein Powder?

You can use high calorie smoothies without protein powder, but they’re less effective and may cause less healthy weight gain.

This is because protein powder is an important way to support the metabolic and muscle building effects of healthy, high calorie smoothies.

You can get protein from other smoothie ingredients – like chia seeds – but these are less efficient than protein powder.

Either whey or plant based protein powder alternatives offer low calorie content, so you can rely on high calorie smoothie ingredients of your choice.

Without protein powder, your smoothies are far more limited and may take on a thicker texture without as much protein. A lose-lose.

Are Smoothies Good For Muscle Building?

High protein smoothie recipes are perfect for building more muscle mass. They offer a fast-acting combination of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats – with plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Drinking high calorie smoothies (blended with protein powder and other high calorie smoothie ingredients) will give you the resources you need to grow.

High calorie smoothie recipes are also versatile enough that you can tailor them to your personal tastes and needs.

Nut butter can support healthy fat intake and produces some very high calorie smoothies, or you can rely on frozen strawberries, frozen banana, and coconut oil.

Then, you can go even further to make a dark chocolate smoothie packed with cocoa powder, mixed nuts, and skip the nut butter entirely.

These differences in flavor and ingredients are great – and the core idea of more milk and protein powder make a high calorie smoothie a simple, versatile, excellent choice.

How Do You Bulk Up With Smoothies?

You can bulk up with high calorie smoothies by adding them to a normal, healthy, balanced diet. If you reach your daily calorie needs with food, you can get into a calorie surplus by adding a high calorie, high protein smoothie to your diet.

It’s just another way to expand on boring old protein shakes and provide yourself with the protein powder you need, as well as a delicious ingredients that provide their own calories, macronutrients, and health benefits.

Conclusion

Weight gain smoothie recipes like these are one of the best ways to gain more muscle mass in a healthy way. I’ve personally used them to break weight gain plateaus and kickstart growth when food just wasn’t doing the trick.

A single high calorie smoothie could be the difference between a maintenance diet and a bulking diet!

Use these high calorie smoothie ingredients and recipes to start experimenting with your own choices, and remember it’s all about you and your tastes!

Satisfy your taste buds and your dietary needs at the same time. Drinking smoothies is just one easy tip that you can use to break stagnant muscle growth and get the most from your diet.

References:

1. https://www.blueberry.co.nz/index.php/about/health-research/10-health/25-blueberries-improve-muscle-recovery
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566799/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6571232/

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