Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake (low carb)

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    How many of you enjoy drinking protein shakes for breakfast, a snack, or dessert? 

    Milkshakes have always been a favorite of mine!  However, they're loaded with unhealthy sugar, fat, and all kinds of other chemicals, so I usually avoid them.

    Until now.

    This Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake / Protein Shake is so delicious - and the recipe is quick and easy to mix.  I love having this for breakfast! 

    For those of you who have a Chick Fil A restaurant nearby, you'll enjoy a carb- and calorie-loaded Chick Fil A Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake like this during the Christmas holiday season...but then it disappears, and you have to wait another year to get more.

    But in all honesty, do you really want to do this to yourself?  Look at the list of ingredients:

 

*Icedream (whole milk, sugar, nonfat dry milk, cream, corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, dried whole eggs, cornstarch, mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, guar gum, sodium citrate, annatto and caramel colors, artificial color [Yellow 5 & 6])
*milkshake base (whole milk, sugar, cream, whey powder (milk), nonfat dry milk, artificial flavor, disodium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, guar gum, cellulose gum, carrageenan)
*peppermint syrup (water, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavors, citric acid, sodium benzoate [to protect taste], pectin, cellulose gum, guar gum, red # 40)
*red & white dark chocolate peppermint pieces (peppermint twist [sugar, corn syrup, natural peppermint oil, artificial color {red #3, Red #40, Blue #1}], confectionery coating [sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil {palm kernel, coconut, palm}, cocoa {may be processed with alkali}, whey {milk}, soy lecithin as an emulsifier, vanilla], powdered sugar [sugar, corn starch], corn starch, silicon dioxide)
*whipped cream (cream, milk, sugar, sorbitol, nonfat milk solids, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) to protect flavor, propellant: nitrous oxide)
*cherry

    Wow.  That's a long list of natural and artificial ingredients.  Take a look at the sugar, fat, and carb counts in the Chick Fil A version:

    Ugh.  89 grams of sugar!  Now how 'bout making a homemade protein-packed version of this that is all-natural and good for you?  Here's my Mock Chick Fil A Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake recipe...but turned into a healthy protein shake!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake / Protein Shake (Chick Fil A-style)

Serves 2...and takes 2-3 minutes to make!

• 3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese (I prefer using the natural versions of cottage cheese, like Daisy brand)
• 15-20 cubes of ice, depending on how thick you like your milkshakes/protein shakes
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1-2 scoops low-carb vanilla whey protein powder (I use Swanson Premium Vanilla Whey Protein Powder)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract or make your own vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract or 1-3 drops food grade peppermint essential oil
• 1/4 tsp. (or to taste) Celtic sea salt orRedmond RealSalt
• 2-3 Tbsp. non-GMO erythritol (or xylitol or Truvia) plus stevia extract to taste (I usually open three of the smallest holes in the lid and add 2-3 small shakes of stevia extract to my protein shakes)
• 1/4 tsp. glucomannan (helps with weight loss and is a natural thickener) or xanthan gum (both are optional and help with milkshake consistency)
• 1 tsp. chocolate extract (or 1 oz. 90% chocolate - Lindt is an inexpensive brand)*

    Combine all ingredients into blender and mix well until thick and creamy.  Taste and add additional ice cubes, salt, sweetener, or peppermint extract as desired.  Top with real whipped cream and small amounts of shaved 90% chocolate, if desired.  Serve immediately.

    *(If you want a true "chocolate chip" style milkshake or protein shake, you'll probably want to use the 90% chocolate added in at the end of the blending time.  You can easily make your own chocolate extract, though, or you can purchase your own, to make this a true, no-sugar-added protein shake.

    This protein shake is a Fuel Pull.

    PRINTABLE version for you:

Click on photo, above, to download your FREE printable recipe!

 

If you're eating a low-carb/low-glycemic diet for meal planning and losing weight, take a look at my Healthy and Trim Visual Grocery Shopping Guide!

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