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My weight gain shakes are creamy and packed with enough nutrients to help you achieve healthy weight gain. Over 10 flavor options!
Need more protein shakes for weight gain? Try my protein milkshake, protein smoothie, coffee protein shake, chocolate protein shake, and protein coffee next.
of course, there are healthier ways to be in a calorie surplus.
That’s where my weight gainer shakes come in. With added calories and protein, one shake a day can easily help you gain weight and build muscle. Plus, they actually taste good!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Healthy. There’s no refined sugar, and each one is full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein to help you build and retain muscle.
- So many flavor options! The high calorie protein shake recipe is pretty simple, but I included tons of different flavorings so you never have to make them the same way twice.
- Convenient. Cooking your calories takes a while, so I prefer to make a shake. Plus, they work just as well for breakfast, a post-workout snack, or even dessert. Also, from personal experience, they are SO much easier to consume than whole foods.
- Indulgent. They’re thick, creamy, and taste exactly like a milkshake!
Ingredients needed
- Protein powder. I typically use vanilla whey protein powder, but when I’m looking to add even more bulk, I opt for a high-calorie protein powder. These typically contain an extra 200-300 calories per serving. Opt for a clean brand like Optimum or Dymatize.
- Rolled oats. Also known as old fashioned oats. Quick oats can work, but the former will make for a thicker smoothie. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
- Peanut butter. For healthy fats and extra calories. Feel free to use other nut butters like almond butter.
- Maple syrup. For essential sweetness. Honey or agave nectar also works.
- Milk. I used unsweetened soy milk, but whole milk also works.
- Mix-ins. For the three main flavors, you can choose between cocoa powder, banana, or strawberries. See below for more flavor options.
How to make weight gain shakes
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Blend. In a high-speed blender, add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. If using mix-ins, add them and blend once more.
Step 2- Serve. Pour into a large glass or a protein shaker bottle and enjoy.
What are the best weight gain shake ingredients?
While you can resort to a weight gain protein powder (like a mass gainer), you can add whole foods to increase the calories. Here are some ideas:
- Avocados. Heart-healthy fats and fiber. Per one medium avocado, there are approximately 245 calories.
- Full-fat yogurt. Adds extra protein and creaminess. Per one cup serving, there are 220 calories.
- Coconut flakes. Add coconut flakes to one of the chocolate-based smoothies. A 1/2 cup serving provides 150 calories.
- Ice cream. Turn your weight gain smoothie into a milkshake! One scoop quickly provides around 300 calories.
- Chia seeds. Adds fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Per 1/4 cup serving, there are 200 calories. Be sure to add an extra 1/2 cup of milk to the shake so it will blend smoothly.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make them vegan. Use plant-based protein powder (like pea protein) and dairy-free milk.
- Nut-free. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Swap the oats. Use other grains like buckwheat flakes, brown rice flakes, or any other flake cereal.
- Lower the carbs. Try making my keto shakes instead.
- Use Ensure protein drink instead of milk to add even more calories! I’ve tested this with vanilla and chocolate and it tastes delicious without leaving you feeling heavy or sluggish.
Flavor variations
Real talk here. If I had to have the same high calorie protein shake day in day out, I’d be bored out of my mind! So, I’m sharing the ten or so flavors I rotate between to keep things interesting.
- Triple berries. Add ½ cup of fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
- Cookies and cream. Add 1-2 Oreo cookies.
- Nutella. Instead of peanut butter, use healthy Nutella. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Double chocolate. Use chocolate protein powder, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
- Chocolate peanut butter. Use peanut butter and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Banana. Add a frozen banana and use honey as the sweetener.
- Strawberries and cream, Add 1 cup of frozen strawberries and replace half the milk with Greek yogurt.
- Snickers. Add cocoa powder, caramel syrup, and cocoa powder.
- Chocolate coconut. Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut flakes and use coconut milk.
- Tropical. Add coconut chunks and pineapple chunks, and use coconut milk.
Storage instructions
To store: Weight gain smoothies should be enjoyed within 2 hours of preparation, but they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to drink, be sure to add a splash more milk to thin it out.
To prep: Prepare baggies of oats and protein powder. When ready to make a shake, simply throw it into a blender with the nut butter, maple syrup, milk, and any add-ins and blend until smooth.
Frequently asked questions
Homemade weight-gainer shakes are great for skinny guys. They pack in extra calories in a healthy way without adding excess bulk from non-liquid food. As a real-life example, I consumed one of these homemade shakes every day for 6 months (as a breakfast replacement) and was able to pack on over 20 pounds of weight. Most of this was also lean muscle mass, as I was weightlifting at the same time.
Store-bought weight-gainer shakes may be calorie-dense, but their ingredients are far from healthy. Most contain fillers, low-quality sugars, and thickeners to bulk them up instead of the whole-food ingredients used in the homemade ones.
Besides weight gain, consuming packaged and pre-formulated weight gainers can cause bloating and stomach pain, as they often contain artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners. To prevent this, always make your own at home!
More smoothies and shakes to try
- Snickers protein shake
- Cinnamon roll protein shake
- Carrot smoothie
- Peanut butter protein shake
- Or any of my smoothies and shake recipes
Weight Gain Shakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup protein powder * See notes
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter ** See notes
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 cup milk of choice
Instructions
- In a high speed blender add the protein powder, rolled oats, peanut butter, maple syrup, and milk, and blend until smooth. If making a different flavor, add the mix-ins required and blend once more.
- Pour into a large glass or a protein shaker bottle and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 2022, updated and republished August 2024
I found the protein milkshake and made for my 14 year old son, he is trying to gain muscle and has been strength training all summer. He loves the strawberry protein milkshake! Thank you for sharing your recipe- I really appreciate knowing his body is getting the nutrients he needs.
😀 Thanks, Tanya
It is like you know I am very skinny. I need to gain weight and this shake can be perfect way to do it.
That is what I like to hear!!
Wow I need to start making this for breakfast. I am skinny for years and want to gain weight. I already know homemade shakes are the best option for it.
the best shake for gaining muscle and healthy
This is my go-to high calorie protein shake. It never leaves me feeling heavy or sluggish.
Your recipes look promising. My wife decimated and emaciated by illness. I am desperate to find smoothies and shakes that will help her to gain weight. I am looking forward to trying out your recipes. Thank you
Wishing her the absolute best health and recovery 🙂
Nice recipe 😄
Tried making this yesterday, and just following the recipe it turned out really thick and grainy, and it was really hard to get down. But I tried it again today with double the milk and half the oats, and it was a lot more smooth and liquidy. The volume is a bit more doing it that way, but I’d say it’s worth it for making it easier to get down, and the ratio provides slightly more calories when using whole milk.
Also, I’d recommend running just the oats and milk in the blender for a bit by themselves before adding the other ingredients and blending again. That helped to get the oats much finer and less noticeable in the texture.
What’s the reason not to use mass weight gainer protein powder?
You can= but I find they add tons of fillers etc in them. I prefer making my own 🙂
Did you REALLY mean 1/4 cup of protein powder and 1 cup of rolled outs PER SERVING? I don’t see how that amount of powder and oats blends with just 8 oz of milk. Consistency would be incredibly thick. Can you verify your amounts?
Add more as needed 🙂
Just started this today hard to drink the whole shake but will get it down. Thanks for the post.
Hello I have recently lost about 75 lb I am looking to put it back on hopefully this works thank you very much for your post wish me luck
This is such a cool and interesting post, Thanks for sharing this post with us, Keep sharing this kind of cool and interesting post.
i had a medical procedure that went bad, im now a diabetic because of this,i went into hospital for procedure weighing in at 220lbs, two months later i was released weighing 160lbs. i have lost an additional 20 lbs, and need to put on some weight.i will keep in touch as i start using these shakes into my diet. hope it work,s.
Thank you. This really helped. Ive been really strugling to gain weight lately, but I will try some of these recipies. Thanks