This Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie is a Tropical Smoothie dupe! Except better for you, with this peanut butter cup tropical smoothie containing WAY less added sugar and 23 grams of protein (with no protein powder)!

Peanut Butter Cup Tropical Smoothie dupe in a glass

When making this peanut butter cup smoothie Tropical Smoothie copycat, I knew I had to do two things – nail the taste and make it better nutritionally.

See, when I was in college, before I was a registered dietitian, I had a brief stint working at a certain U.S. national smoothie chain franchise. And I was FLOORED to learn that the recipes included a 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar – in EACH SMOOTHIE!

I’m all about balance, but 1/4 cup of added sugar in one smoothie is excessive.

So we brought in some actual balance here – kept it delicious but decreased the sweetness and upped the protein with the addition of cottage cheese. Yes – cottage cheese. I know a cottage cheese smoothie may sound odd, but it actually has a very neutral flavor, blends silky smooth, and adds protein!

And if you want a lighter/ less dessert-like smoothie, try my pineapple cucumber smoothie!

Why This Peanut Butter Cup Tropical Smoothie Recipe is SO Good!

It’s sweet and delicious, just like the Tropical Smoothie Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie.
Chocolate and peanut butter – enough said.
It has more protein (23 grams!), making it a better balanced smoothie.
MUCH lower in added sugar than the Tropical Smoothie version.
Simple ingredients, simple to make.
Kid-friendly!

Ingredients Needed

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

ingredients to make a peanut butter cup tropical smoothie

Banana: 1 banana – use frozen banana slices for a creamier smoothie
Milk: use whatever milk you prefer to drink (dairy or soy milk will provide more protein)
Cottage Cheese: untraditional, but this has a neutral flavor, blends smooth, and adds protein.
Cocoa Powder: has no added sugar and adds some serious chocolate flavor.
Peanut Butter: creamy works best in this smoothie.
Sweetener: I used honey, but you can use any sweetener you prefer (or omit entirely, if that’s not your thing).
Ice: to help create your preferred smoothie consistency.

Step-by-Step Directions

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

ingredients in a blender to make a peanut butter cup tropical smoothie

Add all ingredients, except ice, to a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Add ice and blend again for a thicker smoothie.
Serve, top with any desired garnish, and enjoy.

Expert Tips

My biggest tip with smoothies is to ALWAYS blend longer than you think you need to. Once you think your smoothie is blended, blend another 30 seconds to make sure every last ice crystal and ingredient is perfectly, smoothly blended.
Use frozen banana slices for creamier smoothies. You can slice bananas, place the banana slices on a silicone mat or parchment paper lined baking tray, and then freeze. Alternatively, many stores offered packaged frozen banana slices.
Sweeten to taste. Especially if you’re using an alternative sweetener (like stevia), which can sometimes taste sweeter with smaller amounts.

peanut butter drizzle and mini pb cups on a peanut butter cup tropical smoothie

Substitutions & Variations

Not a cottage cheese fan? Sub Greek yogurt. This will add a slight tangy flavor, but it’s another way to add protein and creaminess.
Sub cashew butter, almond butter, or sunbutter if you don’t have/ can’t do peanut butter.
Add more protein with a scoop of chocolate or chocolate peanut butter protein powder.
Garnishing is optional, but I went with a melty peanut butter drizzle and some chopped mini peanut butter cups. My kids think it’s fun with a little whipped cream, too!

Supplies You’ll Need

As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases at no cost to you.

Blender

More Recipes You’ll Love

Did you make this recipe? Give it a 5★ rating below! For more balanced nutrition and simple, healthy-ish recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram!