Want to know how to increase the calories in a smoothie? This high-calorie smoothie is a great whole food option if you want to gain weight or have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Peanut butter, Medjool dates, avocado, and cocoa powder make this blender drink sweet and creamy without added sugar. Get the recipe for this avocado smoothie for weight gain and learn to make other weight gain smoothies here!

If you enjoy chocolate avocado pudding, don’t miss this peanut butter avocado smoothie with dark chocolate! The idea of an avocado smoothie for weight gain may sound strange, but reserve judgment until you try it!

High calorie smoothies can be a great tool for gaining weight and eating well. Drinking your calories versus eating them may help prevent early satiety (i.e., fullness).

This strategy is basically the opposite of what I’d recommend for fat loss. The approach that is “healthiest” often depends on what you need!

While I was creating this recipe, I was thinking about the groups of people who might want to put on weight. Most tend to think about weight loss when we talk about weight management. However, healthy weight gain and healthy weight maintenance are part of the picture too.

What’s cool about dietitians is that we work with you to create solutions to help you out, whatever your needs are. Some of us can benefit from high calorie drinks for weight gain. Others may have different goals and nutritional needs.

It would be so easy if we could just hand everyone the same meal plan and be set for the day. However, we all have different diet preferences, medical needs, budgets, and other factors that play into our food choices. Good nutrition advice is rarely one-size-fits-all!

️👪 Who needs weight gain smoothies?

⭐ High Calorie Smoothies Benefits

What are some of the nutrition benefits of this avocado smoothie for weight gain? Here you go:

• Healthy fats: This smoothie is packed with healthy plant-based fats from the avocado and peanut butter. Fats pack a lot of calories into a small weight, helpful when making high calorie smoothies. Compared to protein and carbs which each offer 4 calories per gram, fats offer 9 calories per gram.
• Protein: Milk and peanut butter are the main sources of protein here. Since protein tends to be a very filling macronutrient, I went lower on the protein (relative to calories) with this one. The idea is to prevent you from feeling full too early.
• Fiber: It’s not lovely to talk about in a recipe post, but poor eating habits can sometimes lead to uncomfortable digestive experiences. This smoothie is packed with fiber that may help to alleviate these issues. It’s the fruits here (the dates and avocado) that are the main sources of fiber.
• No Added Sugar: It can be quite easy to heavily rely on added sugar when trying to increase calories. This smoothie uses pureed dates for sweetness instead. The dates provide an assortment of essential vitamins and minerals, unlike table sugar (which provides calories but little else).
• Potassium: While this smoothie provides a variety of essential nutrients, it’s especially rich in potassium. Potassium can help you to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It’s critical for healthy heart and kidney function.
• Tastes good: When we’re trying to encourage someone to eat more, great taste becomes more important than ever. It doesn’t matter how many nutrients a food or recipe provides if no one is willing to eat it! This peanut butter avocado smoothie tastes like a decadent dessert.

🥘 Avocado Smoothie for Weight Gain Ingredients

There are a number of healthful, whole food options that can help if you are having trouble gaining weight. Here are some of the high-calorie foods I have used to make an avocado weight gain smoothie:

• Avocado (250-350 calories per avocado)
• Peanut Butter (180-200 calories per 2 tablespoons)
• Medjool Date Paste (140 calories per 2 fresh dates)
• Milk (Calories depend on fat content. I used 2% milk because it’s what I always have on hand. Use whole milk to increase the calories more.)
• Cinnamon
• Dark Cocoa Powder

The cinnamon and cocoa powder aren’t used in large enough quantities to be considered high in calories. Dark cocoa powder was the magic ingredient that managed to cover up both the green color and the taste of avocado. My family approved, and I think you will too.

My intention here was to create a recipe for a high-calorie smoothie that tastes like a dessert. Since this high-calorie recipe is supposed to help if you’re having trouble eating enough, it must be amazingly delicious. If you want an even more dessert-like smoothie, consider adding some toppings:

• Whipped cream
• Crushed nuts
• Cherry

Make the whipped cream in this Strawberry Shortcake recipe for a no added sugar whipped topping. It’s made with heavy cream (50 calories per tablespoon), so it will add a lot of calories to your smoothie.

As you can see, I wasn’t willing to compromise on the nutrition aspects of this healthy smoothie. I wanted it to be made with whole foods and no added sugar.

What you get is a very high calorie smoothie, with almost 700 calories per serving.

🍽 Equipment

The main thing you need to make this avocado smoothie for weight gain is a food processor or a high-powered blender. Basically, you need something strong enough to completely puree the dates and avocado.

A good knife is handy for chopping dates and avocado, as well as any nut toppings you use. I also like to have large-width straws (boba straws or the straws used for bubble tea). This smoothie is really too thick to drink using a regular straw.

Note: As with many of my recipes, I made several versions of this avocado peanut butter smoothie before posting this recipe. An earlier version did not include the dark cocoa powder. The avocados turned the smoothie a pea-green color.

I liked the taste of this one. Unfortunately, my family really wasn’t having it. The unique color of the smoothie, along with the avocado taste, was not working for them. Still, I thought I’d mention it as an option for those who dislike chocolate.

You could also skip the cinnamon if you choose. (Personally, I love it in there!)

If you don’t like avocado and peanut butter, many other high-fat ingredients can help you to create a high-calorie smoothie. Here are a few ideas for high-fat foods to get you started:

• Other nut and seed butters
• Other nuts and seeds (such as chia seeds or hemp hearts)
• Added fats such as coconut oil (added fats and oils are some of the highest calorie foods by volume)
• Full-fat coconut milk
• Heavy cream
• 6% Cottage cheese

I included a balance of macronutrients in this chocolate avocado smoothie recipe. Protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats are all represented here. The dates and milk are the main sources of carbs in this smoothie.

Some people find that sweetness helps with nausea or helps them to eat in general. (I always find this true for myself after a surgery.) If you don’t mind the added sugars, here are some sugary options for increasing calories in smoothies:

• Ice cream
• Fruit concentrates
• Juice concentrates
• Honey
• Maple syrup

Most fruits and vegetables aren’t very high in calories (e.g., strawberries, kale, etc.). Banana, thickened applesauce or pear sauce, or potato flakes can add more body to a smoothie and more calories.

Here are a few more ideas for protein in a high calorie smoothie:

• Protein powder
• Dry milk powder
• Peanut powder
• Cottage cheese (also mentioned with the fats above)

Depending on the strength of your blender or food processor, you could also use add-ins such as quinoa flakes and oatmeal. Make sure to balance your dry ingredients with enough liquid to make it a drinkable consistency.

What are some of your favorite high-energy smoothie additions? You can let me know by leaving a comment below.

👩🏻‍🍳 Other High-Calorie Snacks for Weight Gain

Want more weight gain snacks? Here are some other dessert and snack recipes you may enjoy after making weight gain smoothies:

• High Calorie Granola for Weight Gain
• Nut Free Trail Mix
• Sugar-Free Apple Crisp