Chocolate Protein Drink

Headnote

This is a restrained, modern chocolate drink built on milk and milk protein, with cocoa providing depth rather than sweetness and lactase lending a clean finish. Its character should be smooth, cool, and precise, with a texture that feels composed rather than heavy. Served well chilled, it is direct, balanced, and quietly luxurious.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Protein drink

Cuisine or origin: Contemporary Nordic

Course type: Beverage

Yield: 1 serving

Serving size: 250 g

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

Digital scale

Small mixing bowl

Whisk

Fine sieve

250 g bottle or serving glass

Ingredients

180 g milk

55 g milk protein

8 g cocoa

2 g stabilizer

3 g flavoring

1 g sweetener

0.5 g vitamin D

0.5 g lactase

Method

1. Place the milk in a small mixing bowl. Add the milk protein and whisk steadily for 30 to 45 seconds until fully dispersed and the mixture appears smooth and uniform.

2. Sift in the cocoa and stabilizer. Whisk for 20 seconds more, scraping the sides and base of the bowl, until no dry pockets remain and the liquid is evenly darkened.

3. Add the flavoring, sweetener, vitamin D, and lactase. Whisk for 15 seconds until fully integrated and the surface is glossy and consistent.

4. Pass the drink through a fine sieve into a 250 g bottle or serving glass. The finished texture should be fluid, fine, and free of visible lumps.

5. Chill for 5 minutes if serving immediately, or serve at once if the milk is already cold. The drink should taste clean, cocoa-led, and lightly sweet, with a smooth finish.

Plating and serving

Serve in a narrow chilled glass or bottle, without garnish. The drink should read as dense in flavor but light in the mouth, with a polished, even surface.

Professional notes

Keep the whisking decisive; incomplete dispersion will dull the texture. Sifting is essential for a refined finish, especially with cocoa and protein. Serve cold, as the drink is at its most precise when the sweetness is restrained and the cocoa remains clean.