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2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie Recipe for Weight Gain (Bulking)

Last updated on November 2, 2023
2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie - featured.


One of the most delicious 2000-calorie smoothies you can drink to gain weight more easily is this apple-based smoothie, created by upgrading our High-Calorie Apple Smoothie from 594 to 2014 calories.

To divulge some of the smoothie's nutrition facts from the start, it is very high in protein, rich in carbs, and low in fats.

Let's get to the interesting part: the recipe.

Equipment

To prepare the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie, you need 3 pieces of kitchen equipment:

  • Blender
  • Knife
  • Spoon

Ingredients

Samples of each of the ingredients of the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie.
  • 6 medium (38.52 oz or 1.1 kg) apples
  • 2 cup (16.23 oz or 460 g) 2% Greek yogurt 
  • 4 tbsp (2.4 oz or 64 g) smooth peanut butter 
  • 3 scoops (3.3 oz or 96 g) whey protein powder 
  • 3 ½ cup (29.6 fl oz or 875 ml) apple juice

Role of each ingredient

This smoothie has the same ingredients as our original High-Calorie Apple Smoothie but in greater quantities.

Specifically, we tripled the amount of apples to keep the smoothie's main flavor.

Secondly, we added 4 times more 2% fat Greek yogurt to keep the slightly thicker texture.

Also, we quadrupled the quantity of peanut butter to really boost the smoothie's calories.

And, of course, we added 3 times more whey protein powder to keep the protein level high.

Ultimately, we put 350% more apple juice for drinkability and a more intense apple flavor.

Ingredient substitutions

If you are vegan, on a dairy-free diet, or allergic to nuts, you need to substitute some of the ingredients in the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie to make it satisfy your needs.

For vegans and dairy-free diets:

  • Substitute whey protein powder with plant-based protein powders, like pea, soy, or spirulina powder;
  • Replace the 2% fat Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt, like cashew yogurt.

For nut allergies:

  • Substitute peanut butter with seed butters, like sesame seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.

Instructions

1. Wash and slice the apples

Whole apple vs chopped apple.

First of all, wash and then slice the apples, like in the picture above, to get the core out of the apples and make them fit in the blender.

Don't peel the apples because their skin contains many nutrients.

2. Adapt ingredients to blender size

Think whether all the ingredients will fit inside your blender.

If you use a blender with a capacity of less than 2.6 l (88 fl oz), break the ingredients into two or more identical portions, then follow the next instructions for each of them individually.

3. Add ingredients

Adding ingredients of 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie in a blender.

Add the ingredients to the blender, making sure the apple juice ends up at the bottom of the blender.

In case you have a blender with an ingredient recipient that must be turned upside down when installed on the blender, always add the apple juice lastly. This way, the blades will work smoothly without clogging in other ingredients.

4. Blend

Ingredients of High-Calorie Apple Smoothie: unblended vs. blended.

Blend the ingredients until the smoothie develops a fine texture (about 30-60 seconds).

If you own a less powerful blender, you may need to mix the ingredients for longer than 1 minute. Still, to prevent overheating your blender, abide by the recommended blending duration in your blender's manual.

5. Serve

Pouring the High-Calorie Apple Smoothie in a glass.

Pour the smoothie into a glass or a shaker bottle, and serve.

You're done!

The smoothie has a fine texture that merges a pleasant apple flavor with nuances of peanut butter.

How to store

Unless you share it with somebody else, you'd probably want to split this smoothie into multiple portions scheduled during the day.

Why? It has almost 3 liters.

For ease of use, after pouring the smoothie into different recipients, you can store them in the fridge for around a day.

Nutrition facts

  • Volume: 87.5 fl oz (2587 ml)
  • Calories: 2014
  • Protein: 132 g
  • Carbs: 287 g
  • Fat: 46 g

On top of being a treasure of calories, the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie is rich in proteins and carbohydrates while having only a slight amount of fats.

Therefore, this smoothie will give you energy, help you build muscle, and boost your weight gain efforts.

Also, because it's low in fats, this smoothie counts among the low-fat high-calorie foods.

Continuing, let's see how each ingredient contributes to the overall nutrition facts of the smoothie.

Nutrition facts of each ingredient

Apples

  • Weight: 6 medium (38.52 oz or 1092 g)
  • Calories: 570
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Carbs: 150 g
  • Fat: 2 g

Source: FoodData Central - Raw apples with skin.[1]

Source info

Name: FoodData Central

Type: food database

Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Characteristics:

  • Governmental authority
  • Updated regularly

Apples bring 52% of the carbs in the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie.

Apple juice

  • Weight: 3 ½ cups (29.6 fl oz or 875 ml)
  • Calories: 399
  • Protein: 0 g
  • Carbs: 98 g
  • Fat: 0 g

Source: FoodData Central - Unsweetened apple juice.[2]

Source info

Name: FoodData Central

Type: food database

Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Characteristics:

  • Governmental authority
  • Updated regularly

Apple juice brings 34% of the smoothie's total carbohydrates.

2% fat Greek Yogurt

  • Weight: 2 cup (16.23 oz or 460 g)
  • Calories: 330
  • Protein: 40 g
  • Carbs: 17 g
  • Fat: 11 g

Source: Nutritionix - 2% Greek yogurt.[3]

Source info

Name: Nutritionix

Type: food database

Operated by: Syndigo LLC

Characteristics:

  • Curated by a team of registered dietitians
  • Described as "the largest grocery database on the planet"

The 2% fat Greek yogurt is responsible for 30% of the total proteins in the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie.

Smooth peanut butter

  • Weight: 4 tbsp (2.4 oz or 64 g)
  • Calories: 376
  • Protein: 14 g
  • Carbs: 15 g
  • Fat: 32 g

Source: FoodData Central - Creamy peanut butter.[4]

Source info

Name: FoodData Central

Type: food database

Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Characteristics:

  • Governmental authority
  • Updated regularly

The smooth peanut butter, which counts among the high-calorie nut butters, brings 70% of the smoothie's total fats.

Whey protein powder

  • Weight: 3 scoops (3.3 oz or 96 g)
  • Calories: 339
  • Protein: 75 g
  • Carbs: 6 g
  • Fat: 2 g

Source: FoodData Central - Whey-based protein powder.[5]

Source info

Name: FoodData Central

Type: food database

Operated by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Characteristics:

  • Governmental authority
  • Updated regularly

The whey protein powder brings 57% of the total proteins in the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie.

Benefits of drinking this smoothie

The 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie has plenty of health benefits, from gaining weight to improving health and saving money.

Explore the smoothie's main benefits below.

1. Gain weight easier

First of all, the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie makes you gain weight easier by increasing your caloric intake without satisfying your appetite for too much time.

As social proof, according to the ranking of best weight gain foods for females, 91% of the females who gain weight successfully drink smoothies as part of their diet.

Boost calories

Without a doubt, the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie can boost anyone's caloric intake by a great amount because it has 2014 calories.

All of these calories will ease your efforts to achieve a daily caloric surplus, the essential condition for gaining weight according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.[6]

Source info

Name: International society of sports nutrition position stand: diets and body composition

Type: journal article

Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

Ability to eat more

Another helpful characteristic of our smoothie is that it will keep your appetite satisfied for a shorter time than if you were to eat its equivalent in solid food.

Therefore, the 2K Apple Smoothie brings convenience to the weight gain process by helping you eat more food in a briefer period of time.

To establish this fact, a University of Bristol study compared fruit smoothies with fresh fruits and other drinks in terms of satiety. They concluded that fruit smoothies are more filling than drinks less alike to food (e.g., water and milk), but less filling than solid foods.[7]

Source info

Name: A Comparison of the Satiety Effects of a Fruit Smoothie, Its Fresh Fruit Equivalent and Other Drinks

Type: journal article

Published in: Nutrients (peer-reviewed journal)

Made at: University of Bristol

2. Build more muscle

The 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie can enhance your ability to build muscle because it has 132 g of proteins, which come mainly from the whey protein powder and the Greek yogurt in the smoothie's composition.

As proof, a pre-workout serving of 20 g of protein, according to a University of Birmingham trial on protein ingestion effects, is enough to aid in muscle-building.[8]

Source info

Name: Stimulation of net muscle protein synthesis by whey protein ingestion before and after exercise

Type: journal article

Published in: American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism (peer-reviewed journal)

Yet, drinking all of the 132 g of protein in one sitting will make you miss much of the muscle-building fuel lying in this 2000-calorie smoothie.

According to a scientific review on daily protein distribution, the maximum number of proteins you can eat and process effectively for muscle-building in one sitting is 0.55 g per kg of body weight.[9]

Source info

Name: How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution

Type: journal article

Published in: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition

For example, if you have 80 kg (176 lbs), you shouldn't eat more than 44 g of proteins in one sitting.

Fortunately, the solution is simple. Split the smoothie into two or more portions scheduled around the day, depending on your weight.

3. Increase energy

Our apple smoothie increases energy levels because it's full of carbs, which come mainly from the apples and apple juice in its composition.

In the end, as stated in a University of Lausanne study on the energy potential of carbs, carbohydrates are the main energy source for humans.[10]

Source info

Name: Carbohydrates as a source of energy

Type: journal article

Published in: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (peer-reviewed)

Made at: University of Lausanne

4. Strengthen bones

The 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie is great at strengthening bones because it's made with Greek yogurt, a source of calcium.

The low-fat Greek yogurt in the smoothie brings 529 mg of calcium, which is around 53% of the daily recommended intake of calcium.

5. Improve immunity

Another benefit you get out of consuming the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie is a boost of antioxidants, given the blend is made with two good sources of antioxidants: apples and peanut butter.

Apples, according to a Cornell University study on apples' health benefits, contain a variety of strong antioxidants.[11]

Source info

Name: Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits

Type: journal article

Published in: Nutrition Journal

Made at: Cornell University

Antioxidants, according to a scientific review of antioxidants, increase health protection and disease prevention.[12]

Source info

Name: Antioxidants: Molecules, medicines, and myths

Type: journal article

Published in: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (peer-reviewed journal)

6. Combat colon disease

On top of enhancing immunity, the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie may be proficient at combating colon diseases.

According to a German study about apple smoothies' effects on the colon, apple smoothies may be more efficient at protecting against colon disease than apple juice or apple cider.[13]

Source info

Name: Colonic availability of polyphenols and D-(−)-quinic acid after apple smoothie consumption

Type: journal article

Published in: Molecular Nutrition Food Research

Made in: Germany

7. Save money

You also benefit financially from adding the 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie to your diet. The ingredients required to make one such smoothie cost only $11.9.

After all, two of the smoothie's ingredients, peanut butter and apple juice, count among the list of cheap high-calorie foods.

Recipe summary

To follow our 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie recipe in a compressed format, check the summary below.

2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie - featured.

2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie for Weight Gain

This high-protein but low-fat apple smoothie has a pleasant apple flavor with nuances of peanut butter, and a whopping 2014 calories that can help you gain weight easier.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Blend Time 1 minute
Total Time 6 minutes
Course Smoothies
Servings 1 person
Calories 2014 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Blender
  • 1 Spoon
  • 1 Knife

Ingredients
  

  • 6 medium apples (38.52 oz or 1.1 kg)
  • 2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt  (16.23 oz or 460 g)
  • 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter  (2.4 oz or 64 g)
  • 3 scoop whey protein powder (3.3 oz or 96 g)
  • 3 ½ cup apple juice (29.6 fl oz or 875 ml)

Instructions
 

  • First of all, wash and then slice the apples, like in the picture above, to get the core out of the apples and make them fit in the blender.
    Don't peel the 6 medium apples because their skin contains many nutrients.
    6 medium apples
    Whole apple vs chopped apple.
  • Think whether all the ingredients will fit inside your blender.
    If you use a blender with a capacity of less than 2.6 l (88 fl oz), break the ingredients into two or more identical portions, then follow the next instructions for each of them individually.
  • Add the ingredients to the blender, making sure the apple juice ends up at the bottom of the blender.
    In case you have a blender with an ingredient recipient that must be turned upside down when installed on the blender, always add the 3 ½ cup apple juice lastly. This way, the blades will work smoothly without clogging in other ingredients.
    6 medium apples, 2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt , 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter , 3 scoop whey protein powder, 3 ½ cup apple juice
    Adding ingredients of 2000-Calorie Apple Smoothie in a blender.
  • Blend the ingredients until the smoothie develops a fine texture (about 30-60 seconds).
    If you own a less powerful blender, you may need to mix the ingredients for longer than 1 minute. Still, to prevent overheating your blender, abide by the recommended blending duration in your blender's manual.
    Ingredients of High-Calorie Apple Smoothie: unblended vs. blended.
  • Pour the smoothie into a glass or a shaker bottle, and serve.
    Pouring the High-Calorie Apple Smoothie in a glass.
Keyword 2000-calorie, energizing, healthy, high-calorie, muscle-building, protein, weight gain

Don't forget to leave a comment and a rating in the comment section found at the very end of this article.

Now, why don't you explore other smoothie recipes below?

Other high-calorie smoothie recipes for weight gain

If you want to try other homemade smoothies that can help you gain weight, visit our full list of high-calorie smoothie recipes,

And if you want to get creative, you can build your own high-calorie smoothie recipes. Learn what can you add to your smoothie and how to bring extra calories to it from our guide on how to make high-calorie smoothies for weight gain.

Bored with smoothies?

Try switching high-calorie smoothies for high-calorie shakes or some other beverages with plenty of calories. If you don't know the difference, check our smoothie vs shake comparison.

External sources

Unfold Today has rigorous sourcing principles adhering to the top journalistic standards, so our writers always look for official, experienced, and first-hand sources. Read more about how we keep our content trustworthy and updated by reading our editorial process.

Written by
Claudiu Pop is a nutritionist, medical writer, journalist, and the founder of Unfold Today. He specialized in fitness and nutrition, especially in weight gain, by helping people increase their body mass since 2019 with over 20 articles published in the field.
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