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If you want to gain weight, you just have to follow a simple formula: Regularly consume more calories than you burn. Easy, right?
Except if all you do is focus on the amount of calories you eat and drink each day, you’ll just gain body fat. What you really need to focus on is the quality of those calories.
But, getting lots of extra calories each day from nutritious and healthy sources can be a struggle at times.
This is where mass gainers can make a real difference.
What Is a mass gainer?
A mass gainer is just what it sounds like: A supplement that helps you pack on muscle mass.
These types of supplements contain ingredients that are high in calories—so you can reach your macro counts each day without having to constantly eat—while sticking to a balanced diet.
A good mass gainer will contain several ingredients to help you bulk up in muscle without putting on lots of body fat, including...
- Carbohydrate source: Complex carbs that are low on the glycemic index are what to look for here—gluten-free oat flour is a particularly good option.
- Lots of protein: Protein is vital for muscle building, so you want a mass gainer that provides at least 30g per serving.
- Bulking agent: To thicken up the shake and provide an extra source of carbs, mass gainers often contain maltodextrin—it also helps preserve the taste and freshness of the powder.
- Healthy fats: A healthy fat source like MCT oil can further aid muscle growth and promote anabolic hormone production.
- Micronutrients: Additional vitamins and minerals should round out the formula. Zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins can all provide a little something extra by giving you an energy boost and enhancing hormone release.
Just like with protein powder, mass gainers can be mixed with water or milk to consume on their own.
But you can also combine them with extra ingredients to create a calorie-dense smoothie that tastes amazing while offering extra nutrients.
What are the best weight-gain shake ingredients?
If you really want to increase your calorie intake on a healthy diet, adding extra ingredients to your daily mass gainer shake is the way to go.
There are countless ways to mix up weight-gain smoothies and weight-gain shakes.
But there are a few staple ingredients that can form a great base and provide further nutrients and calories.
Let’s take a look…
- Mass gainer or protein powders: Your mass gainer will contain protein anyway, but for an extra protein hit, you can add in some whey protein powder, casein protein powder, or your favourite type of vegan protein powder.
- Milk: Depending on the shake recipe, most types of milk should work. If you don’t like or want to use dairy, switching to something like almond milk or coconut milk will be just fine.
- Nut butters: As with milk, you are free to choose your preferred type of nut butter in most cases. Almond, cashew, and peanut butter are all great options, as is sunflower seed butter. Whichever you opt for, just make sure to pick one that is 100% nut butter—there shouldn’t be any nasty additives in there—like vegetable oils or sugar.
- Banana: You can use fresh or frozen banana in any of the smoothie recipes, just remember to blend for a little longer if you’re using frozen banana, as it takes a bit more effort to fully break down.
- Oats: Use rolled or steel-cut oats in your high-protein shakes, as these have a lower glycemic index than quick oats, making them better for your blood sugar levels.
All of these can be used as base ingredients for a wide range of smoothies and shakes for weight gain.
You can then make additions and swaps based on your personal taste preferences and calorie requirements.
Now, let’s take a look at some specific examples to get you started with weight-gainer shakes and provide some inspiration for you to hit the kitchen and create your own.
7 Mass gainer shake recipes
If you’re looking for an easy way to hit a calorie surplus, or you just feel like switching things up from time to time, here are seven of our favourite weight-gain smoothie recipes to try.
1. Choc-A-Bloc
A milkshake in disguise. Thick and gooey, insanely chocolatey, and a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without actually having too much added sugar in your diet.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops chocolate mass gainer
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 banana
- 250ml whole milk
- 25g raw oats
Make the shake…
Slice up your banana, then add all the ingredients into a blender. For an even thicker smoothie, double the amount of raw oats. Blitz on full power until everything is smooth and fully liquified.
2. Vanilla Volume
People often use the word ‘vanilla’ to describe something bland, but they really shouldn’t. There’s nothing bland about this creamy vanilla smoothie.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops vanilla mass gainer
- 250ml almond milk
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 banana
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3 to 4 pitted dates
Make the shake…
Remove the stones from the dates (if they have them) and slice up the banana. If you only have an unflavored mass gainer, add a teaspoon of vanilla essence into the mix to create the full flavour. Blend all the ingredients together until completely smooth.
3. Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry cheesecake? More like strawberry beefcake! OK, that would be a disgusting name for a smoothie, and not at all appealing. But that’s what this will turn you into: A big ol’ beefcake.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops vanilla mass gainer
- 150ml whole milk
- 200g fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 banana
- 50g full-fat Greek yoghurt
- 2 digestive biscuits
Make the shake…
Crush the biscuits up and slice the banana. Blend all the ingredients together. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure to blend them for a little while longer so they completely liquefy.
4. Calorific Coffee
Combine your morning coffee with a mass gainer shake for a two-in-one hack to your health. It’ll perk you up and give you extra energy while providing those much-needed calories.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops chocolate mass gainer
- 250ml whole milk
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Make the shake…
An alternative option is to brew a cup of coffee, and then add that into the mix instead of the instant coffee powder.
But be careful not to crack the blender with hot coffee. Instead, give it a chance to really cool down first (or add some extra cold water before blending).
Make sure to use a bit less milk if you’re doing it this way, then blend all the ingredients together.
5. Bulky Berry
There’s plenty of fresh fruit in this one, so you’ll be well on your way to getting your five daily portions of fruits and veggies, as well as making some serious gains.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops vanilla mass gainer
- 250ml milk of choice
- 1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- 1 banana
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Make the shake…
Feel free to shake things up with your berry choices here. Use just one type of berry if you prefer, or a combination of two or three different types. Whatever floats your boat.
Frozen berries will need a little longer in the blender than fresh berries. Slice the banana, then blend all the ingredients together.
6. Apple Pie
It’s an all-American classic but in the form of a homemade weight-gainer shake. This is definitely what your grandma would make if she were into lifting weights.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops vanilla mass gainer
- 250ml whole milk
- 1 apple
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 50g raw oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Make the shake…
Slice or dice the apple (make sure to leave the peel on, as it’s full of healthy fibre). Throw everything in the blender and give it a blast until everything has liquified.
7. Mint Chocolate Ripped
This one brings back memories of eating ice cream in the park in the sunshine. Take yourself back to those lazy summer days with a minty, chocolatey treat.
Ingredients…
- 2 scoops chocolate mass gainer
- 250ml whole milk
- 50g raw oats
- 2-3 drops mint extract
- 50g full-fat Greek yoghurt
Make the shake…
Vanilla mass gainer works just as well as chocolate here, so feel free to substitute one for the other.
Ice cream could also be used in place of Greek yoghurt if you wanted—just be aware that ice cream has more calories, saturated fat, and carbs, but less protein.
Use the mint extract sparingly, you don’t want it to overwhelm the other flavours in the smoothie. Throw everything in the blender and give it a blast until everything has liquified.
The best mass gainer to gain weight and build muscle
There you have it, a whole week’s worth of homemade weight-gainer shakes to help you increase your daily calorie intake and add some muscle to your frame.
The key to getting big results with these high-calorie smoothie recipes is choosing the right mass gainer.
Your ideal weight-gain powder should include plenty of high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and a bulking agent (such as maltodextrin)—which is exactly what Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer provides.
There are some additional vitamins and minerals included in the formula to ramp up your intake of healthy micronutrients along with your macros.
B vitamins are there to give you an energy boost, and there’s also some zinc and magnesium in the mix, which aid muscle growth and hormone production.
To make things even sweeter, there’s a digestive enzyme included too. This reduces sugar spikes, upset stomach, and bloating, as well as improves nutrient absorption, so your body can make the most out of every scoop.
If you’re serious about gaining weight and muscle mass, the Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer is just the thing you need. The shakes are tasty enough on their own, but they also make great additions to smoothie recipes like the ones above. Grab yours now to make those gains.
