Cherry Garcia… legit! This Cherry Garcia protein shake recipe tastes so darn good that I like it as a sweet treat at night. I save on my calories and don’t feel left out when the rest of my family is having an ice cream cone. It even looks like ice cream, I just can’t put it in a cone. Even better, while my family has only one cherry on their cone, I get four in this tasty shake! It’s great because instead of me being jealous of their ice cream cone, they’re jealous of my cherries! 
Cherry Garcia ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s has been a favorite of mine for years and I was really missing it with my healthy diet. This protein shake more than makes up for that craving and saves me on calories.
And the story behind how Cherry Garcia ice cream came into being is pretty cool. It started back in the days before instant communication like email and social media. A fan went to scoop shop in Maine and, being a Grateful Dead fan, suggested a cherry flavor ice cream in honor of the band. For whatever reason, though, that suggestion never made it from Maine to the headquarters in Vermont. Good thing for all us cherry fans she didn’t give up!
When she followed up with a postcard to the Vermont headquarters, the ice cream creatives got right to work. Ben led the flavor team on the quest for the perfect pint to honor the Dead. After many variations and taste tests, it was finally ready for the public to enjoy on February 15, 1987. Despite the winter weather, it was an instant hit.
Cherry Garcia Protein Shake Recipe
Notes
All I can say is, thank you to that anonymous ice cream lover and Grateful Dead fan. That postcard set into motion one of the yummiest flavor combinations. And it’s amazing that I can now enjoy it in a healthy protein shake – with some Dead on iPod, of course!
