*Updated 5/16/18
My search for the perfect vegan protein powder has been a complicated one, meaning, I have never been able to find one I truly like (until now).
Despite this, I kept hearing recommendations from friends and readers about their favorite brands so I knew there was more out there to explore.
So, I decided to do a formal, side-by-side review of some of the most popular vegan protein powders on the market to see which ones delivered and which ones weren’t worth the hype (so you don’t have to!).
I started with vanilla protein powders because it’s what I’ve been reaching for as of late and they seem to be the most versatile (and decent tasting) option for adding to most smoothies.
I’ve also now reviewed Vegan Chocolate Protein Powders and Vegan Flavored Protein Powders.
The Ground Rules //
I tested 13 protein powders, and only ordered protein powders I could find on Amazon because a) they are most accessible to people, and b) and usually have the best prices.This review is not sponsored in any way and I was not given free product or compensated for any of my reviews. I had no contact with any of these brands.I had tried a handful of the powders before this review (in my own searching) and tried to remain as unbiased and objective as possible when reviewing.When testing the powders in almond milk, I used Califia unsweetened plain almond milk. I mixed 1/3 cup (80 ml) almond milk with 1 Tbsp protein powder in a mason jar with 2 ice cubes then shook vigorously for 30 seconds.When testing in a smoothie, I used my Ginger Colada Green Smoothie and omitted lime juice to control bitterness. I mixed 1/3 cup (80 ml) smoothie with 1 Tbsp protein powder in a mason jar then shook vigorously for 30 seconds.I graded the protein powders on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent) on:TextureSweetnessOverall flavorHow well it mixes with almond milkHow well it mixes with a smoothieFor consumer awareness, I also examined:Type of protein base (i.e. brown rice, pea, hemp)Quality of ingredients (i.e. organic, non-GMO etc.)Total # of ingredientsGrams protein / servingAdditional claims/perks (i.e. probiotics, greens, added fiber)If I would repurchase
The Review //
Aloha Protein
Texture: 1 – gritty + flecks (almost resembled flax seed)
Sweetness: 5 – perfectly sweet
Overall flavor: 3 – pretty decent – a little chalky
How well blended with almond milk: 2 – gritty + flecks, but mixed – didn’t stay mixed
How well blended with smoothie: 2 – little gritty
Protein base: Pea, Pumpkin Seed, Hemp
Quality of ingredients: Organic
Total # ingredients: 13
Protein / serving: 18g/packet (37g)
Other perks/claims: Promotes muscle formation + healthy metabolism, and boosts energy
Overall score: 13
Overall impressions: If the texture was less gritty I’d like this one more. The ingredients are high quality and the flavor and sweetness are actually pretty good. But it’s highly detectable in both almond milk and smoothies because of the texture.
Would I repurchase? No.
Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Protein Powder
Texture: 4 – overall good, little gritty, chia seeds throughout
Sweetness: 4 – nice amount of sweetness, borderline too sweet
Overall flavor: 4 – nice vanilla flavor, overall pleasant, maybe a little overpowering on its own
How well blended with almond milk: 4 – mixed well, but chia seeds sank as to be expected
How well blended with smoothie: 5 – blends well even with chia seeds
Protein base: Pea
Quality of ingredients: Non-organic
Total # ingredients: 7
Protein / serving: 20g/ 1/3 cup (45g)
Other perks/claims: Chia, probiotics, high in iron, serving of Omega-3s, sweetened with monk fruit
Overall score: 21
Overall impressions: This was my favorite! The flavor is so pleasant, the sweetness and texture spot on, and it blends so well into both milk and smoothies. It makes smoothies taste better rather than worse – the only of its kind! Plus, I love the chia seeds – they’re a fun and healthy addition.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein
Texture: 3 – little chalky, not much grit
Sweetness: 4 – not too sweet
Overall flavor: 3.5 – Overall good, good amount of vanilla yet neutral, would pair well with most smoothies
How well blended with almond milk: 5 – mixed well, stayed mixed
How well blended with smoothie: 5 – blends completely
Protein base: Pea, Brown Rice, Amaranth Sprout, Buckwheat
Quality of ingredients: Organic
Total # ingredients: 34 (22 without probiotic & enzyme blend ingredients)
Protein / serving: 22 g/packet (31g)
Other perks/claims: Probiotics & Enzymes / Soy Free
Overall score: 20.5
Overall impressions: This is one of my favorites! The texture is spot on, the flavor is neutral, and the sweetness is perfectly balanced. I’ve had success mixing it with a lot of different types of smoothies.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Proteins +
Texture: 3 – mostly smooth, little grit, little chalky
Sweetness: 3 – little too sweet
Overall flavor: 3.5 – tiny bit chemically/bitter, nice vanilla flavor
How well blended with almond milk: 4 – mixed well, stayed pretty mixed, little chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 3.5 – blends well, little gritty
Protein base: Pea, Brown Rice, Hemp, Quinoa, Alfalfa, Spirulina, Mung Bean Sprouts
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 11
Protein / serving: 15g/packet (22.1g)
Other perks/claims: Fermented, assists digestion
Overall score: 17
Overall impressions: Overall good, but the flavor was a little off-putting.
Would I repurchase? This one is a toss up, but probably not.
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro
Texture: 1 – chalky, gritty, unpleasant
Sweetness: 1 – not sweet at all
Overall flavor: 1 – unpleasant, not sweet, no vanilla
How well blended with almond milk: 1 – really bad – didn’t mix well
How well blended with smoothie: 1 – mixed poorly
Protein base: Hemp
Quality of ingredients: Organic
Total # ingredients: 3
Protein / serving: 9g/4 tbsp (30g)
Other perks/claims: N/A
Overall score: 5
Overall impressions: Despite having so few ingredients and the quality being high, I didn’t like the texture or flavor. This was my least favorite of the bunch.
Would I repurchase? No.
Naturade Vegan Smart
Texture: 4 – pretty smooth, not too chalky, no grit
Sweetness: 3 – little too sweet
Overall flavor: 3 – nice vanilla flavor, but too sweet and an odd taste to it
How well blended with almond milk: 4 – smooth, not too chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 5 – blends completely
Protein base: Pea, Hemp, Chia, Potato, Chlorella
Quality of ingredients: N/A
Total # ingredients: 32
Protein / serving: 20g/2 scoops (43g)
Other perks/claims: Added vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega blend, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, fruits + veggies
Overall score: 19
Overall impressions: Loved the perks this one offered. Although the flavor wasn’t perfect, the sweetness and texture were spot on.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Nuzest Clean Lean Protein
Texture: 3 – a little chalky
Sweetness: 2 – not sweet at first, and then overly sweet
Overall flavor: 3 – heavy vanilla, a bit too sweet at the end
How well blended with almond milk: 3 – pretty well, stayed mixed, but chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 4 – blends well
Protein base: Pea
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 3
Protein / serving: 21g/2 scoops (25g)
Other perks/claims: N/A
Overall score: 15
Overall impressions: I liked how few ingredients there were, but the sweetness can be too strong.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
UPDATE:*Since writing this post I’ve tried Nuzest again because I love how simple the ingredients are. I also recognized my body does well with pea protein powder. It has since become one of my new go-tos and I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
Orgain Organic Meal
Texture: 2 – kinda chalky, kinda gritty
Sweetness: 4 – good on sweetness – not too much, not too little
Overall flavor: 1.5 – unpleasant, vanilla flavor OK, generally offputting, has an earthy flavor
How well blended with almond milk: 3 – pretty well, stayed mixed, little chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 3 – smooth with chunks
Protein base: Brown Rice, Pea, Chia
Quality of ingredients: Organic
Total # ingredients: 47
Protein / serving: 20g/2 scoops (57g)
Other perks/claims: Fiber, Fruit + Veg
Overall score: 13.5
Overall impressions: Impressive list of ingredients but the texture and flavor didn’t deliver.
Would I repurchase? No.
PlantFusion Complete Plant Protein
Texture: 2 – mostly smooth, but chalky and kind of “slimy”
Sweetness: 1 – way too sweet
Overall flavor: 2 – way too sweet, good vanilla flavor, but bitter and chemically
How well blended with almond milk: 3 – stayed mixed, but thick and chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 4 – blends well
Protein base: Pea, Artichoke, Amaranth, Sprouted Quinoa
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 12
Protein / serving: 21g/1 scoop (30g)
Other perks/claims: Enzyme blend
Overall score: 12
Overall impressions: Texture was blendable, but a little tacky. The flavor was really off.
Would I repurchase? No.
SunWarrior Warrior Blend
Texture: 3 – mostly smooth, little chalky
Sweetness: 3 – neutral, sweetness is about right
Overall flavor: 1 – not good, bitter, weird tasting, off-putting
How well blended with almond milk: 3 – pretty well, stayed mixed, little chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 4 – blends well
Protein base: Pea, Hemp, Goji Berry
Quality of ingredients: Organic
Total # ingredients: 8
Protein / serving: 18g/scoop (25g)
Other perks/claims: N/A
Overall score: 14
Overall impressions: Texture was OK, but the flavor was really off.
Would I repurchase? No.
Vega One All-in-One Nutritional Shake
Texture: 2.5 – little chalky, little gritty, not too smooth
Sweetness: 2 – too sweet, but not bitter
Overall flavor: 2 – unpleasant, bitter, strange, vanilla flavor is faint
How well blended with almond milk: 2 – didn’t stay mixed
How well blended with smoothie: 3 – kind of gritty
Protein base: Pea, Flaxseed, Hemp
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 35
Protein / serving: 20g/1 scoop (41g)
Other perks/claims: Added fruits & veggies
Overall score: 11.5
Overall impressions: Overall bad. Did not enjoy the flavor or texture.
Would I repurchase? No.
Vega Protein & Greens
Texture: 1 – little chalky, little grit, not smooth
Sweetness: 1 – way too sweet
Overall flavor: 2 – unpleasant, chemically, not a fan
How well blended with almond milk: 2 – had a hard time mixing thoroughly – some stuck to the bottom
How well blended with smoothie: 4 – blends well
Protein base: Pea, Hemp, Brown Rice
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 12
Protein / serving: 20g/1 scoop (30g)
Other perks/claims: 2 servings of greens
Overall score: 10
Overall impressions: Surprisingly unpleasant with poor texture, but high quality ingredients + perks.
Would I repurchase? No.
Vega Sport Performance
Texture: 3 – mostly smooth, little chalky, little grit
Sweetness: 1 – way too sweet
Overall flavor: 3 – nice vanilla flavor, too sweet + overpowering
How well blended with almond milk: 3 – pretty well, stayed mixed, little chalky
How well blended with smoothie: 4 – blends well, little grit
Protein base: Pea, Pumpkin Seed, Sunflower Seed, Alfalfa
Quality of ingredients: Non GMO
Total # ingredients: 14
Protein / serving: 15g/.5 scoop (21g)
Other perks/claims: Probiotics, Turmeric
Overall score: 14
Overall impressions: Overall good, but way too sweet and the texture wasn’t completely smooth.
Would I repurchase? No.
Results //
First place: Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Protein Powder*
Second place: Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein
Third place: Naturade Vegan Smart
Fourth place: Genuine Health Fermented Greens
Fifth place: Nuzest Clean Lean Protein
Tied for Sixth place: SunWarrior Blend + Vega Sport Performance
Seventh place: Orgain Organic Meal
Eighth place: Aloha Protein
Ninth place: Plantfusion Complete Plant Protein
Tenth place: Vega One Nutritional Shake
Eleventh place: Vega Proteins + Greens
Twelfth place: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro
Conclusion //
I tried to be extremely honest in this review which is why it seems like a lot of the feedback was critical or negative. That’s because I honestly didn’t like many of them.
But the standouts are definitely the top 3, and my new go-to will definitely be Bob’s Red Mill Vanilla Protein – an unexpected favorite!
UPDATE:*Since writing this post I’ve tried Nuzest again because I love how simple the ingredients are. I also recognized my body does well with pea protein powder and few other add-ins. It has since become one of my new go-tos and I would definitely recommend giving it a try. I have also been enjoying Tropeaka, an Australia-based vegan protein powder with great ingredients and flavor.
*Despite having a working relationship with Bob’s Red Mill in the past on Minimalist Baker (which has since been discontinued), my relationship with them had nothing to do with this positive review. I didn’t even know they had a vanilla protein powder before I did this review and had no communication with them about it. I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised with the results. This post is entirely unsponsored.
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