How To Make Vegan Protein Powder Taste Good?

If you work out and if you’re vegan, you know how hard it is to find a vegan protein powder
that tastes good.

Oftentimes, they taste as bad as they smell. If you know, you know.

But there are actually vegan protein powders out there that taste good, and there are so many different ways you can make them tasty.

You can also add them to protein shakes, cold drinks, warm drinks, soups, or even in baking recipes. It’s a matter of personal preference, as your body will absorb the same number of amino acids from the protein powder, no matter how you have them . It doesn’t matter if you have it cold or warm.

Your post-workout sessions will never taste the same. How, you ask? Well, keep on reading to find out more about how to make protein powders taste good!

Table of Contents

Why Do Most Protein Powders Taste Bad?

Most protein powders taste bad, and it’s just not the vegan ones.

Most protein powders will taste like chalkboard once you put them in your shaker.

Then, you have some powders that will not blend, no matter what you do. And some protein powders will just make your shake super watery.

You already know all these situations if you work out and like to have protein shakes after a session. It’s hard to get the right consistency; especially with vegan protein powders.

Also, your protein shake can taste bad if the powder has a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners. No one likes a chemical taste. And sweeteners can make you crash, give you gastric problems, headaches, and migraines.

Sweeteners and sugar can also make you gain weight, which is completely the opposite of what you need protein powders for. They’re supposed to help you rebuild your muscle tissues, recover quicker after a workout session and help you bulk up.

So the nasty ingredients in them are the main reason protein powders smell and taste bad.

 

What Can You Do To Mask The Protein Powder Taste?

So what can you do to make protein powder taste good and mask that original taste? There are multiple things you can do, and you can check out some ideas below:

Flavored Vegan Milks

The first option to make vegan protein powder taste better is by adding it to flavored vegan milk and then drinking it cold, warm, or in a smoothie.

There are so many plant-based milk alternatives out there, and you can get them sweetened or unsweetened. I personally prefer them unsweetened, which makes them healthier. Also, I think that the natural flavors of these milks are already sweet enough.

If you wanted to, you could always drizzle some vegan syrup into your vegan milk.

There are a lot of flavored vegan milks out there, but I recommend you try coconut milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, or cashew milk if you want something naturally sweet.

If you’re fine with something that doesn’t have so much taste, you could try pea milk, hemp milk, oat milk, or soy milk.

Smoothies With Fruits

If you like smoothies, you could add a vegan protein powder to them. This way, you won’t notice the powder’s flavor.

To make a healthy and balanced smoothie, you could add fruits, leafy greens, superfood powders, berries, nuts, seeds, and some kind of plant-based milk alternative or plain water.

It’s a great breakfast or post-workout snack that will give your body get all the nutrients it needs.

 
 
 

Agave/Maple Syrups

If you need your vegan protein powder to taste a bit sweeter than just fruits, you could use some agave or maple syrup. If you don’t like these options, you could also use date syrup or coconut blossom syrup.

Either add these syrups to a smoothie, plant-based milk, some kind of baked good, oatmeal, or even a green juice.

You could also add these syrups to water, but it won’t taste as nice, and the protein powder will probably be lumpy and taste chalky.

Adding agave or maple syrup to your vegan protein powder will make all the difference. Also, you don’t have to feel guilty using syrups, as they have great nutritional value, as long as you don’t use too much. Balance is key.

Artificial Vegan Sweeteners

Another alternative to make protein powder taste good is by adding an artificial plant-based sweetener.

There are so many you can choose from, which include stevia and sugar alcohols such as erythritol and xylitol.

If you wanted a non-artificial sweetener, you could use monk fruit. It will be much healthier than artificial sweeteners and won’t give you a sugar rush.

The problem with sweeteners in general, not just vegan ones, is that they’re not that healthy for you, even if they usually have no real sugar and no calories.

Usually, they are chemically made, highly processed, can have GMO’s in them, and can damage your gut health.

If you know where the artificial vegan sweeteners come from in your vegan protein powder and you trust that company, that’s great. In which case, you can use these to improve the taste of a protein powder.

Otherwise, prefer ‘real’ food sweeteners like agave syrup, maple syrup, date syrup, or coconut blossom sugar.

Blending With Vegan Cocoa

If you want a treat, you could blend your vegan protein powder into a vegan cocoa. You could add warm water to it, but it will taste so much better with a plant-based drink.

This way, you get a lovely chocolate flavor, and you won’t be able to taste the vegan protein powder. Just make sure you mix it in really well. You don’t want any powdery lumps to ruin your warm drink.

Blending with Vegan Coffee

If you’re a regular coffee drinker, you should definitely try to blend your vegan protein powder into it. This way, you get your morning energy kick, and you also get your protein intake at the same time.

You could choose to buy a flavored protein powder or even make it yourself. Chocolate protein powder is a great addition to coffee, for example.

Then, you can blend your vegan protein powder into your coffee with a plant-based milk alternative. My personal favorite vegan milk to add to a coffee is unsweetened hazelnut milk.

 

Can You Bake With Vegan Protein Powders?

You can absolutely bake with vegan protein powders, and there are so many recipes you can find online or in fitness cookbooks.

You can use vegan protein powder instead of flour, but make sure it tastes good, as otherwise, your recipe can be ruined.

I recommend you use unsweetened pea protein powder, as it won’t have much flavor and won’t overpower the other ingredients in your recipe.

You could bake banana bread, muffins, pancakes, cookies, energy balls, and so much more with vegan protein powders. The options are endless.

At first, you might have to adjust measurements and the kind of protein powder you use to nail down the perfect recipe. You will have to experiment a bit a few times because you don’t want your protein powder to overpower the other tastes.

But it’s really worth it and a great way to incorporate protein into your diet if you don’t like protein shakes. Plus, it will balance out the carbs and be great for your macros!

If you’re a baker, have a sweet tooth, or just want a treat, you should definitely try to bake with vegan protein powders.

Can You Mix Vegan Protein Powder Into Your Vegetable Soups?

Mixing vegan protein powder into your veggie soups might sound a bit unusual, but stick with me.

It’s a great way to have more protein in your diet and can also help to make the soup thicker. And there’s nothing better than a thick, warm soup on a winter’s day.

So if you struggle with your daily protein intake as a vegan, prefer to eat savory meals, and don’t like protein shakes, you should try to mix vegan protein powder into your vegetable soups.

Of course, your choice of protein powder flavors will be limited. You will need an unsweetened powder but also an unflavored one. You don’t want to ruin your vegetable soup with a chocolate or vanilla powder flavor.

Examples of good savory vegan protein powders you can include in your vegetable soups include collagen powder, hemp powder, and pea powder. Collagen and hemp protein powders have multiple benefits for your skin and overall health. But it’s up to you!

So how do you mix a vegan protein powder into your veggie soups? It’s very easy. You can add it to a premade soup by simply whisking it in gently and slowly.

This way, you won’t get any lumps of protein powder that will ruin your vegetable soup, and you won’t even notice it’s there.

Or, if you have a bit more time, you could make your own vegetable protein soup. There are plenty of recipes available online, or you could talk to a nutritionist or a fitness expert to ask for some advice.

 
 

Protein Powder Taste: Hot vs. Cold

 

It doesn’t really matter nutritionally if you take your protein powder hot or cold. But it can change the taste. So which is better, hot or cold?

Hot

If you want to mix a vegan protein powder in hot liquids, you first have to mix it in a cold or room-temperature liquid.

This way, there will be no lumps.

You have to stir the protein powder into a paste for a couple of minutes before you can transfer it to a hot drink, soup, oatmeal, or another warm meal.

So you can actually add it to a coffee, a hot chocolate, or hot water.

Despite what many people think, hot water doesn’t destroy protein powder, vegan or not. It won’t be damaged. Our bodies will absorb the same number of amino acids from the protein powder, whether you have it hot or cold.

So it’s a matter of personal preferences; if you like protein shakes, if you prefer to have your protein powder in a warm or cold drink, or if you prefer to incorporate it into savory recipes like soup or add it to a baking recipe.

If you want it warm, you could mix the protein powder in hot water, in a hot plant-based milk alternative, in oatmeal, or in a soup. You can then add extra stuff to it once it’s ready, to make it taste better. See above for our top tips to make your vegan protein powder taste good.

Cold

Vegan protein powder can also be good if you add it to a cold drink or recipe. It’s also great in yogurts!

Obviously, it will taste better if you had your vegan protein powder with a cold plant-based milk alternative instead of cold water.

You can then mix everything together with a blender and add superfood powders, leafy greens, and fruit to give you an extra boost in the morning or after a workout.

This will taste so much better than a cold water protein shake. And, you can make the protein powder taste even better with some of the tricks that you have learnt above.

Conclusion

Vegan protein powders don’t tend to taste good, but there are some solutions to make them taste better.

You can incorporate them into so many recipes, so they go unnoticed. For example, you could add them to a vegetable soup or bake them into a sweet recipe.

Otherwise, you can add your vegan protein powder into flavored vegan milks, smoothies with fruits, sweeten it with agave or maple syrup, or sweeten it with artificial vegan sweeteners.

You could also try to blend it with vegan cocoa or vegan coffee, so you can incorporate your vegan protein powder into your daily routine.

Not only will you fill your daily protein intake, but you’ll also bulk up, and your muscle tissues will heal quicker.

You will surely find something that works for you, your workout routine, and your lifestyle with all these options! You just have to pick.

About the author
Jason Hughes
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