The Best Vegan Protein Powders, According to RDs

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These vegan protein powders taste good and are dietitian-approved

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The thing about protein powder—vegan or not—is that there isn't a one-size-fits-all option. The right vegan protein powder for you depends on the protein source you prefer, how much protein you need, plus your taste preferences.

Luckily, there are many options, so there is certainly one out there that works well for your wallet, taste buds, and dietary preferences. We would know: in our years of taste-testing protein powders, we've sipped our way through over a hundred of them to find the best. Some have remained on our list for years, like the Ritual protein powder, while others are newcomers, like RNWY Complete Protein, but we're confident that these options hit the mark on flavor, independent verification, ingredients, and, of course, protein.

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend and gives more details on what we specifically look for in supplements.

To get our top-rated picks, we have taste-tested over 100 protein powders, and we test new ones continuously. We research the top brands on the market and any new products, looking for different main protein sources and options across various price points. We carefully look through the ingredients and check if a powder is independently verified. We tasted each protein powder blended with just water and as a smoothie with plant-based milk, banana, and unflavored nut butter.

We evaluate these powders based on the following attributes.

The biggest difference between vegan protein powders is the protein source. Here are a few common ones, and why you might consider them.

Flavored vegan protein powders may contain artificial sweeteners, including monkfruit, stevia, and lucuma, a type of South American fruit. They mask the sometimes bitter or vegetal flavor of vegan protein powders, and make them more appealing to drink, but in large amounts, these sweeteners may cause gastrointestinal symptoms—one of the reasons vegan protein powder has a reputation for being hard to digest. A simple solution is to opt for an unsweetened protein powder, like Norcal Organic Pea Protein.

Holly Klamer, MS, RDN, is a former Health nutrition editor, registered dietitian, and sports nutrition specialist who has tested dozens of protein powders, including many of the ones in this list. Her favorite vegan protein powders are Ritual and Drink Wholesome.

We also use expert input at every stage of writing, reporting, and testing the products in this story. Here are some of the experts we spoke to:

Ritual Essential Protein Daily Shake 18+ earns our top spot because of its traceable ingredients (their website lists where all products come from) and its pleasantly sweet but not overpowering taste. I love blending it with frozen fruit to make a thick, not-gritty, creamy smoothie.

This one is unique because, besides 20 grams of protein, it's a good source of choline—each serving provides 27% of the Daily Value (DV). Choline is a key nutrient for healthy metabolism and brain health, but most people don't get enough in their diets.

This protein powder is both Informed Protein and Informed-Sport certified. This means it undergoes independent verification to ensure accurate ingredient amounts, safe levels of heavy metals or microbes, and no banned substances for athletes.

Ritual has a Daily Shake Pregnancy & Postpartum and a Daily Shake 50+ blend—we've also tried them and recommend them for people in these unique life stages.

In our testing, we loved the taste of Sprout Living’s Epic Protein Vanilla Lucuma Powder—it scored some of the highest ratings for taste, both mixed with water and as part of a smoothie. The lucuma and baobab fruit, cinnamon, acerola, and vanilla bean give it a creamy, natural-spiced flavor different from the traditional, single-note vanilla taste most protein powders have. Fischer says, "This protein powder has a mid-level of sweetness, which I appreciate, with hints of caramel. It has a smooth texture and works well in smoothies or on its own."

Sprout Living doesn't use natural or artificial flavors, so you can taste the fruit, cinnamon, and vanilla bean flavors. While it does have stevia, it's the last ingredient on the label (meaning it's added in the lowest amount of all ingredients), which helps the taste stay natural.

We also like that each serving has 20 grams of protein and 30% DV of iron. This supplement is also a good source of vitamin C (30% DV). This is note-worthy because vitamin C can help your body absorb iron more effectively, is needed to make collagen, and is an antioxidant. This powder is independently verified for ingredient amounts and safe levels of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.

One of the ingredients—Jerusalem artichoke—may cause some digestive discomfort, like bloating, for those who are sensitive to inulin or who follow a low FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

If you love chocolate, we highly recommend Truvani Plant-Based Chocolate Protein. It has a rich, decadent, sweet chocolate flavor and only six organic ingredients: pea protein, cocoa, vanilla powder, pumpkin seed, monk fruit extract, and chia seed protein. The protein smells and tastes consistent with its ingredients—natural and straightforward, although it is on the sweeter side. We also like that it blends well, leaving no clumps and a smooth texture.

We did notice a slight aftertaste, but it was pleasant, like hot cocoa. Each serving provides 20 grams of protein and two grams of fiber. We liked this as a post-workout drink mixed with water and blended as a fruit and oat milk smoothie.

Truvani is independently verified for safe levels of contaminants. However, it's worth mentioning that ConsumerLab.com flagged the sodium level was higher in the vanilla flavor than what was listed on the ingredient label.

NorCal Organic’s pea protein powder contains one ingredient: organic yellow pea protein isolate. Some unflavored protein powders have a strong, earthy, off-putting taste, but we appreciate this one's milder flavor. It blends smoothly and won't leave any clumps, especially if you want to use it for baking.

Each serving provides 22 grams of protein and 30% DV of iron, making it a great choice if you follow a mainly plant-based diet. It's also on the lower end of calories and carbs for protein powders—a serving has only 100 calories and one gram of carbs. This powder is a good option if you have a common food allergy, as it is free of dairy, gluten, and soy. The peas are sustainably sourced from Canadian organic farms, and the company reports independent verification to ensure ingredient accuracy and purity.

While we appreciate this one's mild flavor, we recommend mixing it into a smoothie. It doesn't taste great mixed only with water.

Creatine is buzzy right now, but there is real research behind it: creatine monohydrate, the most commonly available form of creatine, is known for its role in building muscle, but it may also help with brain health, blood sugar, and energy levels. In particular, women might benefit from taking more creatine, because our bodies make less and we typically consume less. This protein powder has 5 grams per serving, which is enough to enjoy the benefits.

Creatine is not the only thing that sets this protein powder apart. In place of the typical soy or pea protein, this powder uses yeast. Yeast is an eco-friendly source of protein, as yeast is a common byproduct of food production, but it is also an easily digestible, bioavailable source of protein. This protein powder might just be a taste of the future.

This is all well and good, but…how does it taste? We tried the acai berry flavor, grateful to have an option that wasn’t chocolate or vanilla (though the brand also sells a chocolate flavor). We weren’t a fan when it was simply mixed in water, but it was tasty when mixed into almond milk or a berry smoothie. Our tester also felt fuller for longer stretches than he did with his standard protein powder.

This protein powder also includes digestive enzymes, which aren’t harmful, but the research doesn’t suggest that healthy people need them. To reduce the amount of single-serve plastic, this protein powder doesn’t come with a scoop—a laudable goal, but it might add a smidge more time to your morning smoothie routine.

The texture was also somewhat chalky, especially when we tried it shaken in a blender bottle with water. Instead, blending it made the texture much more enjoyable. Finally, the serving size is large, ⅓ cup, so this is not a subtle addition to a smoothie.

Nutiva’s Organic Cold-Pressed Raw Hemp Seed Protein Powder has only one ingredient: organic hemp seed protein. Hemp seeds are rich in minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, so you'll also get all these in this protein powder. It is lower in protein than other picks, with 15 grams per serving, but you also get six grams of fiber per serving.

This simple, powerful powder is also a good source of iron (35% DV), zinc (35% DV), and magnesium (60% DV). It can be hard to get enough of these minerals from food alone, so we like that this pick helps you get many key nutrients. Zinc plays a role in the immune and digestive systems, while magnesium can help with blood sugar levels and the functioning of muscles and nerves.

Through our testing, we found that this powder tastes better in a smoothie than when mixed with water alone.

If you want a deliciously sweet chocolate protein powder that really loads up on protein, we recommend Vega’s Premium Sport Protein Powder. It has the highest protein content—30 grams per serving—of all the vegan protein powders we tried. It's also a good source of iron (30% DV) and calcium (20% DV). This protein powder is NSF Certified for Sport, meaning it has been verified that the ingredient label is accurate and doesn’t contain unsafe levels of heavy metals or banned substances for athletes.

This protein has a thick, rich, creamy texture that we love when blended into a smoothie. It also has a sweet tootsie roll smell.

This protein powder is marketed as being for athletes, and the ingredients reflect that: It also contains tart cherry powder, beetroot powder, and turmeric extract, which may help with muscle recovery because of their anti-inflammatory benefits. Each serving is higher in sodium (17% DV), which can help restore electrolytes after sweating during longer or intense workouts.

This pick is on the sweeter side, and some may detect a slight stevia aftertaste.

Greens powders are trendy, and protein powder is also trendy, so it makes sense that they would eventually have a baby. See: Vega’s Protein and Super Greens Plant-Based Protein Powder, which combines 20 grams of protein power serving with a greens powder made up of spinach, kale, alfalfa grass, and broccoli. The latter provides a good source of micronutrients like vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, and an extra gram of fiber.

This is also a great pick if you prefer a sweet protein powder. Stevia is the sweetener, which isn't for everyone, but it was sweet enough to give a smoothie the feeling of a treat without any added sugar.

The extra vitamin K from the powdered greens may interfere with some medications, so if you take any medication, specifically blood thinners, speak with a healthcare professional before trying it.

Drink Wholesome Vegan Protein Powder doesn't use the traditional pea, soy, or blend of plant proteins; it only uses almonds as a protein source. I like this powder because it only has almonds, coconut, vanilla, monk fruit, and nothing else. I don't do well with pea or soy-based protein powders, so I tend to stay away from vegan protein powders. But, this one does not give me any stomach issues, and I love the subtle, sweet flavor. While it doesn't completely blend when stirred in water, it tastes good with either just water or mixed in a smoothie. And it smells delicious—like almonds and vanilla.

As an added bonus, each serving also provides five grams of fiber and a surprising 33% DV of vitamin D.

Because of the almonds and coconut, it is higher in fat than other protein powders—8.5 grams per serving.

If you don't eat enough protein regularly, have higher-than average protein needs, or need to eat your protein on the go, vegan protein powders might be helpful. They could be especially beneficial for:

Vegan protein powders are generally safe for most people, but if you have kidney issues, aren't active, or already eat enough protein, you probably don't need them.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. However, protein needs vary significantly between individuals based on multiple factors, including physical activity, pregnancy or lactation, and other medical conditions. Athletes' protein needs can be 1.4 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight–over double that of a sedentary person. Getting more than this amount isn't beneficial, and some people may need to be on a lower-protein diet for medical reasons.

Taking vegan protein powder daily can be safe for most people and help you meet your daily protein needs. Just remember to eat a variety of high-protein foods, which contain essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber that most protein powders don't. It's also important to consider any other ingredients in the powder. Getting a lot of fiber, thickeners, or sweeteners in protein powders could cause unpleasant digestive issues when eaten in large amounts.

Vegan and non-vegan protein powders can contain some heavy metals (like arsenic, cadmium, and lead) naturally found in soil. However, there are ways to protect yourself. When possible, choose protein powders that have been independently tested for purity and potency, and only have one or two servings a day. This is particularly important if you are pregnant, when you and your fetus are vulnerable.

A 2025 report found organic and chocolate protein powders at higher risk for heavy metals. So if you really want to minimize your exposure to heavy metals from vegan protein powders, opt for non-chocolate flavors.

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