Top Protein Powders of 2023: Reviews and Buying Guide

After extensive taste testing, bake testing, and smoothie trials, we’ve narrowed down our picks for the best protein powders — including top whey and plant-based options.

Our goal was to produce an unbiased review that helps you choose the best-tasting protein powder based on nutrition profile, baking performance, and smoothie flavor. With hundreds of products on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether you want a powder for baking, a gluten-free vegan option for smoothies, or a high-protein whey, this guide summarizes what we found so you can shop confidently.

*This guide was updated on 2/10/2023 to reflect our current favorites.

The Protein Powder Test

We began by crowdsourcing recommendations from our community and testing the 14 powders that appeared most often. We focused on vanilla-flavored whey and plant-based powders because vanilla lets you taste the product’s true flavor and texture—chocolate often masks differences.

What we considered

To evaluate each powder, we developed a consistent five-star scoring system and judged each product across several categories:

• Nutrition profile: gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, organic, non-GMO, grass-fed, and other important attributes.
• Protein per serving: grams of protein in a single serving.
• Calories per serving: calories in a single serving.
• Cost per serving: price divided by serving size to compare value across products.
• Sugar and sweeteners: grams of sugar and which sweeteners are used (stevia, monk fruit, coconut sugar, etc.).
• Smoothie taste test: flavor, sweetness, and texture when blended in a simple smoothie (frozen strawberries and almond milk) to let the powder shine through.
• Baking test: flavor and texture after baking in basic protein muffins (we used our own protein muffin batter and added teaspoons of each powder to individual muffins).

Favorite Plant-Based Protein Powders

If you prefer plant-based powders, these three organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan options performed best in our tests for both smoothies and baking.

Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla Protein Powder — 5 stars

22 g protein • 0 g sugar • 110 calories • Vegan • Gluten-free • Soy-free • Non-GMO • Organic

Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla was our overall winner. It delivered a true vanilla flavor without any chalkiness or earthy aftertaste, performed beautifully in smoothies, and kept muffins moist and fluffy. With zero grams of sugar and a solid 22 g of protein per serving, it offers excellent nutrition and value for a plant-based powder.

Sunwarrior Organic Protein Powder (Warrior Blend Vanilla) — 4 stars

18 g protein • 0 g sugar • 100 calories • Vegan • Gluten-free • Non-GMO • Organic

Sunwarrior was a close second. It has a mild vanilla flavor that doesn’t overpower other ingredients, mixes smoothly in shakes, and bakes well. The product is widely available and competitively priced, making it a reliable choice for everyday use.

Aloha Organic Protein Powder — 3.5 stars

18 g protein • 4 g sugar (from coconut sugar) • 140 calories • Organic • Vegan • Non-GMO • Gluten-free • Dairy-free • No stevia

Aloha is a longtime favorite that landed in the top three. While it contains a small amount of coconut sugar, it avoids stevia, which is important for anyone sensitive to stevia’s distinct taste. In smoothies it stayed relatively neutral and provided a smooth, pleasant texture for baking.

Favorite Whey Protein Powders

For those who choose whey, we evaluated flavor, price, and responsible sourcing. Whey typically offers a creamier, less chalky texture—great for shakes and many baked recipes.

Garden of Life Organic Whey Protein — 5 Stars

24 g protein • 1 g sugar • 130 calories • Gluten-free • Non-GMO • Grass-fed • Organic

Garden of Life Organic Whey was our top whey pick. We liked that it’s made from grass-fed cows, organic and hormone-free, and that the flavor is fresh and not overly sweet. It performs well in everything from shakes to protein-packed bakes without any chalkiness.

Simply Tera’s Whey Protein Powder (Bourbon Vanilla) — 4 stars

21 g protein • 2 g sugar • 110 calories • Gluten-free • Grass-fed • Organic

Simply Tera’s offers clean ingredients and excellent value. With only a few ingredients and a pleasant, subtle vanilla flavor, it mixes well in shakes and bakes reliably.

Designer Whey Protein Powder — 3.5 stars

20 g protein • 2 g sugar • 110 calories • Organic • Non-GMO • Gluten-free • No artificial sweeteners

Designer Whey is a longtime favorite for many. It has a satisfying flavor and avoids artificial sweeteners. The ingredient list is a bit longer than some other top picks, but it performs well in smoothies and in baking.

The Protein Powders We Reviewed

Below is the complete list of powders we tested, ranked from highest to lowest based on our combined scores for nutrition, taste, texture, and baking performance.

• Garden of Life Raw Organic Vanilla – 1st place – 5 stars
• Garden of Life Organic Whey Protein – 2nd place – 4.25 stars
• Sunwarrior (Warrior Blend) – 3rd place – 4 stars
• Simply Tera’s – 3rd place – 4 stars
• Designer Whey Protein – 4th place – 3.5 stars
• Aloha – 4th place – 3.5 stars
• Vega Sport – 5th place – 2.75 stars
• Amazing Grass – 6th place – 2.5 stars — nutritious but left smoothies and muffins chalky and grainy.
• Tone It Up – 7th place – 2 stars — overly sweet with a strong monk fruit flavor and only 15 g protein per serving.
• Trader Joe’s – 7th place – 2 stars — decent flavor but ingredient list includes cane sugar and is less clean than other options.
• Nuzest – 8th place – 1.5 stars — metallic aftertaste and poor overall flavor.
• Orgain – 8th place – 1.5 stars — tangy aftertaste and left muffins dry and flaky.
• ON Gold Standard – 9th place – 1 star — chemical-like taste and artificial vanilla notes; not recommended.