Protein powder is a big part of my diet now that I understand macronutrients better. I consume it at least daily, and I spend a decent amount of time deciding which brand deserves my money. It can cost upwards of $50 for a 28 serving tub, which adds up quickly! Plant-based flavor options are not terribly interesting, either. Chocolate and Vanilla are most commonly offered, with some variations. After spending a few months buying protein powder that was just… eh…I thought - why not make my own? I did a little research, and here’s what I found.
Making homemade protein powder is easier than it sounds if you have a little patience. You will save money, and you’ll be able to tailor the ingredients to your preferences! Another benefit is your ability to control the ingredients that you consume. Who wants to eat tapioca starch and “natural flavors” (made in a lab)? Not me! Your “base” will start out flavorless, making it easy to bake with and easy to change flavors day to day.
What should I put in my protein powder?
Decide what your goals are first. Are you carefully counting your macronutrients? Do you need something low in carbs and fat but high in protein? Don’t really care about the amount of carbohydrates in your protein powder as long as you’re using high-quality ingredients? These answers will help you decide what to put in your “base” powder – what you’ll build off for specific flavoring and nutrients.
Decide what protein base you want, including protein source (whey, plant, etc.). I prefer brown rice protein powder mixed with pea protein powder for a full amino acid profile. Then, think about other add-ins you may want to improve the nutritional content of your base.
What can I add to increase nutritional benefits?
This list could potentially be endless, but I think the list below has a pretty good bang for your buck!
Obviously, this is not a complete list, but it’s a good place to start! You can get many of these on Amazon, Whole Foods, and even bulk stores like Costco or Sam’s Club (I bought my turmeric at Costco!).
How can I flavor it to make it tastier?
Depending on what you use as your base, you may find that it has a bitter taste (probably why most companies add artificial flavorings and emulsifiers). I like to combat this with a little monk fruit (calorie free, natural sweetener) and flavor extracts, such as vanilla or almond.
Other great options and ideas:
Add frozen fruit and blend it to make a smoothie
Bake it into a recipe, such as waffles, pancakes, and bread (check out these high protein brownies)
Stir into hot chocolate
Blend with ice and your favorite flavor extract
Use unique extracts (mint or lemon for a twist)
Add maple powder or syrup
Include instant coffee or a shot of espresso
Blend with nut butters (almond, cashew, peanut, sunflower)
Mix with cocoa powder for a chocolatey treat
Mix half of your homemade blend with half of a purchased, flavored powder
You can also sweeten your powder with powdered fruit, monk fruit, stevia, coconut sugar, honey, and more!
What are the downsides to using homemade protein powder?
Here is the caveat to my homemade protein powder base – it’s not a great “grab and go” powder. If you typically use your protein powder in a shaker and drink it with water, you might need to do a little fine-tuning if flavor is something you care about. The protein powder “base” is slightly bitter without adding in sweeteners or flavors. However, if you can add a couple minutes to your routine by adding a few drops of almond extract, blending with a frozen banana, or experimenting with other flavors, it’s worth it!
Additionally, it can be cumbersome to scoop out one serving of your base at a time. I measure out 30 servings of the base into an old protein tub (you could use a large mason jar or Tupperware container), then take out one serving as I need it. A food scale makes this much easier (I like the one shown left; very affordable at less than $20).
What’s an example of a great base powder recipe?
I created the below recipe based on my goals of a high-quality, high protein, low carb, plant sourced powder. The pea and brown rice powders give me a plant-based and complete amino-acid protein base, while the maca, cocoa, and cinnamon powders give me an antioxidant boost. I add 2 teaspoons of monk fruit to make it more palatable.
My favorite way of eating this is by blending one serving of protein powder with ice, a few drops of almond extract, and a frozen banana. This recipe is also great to add into any smoothie, and I’ve mixed it with hot chocolate as well (yummy!). If you don’t have a protein shaker and don’t want to dirty a blender every time, invest in a frother (I love the one shown to the right!). It’s easy clean up and works like a charm!
Homemade Protein Powder Base:
1 serving = 34g or about 3 Tbsp
1 scoop (30g) Organic Brown Rice Protein Powder
1 scoop (30g) Organic Pea Protein Powder
1 tsp Maca Powder
1 tsp Cocoa Powder
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Monk fruit
By making my own homemade protein powder, I save about a dollar every serving. If I have this daily, that results in a savings of $30/month, or $360 per year (hello, flight to our next vacation destination). Not only that, but I can control the ingredients that I consume on a daily basis. I also love the flexibility of flavoring this myself… even though I love peanut butter, I don’t necessarily want to use that flavor every day.
I hope that you found this helpful! As I continue to learn more about homemade protein powder and play with my recipe, I will update you with what I find. My primary goal was to save money, but making my own protein powder has turned into a fun project that I want to share with everyone!
I would love to answer any questions you have or hear how you are making your own powder. Have any tips for me? Did you try the recipe above? What tweaks did you make? Let me know!
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