Finding the Best Pumpkin Spice Protein Powder—And Shakes

Yes, pumpkin spice is showing up in all sorts of foods . . . including protein powders and premixed shakes! This was great news to our staff of pumpkin spice enthusiasts, eager to try out these new options.

Some of our parent readers tell us they stir pumpkin spice protein shakes into coffee . . . while others add powder to smoothies.

As with most pumpkin spice foods, the flavors can vary. Some powders have flavor notes that are more cinnamon forward . . . others emphasize nutmeg. Any fan of pumpkin pie will tell you there are different ways to get to this classic taste.

We did a blind taste test with both shakes and powders. For the powders, we stirred these into vanilla smoothies. For the shakes, we tried them straight from the bottle and also mixed into coffee.

All in all, we tried out 11 different brands. In the end, only one pumpkin spice protein shake made the cut—and three pumpkin spice protein powders also scored as winners.

Before we get to that, here is a recipe for a pumpkin spice protein latte using one of our recommended powders.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Protein Latte (Vegan friendly)

INGREDIENTS (one serving)

• 1 cup of almond milk
• ½ cup of water
• 1 Tbsp of Orgain Plant Based Protein Powder – Pumpkin Spice

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a small pot bring your almond milk and water to simmer. Let cool slightly.
  2. Add warm almond milk and water to your blender with a tablespoon of Orgain Pumpkin Spice Protein Powder.
  3. Blend for about 30 seconds.
  4. Pour into your mug and add a dash of cinnamon.

(Recipe and photo credit: Orgain Protein Powders)

And now the winners of our pumpkin spice protein powder and shakes test:

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