17 Premier Protein Shakes Ranked From Worst To Best
After a long, thorough workout, you probably want to eat or drink something that will fill you up and satisfy your tastebuds. What's not to love about a post-workout shower, then grabbing a sweet or fruity protein drink from the fridge? According to Newsweek, many athletes need almost double of the daily recommended amount of protein for muscle growth, and to recover from a grueling workout. Even if you aren't a hardcore athlete, however, protein shakes have a variety of health benefits that will give you the boost of protein you need if your diet isn't heavy in peanut butter, meats, or beans.
While it's easy enough to buy powder or mix up your own protein shake at home, there are also more convenient, store-bought shakes that are easy to chill, pour, and drink. Of the numerous protein shake brands out there, one that many gym-goers know the name of is Premier Protein. This company is dedicated to providing satisfying, protein-filled beverages to satisfy anyone in need of a delicious, creamy shake. Not only are they one of the most well-known protein shake companies, though. Premier Protein also has one of the largest offerings of different shake flavors, ranging from your classic vanilla and chocolate to peach, cinnamon roll, and cake batter. This article will list out Premier Proteins shake flavors, and rank them from worst to best.
17. Peaches & Cream
Who could say no to a perfectly picked peach? Though milder than other fruits, peaches are simple, sweet, and extremely versatile in terms of consumption. They're great in pies, cobblers, and even baked and paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They also make for a fantastic beverage flavor, and are often found in the form of iced tea or smoothie. No matter how you have it, peach is a universally underappreciated flavor, and those who do adore the fruit know just how delicious peach-flavored drinks tend to be. We don't know how difficult it is to make a decent tasting peach drink but Premier Protein's attempt left us disappointed and didn't satisfy our peach cravings.
The brand's Peaches & Cream protein shake tastes way too artificial, and nothing like peaches, if at all. Peaches themselves are milder in terms of flavor, so perhaps it isn't as easy to capture the flavor in shake form. We were, however, hoping that this creamy drink would taste a little more like peaches, and less like off-tasting milk. There might be a couple of people who say that this drink tastes alright, but out of all of the Premier Protein flavors, we doubt you'll find a lot of protein shake fans who claim Peaches & Cream is their favorite.
16. Oats & Maple
When you go out on the weekend for an early brunch, how can you not get yourself a nice, buttery stack of hot pancakes? Light, fluffy, and near impossible to dislike, what's better to top you breakfast stack with than a helpful drizzle of sweet maple syrup? According to Massmaple.org, maple is produced by taking the sweet sap from a sugar maple tree, and concentrating it, which makes for the perfect topping for not only pancakes, but pretty much anything you can think of to put maple syrup in. This protein drink, however, isn't something even the biggest maple syrup fan would enjoy a whole lot.
Premier Protein's Oats & Maple shake gives those who try it an experience less like a creamy maple syrup flavored drink, and more like a dense tasting medicine. It had an overly sweet, yet artificial flavoring, and we can't say that the maple tasted a whole lot like maple. Even though in good health, we wouldn't recommend you drink a cup of maple syrup, that would probably taste better than this drink. Not only does it not taste great but the shake also only has 20 grams of protein, which is 10 less than most of the other shakes Premier Protein offers. If there's any protein shake this company sells that we suggest you stay away from, it's Oats & Maple
15. Cinnamon Roll
What's not to love about a fresh, warm cinnamon roll? Though it's certainly not the healthiest of foods, it's an incredibly sweet cinnamon-filled treat to enjoy either as a dessert or with your breakfast every once in a while. Cinnamon bread and rolls are a popular flavor also used for numerous beverages, especially at Starbucks. Even though you might not think it's a good idea to have a giant cinnamon roll right before or after a workout (and it's probably not) if you could have a healthy, protein-filled shake or snack with the same sweet, cinnamon flavor, why wouldn't you?
With Premier Protein's Cinnamon Roll Shake, however, we can't say that we found the perfect cinnamon protein drink yet. The cinnamon flavor was there, but it tastes less like actual cinnamon, and a lot more like an artificial flavoring. While we would drink the entire bottle, it would be more so for the additional protein, not because the drink was any good. While the website describes the drink as tasting like fresh cinnamon rolls, if this drink was an actual cinnamon roll, we'd toss it, and go get a cinnamon melt from McDonald's instead. This shake was far from the best protein drink we tried, and we'd recommend you avoid this flavor in favor of others.
14. Blueberries & Cream with Oats
When you think of a satisfying breakfast of oatmeal or a parfait, it likely includes a bit of fruit. More often than not, that fruit will be some fresh, juicy blueberries, which are perfect in any parfait, pastry, and especially blueberry pancakes. These small blueberries will leave you feeling anything but blue, and while strawberries are also used a lot in desserts, blueberries are just if not more versatile than their bright red counterpart. Whether they've been dried, sugared, or turned into jam and juice, the only bad thing about blueberries is trying to get the stains out of your clothes after you've popped a large handful into your mouth.
That's the only bad thing about the fruit, that is. There's a lot we can say, however, about Premier Protein's Blueberries & Cream Shake with Oats. While the drink tries to capture the taste of sweet blueberry oatmeal, it fails to do so, and instead tastes like a sweet, strange tasting cream. The blueberry flavor that is there is pretty off, and does not at all taste like fresh blueberries. If you gave this to us at breakfast, we'd probably compare it to an overly sweetened blueberry muffin, which isn't awful, but not what we were looking for with this protein shake.
13. Strawberries & Cream
A bright red fruit that never seems to go out of style is the base flavor of this next drink. Strawberries might not be as big as apples or pomegranates, but when they're ripe, they are juicy, sweet, and full of goodness. Though chocolate and vanilla are your stereotypical milk and ice cream flavors, strawberry comes in a close second, and even joins the other two flavors to make up Neapolitan.
Premier Protein's Strawberries and Cream is a drink that we were looking forward to, but were just a bit disappointed by. There was a hint of strawberry, which was great, but it mostly tasted like a glass of dense milk with an odd, fruity flavor. Even if you love everything that has to do with strawberries, you might be a bit confused about how to describe the flavor of this shake. It wasn't entirely bad per se, and if you get over the fact that this drink doesn't taste exactly like strawberries, you might even enjoy this. If you're looking for a pure strawberry protein shake, however, then this may not satisfy your tastes.
12. Chocolate Peanut Butter
While it isn't as popular outside of the United States, many adults will recall growing up with their parents tucking a peanut butter sandwich inside their lunch bag. If you grew up with the creamy spread, you likely learned to appreciate the sweet, salty butter on more than just your toast and sandwiches. Not only is it a great addition to a protein-filled smoothie, but it also does wonders when paired with chocolate. You may be most familiar with this dynamic food duo in the form of Reese's Candy, which has cemented peanut butter and chocolate as an iconic flavor pairing across the country. Many have taken this flavor combination and added it to their own product lineups, such as the case for Premier Protein.
The Chocolate Peanut Butter protein shake looks a bit similar to the chocolate flavor, though with the addition of a peanut butter candy on the graphic. This drink was excellent in terms of a protein shake, and we could definitely pick up both the peanut butter and chocolate. The one gripe we have with this beverage was actually the opposite of what we thought it might be. While we initially thought the peanut butter might overpower the chocolate, the flavor of the drink was way more chocolaty and left us wishing for a bit more peanut butter. Regardless, if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll enjoy this shake.
11. Bananas & Cream
Even though it isn't the most popular shake flavor, bananas are great for cold drinks, often being mixed into fruit smoothies or sliced atop of ice cream sundaes. Even McDonald's knows just how great a cool banana drink is, with its strawberry banana smoothie being a best seller during hot summer days, and even during cooler seasons. Bananas themselves are a wonderful snack for either before or after a workout as well, being packed with potassium. If you're craving a banana-flavored drink that not only is packed with protein, but filled with various other nutrients, then this next drink is perfect for you.
Premier Protein's Bananas & Cream protein shake is described on the official website as a "... smooth, delectable shake helps get you the protein your body needs." This banana shake does indeed taste like banana cream. While it doesn't have as much potassium as simply having a banana, it makes up for it with its incredibly light, creamy, and sweet taste. The Premier Protein Website even has a banana ice cream recipe that you can make using this just shake and a few bananas. Of all of the fruit-flavored protein drinks the brand offers, this was certainly the best, and if you're bonkers for bananas, you'll love this protein shake flavor.
10. Apple Cinnamon with Oats
The first thing that comes to mind in regards to an apple-flavored beverage is probably apple juice or some apple sauce (yes, it's drinkable). Many have grown up with a squeezable pouch of fresh apple sauce, though in many cases, some were wary of the mushy, light brown substance. More often than not though, you learned to enjoy the sweet taste of the fruit-based sauce — especially if it had a helping of cinnamon in it. While cinnamon and apple might be a criminally underrated flavor pairing, it is featured in numerous products such as cereals, oatmeal, and this next Premier Protein.
Apple Cinnamon with Oats is the next protein shake flavor on this list, and comes in a bright green box or bottle that brings a fresh granny smith to mind. The shake is perfect for a post-yoga breakfast, and manages to balance out the creamy shake with the warm flavors of apple and cinnamon. We could see ourselves drinking this flavor chilled or warm, and would pair it with a bowl of oatmeal or cereal. We might even argue that this flavor tastes better than applesauce itself, as it is just that fantastic. We wouldn't limit ourselves to just having this drink with breakfast, and highly suggest you try it out.
9. Café Latte
When you wake up in the morning, you need an extra jolt of energy to get you through your long day. While coffee is undoubtedly one of the greatest methods of getting your kick of caffeine, if you've just completed a morning workout, or you want something a little cooler, a piping hot coffee or tea might not be what you want as your morning beverage. You can certainly get an iced coffee, but if you're looking for protein, that also won't cut it. Fortunately, Premier Protein has a drink that gives you the best of both worlds, with their Café Latte Protein Shake.
Not only is this drink incredibly creamy and delicious, but it also tastes a lot like a dense, iced latte. While lattes generally have loads of sugar, you don't have to worry about that with this coffee-flavored shake. Furthermore, one bottle of this drink has the equivalent of one cup of coffee in terms of caffeine, making it all the more desirable to morning gym-goers that have a whole day of work ahead of them. It doesn't taste as strong as a pure black coffee, or even a regular latte, but even so, it still tastes heavily of coffee. Our overall consensus is that the Café Latte is a great choice of beverage to start your day and get your fill of protein.
8. Pumpkin Spice
The best part about autumn for some people isn't the cooler weather or beautiful color of the leaves, but all of the pumpkin spice foods that pop up during the season. While Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte might be the most popular of these pumpkin products, there are tons of pumpkin spice flavored items that spring up during this season, such as macarons and yogurt. Some might scoff at the pumpkin craze that takes hold when fall breezes hit, but it's hard to deny just how great most pumpkin-flavored foods and drinks taste, such as this next protein drink.
Premier Proteins limited edition Pumpkin Spice protein drink may not be available all year round, but it's good enough to make you yearn for the autumn season to return, so that you can get this protein shake again. You can definitely pick up a pumpkin-like flavor in this beverage, and while it isn't as strong or on point as other flavors, the lighter taste is great for a crisp autumn morning, and is one of the better flavors Premier Protein offers. This is a solid pumpkin drink that we'll be excited to see when fall rolls around, and we recommend you give this flavor a try once it does.
7. Chocolate Hazelnut with Oats
The greatest exposure you've likely had to hazelnuts is either in the form of a caffeinated drink, or in Nutella. Because of this, many perceive hazelnuts to taste a lot like chocolate, when in actuality, they taste quite different from each other. Because of its earthy and nutty flavor, the hazelnut pairs brilliantly with chocolate which is likely why chocolate-hazelnut spreads have become so popular. While it tastes great on top of toast or sandwiches, this next protein shake shows how wonderfully certain flavor combinations can translate into drink form.
Premier Protein's Chocolate Hazelnut with Oats is a decadent, creamy beverage filled with a sweet and slightly nutty flavor. Both the rich chocolate and the earthy hazelnuts shine in this drink. While it isn't as dense as Nutella, that is far from a detriment to this drink, as it allows both the hazelnut and chocolate flavors to balance each other out. Though it has a little less protein, and isn't as strong as some of the other shakes, the Chocolate Hazelnut with Oats makes up for that in taste. Neither flavor really overpowers the others, making this drink a must-try in our books.
6. Cake Batter Delight
Though we wouldn't recommend you eat the raw batter, the flavor of cake batter has become quite renowned in ice cream parlors and on store shelves. When you dip your spoon into a scoop of cake batter ice cream, you should be met with a creamy, batter-like flavor with sweet bits of cake in the dessert. If you're trying to replicate this in shake form, you can't exactly put real cake bits into the beverage, so it should taste a lot like a creamy cake batter. Premier Protein's Cake Batter Delight manages to perfectly capture this flavor, and tastes almost like a cake batter milkshake you'd get at a real ice cream shop.
We usually pair ice cream and cake together for dessert, but this protein drink manages to combine the best aspects of both treats into one incredible shake. The pastel green labeling is also delightful, and makes it stand out amongst the other flavors the brand offers, while at the same time, reminding us of the sweet sensation of going out for ice cream on a spring weekend. The only critics of this shake would be those who dislike cake batter, so unless you aren't a fan of the flavor, you will absolutely adore this protein drink.
5. Caramel
If you've ever walked down the candy aisle of a grocery store, amongst all of the chocolates and gummy candies, you've likely seen some golden-colored caramels lining the shelves. Though it's often paired with chocolate, caramel on its own is chewy, sugary, and much softer than many candies, and is essentially just sugar that has been melted until it browns, with butter and water added to make the candy firm. While it's usually used as a drizzle on top of ice cream or as a soft candy, it also makes for a wonderful beverage flavor. Though a caramel flavored drink might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you crave a sweet beverage, Premier Protein's Caramel Protein Shake is surprisingly delicious.
The shake is a light cream color, and like most of the other Premier Protein drinks, is full of flavor. This beverage might even be comparable to drinking liquid gold, especially if you adore the taste of caramel. Even though this drink has very little actual sugar, it still tastes just as sweet as a decadent caramel sundae, with a bonus of 30 grams of protein in a single bottle. You'll be reminded of a sweet caramel-covered treat or pastry with this drink, which is why this flavor has secured such a high place on this list.
4. Vanilla
Even though it has a reputation for being considered the more boring and basic of dessert flavors, many people will admit that a vanilla-flavored food or drink is every bit as good as its counterparts. Some will even argue that it's better than chocolate, as its somewhat more subtle flavor is lighter and not as rich. When you think about pairing a fresh, hot, and mouth-watering pie or sugary cake with some ice cream, it's generally a scoop of vanilla. Vanilla has become a staple flavor among treats, so much so that you can find it virtually anywhere, from the classic yellow vanilla Oreos to this next protein-filled shake.
Premier Protein's Vanilla Protein Shake is creamy, dense, and filled with an incredible vanilla flavor with every sip. While we can't put it above chocolate (because it's chocolate), this shake still ranks highly in our books. Even if you're a die-hard chocolate fan, we recommend you give this protein drink a try, as you might be surprised with just how flavorful the shake was. One reviewer on the Premier Protein website even writes that "Trying the vanilla flavor has made me reevaluate my lifelong disdain for vanilla. I like it!" Vanilla might not be your favorite flavor of ice cream, but this beverage might end up becoming your new favorite protein drink, if you give it a try.
3. Chocolate
Society has made the wise decision to make sure there's a way to sneak a bit of chocolate in almost every meal. Of course you'll know about sweet desserts like chocolate ice cream and cake, but chocolate has also managed to sneak it's way onto strawberries, pancakes, and even popcorn. If you go out looking for any sort of sweet treat or drink, there's bound to be a chocolate option out there- and nobody's complaining. You either love chocolate or hate it, and most people adore the cocoa flavor. If a brand sells a line of protein beverages, then it's more than likely a chocolate flavor is one of their best sellers.
Naturally, Premier Protein has a chocolate-flavored protein drink, which tastes just as decadent and chocolaty as a fresh glass of chocolate milk. Not only is this drink one of the brand's most popular flavors, but it also tastes like a brilliantly rich cross between a homemade glass of chocolate milk and a dense, frozen chocolate shake. The official page for the protein drink describes the shake by writing that "It just takes one smooth, velvety sip of this rich chocolate flavored shake to remind you of that showstopper from the diner." Whether you take it as a meal replacement or a post-workout drink, you will never be disappointed with chocolate.
2. Winter Mint Chocolate
When winter rolls around, a great thing to do to keep out the cold is to curl up on the sofa in a blanket, and relax with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Warm, rich, and purely delicious, a classic cup of hot chocolate never fails to brighten our spirits over the holiday season. Hot chocolate can also be flavored numerous ways to make your drink all the more lively, such as adding cinnamon, strawberries, or a winter classic: cool, fresh mint. The only downside to hot chocolate is that it's not the best thing to have on a hot day, and especially not the first beverage people think of having after a bike ride or long hike. The closest thing to that would be chocolate milk, though that's not necessarily the same thing.
Fortunately, Premier Protein solves this conundrum with their Winter Mint Chocolate Protein Shake. This drink takes everything you love about mint hot chocolate, and transforms it into a cool shake that you can chill in a fridge, and enjoy. While it's a limited-edition flavor, you can easily buy this flavor in bulk so that it lasts you through the hot summer, and if you haven't tried this yet, we strongly recommend you do. The mint and chocolate flavors work together to create harmoniously delicious and refreshing beverages, and if we could order this year-round, we would.
1. Cookies & Cream
It's indisputable that it's one of the greatest ice cream flavors in the world, and it's almost impossible to find anyone who will say they don't like cookies and cream. Whether it's in ice cream, dessert bar, or protein shake form, it's hard to compete with classic cookies and cream. Even if it isn't made with Oreos, Premier Protein Cookies & Cream flavor was the best of the entire Premier Protein lineup, and by far our favorite shake the company sells. The drink is slightly lighter than the chocolate flavor, and is only distinguishable from a glass of chocolate milk by the black and white box or bottle the drink comes in, as well as the graphic of cream-filled cookies all over the labeling.
The cookies and cream flavor was just as sweet, creamy, and flavorful as all of the good protein shakes the company makes. Even though these shakes don't have the consistency of a frozen ice cream shake, this was pretty close to the real thing. The cookies and cream taste is extremely prevalent in the drink, and it tasted a lot like an Oreo milkshake or Blizzard. If you've ever had an ice cream cake or Oreo sundae from Dairy Queen, then this drink will remind you of that sugary, delightful moment — without the extra sugar. If you want to get the most from your protein-filled post-workout beverage, then this creamy cookie-flavored drink is your best bet.