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Next to vanilla and peanut butter-flavored options, vegan chocolate protein powder is my favorite choice when I’m craving something dessert-like.
Chocolate protein powder can be a decadent option that works well in smoothies, oatmeal, or simply combined with a creamy almond milk for a late-night protein pudding snack.
The spectrum of options is vast, and some vegan chocolate protein powder is far superior to others. And because whey protein doesn’t agree with my stomach, I find plant-based options to digest easier, while offering significantly greater nutritional value.
Having tried countless products, I’ve whittled down my chocolate vegan protein powder picks to three. Not only do these taste the best, but they have the highest quality of ingredients to support my highly active lifestyle.
First, know how chocolate vegan protein powder is flavored
Whether it’s whey or vegan, chocolate protein powder uses different ingredients for chocolate flavoring depending on the brand and type. It’s important to know these common ingredients, as some are much better than others. They include:
- Cocoa powder: This is the best-tasting and most natural ingredient used to add chocolate flavor to protein powder. It’s derived from roasted and ground cocoa beans and is rich in antioxidants. Look for chocolate protein powders that contain real cocoa whenever possible.
- Natural chocolate flavor powder: Despite the name containing “natural,” any product that contains natural flavors is subject to ambiguity. That is, they’re not fully disclosing the actual ingredients and are instead masking it with the natural flavors label. They’re often synthesized versions of cocoa, nuts, herbs, and spices.
- Chocolate flavoring powder: This is a flavoring powder that can come from real cocoa butter or compound chocolates, which are essentially fake chocolates that are cheaper to use. Compound chocolate doesn’t offer any nutritional value and can even contain acids that are not healthy for regular human consumption.
Overall, the specific ingredients used for chocolate flavoring in protein powder can vary widely. Ideally, you want products that contain chocolate flavoring derived from cocoa and not synthetic low-cost alternatives.
3 best chocolate vegan protein powder products
Now that we know what to look for, let me highlight what tastes best in the world of chocolate vegan protein powder. Below are my top three recommendations worth trying.
1. Garden of Life Sport Plant-based Protein Powder Chocolate
Between the vanilla and chocolate options, Garden of Life Sport Plant-based Protein is consistently one of my go-to protein powders. Not only is the taste on point, but it packs the high nutritional value I need to recover from twenty-hour training weeks on the bike.
The organic flavor blend consists of cocoa, carob, chocolate flavors, vanilla flavors, sea salt, and stevia leaf. With cocoa and carob at the front of this list, and all ingredients being organic, it’s one vegan chocolate protein powder I feel good about eating.
The other ingredients in Garden of Life Sport Plant-based Protein Powder Chocolate also pack a punch. It contains pea, sprouted navy bean, sprouted lentil bean, sprouted garbanzo bean, and cranberry seed protein.
Collectively, this blend provides a nourishing amino acid profile with a whopping 5.5 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and 5 grams of glutamine, which are vital in supporting muscle recovery.
Athlete-minded and NSF Certified for Sport, this protein powder also offers 2 Billion CFU of probiotics and an organic high-antioxidant blend of tart cherries, apples, turmeric, goji berries, and blueberries
The 29.6-ounce tub is a little more expensive than other protein powders, typically priced right around $40. But you’re getting nineteen servings, with each serving packing a premium 30 grams of protein.
2. Orgain Simple Creamy Chocolate Protein Powder
One of my new favorite protein powders that I’ve been purchasing regularly is Orgain Simple Protein. All of the flavors are delicious, but the creamy chocolate is the best in its class.
In addition to being organic, this protein powder contains alkalized cocoa as the primary chocolate flavoring agent. It does contain other “organic and natural flavors” which is a little suspicious. But for me, the taste makes it worth it.
Orgain Simple Creamy Chocolate has a flavor profile that reminds me of a malted chocolate milkshake. Of course, it’s dairy-free and entirely vegan. But you can tell you’re getting real cocoa based on the richness and depth of the product’s taste.
Nutritionally, this protein powder offers an abundant protein blend consisting of organic pea protein, peanut flour, pumpkin seed, almond protein, and chia. It is sweetened with organic coconut sugar, which has a slightly lower glycemic response compared to other forms of sugar.
Additional notable takeaways about Orgain Simple Protein are that it’s free of stevia and artificial sweeteners. It also packs a decent amount of iron, which is a welcomed addition for those who eat a vegan diet.
I highly recommend giving this chocolate vegan protein powder a try. It’s fairly priced at just over $20 for a fifteen-serving (2 scoops per serving) tub.
3. Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Chocolate Protein Powder
Another athlete-centric protein powder that’s low-carb, sugar-free, and keto-friendly is Sunwarrior Warrior Blend. It’s a fantastic option for facilitating optimal muscle recovery with its robust amino acid profile.
The protein composition that makes up Sunwarrior Warrior Blend is all-organic and includes fermented pea, hemp, and goji berry. This highly bioavailable protein powder delivers 4 grams of vegan BCAAs in a modest serving providing 16 grams of protein
With its semi-fermented, simple protein makeup, Sunwarrior Warrior Blend prides itself on being easily digestible and highly nutrient-dense. It’s a also proper chocolate vegan protein powder that contains cocoa and organic chocolate flavor as the only real flavoring agents, aside from stevia.
The taste itself is very creamy, almost like milk chocolate without the dairy. The added MCT oil gives it a nice consistency that mixes well with just about anything.
A little bit goes a long way with this protein powder. A 26.5-ounce tub provides thirty servings, keeping in mind each serving offers much less protein than comparable products. Still, for a little over $40 per tub, Sunwarrior Warrior Blend is worth trying out.
What’s your favorite vegan chocolate protein powder
These are just three of my favorite vegan chocolate protein powder products. Do you have one that you’d like to recommend? Please let me know in the comments.
About the Author
This review was conducted by Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor here at VeganProteinPowder.reviews. Tyler is an experienced writer in the health, nutrition, and athletic space, and he offers over a decade of experience blogging at Better Triathlete and at numerous other platforms. Having experimented with a vegan diet over the course of his life, Tyler has tried hundreds of plant-based nutritional products and writes about his favorites here on this blog. Learn more about Tyler by viewing his full author bio or by following him on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.