Coffee is a staple in almost every adult’s daily routine, and very few of us are willing to give that up.
But when we need our caffeine fix and want to hit our protein goals, it can be tough to find good options.
Don’t worry, that’s why you have me! I’ve tried a ton of different protein coffee options out there so you don’t have to, and I’m here to point you towards the best ones.
Rather than try to rank each different protein coffee, I’m going to give you my recommendations based on your preferences. Whether you’re a cold brew drinker or an espresso lover, I’ve got the perfect protein coffee for you.
Please note that I’m exploring caffeinated options here, and not simply coffee-flavored products. When it comes to protein coffee, I’m going to assume you’re looking for a little caffeine boost.
We’re also looking at protein coffee options as it pertains to iced coffee. Personally, I much prefer cold coffee to hot drinks, but most protein coffee is meant to be enjoyed as cold coffee anyway.
If you prefer hot coffee, you can certainly heat up a pre-made protein shake or mix the different protein powders with hot water, but that’s typically not how they are intended to be served.
Best Tasting Ready-To-Drink Protein Coffee
Premier Protein Caffè Latte
Nutrition: 160 Calories, 3g Fat, 5g Carbs (2g Fiber & 1g Sugar), 30g Protein
Caffeine: 95mg
Premier Protein makes some of my favorite protein shakes out there, and this coffee protein shake is no exception.
With 160 calories & 30 grams of protein, it’s one of the most impressive coffee drinks out there.
If you struggle to get enough protein, this is such an easy way to help hit your daily protein goal.
The Premier Protein shake is incredibly smooth, but it actually tastes like a latte, which a lot of pre-made shakes fall short on. If you want a protein shake that tastes like real coffee, and you also want to hit those protein goals, this is the perfect way to do it.
Best Protein Powder for Hot Coffee
Collagen Protein Powder
Nutrition: 80 Calories, 0g Fat, 4g Carbs, 15g Protein
If you’ve ever tried to mix protein powder into hot coffee, you may have found that it clumped up a lot and became pretty tough to enjoy.
Whether it’s whey protein or plant-based protein, most protein powder does not mix super easily into hot liquids. There are exceptions to this, of course, but you’ll generally have a difficult time.
That’s where collagen comes into play.
There are tons of unflavored collagen supplements out there, so you have lots of options, but this will be your best bet for stirring directly into hot coffee.
All you need is a spoon, and you can easily mix collagen protein into your morning coffee.
I’ve tried both Meal Boosters and Vital Proteins brands, but when it comes to unflavored collagen powder, they’re all very similar.
I recommend sticking with an unflavored collagen protein powder because then you can enjoy your coffee with your usual milk, sugar, or creamers that you usually add. Collagen protein will add a slight creaminess to your coffee, but it won’t affect the flavor much at all.
You can certainly opt for a flavored collagen protein powder as well, but in any case, collagen protein will be your best bet for hot coffee.
Best Protein Coffee for Espresso Drinkers
Awesome Coffee Protein Powder
Nutrition: 90 Calories, 0.5g Fat, 8g Carbs (2g Fiber & 4g Sugar), 13g Protein
Caffeine: 135mg
If your morning coffee of choice is a shot of espresso, Awesome Coffee is going to become your best friend.
Rather than try to get fancy with a ton of different flavors, this vegan protein powder simply aims to be a quality coffee protein powder that provides steady energy.
It’s relatively bitter, but the flavor reminds me so much of espresso. If you don’t want your morning coffee packed with a ton of sweetness, either from sugar or artificial sweeteners, Awesome Coffee is a really solid choice.
You can doctor it up with some almond milk and the sweetener of your choice if you need to, but if you enjoy the simple taste of espresso, this is the best protein powder for you.
Best Protein Coffee for Biggest Caffeine Boost
Super Coffee
Nutrition: 70 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 3g Carbs, 10g Protein
Caffeine: 200mg
Need an extra boost in the morning or before your workout? Super Coffee is here to help.
With 200 mg of caffeine, it’s one of the strongest protein coffee options out there.
As a keto-friendly option with MCT oil added and no added sugar, it’s a great way to get your protein and caffeine fix on a low carb diet.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t find these shakes to have great taste, but I can’t argue with the popularity of Super Coffee or the high amounts of caffeine.
Best Protein Coffee for Smoothies
PEScience Select Cafe Protein Powder
Nutrition: 100 Calories, 1g Fat, 3g Carbs (0g Fiber & 2g Sugar), 20g Protein
Caffeine: 100mg
I haven’t tried all of the coffee protein powder options out there, but I’ve used PEScience Select before and really enjoyed it. There are lots of whey protein powder options out there that may be similar, but I really enjoy this caffeinated protein powder.
On its own, I don’t find the coffee flavor to be very strong. When I mixed it up into a cup of milk with my milk frother, it mostly just tasted like a chocolate shake (I tried the mocha flavor).
But as a whey & casein protein powder blend, I find it’s the best way to make thick & creamy smoothies.
I like to freeze some milk in an ice cube tray, whether it be skim milk, almond milk, or oat milk, and toss it into a blender along with a scoop of protein powder and some additional cold brew coffee.
I don’t have specific measurements because I like to eyeball it, but it creates a smooth & creamy cold brew smoothie that I absolutely love.
Best Protein Coffee for Cold Brew Lovers
OWYN Cold Brew Coffee
Nutrition: 180 Calories, 7g Fat, 8g Carbs (3g Fiber & 4g Sugar), 20g Protein
Caffeine: 150mg
Cold brew coffee lovers need to try OWYN’s cold brew coffee shake as soon as possible!
If you enjoy the taste of coffee, this is a great option. I find that with most coffee protein drinks the coffee flavor takes a back seat, but that’s not the case here.
This protein shake is plant-based, but you’d never be able to tell. It tastes like a glass of cold brew with vanilla creamer added, and it has a very smooth flavor overall.
Plus, the caffeine content is higher than many other options, which makes this a great way to get that extra boost in the morning.
if you’re plant-based, this is a no-brainer. But even if you’re not, I can’t recommend this shake enough. if you love cold brew coffee as much as I do, try to get your hands on this one.
Best Protein Coffee Snack
ONE Coffee Shop Protein Bars
Nutrition: 220 Calories, 8g Fat, 24g Carbs (6g Fiber, 1g Sugar), 20g Protein
Caffeine: 65mg
While not technically coffee, these protein bars from ONE deserve an honorable mention.
If you need some extra protein in your life, but you want all things coffee, then you’re in the right place.
When it comes to coffee-flavored snacks, most of them are horribly disappointing. In most cases, the coffee flavoring just tastes like a really bad cup of joe that you’d get at a gas station.
I didn’t have high hopes for these protein bars, but they actually taste like regular coffee, and good coffee at that.
With only 65mg of caffeine, these are likely not going to be a main caffeine source for you, but the 20 g protein is enough to make this a solid meal replacement.
Personally, I really enjoyed both flavors of these protein bars, so I’d recommend trying either of them.
Best Overall Protein Coffee
Premier Protein Caffè Latte
Nutrition: 160 Calories, 3g Fat, 5g Carbs (2g Fiber & 1g Sugar), 30g Protein
Caffeine: 95mg
While different protein coffee options may be better for different preferences, Premier Protein Caffe Latte gets my vote as the best protein coffee out there.
With 30g of protein, it’s the best protein source of any protein coffee I’ve seen.
Whether your goals revolve around weight loss or packing on muscle mass, the 160 calories and 30g of protein make this a great choice.
But not only that, I find this to be one of the best protein coffee shakes out there. A lot of protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes simply do not taste like coffee, but this Premier Protein shake truly does.
The only downside to Premier Protein is that they aren’t using cold brew in their shakes. As a cold brew fanatic, this helps keep OWYN at the top of my list as well due to them using actual cold brew.
But between the smooth flavor, actual coffee taste, and excellent nutrition facts, Premier Protein definitely tops my list.
How To Make Your Own Protein Coffee
If you don’t feel like spending a premium on protein coffee, it’s very easy for you to make your own at home!
The easiest way to make your own high-protein coffee is to use a ready-to-drink protein shake as your coffee creamer. Since protein shakes are already mixed and sweetened, all you have to do is pour your favorite protein shake into your hot or iced coffee and you are ready to go,
When you go this route, you likely won’t need to use the entire protein shake, so you’ll have some left over to drink alongside your coffee.
I highly recommend mixing your protein shake with some homemade cold brew coffee, and you can find my easy cold brew coffee recipe here.
If you prefer to make your own protein coffee using a scoop of protein powder, it’s not quite as easy, but it’s still very simple (and cheaper).
It will be significantly easier to mix protein powder into cold coffee as some powders don’t combine very easily with hot liquid.
That being said, collagen protein is a very popular addition to hot coffee, so mixing that right into a cup of coffee will work great.
In any case, take your favorite flavor of protein powder (I like to stick with simple vanilla protein powder) and add it to a glass or mug. Pour your coffee in a little bit at a time while mixing to prevent clumping.
If you were to add a scoop to a full cup of coffee, it can be extremely difficult to mix with just a spoon. A milk frother can help, but I’ve found that adding the liquid to the protein powder in small amounts makes things significantly easier.
Add some additional sweetener if needed, and you are ready to go!
Conclusion: How To Choose The Right Protein Coffee For You
Enjoying some high-protein coffee in the morning is a great way to start your day. Not only will it increase your energy levels and focus, but the added protein will help keep you full.
Ultimately, the best protein coffee to choose from comes down to your preferences.
I hope that this list can help you identify the best option for your tastes because there are so many options out there to choose from.
Whether you enjoy espresso or cold brew, prefer ready-to-drink shakes or powders, or enjoy plant-based options more than dairy-based options, there are plenty of great options for you.
There are many more options out there that I didn’t even touch upon in this list, such as Alani Nu Protein Coffee, Javy, and Chike, so you are bound to find an option that fits your preferences.
Just check out the ingredients lists and choose a high protein option that looks appealing to you, and you may just have yourself a new favorite morning cup of coffee.
