Best Pea Protein Powder | The Top 6 in 2026

Best Pea Protein Powder

If you need a dairy-free way to supplement your daily protein intake, we’ve got you covered with the top 6 picks for pea protein powders.

Daniel is a managing editor and writer at Innerbody Research. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in writing, he attended post-graduate studies at George Mason University and pursued a career in nutritional science.

In this Review

Protein is one of the most important building blocks in our bodies, but not everyone gets the right amount.1 Vegans and vegetarians often eat less protein than their omnivorous counterparts since meat is one of the best sources of protein. Building muscle also requires extra protein intake, so athletes and those trying to get in shape often need more in their diet as well.2

Pea-based protein powders are one of the best ways to get healthy plant-based proteins into your diet without relying on whey (a milk product) or soy. But the market for pea protein powders is vast, and it isn’t often clear what differentiates each product. We’ve narrowed the field down to the six best pea protein powders and tested them for this guide, analyzing their protein content, taste, mixability, cost, and other essential details.

If you don’t have time to dive in right now, check out our top picks below.

Summary of recommendations

Best overall: Naked Nutrition

Best tasting (flavored): Nutrasumma Fermented Chocolate

Best tasting (unflavored): Naked Nutrition

Best budget pick: Naked Nutrition

Best protein concentration (unflavored): Naked Nutrition

Best protein concentration (flavored): Nuzest

Best organic option: NorCal Organic

Best workout support: Garden of Life Sport

A simple ingredient profile, high protein concentration, and low cost per serving make Naked Nutrition the best choice for most people.

Naked’s unflavored pea protein contains only pea protein isolate. Compared to other products that boast the same simplicity, this plain pea protein has the lightest flavor, allowing you to enjoy it on its own or mix it into a beverage of your choice. And if you prefer a flavored product, it’s available in chocolate or vanilla, as well. Subscribe to save 20% on your first order.

Why you should trust us

At Innerbody Research, we extensively test each health service or product we review, including pea protein powders. We got our hands on the powders we identified as the best options for various user needs and tested them for taste, mixability, and other factors. That level of in-depth analysis and personal experience allows us to relay information to you that you could only get by trying all these different powders yourself.

In addition to our hands-on testing, we scoured the scientific literature and came away with several dozen pertinent articles related to protein supplementation and physical fitness, many of which looked at pea protein specifically. All told, we spent more than 300 hours performing various tests and researching for this guide. Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

How we evaluated pea protein powders

Photo by Innerbody Research

To evaluate pea protein powders, we concentrated on a handful of criteria we could apply across all the brands we scrutinized. Except for taste and mixability, we applied these criteria in the research phase, comparing costs, ingredients, and the customer experience. Once we got hands-on with the products, our evaluation of flavors and performance added critical context to what we’d learned thus far.

We gave the most weight to effectiveness in our rankings, which mostly came down to the protein concentration of a given product, as well as the distribution of its amino acids when that information was available. Taste and mixability were a close second in our consideration, followed by cost and customer support.

In many cases, there’s a best option among flavored protein powders and a different best option among unflavored pea proteins. We’ll discuss those differences below, but winners for each category take both flavored and unflavored options into account.

Let’s take a closer look at each criterion to see how we arrived at our conclusions.

Effectiveness

Winner: Naked Nutrition

There’s no point in adding protein powder to your day if it’s not going to help you reach your health goals. That means it needs to give you a serious protein boost in a reasonable serving size. If a protein powder says it can give you 30g of protein, but it can only do that if you take multiple scoops of powder, the impracticality detracts from the powder’s efficacy. This feature, which we call protein concentration, has an enormous impact on a powder’s efficacy.

Here’s how the protein concentration as a percentage of a single serving breaks down among our top picks:

Naked

30g

27g

90%

Nutrasumma

34.1g

20g

59%

Garden of Life Sport

44g

68%

NorCal

26g

22g

85%

Nuzest

25g

80%

As you can see, Naked’s 90% protein concentration is the highest of the bunch. It’s worth noting that this percentage drops if you opt for either the chocolate or vanilla flavors; it’s only 90% for the unflavored pea protein. That’s because flavored powders often contain additional ingredients like sweeteners. Nuzest has the highest protein concentration among flavored options that we’ve reviewed (though we found some of Nuzest’s flavoring to be unpleasant).

Beyond just protein concentration, we also evaluated amino acid profiles (if and when companies made them available) to help us determine the potential efficacy of a given protein powder. The most important amino acids in any breakdown are leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are known as the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). These are associated with significant improvements in athletic performance on their own, but are even more effective in the presence of other amino acids.3 Factors from the specific kind of peas employed to the nuances of a given company’s manufacturing processes will influence the balance of amino acids in a given powder.

Naked’s plain pea protein contains nearly 5.5g of BCAAs. That’s the second-highest BCAA count in any of the products in this guide, falling just 42mg behind Garden of Life’s total.

Taste and mixability

Not all protein powders are created equally when it comes to taste. Considering you can’t put it in a capsule and avoid the flavor altogether, it’s important to find something that won’t upset your stomach and won’t taste like you’re eating chalk or sawdust, especially for daily consumption. Our team spent more time debating the finer points of taste among protein powders than anything else, which makes sense for a factor that’s ultimately subjective. But the final consensus among our team was that two products stood out for taste and mixability.

Note: We largely focus on chocolate flavors for our comparisons, as it’s a highly popular and widely available option among brands, and it gave us the most direct way to compare one to another. You may have a different preference that could lead you to another of our top picks as you try your options.

Naked’s pea protein stood out for how little of a taste it imparted to plain water. It was, by far, the least impactful of the unflavored pea proteins we tried, the most impactful of which (Bulk Supplements) was noticeably unpleasant. Nutrasumma’s Fermented Pea Protein offered the best experience among flavored options, with a nice balance of chocolate flavor and subtle sweetness. The taste we came to associate with plain pea protein — which many customers will want to avoid — was wholly absent from this product.

Cost

The cost of a product involves a lot more than just the number on its price tag. We also consider how much it costs you per serving, the available protein per serving, and any subscription options that could save you money or other saving deals.

Here’s a look at how our top picks’ pricing compares.

Special Offer from Naked Nutrition: SAVE 20% When You Subscribe

Naked Nutrition

$57.99

$0.76

$46.39 first shipment, then $52.19 after

$0.61-$0.69

Nutrasumma Fermented

$40.99

$1.46

$36.89

$1.32

Bulk Supplements

$25.96

$0.79

$24.66

$0.75

NorCal Organic

$39.99

$1.14

$33.99

$0.97

$44.95

$2.25

$35.96

$1.80

$47.99

$2.53

N/A

Note: Bulk Supplements offers additional savings when you buy in larger quantities, but their 2.2lb bag is the closest to typical sizes from competitors, providing the most direct comparison on price.

Naked Nutrition is the clear winner for cost, with only Bulk Supplements coming close in price. And considering the fact that Bulk Supplements was our testers’ least favorite taste among all protein powders tested, it makes much more sense to stick with Naked.

Customer support

Winner: Garden of Life

One of the great things about hands-on experience with products like these is that, in acquiring them, we experience everything any other customer would experience. We have to navigate these websites and complete the ordering process, wait for our shipments to arrive, and address questions or concerns to customer service.

After experiencing the customer support infrastructure each brand in this guide provides, Garden of Life emerges as the clear winner. The biggest knock against the company is that they’re the only ones not to offer a subscription savings plan, so you have to manually reorder the product whenever you’re close to running out. That can be a pain, but Garden of Life has readily available phone operators capable of addressing most product and service questions. Some other companies don’t offer phone support at all, and in one case (Nutrasumma), the phone rep just told us to send them an email.

Garden of Life also has the best money-back guarantee of the group. You can try their products for up to 60 days and still get a refund if you’re unsatisfied. Most other companies offer 30 days, and Naked Nutrition only offers 14 days.

Having said all of this, unless you object to buying on Amazon, you’ll find a better price at the Garden of Life store on Amazon. It may seem strange, but since there’s no subscription savings option from their direct website, saving $7 per order on Amazon (or even a bit more, if you subscribe there) is what we’d suggest you do.

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How our top recommendations compare

It can be difficult to tease out the little nuances between different kinds of protein powder. To help you out, we’ve put together a chart so you can easily reference the distinctions, overlaps, and best features of our top picks.

Naked also offers their pea protein in a chocolate or vanilla flavor, but the protein concentration plummets when you go the flavored route. And given the plain variety’s light flavor, we recommend it over a flavored alternative.

What is pea protein powder?

Pea protein powder is exactly what it sounds like: protein powder that’s primarily made from peas. Most varieties of peas are exceptionally high in protein, providing a sustainable and vegan alternative to other kinds of protein powder with animal-derived ingredients. Pea protein powder is almost always made from yellow or split peas.

Peas are one of the best non-meat protein sources since one cup of peas has 8g of protein (2g more than one boiled egg, or roughly equal to two-thirds cup of cooked pinto beans).26

There are three main kinds of pea protein.

Isolate

When the protein is stripped from peas, it forms a beige powder known as pea protein isolate.4 Isolate contains all nine essential amino acids and is rich in iron.5 It’s the most protein-dense form of protein powder, especially as the stripping process filters up to 95% of carbohydrates and fats.

Concentrate

If you’re looking to use protein powder to help slow down your hunger, pea protein concentrate is your best bet. It’s less processed than isolate, providing less dense protein but maintaining other healthy nutrients, including more fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins like B1, B5, K, and folate.

Hydrolysate

Pea protein hydrolysate, also known as hydrolyzed pea protein, is less common than isolate or concentrate. It is technically a pea protein isolate, but it has an extra round of processing that alters its chemical composition. After it’s been made, pea protein hydrolysate is cooked in diluted hydrochloric acid and then is pH-neutralized. This partial breakdown of proteins makes it easier to emulsify and neutralizes any bitter or earthy flavors.6

All of the pea proteins we recommend in this guide are pea protein isolates.

What are the benefits of protein?

Protein is one of the most important macronutrients our bodies need for daily functioning.7 Protein helps us build muscle mass, keep metabolism running, and grow hair and nails. Every cell in our bodies contains protein. When we eat protein, our bodies break it down into amino acids, which then repair cells and make new ones.

We need a substantial amount of amino acids to keep these bodily processes running smoothly. Some of these can be made in the body; others need to be consumed through food. These are called essential, nonessential, and conditional amino acids.

There are nine essential amino acids that the human body can’t make:8

Histidine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Lysine

Methionine

Phenylalanine

Threonine

Tryptophan

Valine

Nonessential amino acids can be made by the body, but we can still benefit from getting through our diets.9 These include:

Alanine

Arginine

Asparagine

Aspartic acid

Cysteine

Glutamic acid

Glutamine

Glycine

Proline

Serine

Tyrosine

Conditional amino acids are a specific subtype of amino acid.10 They are nonessential amino acids that your body may struggle to produce in sufficient numbers when you’re sick or under stress, so it’s particularly beneficial to add them when your body is under pressure. Conditional amino acids include:

Not all protein sources provide you with all 20 amino acids. And some can provide you with all 20, but they fall short in quantity for one or two. If you’re interested in learning more about amino acids, including branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs), we have a guide that can help.

Benefits of protein powder

Protein powder can supplement these essential and nonessential amino acids that may be missing from your diet or need to be bolstered if you’ve recently been stressed. Muscle damage — which happens when you work out — is the first step in the process that creates new muscles, and muscles are made of and repaired with these proteins. Ensuring that you eat enough protein means your body can fix sore muscles and build new ones.2 And if you can’t eat the recommended daily amount of protein, a protein powder will help you make up the difference.

Pea protein powder versus other protein powders

Pea protein powder has some obvious advantages over other kinds of protein powder. Pea protein is one of the most complete forms of protein that is vegan-friendly, allowing those who can’t or don’t eat meat, dairy, or other animal products to meet their daily protein requirements. Peas are also relatively allergy-friendly, and most pea protein powders are free of the top eight allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy). Plus, pea protein powder is one of the most sustainable options — making pea protein emits between four and seven times fewer greenhouse gasses than making whey protein from milk.11

On a nutritional front, peas have a considerable amount of fiber, which can help you feel more satisfied for longer. Processing pea protein isolate strips a lot of this fiber from protein powder, however, which reduces some of its benefits but minimizes the risk of bloating and GI problems from taking too much.

While whey protein is a good source of calcium and potassium, pea protein is a good source of iron — another big benefit for vegans.12 It has a more comprehensive amino acid profile than other vegan protein sources like rice and quinoa, meaning there are fewer gaps that your body can’t fill.

There’s a popular misconception that pea protein is an incomplete source because it doesn’t have an especially high quantity of the essential amino acid methionine. Some protein manufacturers have contributed to this misconception by advertising their mixes-source protein powders as superior.

In Naked’s Pea Protein, you’ll find 294mg of methionine per serving. In the same company’s whey protein, you’ll find 480mg. That’s not an especially meaningful difference. And WHO recommendations for daily methionine consumption at the “upper range of individual requirements” are only 13mg/kg of body weight.13 In the U.S., the average male weighs about 200lbs.26 That equates to a daily methionine requirement of a little under 1,200mg. That number is closer to 1,000mg for the average American woman.

And most adults get plenty of methionine from their diets, with abundant amounts in meat, fish, and eggs. Great vegan sources of methionine include tofu and other soy products, sunflower seeds, and Brazil nuts.13

How much protein do you need per day?

Several different factors determine how much protein you should consume daily. Your age, sex, activity level, and whether you’re pregnant affect your daily protein needs; men, active people, teenagers and older adults, and pregnant people all need more protein.

So, what do the professionals say? Well, you’ll get a different answer depending on whom you ask and when you ask them. Some standards are based on reports that are nearly 20 years old, while other more recent guidelines have so many caveats that they can be impossible to calculate for yourself. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 0.35g per pound of body weight but doesn’t offer guidance for different sexes, body masses, or fitness goals.14 There are also several protein calculators online to help you determine the right amount of protein for your daily diet and decide if starting to take a protein powder is right for you.

Who is pea protein powder best for?

Pea protein powder is an excellent vegan alternative to standard protein powders, which are often made with whey or soy. It provides healthy, sustainable protein to those who can’t have dairy but want to supplement their diet. Since vegans don’t have access to most sources of complete protein, protein powders can supplement missing amino acids from dietary restrictions.

But you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy pea protein powders. Anyone who wants to bring more protein into their diet — whether for building muscle, keeping your body moving through strenuous workouts, or feeling satiated for longer periods — can benefit from this supplemental source.

Is pea protein powder safe?

For most people, yes. Pea protein powder offers virtually identical benefits to eating several servings of split peas. That’s one of the biggest benefits of pea protein powder — it’s a very safe way of bulking up your daily diet. However, since it isn’t technically a food or medication, it isn’t regulated in the same way by the FDA.

Eating a large quantity of peas can also mean eating a lot of fiber, which can cause stomach upset in some people. While most of the protein powders on our list strip a significant portion of fiber out of their formulas to avoid this, you may still experience some gas and bloating. This is also true for those with FODMAP sensitivities, as pea proteins can have varying levels of FODMAPs depending on their processing.15 Of course, if you’re allergic to peas, steer clear.

Pea protein powder isn't a great option if you have gout or a history of kidney problems.16 It contains purines, which break down into uric acid. Uric acid crystallizes in joints when you have gout, so it can make your symptoms worse. Talk to your doctor before starting a pea-based protein powder.

Most pea protein powders are safe for those who are pregnant or lactating. Still, reach out to your doctor first to confirm that there aren’t any potential risks you may not realize. Also, it’s unlikely that a child would need the extra protein intake that pea protein powder provides, but supplementation, in most cases, wouldn’t be harmful. Consult with your pediatrician if you’re considering adding pea protein powder to their diet.

Naked Nutrition Pea Protein Powder

Best overall, best tasting (unflavored), best budget pick, and best protein concentration (unflavored)

Pros

Very high protein concentration

Processed without chemicals or artificial sweeteners

Independently tested for heavy metals and allergens

Informed Choice Trusted by Sport certification

Available in three flavors

5lb containers give you more than two and a half months of servings

Get 15% off your first order when you sign up for their newsletter

Free shipping over $99