Protein powder without stevia: 10 options, compared

A lot of "naturally sweetened" protein powders use stevia, and a lot of people don't like it: the bitter, licorice-like aftertaste is the usual complaint. If you want a protein powder without stevia, you have three routes: monk fruit, a small amount of real sugar, or no sweetener at all. Below are label-checked options in each group, with the protein, sweetener, and price per 20g of protein, so you can choose by taste, sugar, and budget.

Disclosure: I run Cantein, a hemp protein company. Our vanilla and chocolate are sweetened with monk fruit, and our unflavored has no sweetener. They're on this list, and so are several cheaper options.

The short list

Pick Sweetened with Protein source Protein per scoop Added sugar Price per 20g protein
Monk fruit
Promix French Vanilla Vegan Monk fruit Pea isolate 25g in 31g 0g $1.25
Cantein Vanilla or Chocolate Organic monk fruit Hemp 22g in 35g 0g $2.27
Truvani Vanilla Organic monk fruit Pea, pumpkin seed, chia 20g 0g $3.00
A little real sugar
Naked Vanilla Pea Organic coconut sugar Pea 25g in 37g 3g $1.12
Vega Protein Made Simple, Vanilla Organic cane sugar Pea 15g in 26g 5g $2.02
Orgain Simple Organic, Creamy Vanilla Organic coconut sugar Plant blend with nuts and seeds 20g in 40g 5g $2.71
No sweetener
Naked Pea (unflavored) None Pea 27g in 30g 0g $0.86
Promix Unflavored Vegan None Pea isolate 25g 0g $1.22
Cantein Unflavored None Hemp 28g in 35g 0g $1.79
Truvani Unflavored & Unsweetened None Pea, pumpkin seed, chia 20g 0g $3.00

Facts are from each brand's product page or label, checked October 2, 2026. Price per 20g of protein uses the one-time list price for the size linked in the sources; subscriptions and larger bags are cheaper for most brands, including ours ($2.04 for flavored and $1.61 for unflavored on subscription).

Monk fruit picks

Monk fruit extract (luo han guo) is the most common stevia-free, sugar-free option. Like stevia, it's a purified plant extract that the FDA treats as GRAS, and the WHO's 2023 guidance on non-sugar sweeteners covers it by definition. Some people find its aftertaste milder than stevia's; others notice it too. If you're sensitive to the taste, try a single-serve or small bag first.

Promix French Vanilla Vegan: lowest-cost monk fruit pick

Four ingredients: organic Canadian yellow pea protein isolate, organic vanilla extractives, monk fruit, and vitamin B12. 25g of protein and 0g added sugar per 31g serving, at $1.25 per 20g of protein. If you're fine with pea, it's the best value in this group.

Cantein Vanilla or Chocolate: no pea, no gums

Six ingredients: organic hemp protein, organic MCT powder (from coconut), organic vanilla or organic cocoa, organic flavor, organic monk fruit, and salt. No stevia, sugar alcohols, gums, or inulin. Each 35g scoop has 22g of protein, 0g added sugar, 2g of fiber from the seed, and 180mg of sodium. USDA Organic.

Where it loses: at $2.27 per 20g of protein it costs more than Promix, Naked, or Vega, and it has less protein per scoop than Promix or Naked. It tastes like hemp under the vanilla or cocoa, which is earthier than pea. Our hemp is grown in Heilongjiang, China. Choose it if you want stevia-free and pea-free in one tub.

Truvani Vanilla: short organic label, highest price

Truvani's base is pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, and chia, with organic vanilla and monk fruit. The company says it uses no stevia, natural flavors, or sugar alcohols. 20g of protein per scoop; at $59.99 for 20 servings, it's $3.00 per 20g of protein, the most expensive pick here.

Sugar-sweetened picks

A few grams of sugar per scoop is a reasonable trade if you dislike every non-sugar sweetener. For scale, a teaspoon of sugar is about 4g.

Naked Vanilla Pea: three ingredients, best value

Pea protein, organic coconut sugar, and vanilla. 25g of protein and 3g of added sugar per 37g scoop, at $1.12 per 20g of protein. The chocolate version is similar. The cheapest flavored powder on this list.

Vega Protein Made Simple: no gums

Pea protein, organic cane sugar, coconut cream powder, and natural flavors. Vega says it uses no gums or stevia. The scoop is small, 15g of protein with 5g of added sugar, so you'd need more than one scoop for a 25g serving. It contains coconut.

Orgain Simple Organic, Creamy Vanilla: creamy, but contains nuts

Orgain's simple line is sweetened with organic coconut sugar, with 20g of protein and 5g of added sugar per serving. Orgain says every flavor is made with peanuts and tree nuts (almonds and coconut), which rules it out for nut allergies. Note that Orgain's main Organic Protein line uses stevia; the Simple line is the stevia-free one.

No sweetener at all

The only way to avoid every sweetener is unflavored. All four unflavored picks above contain no sweetener. Unflavored powders taste like their source: pea is more neutral, hemp is nutty and earthy. Blend with a banana, dates, berries, or cocoa and you control the sweetness. Our recipes page has smoothie and food ideas.

Popular powders that do contain stevia

If you're avoiding stevia, check the label even on brands you trust. These well-known powders list it, as of October 2, 2026:

  • Orgain Organic Protein Plant Based (the main line, flavored versions): organic stevia.
  • Sunwarrior Warrior Blend: organic stevia leaf extract (steviol glycosides).

How to spot stevia on a label

  • Stevia can be listed as stevia leaf extract, steviol glycosides, rebaudioside A (Reb A), Reb M, or Reb D.
  • "Monk fruit blend" can include stevia or erythritol. Read the full ingredient list, not the front of the tub.
  • "No artificial sweeteners" usually doesn't exclude stevia. Stevia isn't one of the six sweeteners the FDA approves as food additives, so brands don't count it as artificial.
  • "Naturally sweetened" is not a regulated term. It can mean stevia, monk fruit, sugar, or a mix.

For more on each sweetener's regulatory status and which ones are most likely to upset your stomach, see protein powder without artificial sweeteners.

The short version

For stevia-free and sugar-free, choose monk fruit: Promix is the best value, Cantein if you also want to avoid pea, Truvani for a short organic label at a premium. If you'd rather have a little real sugar, Naked Vanilla Pea is three ingredients and the cheapest flavored option. To avoid every sweetener, go unflavored.

I run Cantein, so weigh my view accordingly. Every product fact above comes from each brand's own product page or label, checked October 2, 2026. Formulas change; check the current label before you buy.

Sources

Buying guides: Dairy-free protein powder · Sensitive stomach · Over 50 · Without stevia · Hemp protein compared · All Learn pages