Hemp protein powder recipes
Hemp protein recipes work best when you use hemp’s nutty taste instead of trying to hide it. It goes well with banana, berries, cocoa, peanut butter, oats and coffee. Each recipe below uses one scoop, takes about five minutes, and tells you how much protein you get per glass.
Pick a recipe
| Recipe | Flavor | Calories | Protein | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanilla espresso protein latte | Vanilla | 160 | 23g | 2 min |
| Chocolate banana smoothie | Chocolate | 250 | 24g | 3 min |
| Chocolate peanut butter smoothie | Chocolate | 345 | 28g | 3 min |
| Unflavored berry smoothie | Unflavored | 220 | 30g | 3 min |
| Pumpkin pie smoothie | Vanilla | 250 | 25g | 3 min |
| Green smoothie | Vanilla | 255 | 25g | 3 min |
| Hot protein cocoa | Chocolate | 160 | 23g | 5 min |
| Vanilla overnight oats | Vanilla | 320 | 28g | 5 min, then overnight |
| Chocolate chia pudding | Chocolate | 300 | 32g | 5 min, then 2 hours |
| Banana protein pancakes | Vanilla | 420 | 32g | 15 min |
| No-bake chocolate protein bites | Chocolate | 120 each | 7g each | 15 min, then 30 min |
| Chocolate banana "nice cream" | Chocolate | 305 | 25g | 5 min |
| Protein boost for blended soup | Unflavored | +55 per bowl | +14g per bowl | 2 min |
Tips before you start
Put the liquid in first, then the powder, then the fruit. Blend for about 30 seconds, since hemp is a bit grittier than whey. Drink it right away, because it thickens if it sits. Vanilla and Chocolate taste great with just milk. Unflavored is nutty, so I like it with fruit, oats or cocoa, and it even works stirred into savory food like soup.
Vanilla espresso protein latte
About 160 calories and 23g protein.
- 1 scoop Cantein Vanilla (35g)
- 1 shot espresso, cooled, or ½ cup strong coffee
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Ice
- Blend the powder with the milk first so it doesn't clump.
- Add espresso and ice. Blend again.
Chocolate banana smoothie
About 250 calories and 24g protein. The banana is for texture. The powder is already sweetened with monk fruit.
- 1 scoop Cantein Chocolate (35g)
- 1 small banana, frozen if you have it
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk (oat adds roughly 80 calories)
- Ice, if the banana isn't frozen
- Blend milk and powder.
- Add banana and ice. Blend until smooth.
Chocolate peanut butter smoothie
About 345 calories and 28g protein. The most filling one here.
- 1 scoop Cantein Chocolate (35g)
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 small frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Blend milk and powder.
- Add peanut butter and banana. Blend until smooth.
Unflavored berry smoothie
About 220 calories and 30g protein. Unflavored is only organic hemp protein. The fruit does the rest.
- 1 scoop Cantein Unflavored (35g)
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Optional: a squeeze of lemon, or a few dates if you like it sweeter
- Blend milk and powder.
- Add berries. Blend until there are no ice chunks.
Pumpkin pie smoothie
About 250 calories and 25g protein. Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- 1 scoop Cantein Vanilla (35g)
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ½ small frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon with a pinch of nutmeg
- Ice
- Blend milk and powder.
- Add pumpkin, banana, spice, and ice. Blend until smooth.
Green smoothie
About 255 calories and 25g protein. The pineapple and banana cover the taste of the spinach. You'll see green, not taste it.
- 1 scoop Cantein Vanilla (35g)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ½ cup frozen pineapple
- ½ small frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- Blend milk, powder, and spinach until no leafy bits are left.
- Add the frozen fruit. Blend until smooth.
Hot drinks
Hot protein cocoa
About 160 calories and 23g protein with almond milk, or about 200 calories and 29g with soy milk.
- 1 scoop Cantein Chocolate (35g)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
- Optional: a pinch of cinnamon
- Warm the milk until steaming, but don't boil it. Very hot liquid makes protein powder clump.
- Put the powder in a mug, add a splash of the warm milk, and whisk into a smooth paste.
- Whisk in the rest of the milk.
For a hot latte, use the same method with Vanilla: whisk the powder into a paste with a splash of warm milk, then add a shot of espresso and the rest of the milk.
Breakfast
Vanilla overnight oats
About 320 calories and 28g protein. Same scoop, breakfast ready in the morning.
- 1 scoop Cantein Vanilla (35g)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- A handful of berries in the morning
- Stir the powder into the milk first.
- Mix in the oats. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Add berries before you eat it. If it's too thick, loosen with a splash of milk.
Chocolate chia pudding
About 300 calories and 32g protein, plus about 7g of fiber from the chia. Made with soy milk for the extra protein.
- 1 scoop Cantein Chocolate (35g)
- 20g chia seeds (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- Whisk the powder into the milk until smooth.
- Stir in the chia. Wait 5 minutes, then stir again to break up any clumps of seeds.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Both chia and hemp thicken as they sit, so stir in a splash of milk if it sets too firm.
Banana protein pancakes
Makes 5 or 6 small pancakes, one serving. About 420 calories and 32g protein, cooked in 1 teaspoon of oil. Contains egg.
- 1 scoop Cantein Vanilla (35g)
- 1 medium ripe banana
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon oil for the pan
- Mash the banana in a bowl and whisk in the egg.
- Stir in the powder, oats, and baking powder. Add milk a tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick but pourable.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Cook small pancakes for about 2 minutes a side. Protein batters brown faster than flour ones, so keep the heat lower than usual.
Snacks and desserts
No-bake chocolate protein bites
Makes about 12. Each is about 120 calories and 7g protein. The maple syrup adds about 3g of sugar per bite.
- 2 scoops Cantein Chocolate (70g)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- A splash of milk, as needed
- Mix the peanut butter and maple syrup in a bowl.
- Stir in the powder and oats. Add milk a teaspoon at a time until the mix holds together when squeezed.
- Roll into about 12 balls. Chill for 30 minutes. Keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
Chocolate banana "nice cream"
About 305 calories and 25g protein. One big bowl, or two small desserts. You need a food processor or a strong blender.
- 1 scoop Cantein Chocolate (35g)
- 2 small bananas, sliced and frozen
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- Put the frozen banana in the food processor and pulse until it looks crumbly.
- Add the powder and 2 tablespoons of milk. Blend, scraping down the sides, until it's smooth like soft-serve. Add the last tablespoon of milk only if it won't come together.
- Eat it straight away, or freeze for 30 minutes for a firmer scoop.
Savory
Protein boost for blended soup
Adds about 55 calories and 14g protein to each of two bowls. Unflavored's nutty taste works best in thick, savory soups like tomato, butternut squash, lentil, or pea.
- 1 scoop Cantein Unflavored (35g)
- 2 bowls of your usual blended soup
- Take the soup off the heat.
- Whisk the powder with a ladle of the soup in a separate bowl until smooth.
- Stir it back into the pot and serve. Don't boil it again after adding the powder.
FAQ
Can you bake with hemp protein? Yes, but it's not a straight swap for flour. It has no gluten and absorbs more liquid. Start by replacing about a quarter of the flour in pancakes or muffins, and expect a denser, nuttier result with a slight green tint from unflavored.
Can you heat hemp protein? Yes. Heat doesn't destroy the protein's nutritional value. The issue is texture: stir it into warm, not boiling, liquid to avoid clumps.
What does hemp protein taste like? Unflavored is nutty and earthy. Vanilla and chocolate are sweetened with organic monk fruit and can be mixed with just milk or water.
Can I use water instead of milk? Yes. Each cup of water instead of unsweetened almond milk saves about 40 calories and 1g of protein. The drink will be thinner, so use less ice.
Can I make smoothies ahead? They're best fresh, because hemp keeps thickening as it sits. If you make one ahead, keep it in the fridge and stir in a splash of milk before drinking. The overnight oats and chia pudding are designed to sit overnight.
Sources
- Cantein nutrition labels: ingredients and nutrition, per scoop
- USDA FoodData Central, for the other ingredients (bananas, rolled oats, peanut butter, berries, canned pumpkin, spinach, pineapple, chia seeds, eggs, plant milks, maple syrup). fdc.nal.usda.gov
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