Protein powder can be an amazing supplement to your diet and to your fitness journey — a convenient, relatively cheap source of protein which can be used in all sorts of delicious foods: shakes, pancakes, cookies, and yes, even ice cream! Casein in particular is a thick, slow-digesting protein, which makes it great for baking delicious protein goods, as well as sustaining muscle protein synthesis for longer periods of time in between meals. But if you’ve ever tried casein powders before, you know that most are gross, chunky, and never mix well. So today we’re looking for the best tasting casein protein powders that mix well and aren’t chunky or gritty.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve tried casein from many of the most popular protein powder brands in many different flavors. Along with public opinion from online reviews and social media, I’ll give each of the powders a score from 0 to 10 based on how good they taste. If you’re also interested in other types of protein powders, you can check out recent posts I’ve made listing the 10 best tasting whey protein powders and the 6 best tasting vegan protein powders.

The 6 Best Tasting Casein Protein Powders

6.

PEScience Select — Snickerdoodle

Now, this protein isn’t pure casein, it’s about 50/50 between casein and whey. That being said, it tastes way better than any straight casein powder, and per scoop you’re still getting 12g of casein protein, so you still get some of the slow-digesting benefits while maintaining a great taste. Its thickness and delicious cookie flavor make it perfect for baking protein cookies, waffles, and other treats. If you don’t necessarily need a 100% casein protein powder, then a whey-casein blend like this might be the better option for you.

Taste: 8.5/10

Overall score (-2 for being 50% casein): 6.5/10

You can try out this protein powder on the PEScience website or on Amazon.

5.

Dymatize — Vanilla

Dymatize is a pretty big name when it comes to protein powder, and they’re one of the few that actually does a casein powder. There were a lot of great reviews for the chocolate flavor, but after trying it myself, I cannot recommend it in good faith. It was one of the worst protein powders I’ve ever tried and I had to throw it out less than halfway through the tub. But I am happy to report that their vanilla flavor is much more passable.

It won’t match your favorite vanilla whey protein powder, being thicker, harder to mix, and sometimes containing little granular bits that don’t mix at all. However, it does mix okay if you add in some extra water, and the vanilla flavor is pleasant enough for you to pretend that it tastes good. Overall, it’s not a bad option if you’re looking for a casein powder.

Overall score: 6.7/10

You can try this flavor out on the Dymatize website or on Amazon.

4.

Nutricost — Vanilla

Compared to the Dymatize version, I would say this casein powder mixes slightly better, and I found the vanilla flavor a bit more clear and enjoyable. It still leaves a lot to be desired, but I should mention that it is the cheapest casein powder I’ve been able to find by a wide margin (~$0.90/scoop, plus you can often find it on a discount). So all those factors considered, this is one of my top choices for casein protein, especially for those on a tighter budget.

Overall score: 6.9/10

You can try this out on the Nutricost website or on Amazon.

3.

Kaged Muscle — Chocolate Shake

This is one of the few chocolate-flavored casein powders that I’ve managed to tolerate. Compared to the previous entries, it is less gritty and mixes easier. Many reviewers actually really like the taste, but to me it’s just good enough and nothing more. That being said, if you blend it up with a bunch of other ingredients, or simply mix it with some peanut butter or a powdered PB like PBFit, you can still make it taste pretty good. Overall, this is a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable chocolate casein powder, but there is better.

Overall score: 7.2/10

You can try this out on the Kaged Supplements website or on Amazon.

2.

Optimum Nutrition — Creamy Vanilla

Optimum Nutrition is possibly the most well recognized supplement brand on the market, in particular for their high-quality, delicious, and affordable protein powders. Most fitness enthusiasts have probably tried their whey protein, but casein is where they really dominate their competitors in my opinion. This creamy vanilla casein protein powder mixes well, has little to no grittiness, and actually tastes pretty good. It is a clear step ahead of any of the other casein powders I’ve tried, and actually allowed me to enjoy casein for the first time. If you generally prefer vanilla over chocolate, this may be your best bet.

Overall score: 7.7/10

You can try this flavor out on the Optimum Nutrition website or on Amazon.

1.

Optimum Nutrition — Chocolate Supreme

This is my favorite casein protein of all time, and again it’s from Optimum Nutrition. It is great for all the reasons the vanilla flavor is great. The texture, the lack of grittiness, and the ease of mixing are unparalleled in the realm of casein powders, and the people agree. That’s why it’s the most-reviewed and highest-reviewed casein powder on Amazon, and one of the very top recommendations on social media. The vanilla flavor does come out on top when it comes to versatility, as vanilla does, but the chocolate flavor wins out purely on taste. With the taste, affordability, and the brand name of ON behind it, you should absolutely try this casein out.

Overall score: 7.9/10

You can try this flavor out on the Optimum Nutrition website or on Amazon.

Conclusion

You can probably tell by now that there is an inherent struggle with making casein protein taste good. If you’re just looking for good taste, you should absolutely go with whey. And if you’re looking for a thicker protein powder to bake delicious protein treats with, your best option is a whey-casein blend like those from PEScience. I would only recommend a pure casein protein powder if you are interested in the slow-digesting benefits. If you are, then I recommend you start with one of the top 5 on this list, preferably Optimum Nutrition.

Don’t expect to be able to find a casein powder that tastes great, but there should hopefully be at least one of these 5 that is good enough for you.

Please leave a comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my selections, and let me know of any amazing protein powders that I missed!

— Mr. Bro