A few months ago, I was waiting in the Starbucks line, ready to order my typical grande iced caramel macchiato. Then a new advertisement for protein coffee caught my attention. I almost laughed to myself. It feels like they’re sticking protein into everything these days. Is this a new fad or a future trend? Well, I finally decided to brave the world of protein coffee to figure out the answer.
Of course, I had to start with Starbucks, the place that sparked this newfound fascination. They had four main options in both iced and hot: vanilla, matcha, caramel, or a caramel-matcha blend. I settled on the vanilla iced protein latte. The grande (medium) contains 29 g of protein in 16 fl oz, totaling $7.47 with tax.
My initial reaction was a pleasant surprise—I couldn’t taste the protein at all. In the past, I’ve had issues with protein-added açaí bowls and shakes where the taste is off. If I hadn’t ordered this myself, I would have never known it was different from the regular option.
My next stop was Dutch Bros where I ordered the exact same drink. The other protein flavors advertised were Golden Eagle (caramel), Hopscotch (salted caramel), mocha, plain, and a mix of Hopscotch and mocha. The medium vanilla iced protein latte contains 23 g of protein in 24 fl oz, totaling $7.93, slightly more expensive than Starbucks but also larger.
Again, the coffee had no noticeable difference in taste, but this was my first time trying Dutch Bros. I’ll certainly have to come back sometime and order more of their popular drinks! While I waited for my drink, I enjoyed reading the fun menu item names (who doesn’t want to consume something called the Double Torture or Annihilator?).
The last place I tried was Dunkin’. I ordered this one a little differently; I got a medium iced latte and added three pumps of French vanilla. This one was definitely the sweetest.
I didn’t realize until after I ordered that there was a normal vanilla option instead of a French vanilla. Do I fully understand the difference? No. Either way, it tasted good. The drink was 24 fl oz, contained 15 g of protein, and cost $6.84.
Dunkin’ had the most creative flavors advertised for their protein coffee in my opinion. A few that stood out were the Berry Protein Refresher, Banana Protein Latte, and the Almond Iced Protein Matcha Latte. You can essentially add protein milk to any drink that has a milk or non-dairy base.
In conclusion, the protein coffee you like most will probably be from the brand you like most (big shock, I know). My personal favorite was Dunkin’ because I’m a sugar addict, and the price seemed like the best value. It has the least amount of protein at 15 g, which can be a positive or negative depending on your specific protein needs. I’m honestly shocked that Starbucks had as much as 29 g—the most protein, yet the smallest size of the three.
To put it in perspective, the average adult should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (one kilogram equals about 2.2 pounds) of body weight daily, according to Mayo Clinic. That would mean someone who weighs 150 pounds should consume at least 55 grams of protein each day. However, this can be impacted by factors such as exercise level. The article also notes that it’s best to obtain your protein needs from whole foods, including eggs, seafood, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and plant sources when possible.
Will I order protein coffee again? I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to get it either. There’s also the option to make your own coffee and add protein powder or a protein shake. t seems beneficial if you need more protein and already drink coffee regularly, but I wouldn’t use it as a primary source. Overall, I think protein coffee is a fun way to sneak some extra protein to complement a balanced diet!