Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids (though two are present in lower quantities than the others) alongside long branched-chain amino acids, which aid in muscle growth and recovery. On top of this, pea protein is host to a whole range of benefits thanks to its pea protein hydrolysates which have antihypertensive, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
In addition to making shakes and smoothies, cooking and baking with pea protein powder is possible if you know what you’re doing. If you’re looking for tasty pea protein recipes, check out these recipes below.
How To Make Pea Protein Taste Better
The easiest thing to do is combine pea protein with other ingredients to mask the taste. Mix your pea protein with almond or coconut milk instead of water, add fresh or frozen fruit to it in a blender, or a nut butter such as cashew or almond butter.
Sugar-free cacao powder or vanilla extract are also options, as are natural sweeteners such as stevia. However, some stevia sweeteners are processed with sugar alcohols, which may cause you to experience digestive problems, like bloating and diarrhea.
Pea Protein Smoothie / Pea Protein Shake Recipe
- 2 cups of almond or coconut milk
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1 heaping scoop of unflavored pea protein (we recommend Naked Pea Protein)
- 1-2 teaspoons of chia seeds
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 packet of stevia, optional (if needed for extra sweetness)
Pea Protein Burger Recipe
- 4 Beyond Burger patties
- 4 brioche buns
- 4 cups of kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups of green cabbage
- 2 red onions, caramelized
- 4 slices of vegan white cheddar
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- Optional: vegan chipotle sauce
Chocolate Pea Protein Pancakes
- 1 cup (120 g) of all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (28 g) of Nutrasumma Pea Protein
- 1 tbsp of baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 cup of water, plus more as needed
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add in the maple syrup or your chosen sweetener. Slowly add the water, mixing until the batter is just mixed. The batter should be lumpy and thick, but pourable.
On a medium heat, scoop a ¼ cup of batter into a non-stick pan. Flip once bubbles form on top of the pancakes and cook for a further 1-2 mins. Cover with your favorite toppings.
Pea Protein Muffins
- 2 cups of rolled oats (to be ground) or 1½ cups of gluten-free oat flour
- ¼ cup (~60 gr) of Naked Pea Protein
- A pinch of salt
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of baking soda
- 2 eggs (room temperature) or an egg replacement
- ⅔ cup almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- ½ cup of honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup of natural creamy nut butter or seed butter
- ½ cup of dairy-free/sugar-free dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease a muffin tin.
Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in another bowl. In a third bowl, mix together the nut butter and honey. Mix all three bowls together until a cake-like batter has formed, then fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the mixture into lined muffin cases and cook for 18-22 mins until a wooden skewer comes out of the muffins clean.
Pea Protein Cookies
- 1 cup of mashed overripe banana (2 medium/large bananas)
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup of coconut sugar ー you can substitute with 7.5g of stevia to lower your sugar intake
- ⅓ cup of natural peanut butter, salted
- ¾ cup of Naked Pea Protein
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup of rolled oats
- ⅓ cup of mini vegan chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mash the bananas together then whisk in the vanilla, coconut sugar and peanut butter (add a pinch of salt if this is unsalted). In another bowl, whisk together the pea protein, cocoa powder, baking powder and oats.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a thick dough, then add the chocolate chips. Spoon out balls of cookie dough and place on the baking tray and flatten them with a fork. Cook for 12-14 mins.
Feature image by NordWood Themes on Unsplash
