Best Protein Powders Without Artificial Sweeteners of 2026

Twenty-eight grams of protein per scoop is a lot for a flavored whey, and that number is the first reason Transparent Labs stands out in this group. It's a grass-fed whey isolate, naturally flavored, and free of artificial sweeteners, with 30 servings per tub. We kept it for days when we wanted a higher-protein shake and didn't mind a more premium powder.

The chocolate flavor is clean and not too sweet, and it mixed completely in a shaker with water. The texture is smooth, not chalky, and it didn't leave us feeling heavy. The one quirk is foam: in a blender it whips up a thick head, so we preferred a shaker or letting it sit for a minute before drinking.

If you're choosing between this and Ascent, the decision is mostly about protein per scoop and sourcing. Transparent Labs gives you 28g from grass-fed dairy; Ascent gives you 25g. We reach for Transparent Labs when the extra protein matters.

The label is the appeal here: Levels lists a short, recognizable ingredient set and sweetens its vanilla bean whey with monk fruit rather than an artificial sweetener. Each scoop has 24g of protein and 5.4g of BCAAs, and the protein comes from grass-fed whey concentrate.

We found the vanilla light and clean, closer to vanilla milk than a milkshake. It mixed without clumps in a shaker with milk; with water it's thinner but still smooth. With milk, it had a creamier body; with water, it was light enough to drink quickly. The monk fruit keeps the sweetness restrained, which we liked for daily drinking.

The short ingredient list is the reason to choose it over a flavored whey with gums and fillers. The monk fruit is the sweetener we noticed least, which is a compliment. Levels is the one we keep for mornings when we want the protein without the sweetness hanging around.

Jocko's sweetener system is the reason it made the cut: allulose, monk fruit, and Reb-M are natural options, and the blend avoids the sucralose aftertaste some powders have. The chocolate peanut butter flavor is the one to try if you want a protein shake that tastes like a treat without artificial sweeteners.

The protein blend is more complex than most: whey concentrate, whey isolate, micellar casein, and egg, which makes it slower-digesting. It also includes digestive enzymes and probiotics, and it's low in sugar. In water, it mixed well and stayed creamy; in milk, it was thicker and more dessert-like.

We liked the flavor most, but we noted that the sweetness is assertive. A few extra ounces of water helped, and it was better over ice than at room temperature. The chocolate peanut butter flavor is the most dessert-like of the group, so it works when you want a treat. If you want a naturally sweetened shake with a slower protein blend, it's a strong choice.

The entire ingredient list is whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin, which is about as stripped-down as a protein powder gets. It's unflavored and unsweetened, so there's no stevia aftertaste to work around and no artificial sweetener to check for. That short list is the reason it works in savory food as well as sweet.

We used it in coffee, oatmeal, and a shaker with water; it disappears into whatever we put it in, with no sweetener to fight. That's the point: it's a blank protein base, not a ready-to-drink shake. The powder mixes cleanly and doesn't turn gritty, which is why it became our unflavored default.

The 1 kg bag is easy to store and reseal, and it's a good size for testing whether unflavored protein fits your routine. For coffee, smoothies, and oatmeal, that neutrality is exactly what we want. We also liked that the bag takes up less room than a tub.

KOS is the plant-based option we kept coming back to because it skips erythritol and sweetens with stevia and monk fruit instead of an artificial sweetener. The chocolate flavor uses organic Peruvian cacao and coconut milk, and the blend includes digestive enzymes. The 28-serving bag is a decent size for a plant protein you use a few times a week.

The flavor is rich and not too sweet, and it mixed well in a shaker with almond milk. The texture is where plant proteins often stumble, and KOS is no exception: some sips finish smooth, others leave a grainy coating. With water, the grit was more obvious; with almond milk, it was creamier. We had the best luck blending it with frozen fruit or giving the shaker an extra minute.

We liked it most as a smoothie base, where the cacao and coconut milk have room to work and the grit disappears into the fruit. If you drink it plain in water, the texture is more noticeable. The cacao flavor is strong enough to stand up to fruit, which is why it works as a smoothie base. For a dairy-free chocolate shake without artificial sweeteners, it's the one we reach for.

A five-pound bag is a commitment, and that's the first thing to know about NOW Sports' unflavored whey isolate. It's a two-ingredient powder with 24g of protein per scoop and 5g of BCAAs, and it's made in a GMP-certified facility.

The powder is unflavored and unsweetened, so it disappears into coffee, oatmeal, or a smoothie without changing the taste. It mixed well with water and milk in a shaker, and we didn't have to fight clumps. We also liked it in oatmeal, where it added protein without changing the flavor.

The value story is the size: this bag is for a household that goes through a scoop every day, not for someone trying protein powder for the first time. It takes up cabinet space, and the plain bag isn't as tidy as a tub.

We liked it most for the price per serving and the fact that it stays out of the way flavor-wise. If you want a smaller unflavored bag, BulkSupplements is the easier entry point; if you want a flavored shake, Ascent is the better default. For daily scoopers, NOW is the bulk buy we keep.

Orgain's vanilla bean is the budget plant-based option in this group, and it earns a look if you want 21g of organic protein and a stevia-sweetened vanilla. It has 1g of sugar, uses pea, brown rice, and chia for a complete protein, and skips erythritol, soy, and carrageenan. The 2.03 lb tub is a reasonable size for a household that makes smoothies a few times a week.

The vanilla is sweet, so it's better in a smoothie with fruit than in plain water. We liked it with almond milk and a banana, where the sweetness has something to balance it. With water alone, the sweetness is more prominent, so we kept it for blended drinks.

The texture is the bigger issue. In a shaker, it blended well enough, but some sips finish smooth and others leave a little grit. A blender helps, and frozen fruit hides the rest. A high-speed blender gives the best result; a shaker is fine if you don't mind a little texture. If you drink your powder plain, this is not the smoothest plant option here.

We kept it for the price and the clean label, not for the texture. It's a good budget choice for smoothies and oatmeal, and it's widely available. If you want a plant protein with a richer chocolate flavor and better mixing, KOS is the step up; if you want unflavored, go to BulkSupplements.