Make Your Protein Shake Taste Better: How to Balance Sweetness & Flavour
Posted by UPROTEIN on Sep 18, 2025
Dr Muriel Moes | Accredited Dietitian
9 mins
At Uprotein, we know that taste is one of the biggest factors when it comes to enjoying your protein shake. While we carefully design our formulas to deliver a clean, great-tasting product, everyone’s taste buds are different. Some customers tell us their shake is too sweet, while others say it’s not sweet enough. The truth is flavour is subjective, and the good news is that you have more control than you might think.
This guide pulls together practical tips and tricks to help you adjust sweetness, enhance flavour and personalise your protein shakes to your liking. Whether you want to tone down the sweetness, boost the richness, or add a new twist, here are simple ways to make your shake taste just right for you.
Why Protein Shakes Taste Too Sweet or Not Flavourful Enough
- Different people have different sensitivity to sweet flavours. If you rarely consume sweet drinks or foods, you’ll notice sweetness more intensely, in contrast, habitual sweets eaters might find the same shake mild.
- The amount of liquid used relative to powder strongly influences how sweet and flavourful the shake tastes. More liquid dilutes both flavour and sweetness, less liquid strengthens them.
- Sweeteners (either artificial or strong natural ones) are often used to add sweetness without increasing sugar content. They can help mask flavours particularly in plant based proteins that tend to taste earthy. If they are not balanced, it can lead to a very sweet taste, which some people dislike.
How to Adjust Protein Shake Sweetness and Flavour
| Goal | What to Do | Details / Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Make it sweeter or flavour more intense | Use less liquid; use richer/flavourful base liquids | Try milk (dairy or non-dairy) to add natural sugars and creaminess. Reduce water for stronger flavour. |
| Make it less sweet or more balanced | Add more liquid; use milder bases; include neutral ingredients | Dilute with water or unsweetened milk. Add spinach, cauliflower, or unflavoured protein to balance sweetness. |
| Add flavour complexity | Include fruits, spices, extracts, nut butters, cacao etc. | Banana, berries, peanut/almond butter, cinnamon, or vanilla extract for richer taste. |
| Change texture & “feel” | Use yogurt, ice, blending; add creamy or fibre-rich elements | Greek yogurt for thickness, ice for smoothness, or oatmeal/nuts for fibre and texture. |
Protein Shake Problems and Solutions: Too Sweet, Too Bland, or Artificial Aftertaste
- If it’s way too sweet slowly add more liquid/water to dilute; mix with neutral or unsweetened bases; add mild, non sweet ingredients like spinach or avocado.
- If it’s flat or weak in flavour use less liquid/water, or pick a more strongly flavoured protein powder; add “boosters” like cocoa, spices, or flavour extracts.
- Dealing with sweetener aftertaste some people dislike stevia, sucralose, etc. Pairing them with milk or other ingredients can help.
Tips to Experiment and Customise Your Protein Shake Taste
- Start small: Make a protein shake with the recommended serving size mix, with Uprotein most are 40g, then tweak one thing at a time (more water; added fruit; different base).
- Note your current diet: If you’ve been eating lots of sugary or strongly flavoured food, your palate might be desensitised. What you think is “not sweet enough” might actually have plenty of flavour.
- Keep balance in mind: Sometimes sweetness isn’t the only issue, texture, mouthfeel, aftertaste matter too. A little creaminess or fat (e.g. from nut butter or full fat milk) can help round things out.
- Use flavour enhancer items spices, cocoa, extracts, flavours drops. Very small additions can dramatically alter perception without needing more powder or sugar.
Final Thoughts: Take Control of Your Protein Shake Flavour with Uprotein
At Uprotein, while we craft products to taste great “out of the box,” you really do have a lot of control
- You can alter sweetness by adjusting the liquid to powder ratio.
- You can make it more flavourful or more mellow by what ingredients you add (milk vs water, fruits, spices etc.)
- Your taste buds change based on what you usually eat, so if something is too sweet or too weak, you’re not alone.
Use these tips to experiment! Over time, you’ll find the way you like your shake, and you’ll know how to tweak it fast.
Protein Shake Flavour Cheat Sheet
This quick cheat sheet shows you how to customise our most popular flavours. We believe all our flavours taste amazing, but if you're finding you want to mix things up, consider these handy tips so you can make every shake taste exactly the way you like it.
Chocolate Protein Powder Flavour
- Too sweet? With chocolate flavour protein powder first we suggest adding extra water to dilute, but you can also consider blending in some spinach or even avocado. Use unsweetened almond or soy milk for a milder base.
- Want richer flavour? Add a teaspoon of natural cocoa powder or a spoonful of peanut/almond butter for a chocolate nut boost.
Vanilla Protein Powder Flavour
- Too sweet? With vanilla flavour protein powder, balance with coffee (iced or hot) for a vanilla latte vibe, or dilute with unsweetened almond milk.
- Want more flavour? Add cinnamon, nutmeg or a drop of vanilla extract. Blend in frozen berries for fruity sweetness.
Banana Protein Powder Flavour
- Too sweet? Mellow with blended spinach, cucumber or kale. Use plain Greek yogurt for creaminess without added sugar.
- Want stronger banana taste? Add a fresh or frozen banana and a pinch of cinnamon for a banana bread profile.
Coffee Protein Powder Flavour
- Too strong or bitter? Blend with milk or oat milk to soften the edge. Add banana for natural sweetness.
- Want more kick? Drop in an espresso shot or mix with cocoa powder for a mocha twist. Check out our ice coffee protein shake recipe.
Caramel Biscuit Protein Powder Flavour
- Too sweet? Dilute with unsweetened almond milk or ice. Add a pinch of sea salt to create a salted caramel balance.
- Want more biscuit notes? Stir in a spoonful of biscoff spread or peanut butter, or blend with oats for a dessert style shake.
Unflavoured Protein Powder Flavour
- Too plain? Add cocoa, cinnamon or a few drops of flavour concentrate. Blend with berries, mango or pineapple for natural flavour.
- Want neutral taste? Mix with water or unsweetened almond milk or use it as a neutral protein boost in smoothies and recipes.
Tip: Tweak one thing at a time (liquid, fruit or spice) so you can learn what you prefer.
