5 Koia Protein Shake Flavors, Ranked
Koia produces plant-based protein drinks and smoothies that are low in sugar, gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher, and certified non-GMO. Its protein shakes are made with almond and coconut milk and a proprietary protein blend that contains brown rice, pea, and chickpea proteins. Each protein drink also contains prebiotics to support gut health.
We had the opportunity to sample a cross-section of Koia's classic protein drink flavors and a handful of offerings from its new cereal line. These new drinks seek to capture the taste of cereal after it's soaked in a bowl of milk. It is a novel concept that, if well executed, can be both delicious and nostalgic.
We assessed aroma, texture, and flavor in ranking these protein drinks. We also judged the new series on how effectively they mimicked the taste of cereal milk, which should be distinct from the flavor of the cereal itself. Read on to see how each variety fared, from least to most favorite.
5. Fruity Cereal
At the bottom of our list of favorites was the Fruity Cereal Koia protein beverage. This is one of the new varieties that is supposed to taste like cereal soaked in milk. If we were judging this beverage solely on execution, it would score near the top. It tastes exactly like milk that Fruit Loops have been soaking in. Unfortunately, it has been a few years since our elementary school days, which was the last time we still enjoyed the cloying, synthetic fruit flavors of that kind of cereal.
From the moment we opened the container, the aroma of fake fruit hit us like the smell of liquid medicine. This is a nostalgic smell, but in the worst possible way. We also had some issues with the texture, which is slightly chalky and coats your tongue.
That said, with 190 calories per container, 4 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein, this is a highly nutritious drink. If you enjoy fruity cereal, this will be right up your alley. Unfortunately, we couldn't get into it, so we gave this one an A for effort and a D for flavor.
4. Cinnamon Cereal
While the Cinnamon Cereal-flavored Koia ranked next on our list, we enjoyed this one. This is another flavor designed to taste like milk from a bowl of cereal. In this case, the cereal milk taste was reminiscent of a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Again, purely based on execution, this variety was spot on.
This drink also had 190 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein, making it a great meal replacement or post-workout recovery drink. When we opened the container, the aroma of cinnamon was immediately noticeable. The flavor has a more prominent vanilla essence than cinnamon, which in some ways helps to create the illusion of the cereal soaked in milk. It also had a nice balance of sweetness that wasn't overpowering.
We did note that the almond milk is quite distinguishable in this beverage, which is fine for those who enjoy it but could be off-putting for anyone who isn't overly fond of this type of milk. The texture was similarly chalky but less aggressive than the Fruity Cereal flavor. How it coats your tongue and mouth enhances the illusion of cinnamon and sugar which has fallen off the cereal into the milk. We gave this an A for effort and a B for flavor.
3. Banana Creme
The Banana Creme is one of Koia's classic protein shake flavors. This particular variety also has 190 calories and 18 grams of protein but is higher in sugar, with 6 grams per bottle. That still isn't overly high, making it a suitable low-sugar option for those needing a high-protein meal substitute.
The moment we opened the container, a mild banana aroma was distinguishable. It was not overpowering but reassembled the scent of banana bread that had just been freshly baked. The flavor starts vanilla-forward, with the almond milk dominating a bit. Again, this is not a deal breaker unless you don't enjoy almond milk.
While this may sound a bit bizarre, like a wine that is allowed to open up after being uncorked, the flavors of this shake appeared to become more nuanced as the shake had a chance to sit for a minute or two. We could better pick up on the banana flavor and appreciate the subtle sweetness. Again, the texture was a bit chalky, but this helped reinforce the idea of a banana custard. This variety gets an A for effort and a B+ for flavor.
2. Cocoa Cereal
Our second favorite Koia protein drink was the Cocoa Cereal variety. This was the third of the new cereal-inspired flavors we sampled. If you love Cocoa Puffs, which we do, you will love this beverage. It would have been easy to turn this drink into something akin to chocolate milk. What this drink succeeds in doing is nothing short of a miracle. It fully captures that cocoa and sugar-saturated milk flavor you get when you have eaten an entire bowl of the aforementioned cereal, and all that is left when you are done is a bit of brown soup on the bottom. We don't know how they achieved this, but we are big fans.
While this drink also had a noticeable almond milk aftertaste, it didn't distract from the cocoa. We felt like the slightly chalky texture did a great job reinforcing the mouthfeel of cocoa powder and sugar that had melted off the cereal and infused the milk.
The nutritional profile of this drink is identical to the other cereal offerings, with 190 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein. This beverage gets a solid A+ for effort and an enthusiastic A for flavor.
1. Pumpkin Spice
At the top of our list of Koia protein shakes was the limited-edition Pumpkin Spice flavor. We admit we have sampled a lot of pumpkin spice everything lately, and generally speaking, it's not our favorite flavor combination. It tends to be under-seasoned and overly sweet, so our expectations for this shake were probably a tad low. We could not have been more mistaken.
From the moment we opened this bottle, a strong aroma of classic pumpkin spices came through. This carried through beautifully to the taste, with pervasive elements of cinnamon and vanilla. The star flavor was the cloves, which left a warmth on our tongues that was quite festive. While this was slightly sweeter than the other varieties, it was still well-balanced. This was also one of the flavors that didn't have an overly aggressive almond milk taste or chalky texture.
The nutritional profile of this was a tad different from the other varieties, with 180 calories, 4 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein. This was one of the best pumpkin spice-flavored items we have sampled this year, and it was by far the best Koia protein shake. We give this drink a resounding A+ for effort and an A+ for flavor. Make sure you go out and purchase this one while supplies last.