How to Get Rid of Protein Powder Clumps (6 Ways)

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I’ve tested over 50 protein powders, and when it comes to bad tasting protein shakes, the most common reason are the clumps it forms.

It applies to every type of protein powder I’ve ever had, whether it was whey, casein, pea, hemp, etc.

On top of that, clumps can stick to the side of your bottle, blender, or glass, meaning that you’re essentially wasting some of that protein.

Clumps are the enemy.

The good news is that there are many things you can do to reduce or eliminate clumps.

Factors That Affect Protein Shake Clumps 

There are 6 main factors that affect clumping, I’ll break them down one at a time in this post:

  1. Powder mixability (surface area)
  2. Mixing order
  3. Temperature
  4. Agitation
  5. Amount of solid
  6. Duration

By the end, you’ll know how to make a shake with minimal protein powder clumps.

Pick the Right Protein Powder

Some protein powders mix vastly better than others.

Most are okay, but a few of them are terrible.

The biggest factor that I’ve seen here is the size of the protein powder itself. Some powders that mix really well, like PlantFusion, have much smaller grains of powder than most brands.

You can either try a bunch out yourself, or see my guide to the best tasting plant-based protein powders; all the top ranked ones mix well.

If you’re interested in a whey or casein powder, you might be able to find a similar guide on a different site.

SUMMARY

Some protein powders mix better than others. The easiest way to tell from a visual inspection is to look at how small the grains of powder are.

Add Liquid Before Protein Powder

If you ever find that protein powder sticks to the bottom or edges of your shaker, this is why.

When you add protein powder first, and then liquid, it forms a sludgy barrier at the edges of your container that prevents the shake from mixing completely.

The simple solution is to always add the liquid first.

SUMMARY

Adding your liquid before protein powder reduces clumps significantly compared to adding the powder to your bottle first.

Use Warmer Liquid to Reduce Clumping

A basic chemistry principle is that the speed of reactions of any kind are influenced by temperature.

In general, warmer things mix or react faster than cold things.

When I write reviews on this site for protein powders, I follow a standardized testing procedure that it took me a while to come up with. One of the factors that I tested to come up with the procedure was liquid temperature.

When I started pouring the liquid (almond milk in my test case) in my shaker bottle a few hours ahead of time to allow it to warm up to room temperature, the amount of clumps in my shakes went down 50-75% (part of the procedure involves filtering out and weighing the clumps). 

Alternatively, microwave the liquid for 30-60 seconds if you’re using it straight from the fridge.

Finally, I know it may seem gross at first, but some protein powders taste better in water, and you can just use room temperature water from the tap.

SUMMARY

Warmer liquid improves the solubility of protein powder in liquids, and tastes better in my opinion once you get used to it.

Use the Right Mixing Tool to Minimize Clumps

The mixing tool you choose, as well as the mixing order can have a huge impact on how well your powder mixes.

Here are common mixing tools in order from best to worst:

  1. Blender – Nothing will beat a blender. There are even portable bottle blenders if budget isn’t a problem.
  2. Shaker bottle with metal mixer – The mixer acts like a whisk and removes most clumps.
  3. Shaker bottle with plastic mixer – Mixes okay, but you’ll often have clumping issues.
  4. Glass and spoon – Works reasonably well, but can leave clumps depending on the specific protein powder.

Using a blender is ideal, but can be a pain due to not being portable and extra cleaning.
protein powder shaker bottle
A shaker bottle with a standard metal mixer will do a very good job. It’s what I use 95% of the time.

SUMMARY

The more you hate protein clumps, the more you should lean towards using a blender.

The Protein Powder to Liquid Ratio (and Order)

As you add more and more protein powder, it becomes harder (or even impossible) for it to dissolve in the liquid.

If you’re finding that you have a ton of clumps, try adding a bit less protein, or more liquid.

In general, you should mix powder and liquid in about a 1:15 (grams:mL) ratio. In other words, mix about 20 grams of protein powder with at least 300 grams of liquid, and scale that up if you want more protein per shake.

SUMMARY

If you’re getting more protein shake clumps than expected, try adding more liquid or less protein powder to your shakes.

Mix Long Enough For Clumps to Disappear

I’ve had some friends complain that their shakes have clumps after shaking for 10-15 seconds.

That’s not long enough.

I’ve found that 30-45 seconds is right around the point where you get the best results. Shaking for longer may help a bit, but not significantly in most cases.

SUMMARY

Protein powder takes a bit longer to dissolve than most people expect. Make sure you’re mixing it for long enough, and put a little bit of effort into it if you want a smooth shake.

Bonus Tip: Re-shake while drinking

Unless you’re chugging your protein shake all at once, some of the protein powder is likely going to settle out of solution (depending on the ratio of powder to liquid).

If you only shake it initially, you’ll find that there’s a significant amount at the bottom, that you’ll get all at once in your last sip.

To avoid this, either shake before each sip (just for 5 seconds or so) if it’s in a shaker bottle, or give it a quick stir if it’s in a glass.

About the author

Dale Cudmore

Your friendly neighborhood vegan from Toronto. I've spent over 6 years as a freelance nutrition writer and researcher. During this time, I've tested over 50 vegan protein powders, and over 100 other types of vegan supplements.