The world of Huel plant-based shakes is getting bigger, and at this point, it’s fair to say they’re here to stay. I like to drink Huel because they’re loaded with high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals to keep me full and provide the recommended daily amounts of nutrients.
As of now, huel has over 15 different flavors in their shakes, and ready-to-drink cocktails. And as you can imagine, so many flavors to choose from some options are better than others. I did an experiment and surveyed over 200 people on social media groups and asked about their favorite huel flavors, and why.
In a nutshell, the best Huel flavors are chocolate, Huel black coffee caramel, and banana becasue they’re not too sweet and don’t leave artificial sweetener aftertaste. The worst Huel flavors are strawberry shortcake and salted caramel because they’re too sweet, which makes them unbearable to drink.
There you go my overall answer, but if you wanna know more details about why people choose specific flavors, keep reading.
10 Huel Black Strawberry Shortcake
Among all the Huel flavors, most the people ranked Huel Black strawberry shortcake as being the worst. It has a rich strawberry smell and creamy consistency, but it does not taste like actual strawberries.
According to my survey, some people said it tastes more like a strawberry Nesquik mix. For me, it definitively tastes too sweet. You can make it less sweet by mixing it with water, not with the sweetened milk.
Plus, I find that it has a specific flavor that is hard to mix with other flavors to enhance the taste. I also find that the strawberry shortcake flavor gets tedious, especially if you drink the whole bag.
9 Huel Black Unflavoured
According to the Huel website, the unflavored powder isn’t for everyone. They recommend masking that flavor with other ingredients.
Btw, you can learn more about how to make huel taste better in my article here.
Huel Black Unflavoured tastes like a combination of sprouts and peas. It has an earthy, even beany texture. Most people don’t dig this one. I also dislike this flavor and prefer the taste of flavored versions like banana or coffee.
I ordered once and it wasn’t to my taste (I’m now stuck with it). I’ll never get through it all myself. If you ask me, I wouldn’t get this one.
8 Huel Black Salted Caramel
Taking a sip of Huel Black Salted Caramel is similar to taking a sip from a bag of chemicals. Kudos to Huel for offering a Vanilla alternative, but that flavor is just plain weird.
Some people said this powder is delicious, however, for me, the sweetness is a little overwhelming, compared to everything else I tried. It’s very similar to Mcdonald’s salted caramel milkshake.
Huel salted caramel makes you feel like you just ate the entire Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tub in one sitting. Carmel is sweet in itself, and adding salt only enhances the sugary taste even more.
7 Huel Powder v3.0 Berry
Drinking Huel berry flavor is similar to strawberry shortcake. It does not taste like berries, and unless you’re a fan of artificial marshmallow flavor, I recommend skipping this one.
The first sip actually doesn’t feel so bad. It has a smooth and thick texture. However, immediately after your sip, you’re left with this artificial pancake syrup aftertaste. Drinking this all day makes me feel a little sick.
Pretty much everything about this flavor screams artificial. I also find that it’s hard to mix this flavor with other ingredients. It has an unrefreshing flavor with a bit too much syrupy carryover. I ordered berry powder once, and I can’t get through it.
6 Huel Powder v3.0 Original
To be honest, Huel original is one of these shakes that I order often, but it has to be mixed with something else.
I cannot drink Huel Original without adding extra ingredients like lemon juice, black coffee or coconut water. (If anybody drinks it on its own, I absolutely salute you).
It has a chalky texture and specific pea protein aftertaste, especially when you mix recommended 2 scoops. This shake isn’t as syrupy as the rest of the flavors, which makes it perfect for cooking and baking, as well as combining with other ingredients.
5 Huel Powder v3.0 Vanilla
Huel Powder v3.0 Vanilla is definitely a solid option in the overall flavor roster that Huel is currently offering. According to the Huel website, Vanilla is their favorite flavor with a light, natural vanilla taste.
For me, this one taste like mixing Krispy Kreme doughnuts with a cheesecake in the blender. Overall is good, but exceedingly boring (it’s not something I wanna drink first thing in the morning).
I only got vanilla once and yes, it was a little bit underwhelming and bland. However, this one goes well with Huel flavor boosts, especially Mocha and Chocolate.
4 Huel Black Cinnamon Roll
Huel Black Cinnamon Roll is a decent shake with a proper cinnamon flavor. It does not taste like the syrupy taste (aka is not that sweet like the others that I’ve tried).
This one is my second best. However, a bunch of people told me that this cinnamon swirl makes it taste like a pastry you get at a local scoop shop, which is fine if you’re a fan of cakes and desserts.
This one really tastes like a good milkshake. Most people dig it. I also dig it.
3 Huel Black Cookies & Cream
Huel cookies and cream is a brand new flavor only available with Huel Black Edition. I kind of got excited becasue I really like the whey protein from Optimum Nutrition with the same flavor, so I thought this may be similar.
Learn more: Here you can learn more about the differences between huel and protein powder.
Huel Black Cookies & Cream is one of the better-named options on the list. Once you open the bag, the smell gives you the impression that you’re about to eat Oreos ice cream. The initial taste is nice, sweet but not sickeningly sweet.
However, it does have this plant-based aftertaste from artificial sweeteners to mask the unpleasant pea protein flavors. It’s weird, definitively not pleasant.
2 Huel Black Coffee Caramel
Huel Coffee Caramel is a solid weapon in their arsenal. They made a few versions of their coffee shakes, but the latest Carmel version is really tasty. It does have a slight aftertaste, but it also has a strong espresso aroma, which I love.
This one taste like a can of Starbucks sugar-free Doubleshot Espresso that you can buy at the gas station. It’s not overwhelmingly sweet (which is great for people who drink their coffee black).
It also has energy-boosting, fat-burning caffeine, with an equivalent to one espresso shot. I like to enhance this flavor even more by mixing it with 1 cup of cold Americano.
1 Huel Black Chocolate
Okay, this one has been on top of my list for a while. The flavor is perhaps the most iconic and well-known flavor of Huel powders. It has a surprisingly fresh-tasting cocoa aroma, without a sugar-free artificial aftertaste.
Huel Black Chocolate is one of the few that I would see myself drinking every day, without getting bored. I personally love the chocolate flavor.
Conclusion
In general, all of the Huel shakes are based on pea protein, which will have a weird texture and taste if you drink it alone. That’s why the company adds sweeteners to mask this plant-based flavor.
Sometimes the most simple flavor is the best choice. In my opinion, Huel chocolate is the best flavor out there.