Best Gluten-Free Protein Powder (2024): 8 Top Picks Chosen by Certified Nutrition Experts

When it comes to gluten-free protein powders, it’s hard to beat Legion Whey+. Available in 20 flavors (some may be seasonal), Legion is free from gluten, artificial sweeteners, chemicals, and unnecessary fillers, and all Legion products are third-party tested to ensure purity and quality. 

Our tester, GGR Performance Editor Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, tried the Cinnamon Cereal flavor and rated it a 4.5 out of 5. Anthony said, “It kind of tasted like when you first started eating a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the cereal hasn’t had a chance to be fully incorporated into the milk yet; aka, the flavor’s there but not quite as pungent as I would’ve liked.”

I’ve also gone through several bags of the Cinnamon Cereal protein and agree that the flavor is mild, but I actually prefer that, as I find overly-sweetened protein powders a bit hard to drink. 

The taste and quality are excellent, and we conducted our own third-party testing on Legion Whey+ with Ellipse Analytics, who scored Legion in the top half of the 150 protein powders we sent for testing.

Legion Whey+ also has a Truly Grass-Fed certification, which certifies that the protein comes from cows that spend most of their time grazing in nature. 

It’s a little pricey, but this is still our top pick based on the quality, flavors, and third-party testing.

To learn more, read our Legion whey protein review or watch Lindsay Scheele, CPT, CNC, break down everything you need to know in our Legion Whey+ video review.

Taste is always important when it comes to protein shakes, as nobody wants to force themselves to chug a shake that isn’t enjoyable. Thankfully, Transparent Labs has excellent flavors, a fantastic ingredient profile, and is third-party tested to ensure purity and label accuracy. 

Each scoop contains a whopping 28 grams of high-quality whey isolate, which we love to see. The flavor is excellent as well, scoring a 5-out-of-5-star rating from Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC. 

Anthony tried the Peppermint Hot Chocolate seasonal flavor, which is as delicious as it sounds. He said the only thing missing is whipped cream and marshmallows, and you’d have the perfect tasty beverage. 

If that’s not your thing, Transparent Labs Whey Isolate is available in 13 flavors (more during certain seasons), including Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon French Toast, Blueberry Pancakes, and many others. 

Transparent Labs also scored highly in our lab testing from Ellipse Analytics, so we feel very comfortable recommending this protein for its purity and label accuracy. 

It’s not the cheapest protein, but the quality, flavor variety, and third-party testing make it well worth the cost, in our opinion. To get the full scoop, read our complete Transparent Labs protein review.

Building muscle is hard, but a high-quality protein powder makes it that much easier. Sports Research Whey Protein Isolate is gluten-free, contains 25 grams of muscle-building protein per scoop, and has 140-150 calories, depending on the flavor. 

This is higher in calories than many other whey protein isolates, which is exactly what you want when building muscle, which requires extra calories. 

Now, our one call-out is the solubility. It just doesn’t mix very well, even with a shaker cup. Our tester, certified personal trainer Anthony O’Reilly, recommends mixing this with a blender for the best results. 

There are also only two flavors available: Dutch Chocolate and Creamy Vanilla. However, as someone who’s tried dozens of brands and flavors in my 12 years as a fitness professional, I find myself coming back to chocolate and vanilla 90% of the time, as they’re the most neutral, versatile flavors.

For the price, Sports Research Whey Isolate earns a strong 5 out of 5. The price ranges from $1.27 to $1.46 per serving, which is very affordable, especially considering the protein is rigorously third-party tested. 

Sure, we wish it blended a little better, but for those on a gluten-free muscle-building journey, the high calorie and protein content in each scoop is hard to beat. You can read more in our Sports Research Whey Isolate review.

If you’re currently on a weight loss journey, an adequate protein intake is recommended to minimize muscle loss and support recovery. Muscle loss is a real risk when dieting, and consuming plenty of protein has been shown¹ to have muscle-preserving effects, especially if you combine this with resistance training.

RELATED: How Much Protein Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

However, you don’t want to force down high-calorie, high-fat sources of protein, which could interfere with your weight loss goals. That’s why we love Jacked Factory Authentic Whey. Each scoop contains 25 to 27 grams of protein and only 110 to 130 calories, depending on the flavor.  

This has an excellent protein-to-calorie ratio and a low carb content, which is helpful if you’re trying to minimize unnecessary calories.

Our tester, GGR Performance Editor Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, tried the Fruity Cereal flavor and rated it 4 out of 5. He said, “The powder is white, but once you pour liquid on it, it turns red. It tasted like Froot Loops but with a slightly medicinal aftertaste. This wasn’t anything that turned me off from the product, but it was noteworthy.”

This aftertaste may be due to the artificial sweeteners in Jacked Factory Authentic Whey, which are safe to consume but may not be the tastiest option. 

Flavor aside, we love the formulation and were happy to see that Jacked Factory scored well when we had it sent to Ellipse Analytics for independent third-party testing, which assures us that the label is accurate and the protein is free from harmful ingredients.

It’s affordable, available in a variety of tasty flavors, and a great option to support your weight loss journey. To learn more, you can read our full Jacked Factory Authentic Whey review or check out our in-depth video review below.

Many of the protein powders we’ve chosen aren’t exactly cheap, which is why we were thrilled to discover the quality and value of Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate. 

Compared to a whey isolate, whey concentrate has more fat, carbs, and lactose per serving, but the protein itself is the same complete protein that our bodies require. Practically speaking, this means whey concentrate is often slightly thicker, and for those with sensitive stomachs, it may be a little harder to digest due to the lactose. 

RELATED: Whey Protein Isolate vs Concentrate

That said, if you don’t have any issues with lactose, this is the best value we’ve seen in a protein. It’s third-party tested, manufactured in a GMP-compliant facility, and available in five flavors—everything we could hope for in a protein. 

Depending on the size of the container you buy, Nutricost whey protein can be purchased for as little as $0.87 per serving, making it one of the most affordable proteins we’ve tested. 

Our tester was GGR editorial team member Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1. Kate was very surprised by the flavor and gave it a 5-out-of-5-star rating. 

“So, I don’t LOVE peanut butter, and I wasn’t too jazzed about trying the Chocolate Peanut Butter Flavor,” said Kate. “BUT the peanutty flavor is just right—not too powerful and doesn’t overpower the chocolate. I really, really liked it.”

To learn more about this delicious, affordable protein, be sure to check out our complete Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate review.

For those looking for one of the best vegan, gluten-free protein powders we’ve tested, look no further than Ritual Essential Daily Protein Shake.

Essential Daily Protein isn’t cheap, but you’re paying for quality. This protein is Clean Label Project Certified, which means it’s free of harmful pesticides and heavy metals. All ingredients are organic and non-GMO, and the company uses traceable ingredients, so you can see exactly where each ingredient was sourced. 

It’s formulated with pea protein, which contains all of the essential amino acids but is slightly lacking in l-methionine—which Ritual has added to make this a complete protein source. 

Plant-based protein powders are notorious for having a thick, chalky texture, but our tester, Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, was pleasantly surprised by the solubility, rating it 5 out of 5. She said, “Ritual has an excellent consistency, which I find shocking for a plant-based protein. Mixed in just water, it dissolves completely and has a super-smooth texture. It’s not thick, but it’s not watery like some proteins I’ve tested.” 

This is one of the most expensive protein powders we’ve tested but it also has the most transparent labeling and high-quality ingredients we’ve seen, so we think it’s worth it. 

To learn more, check out our complete Ritual Protein Powder Review, or watch the video review from Garage Gym Reviews Everything below.

While many proteins are available in a wide range of delicious flavors, this is often due to the use of artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are generally considered to be safe² when consumed in appropriate doses, but many wish to avoid them altogether. 

If you’re looking for a great gluten-free protein that doesn’t use artificial sweeteners, we recommend Momentous Grass-Fed Whey Protein. This gluten-free, soy-free protein powder is naturally sweetened with monk fruit extract and stevia.

Along with these natural sweeteners and natural flavors, Momentous is formulated with grass-fed whey protein and ProHydrolase, an enzyme that aids in the digestion of dairy products. 

It’s NSF-certified and tested by Informed Sport, ensuring the highest manufacturing standards and third-party testing. We also had Momentous tested independently by Ellipse Analytics, and it passed our strict quality standards.

Our tester, Caine Wilkes, OLY, USAW-L1, tried the vanilla flavor and gave it 4 out of 5 stars. He said, “It was OK with water, very good with milk. With milk, the flavor reminded me of vanilla bean ice cream. With water, it reminded me of middle-of-the-road vanilla protein taste.”

Read more in our complete Momentous Essential Grass Fed Whey Protein Review.

If you’re looking for a gluten-free and dairy-free protein powder, we recommend Transparent Labs Organic Vegan Rice and Pea Protein. 

Plant-based protein powders are often loaded with additives and various sweeteners to enhance the flavor, but not Transparent Labs’ protein. Each serving contains a blend of organic rice and pea protein to provide a complete protein source, natural flavors, natural cocoa powder (in the chocolate flavor), Himalayan rock salt, and stevia. 

RELATED: Best Pea Protein Powder

There’s no gluten, dairy, or artificial sweeteners, but this is still a very tasty protein, earning 4 out of 5 stars for both flavor and solubility. It’s not all that sweet, but Lauren Strong, CPT, said it has a pleasant cocoa flavor with slight hints of an earthy taste from the pea and rice protein. 

Lauren also commented that while it dissolves well, it has a thicker texture than whey protein. “It mixes well, but this has a different texture than whey proteins,” she said. “It’s not gritty, but there is more residue/film in the shaker, and I can feel that extra texture in my mouth, too. It’s really not terrible, but it’s not comparable to whey.”

To read more, check out our complete Transparent Labs Vegan Protein review.