Protean: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Review (with multiple recipes)

[MidwestBeast]

First of all, thank you to ManimalPatB and iForce for the opportunity to test this out. I've had Brown Sugar Maple Oatmeal Cookie Protean so far and it is quite wonderful and I also have some Blueberry Muffin that I have yet to try, but have heard wonderful things about. So needless to say, I was quite excited to try this flavor from the Protean line that has already been well-received.

I got my tub in last night and already had hit the gym after work and had dinner lined out. I thought about making a shake, but I wasn't in the mood for one, so I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot doing a taste test when I wasn't craving one.

I just had my first experience a few minutes ago. I went with one scoop of Protean in ~8-10 oz (eyeballed) of CarbMaster Vanilla milk (all I had at the office) in my ProMixx shaker/blender.

First observations:

- tub/labeling is on point (very minimal, but appealing to the eyes and professional-looking)
- upon opening, it's great to see the actual little chips in there (reminds me a bit of yeeears ago getting the old Iso Sensation-93 cookies and cream)
- scent isn't super appealing (it's not bad by any means, but some products smell overly inviting and this didn't give me that experience)
- consistency of the powder is great (not insanely powdery/fine, but not overly thick at all)
- mixed up as good as you could ask for (my favorite, lately, has been the MyoFeed Vanilla PB2 and in the same shaker/milk, I have to be very careful because it gets overly thick very fast while pouring the scoop in -- this did not do that and that was nice)
- nothing left behind in the shaker at all



And for the more important stuff -- taste.


I threw a bit of a wrench in the mix here by using a vanilla flavored milk, but it was all I had here. At home, I'll try a regular milk and see what that does (and may even try the chocolate milk to see how that tastes, too). The mint is there and it's refreshing. It's not close to overpowering and at first, I actually felt just a touch underwhelmed. But the addition of the chips was brilliant, because when you get those, somehow it takes you back over the hump and makes it better.

I'm very much looking forward to experimenting with baking and using this in some other recipes (of course including making protein ice cream), and I may even experiment with adding some additional mint flavoring to a few of them, too.

Stay tuned -- we'll make some delicious treats.


Right off the bat, though, I will say that I enjoyed my first scoop.

 

[ManimalPatB]

Good stuff man!!! Very happy to see that you got the product AND glad you are enjoying it so far!!!!

 

[Epolis13]

Yessssss! Looking forward to seeing how you experiment with this. My favorite is mixing it with chocolate fairlife. I've made ice cream with it that way, too. 2 c choc fairlife + 2 scoops mint choc protean. Unreal.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Driven2lift The Solution

Any suggestions I should take a crack at with this flavor (that aren't beyond my scope of completion lol)?

I picked up some mint extract last night to potentially add if needed and then some garnishing (Andes Mints, mint M&M's, etc.).

Didn't see any specific mint flavored cake or brownie mixes, so I figured I would just hold off til talking to some of you about suggestions. I have my doughnut pan that I have yet to use, the ice cream maker, and the basics. Just not sure what this will pair best with (though I'm guessing just basic chocolate).

 

[ManimalPatB]

Driven2lift The Solution

Any suggestions I should take a crack at with this flavor (that aren't beyond my scope of completion lol)?

I picked up some mint extract last night to potentially add if needed and then some garnishing (Andes Mints, mint M&M's, etc.).

Didn't see any specific mint flavored cake or brownie mixes, so I figured I would just hold off til talking to some of you about suggestions. I have my doughnut pan that I have yet to use, the ice cream maker, and the basics. Just not sure what this will pair best with (though I'm guessing just basic chocolate).

Ive seen a few mint flavored brownie mixes, but I will agree those are hard to find at times

 

[Driven2lift]

I'd say go for something shamrock chocolate chip

Or a grasshopper cake/brownie

 

[Afi140]

Definitely in for the baking

 

[MidwestBeast]

Okay, so I attempted to update this yesterday and about near the finish, the app crashed out on me lol. So I wasn't touching it til I was back on a computer because my thumbs were angry.

I very seldom make actual oatmeal anymore (usually just use it for proat balls, sludge, etc.), but I decided to attempt it just to give you some feedback. I had the MO Smores oatmeal and decided that would likely pair the best with this. Mixed 1c of oats and 1 scoop protein, then added some vanilla CarbMaster milk and stuck it in the microwave for a minute. Managed to screw up like I do these days and put too much milk in there. I swear it didn't look like much at all before it hit the microwave, but lo and behold. So it was way thinner/soupier than what I'd want, but what was done was done lol.

Flavor paired pretty well together and I think I enjoy this protein even more as a complement to something else. However, I will say that mint and oats never really struck me as flavors that would pair well together from the start, but I had heard plenty others say they were going to do this. I have to say that BSMOC is amazing in oats, and this wasn't bad by a stretch, but I wouldn't say that's where it would shine. Again, I just don't think oats and mint really pair together.

But all that said, I had no problems eating it at all -- I just think there are better uses for it (but BSMOC and BBM in oats should be done regularly).

Class tonight, so no baking, but I'll try to do one of the ice cream recipes Tuesday night just to get you some more feedback. I'll attempt it with all 3 versions of CarbMaster milk (regular, vanilla, and chocolate).

And still wanting to do a brownie or cookie recipe with this; may actually like doing a chocolate and then using this to create an icing (I think it would actually be really good there, especially with the little chips). So I'm all ears if any of you chefs have a specific recipe out there you think would shine for this. Just keep in mind I'm a total amateur lol.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Additionally, I think this is very worth pointing out -- the "chips" that are in this protein are much more like tiny, tiny oreo crumbs, IMO.

I generally don't care for mint CHIP ice cream (I think a lot use semisweet chocolate chips and it just takes away from it for me). I LOOOOVVVEEEE mint oreo stuff, though. And as I was chewing a bit of this that was left in a shake I realized that it seems more like that to me. So that makes this significantly better to my taste buds. Well done.

 

[Epolis13]

Additionally, I think this is very worth pointing out -- the "chips" that are in this protein are much more like tiny, tiny oreo crumbs, IMO.

I generally don't care for mint CHIP ice cream (I think a lot use semisweet chocolate chips and it just takes away from it for me). I LOOOOVVVEEEE mint oreo stuff, though. And as I was chewing a bit of this that was left in a shake I realized that it seems more like that to me. So that makes this significantly better to my taste buds. Well done.

Yeah those chips are my favorite part.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Haven't forgotten about this -- things have just been insanely busy around here. I'm taking an EMT course two nights a week so that kills my Mondays and Wednesdays and what little time I have outside of that and the homework has been spent on upkeep on the outside of the house with the weather change.

Doesn't leave a lot of time for actual baking or relaxing. But I've carved out time this weekend to make that happen. At the very least, ice cream will be happening this weekend. I may try to do brownies this weekend, too, but if I don't get to those right now, that'll be sometime late next week.

I'm planning on a ton of yardwork this weekend in addition to homework for class, but as of now, the weather looks like it'll be rain all weekend and if that's the case, I can't do most of what I need to -- which means inside housework/projects, but time to make ice cream. I may do them up tonight and stick them in the freezer overnight to make them better (for the record, I never do that -- I'm lazy and impatient and make the ice cream and eat it the second that it's done lol). But I feel like left in the freezer it will be better because of the consistency feeling less like yogurt.

But stay tuned for taste updates and photos over the next couple days.

 

[MidwestBeast]

Chocolate mint choc chip ice cream made and chilling in the freezer for tonight. Added in 2 mint Oreos to bring cals to 370 with 36g protein.

 

[MidwestBeast]

370 cals
36g protein

(would have been 230 cal and still 36g protein minus the 2 mint oreos, but in all honesty, they make it)

Still a bit of a chalky or chemical flavor present. It's hard to describe, but it's the same thing noticed in the shakes and that others have noted too. It's far more masked in a bite with an oreo chunk.

Don't think I would do this again without the mix-in, but it's top notch with them in there).

 

[tyga tyga]

I noticed that Chem/chalkiness as well.