11 Creative Ways to Use Collagen Powder

Collagen powder comes with plenty of potential benefits, from helping restore a youthful glow to your skin to reducing joint pain. While the body creates its own collagen from protein-based food sources, oral collagen supplements like pills and powders provide a special form known as hydrolyzed collagen. This type of collagen has been broken down into peptides that may be easier to absorb than those in regular foods. It’s not surprising that collagen powders have become a go-to for many people seeking healthier skin, nails, joints, and more.

If you’d like to include collagen in your diet on a daily basis, you certainly can—but stirring it into plain water is likely to get tedious before long. Looking to spice up your collagen routine with something more interesting (and palatable)? Try these 11 creative ideas for incorporating it into foods and drinks.

Add It to Yogurt

Collagen powder swirls beautifully into flavored yogurt. As you stir some into your mid-morning or afternoon snack, consider adding berries or citrus fruits to the mix. The additional vitamin C that these fruits provide helps stimulate collagen synthesis.

Bake It Into Bars

Baked goods plus collagen powder—a match made in oven heaven! Whether you’re whipping up protein bars, granola bars, or brownies, you can toss in a serving of collagen in the process. Try smuggling a scoop into our chocolatey flaxseed brownies.

Whisk It Into Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled eggs are already a high-protein breakfast, with 6 grams per large egg. Amp up the protein even further by whisking unflavored collagen powder into your morning scramble. (A sprinkle of cheese helps camouflage any chalky flavor.) You can try this with any mixed egg dish you like, such as quiches, frittatas, and egg casseroles.

Blend It in a Smoothie

Smoothies may be the most typical way to get your daily collagen, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Try blending your favorite powder into a chocolatey dessert smoothie. Mix ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup milk, 1 frozen banana, 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup, and a scoop of collagen powder for an easy treat.

Hide It in Soup

Granted, not every soup is an ideal medium for collagen powder, but cream-based soups easily adopt this supplement into their silky fold. Drop a serving or two of unflavored collagen powder into this potato, leek, and white bean soup and you’ll likely never know it’s there.

Add It to a Creamy Pasta

Just like creamy soups make velvety vehicles for hidden collagen, so do creamy pastas. Whisk some unflavored collagen powder into the sauce of mac and cheese or pasta alfredo.

Mix with a Nut Butter

While you’re hauling out the jar of peanut butter from the pantry, reach for the jar of collagen powder, too. The creaminess of nut butter and other spreads easily incorporates powdered collagen. Try snacking on a high-protein PB&J, cashew butter crackers, or almond butter on apple slices.

Add It to Muffin Batter

Muffins for skin and joint health sound like a dream come true—but incorporating powder into muffin batter is one more way to get extra collagen. Add it to these raspberry oatmeal muffins, which are high in fiber from whole-grain oats and bursting with juicy berries. (Don’t worry, the high temperatures of oven baking won’t affect the nutritional value of collagen powder.)

Stir It Into Coffee or Tea

It doesn’t get much more convenient than stirring collagen into a cup of coffee or tea. The powder dissolves easily in hot beverages. Just be sure to stir thoroughly to prevent any unwanted clumps in your morning brew. (And try adding milk or creamer to further hide textural changes.)

Put It in Oatmeal

With its hearty texture, oatmeal makes a great hiding place for a powdered supplement. Fuel up in the morning with this cinnamon roll oatmeal, fortified with a sprinkle of collagen.

Mix It Into Applesauce

Any time you’ve got a hankering for applesauce, it’s an opportunity to add collagen. Homemade or store-bought, the moisture of applesauce soaks up the powder with ease.

To DIY your very own delicious, protein-powered sauce, core, slice, and peel four apples and place them in a saucepan. Cover with water (about ¾ cup) and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to break down. Add sugar and cinnamon to taste, plus a scoop of collagen powder, and mash to your liking.

A Word From Verywell

Getting collagen powder into your everyday meals and snacks can be an adventure in culinary creativity! Start with the ideas above for inspiration, or brainstorm some of your own. If you have questions or concerns about adding collagen to your diet, speak with a registered dietitian.