Everything You Need to Know About Edamame Puffs

If you’re newer to using edamame puffs (also known as soy crispies), they are a great high protein substitute for puffed rice. They are perfect for adding a little crunch to smoothies, smoothie bowls, soups and salads. But my most favorite way to use them is to make homemade protein snacks, like the ones below! I have some other edamame puff recipes if you want even more ideas!

What are edamame puffs?

Edamame puffs are crunchy small balls that can be used similarly to how you might use puffed rice, but they are incredibly high in protein. They are great for adding crunch and protein to salads, smoothies, smoothie bowls and soups. My favorite way to use them, though, is high protein snacks, like the ones above.

Here’s a little section covering the questions I get most often.

Where can I buy edamame puffs?

• I buy the SmartforLife 3 pound bag (affiliate link) on Amazon.
• You can also buy them directly from the SmartforLife website.
  • They are usually a little cheaper on their website if you can qualify for free shipping.
  • They also sell 1 pound bags (which are not as good of a deal).
  • They offer discounts if you buy more than 1 bag at a time.

Do edamame puffs go by another name?

If you happen to be outside of the US, you may have heard edamame puffs called either soy crisps or soy crispies. I think “edamame puffs” is a name only used by the SmartforLife brand.

What are edamame puffs made out of?

Edamame puffs have very few ingredients. Just edamame protein isolate (soybean) and rice starch. So if you have a soy or rice starch allergy, they are probably not for you.

What if I’m allergic to or don’t consume soy?

Never fear, because Pea Protein Crisps exist (affiliate link)! I’ve only been able to find them from the brand Puris, but we’ve tried them and they are a great soy-free substitution.

Can I make edamame puffs at home?

I’ve been asked a few times if you can make these at home, and, unfortunately, you cannot. They use commercial extrusion equipment, which I’m betting you don’t have sitting around your house lol.

Are edamame puffs expensive?

• Edamame puffs used to be cheaper, but it seems like they’ve increased their prices with demand and popularity. Hopefully the price will come back down or another brand will come out with a competing product.
• If you compare edamame puffs with products that have similar macros and uses, like protein powder for instance, it’s actually pretty comparable on a grams of protein per $ basis.
• It may seem expensive if you’re just looking at the weight of the bag, and comparing it to something like puffed rice. Remember that this product is dry and 80% protein, so for the 3 lb bag, you’re actually getting 1,060 grams of protein for $55 (current Amazon price as I type this) or about 19 grams of protein/ US $. Most protein powder brands are between 10 – 20 grams of protein /$.
• You can check out my Vegan Protein Database to compare vegan products by cost and protein %.

How do I keep edamame puffs crispy when I use them?

Edamame puffs are very dry and have a lot of surface area, which means that they can soak up moisture pretty easily, making them soggy. Here are some tips to keep them from getting soggy:

• If you’re going to put them on top of something wet, like soups or smoothies, do it right before you’re going to eat it so that they don’t have much time to get soggy.
• Don’t use water with them when making protein snacks. The only exception in my recipes is the High Protein Crunch Bar, which is made with a tiny amount of water, PBFit powder and chocolate. The peanut butter powder absorbs the water and the edamame puffs don’t get soggy.
• If you need to add liquid to your mixture, I would go with something like maple syrup or a nut/seed butter – see the Peanut Butter Chocolate Hearts or Dubai Chocolate Hearts for example.
• Edamame puffs can also absorb water from the air, especially if it’s humid, which is why it’s important to “seal” them up, particularly if you’re going to be eating them over a few days.
  • By “sealing”, I mean creating a barrier between the edamame puffs and the humid air. Examples would be with melted marshmallows, like in the Rice Crispy Treats or with melted chocolate like the PB Chocolate Hearts. This keeps the puffs from absorbing a bunch of moisture from the air.

My Top 10 Edamame Puff Recipes

These are my 10 favorite edamame puff recipes!

Let me know in the comments, which of these recipes is your favorite! 🙂