The best Protein Cookie recipe that’s easy to make! Secretly healthy, these cookies only have 8 simple ingredients and are delicious! Naturally gluten free too!
This post was originally shared in 2018 but has since been updated.
If you’re trying to eat more protein, but have a sweet tooth – you have to try these healthy Protein Cookies!
We’ve all snuck in protein powder to things like a Strawberry Banana Smoothie, but baked goods are a way more fun way to up your protein intake!
Healthy Protein Donuts, Oatmeal Raisin Protein Bars, and Banana Protein Muffins are some of our most popular healthy recipes, so it only made sense that we perfected a protein cookie recipe for you!
Why you’ll love this Protein Cookie Recipe
- Quick and easy to make – These cookies are made in only bowl in just 20 minutes!
- Soft & fudgy! These cookies are crisp on the outside but soft in the center- we love the texture!
- High Protein: Each little cookie contains under 100 calories and 6 grams of protein. What is better than meeting your protein goal with cookies?
- Healthy Ingredients: These flourless cookies made with nut butter and protein powder are a fun treat you can feel good about feeding your family.
Protein Powder Cookies Ingredients
These cookies are made with 8 simple ingredients:
Substitutions
Eggs – I did not test any egg replacements in this recipe. I think substituting this ingredient would be tricky since it binds this flourless recipe and adds additional protein. If you try an egg replacement, let us know what works in the comments below.
Nut Butter – I tested peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and sunflower seed butter in this recipe. All options worked well. Sunflower seed butter produces softer, flatter cookies, but was still a great option for those who need to make this recipe nut-free. If using sunflower seed butter, place the cookies a little farther apart because they will spread out more.
Peanut butter had the strongest flavor, while cashew butter and almond butter were more neutral. Avoid any sweetened nut butters, because it will make the cookies overly sweet.
Coconut Sugar – Brown sugar or regular granulated sugar can be used as a substitute for coconut sugar.
Vanilla Whey Protein Powder – I tested several protein options that were not whey, and a few different brands of vanilla whey protein. This is the protein powder we recommend for this recipe. See ‘Protein Powder Notes’ for everything that I tested and options I recommend. When choosing a whey protein to bake with, stick with protein powders with minimal ingredients (whey protein, sweetener, vanilla flavor).
I don’t recommend using unflavored whey protein in this recipe because you are relying on some of the sweetener from the protein powder to sweeten the cookies. You could use another flavor other than vanilla if you want to flavor the cookies differently.
You can try chocolate whey protein for double chocolate protein cookies!
Mini Chocolate Chips – These cookies can be made without chocolate chips, with regular sized chocolate chips, or with whatever mix-in you would like. I like using mini chocolate chips because I feel like they distribute a little better than larger ones in this recipe. You can also replace the chocolate chips with sprinkles for a funfetti option!
How to make Protein Cookies
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl, until there are no streaks.
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips. Stir to evenly distribute.
- Roll 2 tablespoon scoops of cookie dough in your hands until a smooth ball forms. Place on a lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Do not flatten.
- Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 10 minutes to fully set.
If you want, you can double the cookie size and make larger cookies. They may need to bake for about 1-2 minutes more.
Notes on Protein Powder
Whey protein is easier to bake with because there are fewer ingredients and therefore fewer variables. When selecting a protein powder to use in baking recipes, fewer ingredients is key. The protein powder should contain protein, sweetener, natural flavor, and not much else.
If using whey protein powder, you should lightly pack it when measuring. This will allow you to produce a thicker batter making it easier to divide and will add a little extra protein. Most vegan protein powders will not require packing.
Brands that we have tested in this recipe:
Our Favorite: Iconic Protein Grass-Fed Whey in Vanilla Bean – This option has simple ingredients, and worked perfectly for these cookies.
Levels Grass-Fed Whey Protein in Vanilla – Works well and contains simple ingredients.
Orgain Simple in Creamy Vanilla (Vegan) – The cookies made with this protein powder did not flatten at all. The flavor was good, but they were very round and a little dry.
Naked Whey Protein in Vanilla – This option is sweetened with coconut sugar rather than monk fruit, and I have really been enjoying baking with it. It is great option in this recipe.
Be Well by Kelly Beef Protein Isolate – This is my recommendation for a dairy-free option. I love this protein, but haven’t had much luck baking with it; however, it worked surprisingly well in this cookie recipe. The cookies were a little chewier (which is not always a bad thing). They also spread out a little more, so I would recommend spacing them a little further apart if using this option.
Mikuna Vanilla Chocho Protein Powder – This is usually a good vegan option for baking, but it produced really dry cookies. If using a chocho bean protein powder, I would use slightly less than 2/3 cup.
Collagen Protein – This was a no-go for this recipe. The dough was too soft to be used for cookie dough and not functional.
Liz’s Tips for the Best Cookies
- For softer cookies, you can slightly underbake the cookies (I wouldn’t go fewer than 8 minutes). Allow them to set fully on the baking sheet once removed from the oven before enjoying.
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop for 24 perfect cookies. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie.
Are protein cookies healthy?
These protein cookies have a pretty good balance of protein, fat, and carbs. Each cookie has under 100 calories and 6g of protein. They’re a better alternative to a regular chocolate chip cookie, but should still be enjoyed as a treat!
These cookies are much better for you than a Lenny & Larry’s cookie or even a Quest cookie. This protein cookie recipe is also much smaller, so you’d need about 4 cookies to stack up to eating to 1 Lenny Larry’s Cookie.
Are Lenny & Larry’s Cookies Healthy?
For comparison:
Lenny & Larry’s Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies: 420 calories, 12g fat, 59g carbs, and 16g of protein (per serving)
Quest Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies: 250 calories, 17g fat, 19g carbs, 15g protein (per serving)
4 of our protein cookies: 392 calories, 24g fat, 28g carbs, 24g of protein
Pre-made protein cookies have on average 20 ingredients, whereas our homemade protein cookies only have 8 ingredients. The ingredients in pre-made protein cookies often have gums, thickeners, and added sugar.
In our opinion, Lenny & Larry’s or Quest Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies aren’t really healthy for you. They should be considered a treat.. not post workout nutrition!
The same goes for our protein cookies. A cookie is a cookie, but these have minimal ingredients, no preservatives, and are much lower in sugar!
These cookies are just a little bit crispy on the outside, and perfectly soft on the inside while having delicious chocolate chips throughout. They’re seriously SO yummy. We like to eat them right out of the oven!
Trying to eat more protein?
If you’re trying to eat more protein, check out our High Protein Dinners Ebook! It has 24 easy recipes you can make in under an hour with 25g+ protein per serving!
Healthy Protein Cookies Recipe FAQs
Adding protein powder to baking is a science! You need to make sure you have enough fat or liquid to compensate for the protein powder being added. Protein powder can make baked goods very dry!
No, protein powder can’t replace flour in baking. It’s very different than flour. It has no gluten in it compared to regular flour which does have gluten in it. Flour gives baked goods a light, fluffy texture, while protein powder can give baked goods a dense, dry texture.
No, a protein cookie is not a meal replacement. Most do not have enough protein, calories or carbs to replace a meal.
No, heat doesn’t destroy whey protein. It’s fine to bake with whey protein. If you were cooking it at excessively high heat it could cause damage, but it’s otherwise fine.
How to pick the best healthy peanut butter:
Not all peanut butter is the same! When we buy a peanut butter we look for 3 things:
- That the ingredients contain just nuts (and maybe some salt).
- That there are no added sugars. There is no need for added sugar in nut butter.
- That there is no added oil. Added oils are unnecessary, and usually used as a filler to mimic the taste/texture of nuts instead of using them (it saves manufacturers $$!)
Storage
Storing: Once fully cooled, store these cookies in a resealable zipper bag or an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
They will be safe to eat for longer, but depending on the type of nut butter/protein powder used, they may soften quite a bit.
Freezing: Freeze cooled protein cookies in an airtight resealable freezer bag for up to 2 months. Take care not to smash them while they are in the freezer as they will crumble. To thaw, pull the cookies from the freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature for about 12 hours before enjoying.
We don’t recommend freezing unbaked dough. I would bake the cookies and then freeze them.
Other healthy dessert recipes:
Protein Cookies
The best Protein Cookie recipe that’s easy to make! Secretly healthy, these cookies only have 8 simple ingredients and are delicious!
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
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Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together. The protein powder combined with the nut butter will begin to get thick. Once the dough is thick, transition to using a rubber spatula to stir the dough until it becomes an even color with no streaks of dry ingredients.
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With a rubber spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips. Stir to evenly distribute.
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Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to divide the dough (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Roll the scoops of cookie dough between clean hands until a smooth ball forms. Place the ball on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie. Do not flatten.
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Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes (9 was perfect for my oven, but I liked to underbake them slightly so that they are really soft). Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes so that they fully set (important if you are aiming to slightly underbake).
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze these cookies for up to a month. Make sure they are completely cooled before storing.
For softer cookies, you can slightly underbake the cookies (I wouldn’t go fewer than 8 minutes). Allow them to set fully on the baking sheet once removed from the oven before enjoying.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.005g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
