Easy Protein Cookies Recipe
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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! These flourless cookies made with nut butter and vanilla protein powder are a fun treat you can feel good about feeding your family.
They have the best texture, crisp on the outside but soft in the center! They come together in one bowl in just 20 minutes, and each little cookie contains under 100 calories and 6 grams of protein.
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!
liz’s tips for the best protein cookie recipe
- 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.
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!
Vanilla Extract – this is essential for the flavor, so we don’t recommend omitting it.
Mini Chocolate Chips – These cookies can be made without chocolate chips, with regular sized chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or with whatever mix-ins 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!
Bars – If you prefer protein bars over cookies, try these Homemade Peanut Butter Protein Bars.
Other Healthier Cookies – for some other healthy (however, not high protein) cookies, try Oats and Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
How to make Protein Cookie recipe
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl, until there are no streaks.
- With a rubber spatula, fold mini chocolate chips into the mixture. 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
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!
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.
Are protein cookies healthy?
These protein chocolate chip 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 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 snack 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 Cookie Recipe FAQs
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:
- 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:
Check out these 30+ High Protein Desserts or these other recipes:
Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened nut butter almond, cashew, or peanut butter (260 g)
- ½ cup coconut sugar 75 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup vanilla whey protein powder packed (85 g, weight will vary based on brand)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips 45 g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- 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.
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the mini chocolate chips. Stir to evenly distribute.
- 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.
- 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).
Video
Best recipe I’ve found in the internet!!
Thank you so much
I made it with Tahini
My compliments to you for the amount of “research” you must have put in to this — trying and comparing and mixing and baking and analyzing these cookies. Appreciate the review of the Quest product. I love their protein chips but have never indulged a sweet tooth with them!
Amazing! I used Peanut Butter and normal sugar. They turned out perfect.
Made these today and they were delicious! I didn’t have unsweetened nut butter so I used regular peanut butter instead. It probably wasn’t as healthy but i used a little less coconut sugar than the recipe called for. My husband and 11 year old also loved them! These are perfect for a sweet, healthy snack. Thanks for the great recipe!
These look so good and easy. Can’t wait to make these!
Can Monk Fruit be used?
I’m sorry but I haven’t tried the recipe with monk fruit. I don’t know how that would interact. There is a green box with all the substitutions that we tried above in the blog post – you can check that out for other ideas!
Is there applesauce in the written recipe? where is the measurement?
thank you.
There is no applesauce in this recipe. Please follow the recipe as written 🙂 Years ago it had applesauce, but we changed it to make it even better!
In the recipe for protein cookies it calls for a protein powder. Is there anything you can use in place of the protein powder like maybe flax seed?
These are protein powder cookies, and protein powder is the main ingredient of them so you can’t substitute it out. There are lots of recommendations for different protein powders you can use in this recipe. If you don’t want to bake with protein powder maybe try our Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I do not have whey protein, but i have collagen protein powder. Can i ise that to substitute the whey protein?
We have an entire notes on protein powder section in this recipe – I would recommend reading it! Here’s what we said about collagen protein: Collagen Protein – This was a no-go for this recipe. The dough was too soft to be used for cookie dough and not functional.
Wonderful cookies! Really easy to make. I didn’t have peanut butter and don’t really eat peanut butter. I subbed with almond butter and they were delicious. Also used dairy free dark chocolate chips. I store in the refrigerator. Really a nice little treat that is healthier than most. Thanks!
So happy you enjoyed them, Connie!
Hi can you omit the protein powder?
Protein powder is a main ingredient so no, I wouldn’t recommend that. You can check out other similar cookie recipes on our website though!
Thanks for the great recipe. I did not have any applesauces so I substituted 1 cup of mashed banana and aprox 3 TBs of Greek 0% yogurt so they were moist enough. I used my cookie scoop and got 40. Baked them 10 minutes and they were great. I eat significant protein each day so am happy for a new addition to my protein sources.
I love these! I had part of a baby food pouch to use up that my daughter didn’t care for so I used that, applesauce, vegan protein powder, vanilla and a couple splashes of almond milk. Turned out amazing! I will definitely make them again!
I’ve made this recipe twice. Once I subbed out the applesauce for pumpkin puree- and I think I like them even better.
For a “healthy cookie,” They are pretty decent. I chill the dough before baking. And I don’t like them fresh, I only like them after they have chilled in the fridge overnight, because then they become a little more moist. I store them in the fridge and I eat them cold for breakfast with my matcha or coffee, because they are too dry to eat without a drink. But they are satisfying- filling and just sweet enough. I use dark chocolate chips instead as well.
HI! I have just popped these in the oven but am curious about your sizes, as I got 26 using 1tblsp for each ball and you say it yields 38 with 2 tblsp balls. I didn’t miss anything, so I wondered if you meant teaspoons? Thanks.
Hi Karen – I’m not sure what went wrong with this. It could’ve been your protein powder? But the recipe is written correctly! There should be roughly 38 cookies
I made these for my INCREDIBLY picky eater who needs more protein in his life (like A LOT MORE) thinking he wouldn’t touch them, like everything else, but he’s had one or two for breakfast each day since I made them. So thank you for this recipe!! I consider it a game-changer. As he is intolerant to peanuts, I did use creamy cashew butter, and it worked beautifully.
So so glad he liked them!! You can check out these or – maybe he will like those too!!
Even though you said not to use oat flour, I tried anyway. The cookies came out great!! They are soft, moist and baked perfectly. I used oatmeal I grinded into flour myself so I’m not sure if that is different from oat flour you buy, but wanted to comment that oat flour does work!
Amazing recipe overall! My husband and I love these cookies!
So glad it worked out for you, Kelly! Glad you enjoyed them!
Thank you for the info! How much oats did you use to make the flour? About 1.25 cup oats for one cup of flour?
Here’s a tutorial on how to make oat flour
I made the cookies. They were pretty dry but tasty.
Hi Tori – did you follow the recipe or did you make any substitutions? If you used different ingredients this could have made the cookies dry
Do not substitute bananas for the applesauce. The dough will be dry and crumbly.
Sorry this didn’t work for you, Loren! We don’t recommend that as a substitute
Would PB2 Or PB Fit work as a substitute for peanut butter?
No it wouldn’t. The fat from the peanut butter is necessary for the texture of these cookies
Awesome alternative to a sugar and fat filled cookie, my whole family loved them.
Thanks, Rob! So glad you all liked them!
Hello, I am curious if I can add almond butter for this cookie recipe?
I haven’t tried it but I think you could sub peanut butter for almond butter!
My cookies came out really dry. Is there a way to fix that?
Hi Natalie – did you follow the ingredients exactly as stated in the recipe? No substitutions will work for this recipe!
How much mashed bananas would you recommend in place of the applesauce?
Hi Sherri – I haven’t tested this so I can’t give you a recommendation. Sorry!
Best protein cookie recipe I have ever tried! And so very easy to make. Definitely a must try!
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you liked them!
These look good! Peanut powder mixed with coconut oil would probably work as would mixing with a light olive oil if you are concerned about the fat in a store bought peanut butter.
Hi Bonnie – I wouldn’t recommend that. I don’t think it will save you much in terms of fat per cookie, but I’d be more concerned about it ruining the batter.