Absolutely Scrumptious Protein Cookies! -Baking a Moment (2024)

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The absolute best protein cookies you’ll ever taste! Made with peanut butter, oats, & chocolate. Stay healthy while still indulging!

It’s a brand new year, yay!

I hope you had an amazing holiday season. And if you’re anything like me, I’m sure you probably indulged (maybe overly so?) in some delicious treats. At my house we were all about comfort food recipes like cinnamon rolls, chocolate mug cakes, and cream of mushroom soup with homemade ciabatta bread for dipping.

It was heaven. But after a little while you start feeling the effects, kwim?

Maybe you need a reset? Maybe you’ve got some health or fitness goals for the new year?

I’ve got your back, fam!

Now if you are a regular reader here, then you know I’m not exactly known for sharing healthy recipes. But I have to tell you: this past spring my 15-year-old son decided to take his health really seriously. He was able to lose 35 pounds and then bulk back up with pure muscle. He was a machine! So dedicated to working out and eating right. #proudmama

High-protein foods were a huge factor in his success. He almost didn’t eat anything that wasn’t high in protein!

So I came up with this protein cookie recipe for him.

And you know what? It tasted so stinkin’ good that I’d put it up against any other cookie recipe out there, healthy or otherwise!

I’m a giver. So here it is! Read on, and enjoy!

WHAT ARE PROTEIN COOKIES?

Protein cookies are basically just a healthier cookie recipe that’s made with additional protein added.

Protein is really good for building muscle, and for added bulk in your diet, without a lot of carbs or fat.

My son keeps this brand of protein powder in our cupboard: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey. And I chose the Double Rich Chocolate flavor, but any flavor will work just fine!

Because of all the protein in this recipe, these cookies will really fill you up! And they keep you feeling full for a long time.

DO PROTEIN COOKIES TASTE GOOD?

Let me be absolutely clear: I do not eat things that don’t taste really, really good. Especially if we are talking about cookies.

Honestly, I’d rather completely deprive myself of treats altogether, than eat something that’s just meh. It’s just not worth the calories for me.

These protein cookies taste good. Really good!

I enjoy these just as much as any other cookie recipe I’ve shared on this site. And I’ve shared a lot of cookie recipes!

Now, these do include real sugar (although it’s a decreased amount) and chocolate chips (which are optional), so there may be healthier versions out there. But these protein cookies are so dang tasty I would eat them even if I wasn’t trying to be healthy. So there.

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

You are going to love how easy it is to make this protein cookie recipe! It really is just a dump-and-stir situation. Couldn’t be simpler!

You’ll need the following ingredients:

Peanut Butter (<--Click the link to see the kind I use)
Protein Powder (I used this brand in this flavor)
Brown Sugar (I used light brown sugar but dark would work equally well)
Eggs
Oatmeal
Salt, and
Chocolate Chips (which are an optional add-in)

Place all these ingredients into a large bowl.

Then mix them up until combined! I like to use a silicone spatula for this step.

Fold in the chocolate chips, if you choose to use them.

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for what you see here, but any kind of baking chips would work. Here are a few ideas:

You could also add in dried fruit and/or nuts to give these cookies some added texture!

Portion out your dough into balls. I like to use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, but you can use any size you like! Just keep in mind that bigger or smaller cookies could need longer or shorter bake times, and it will also impact the number of cookies you get in a batch.

Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them slightly. These cookies will not spread much in the oven, so keep that in mind.

Bake the cookies until they feel set around the edges but still very soft towards the middle. Remember that they will continue to cook for a few minutes, even after they’re removed from the oven. This is called “carry-over cooking,” and if you don’t account for it then your cookies could end up dry.

The cookies will be extremely tender while still warm. If you don’t allow them to cool on the baking sheet first, they may fall apart when you try to transfer them.

Once fully cooled, the cookies will be soft, tender, a little bit crumbly, and moist. YUM!

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS

Are protein cookies healthy? That can mean a lot of different things to different people. So I’ll leave it to you to be the ultimate judge. There are plenty of specifics in the nutritional label below. You’ll find it in the recipe card.

I will say that these are definitely higher in muscle-building protein and lower in sugar and carbs than your traditional peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. And the oatmeal provides fiber, bulk and added nutrients. Which I consider a pretty good thing, especially for a treat that tastes so indulgent!

HOW TO STORE

Once they are completely cool, transfer these cookies to an airtight container. They should last around a week or so.

You can also freeze them! Baked protein cookies will last several months in the freezer if wrapped tightly.

The unbaked dough can be scooped and transferred from a tray to a zip-top bag once fully frozen. It will keep in the freezer for about 8 weeks.

Frozen cookie dough can go straight from the freezer to the oven, so these are great for when that unexpected craving strikes!

A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES:

Peanut Butter Blondies
Peanut Butter Pie
Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
Peanut Butter Cookies

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5 stars (7 ratings)

Scrumptious Protein Cookies

Servings: 15 3-inch cookies

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

The absolute best protein cookies you'll ever taste! Made with peanut butter, oats, & chocolate. Stay healthy while still indulging!

Print Recipe Leave a ReviewSave Recipe

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup (258 g) peanut butter
▢ 1/2 cup (54 g) protein powder
▢ 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar,, lightly packed
▢ 1/2 cup (117 g) oatmeal, (I used quick-cooking oats)
▢ 1 (44 g) egg,, large
▢ 1 (18 g) egg yolk,, large
▢ 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
▢ 1/2 cup (90 g) chocolate chips, (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment.
Place the peanut butter, protein powder, brown sugar, oatmeal, egg, egg yolk, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir together until combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
Scoop the dough into balls, place on the prepared baking sheets, and flatten slightly.
Bake until set around the edges but still quite soft in the centers (approx. 8 to 10 minutes).
Cool completely on the baking sheets.

Notes

Nutritional info includes chocolate chips.

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 168mg, Potassium: 128mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 56IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.

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5 from 7 votes

15 comments

Elaine M — July 9, 2024 @ 9:02 am Reply

So simple & so good! Easy to make although I found the mixture quite dry & didn’t mix together very well so I simply added a little milk and it worked a treat. I only added half the amount of sugar as I find protein powder very sweet anyway. The result was still great. I crumble a cookie over plain Greek yogurt with some berries and I just love it! Being a pre-transplant (liver) patient and the need to eat a well balanced protein and carb diet, these hit the spot perfectly.

Allie — July 9, 2024 @ 10:55 am Reply

So glad to hear that Elaine! I love that idea of crumbling it over Greek yogurt with berries. Sounds fantastic! TYSM for the 5-star review!

Sarah — May 23, 2024 @ 9:16 am Reply

Absolutely fantastic cookies. My son and I love them. We are always looking for better options of getting more protein. I have to make a double batch and we eat them throughout the week. Great for breakfast, snack, or a dessert. Thank you!

Allie — May 23, 2024 @ 12:09 pm Reply

My pleasure Sarah! I’m so happy you enjoyed. Thank you for the 5-star review!

Asher — March 30, 2024 @ 11:15 pm Reply

I am a 14 year old male and I recently have really gotten into lifting and I was looking for the perfect protein snack I could have and these are by far the best tasting cookies yet

Allie {Baking A Moment} — March 31, 2024 @ 11:23 am Reply

Hey Asher! That’s so cool I’m so happy you like the recipe! I created it for my son who was about the same age as you when he got into lifting. Keep up the awesome work!

Shannon Romano — January 16, 2024 @ 6:40 pm Reply

We love them! Only problem is they are too good and because the cookies are “healthy” we are probably eating more than we should be!!

Allie {Baking A Moment} — January 17, 2024 @ 1:15 pm Reply

Yay!! I’m sure that’s better than eating regular cookies though, right? See you soon!

Beth — May 20, 2023 @ 12:53 pm Reply

These are so good! Best protein cookie recipe I’ve made! I did have a hard time stirring the ingredients together; the dough was very stiff. I measured the ingredients carefully so not sure if I did something wrong or if it’s just supposed to be very stiff. I will definitely be making them again.

Heather Gagnon — January 15, 2023 @ 4:38 pm Reply

Quick and easy not to mention delicious. I didn’t have chocolate protein powder so I used a vanilla flavored one that I had in the cupboard. I found them to be a bit sweet but not sure if that was because of the protein powder I used or not. Don’t take them of the cookie sheet until they have cooled or they will crumble. My husband gave them 2 thumbs up. Will make again.

Allie {Baking A Moment} — January 16, 2023 @ 9:17 am Reply

So happy you liked them! I did play around with the amount of brown sugar- made a version with 1/3 cup instead of 1/2. One tester liked the less sweet version and the other liked them more sweet. But both ways worked! So if you prefer them less sweet then know you can make them that way. Thanks so much for trying one of my recipes and for the positive feedback!

Cole Hersberger — August 27, 2023 @ 2:56 pm

Turned out super well with a wonderful taste!

Allie {Baking A Moment} — August 29, 2023 @ 2:29 pm

So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for the positive feedback!

Sue Mellinger — January 14, 2023 @ 1:40 pm Reply

Thanks for this! I just saw your email today and tried this recipe immediately because it’s exactly what my husband and I need right now – a tasty sweet treat that doesn’t cause a major blood sugar spike. These are so quick to make and totally hit the spot! Saving this recipe – I think this will become a regular favorite. And it gave me a reason to use the protein powder I bought a couple months back but haven’t opened yet!

Allie {Baking A Moment} — January 15, 2023 @ 9:49 am Reply

How perfect! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!