Protein Cookies
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Last updated on Jan 03, 2025
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You only need 6 simple ingredients to make the best protein cookies you’ve ever had! They’re soft, chewy, naturally sweetened, have no flour and pack in 10 grams of protein each.
If you’re looking for a cookie recipe that satisfies your sweet tooth and gives you a protein boost, these high protein cookies are about to become your new best friend!
This recipe is my go-to when I’m wanting to meal prep a protein-packed snack or dessert for the week. I love having them on hand to enjoy as a post-workout snack or for a healthy after-dinner dessert. One cookie has only 173 calories, 7 grams of sugar and 10 grams of protein, so it’s a treat I feel good about eating. Plus, they’re soft, chewy and SO delicious!
Want more high protein snacks? Try my no bake protein balls, protein bars or this protein banana bread.
Why You’ll Love This Protein Cookie Recipe
- Protein-packed – Each cookie is packed with 10 grams of protein, helping to keep you full and satisfied for longer.
- Delicious – Not only are these cookies healthy and protein-packed, but they taste delicious and are definitely the best protein powder cookies I’ve ever had!
- Quick and easy – You only need 6 simple ingredients and one bowl to make this recipe.
- Healthy – They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and there are no artificial ingredients in these cookies, making them healthier than most store-bought protein cookies.
- Portable – They’re easy to eat on-the-go. Pack one in your lunch for a mid-afternoon snack or bring one to the gym for a post-workout snack.
// ★★★★★ Review //
“I just made these, and they are chewy and very tasty! I dreamed of a chocolate chip cookie using natural sugar and without any refined flour, and this recipe delivers. The fact that they have protein makes them even healthier… This cookie satisfies my craving for a traditional chocolate chip cookie, and it is difficult to eat just one… I will be making these again for sure.” – Angela
Ingredients Needed
You only need 6 simple ingredients to whip up these peanut butter protein cookies! I bet you already have everything you need in your kitchen right now. Here’s what you need:
- vanilla protein powder – you’ll need a vegan protein powder for this recipe. Whey protein powder won’t soak up as much liquid resulting in a runny batter. I’ve tested this recipe with Sun Warrior and Nuzest and I highly recommend one of these brands. You can use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your Nuzest order.
- peanut butter – you want to use natural, drippy peanut butter that only has one or two ingredients, the nuts and salt. One of my favorite brands is Crazy Richard’s creamy peanut butter.
- maple syrup – the perfect natural sweetener for these cookies. Make sure you’re using pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup, which has corn syrup.
- baking soda – helps the cookies to rise and become fluffy.
- eggs – helps to bind the cookies together… and adds extra protein!
- chocolate chips – I really like Lily’s chocolate chips because they’re dairy-free, lower in sugar and still have a great flavor.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Maple syrup: Feel free to use honey or agave if that’s what you have on hand.
- Use a different mix-in: Feel free to skip the chocolate chips all together or swap them with a different mix-in like chopped nuts, shredded coconut or dried fruit.
- Use a different protein powder: Want to make a different protein cookie recipe? Swap out the vanilla with a different flavored protein powder like chocolate or whatever flavor you prefer. One reader said they used a salted caramel protein powder, which sounds delicious!
- Make them peanut-free: Have a peanut allergy? Use almond butter or cashew butter instead.
- Make them nut-free: Swap the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Low-sugar: Use monk fruit sugar free maple syrup instead of pure maple syrup.
- Vegan: I haven’t tested it, but I bet you could swap the eggs for two flaxseed egg. Just note, that this will change the protein content of the cookies. Let me know if you try it!
How to Make Protein Cookies
Follow these steps to make the most delicious chocolate chip protein cookies!
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl add your vanilla protein powder, baking soda, maple syrup, peanut butter and eggs. Whisk together to combine until smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Stir in your chocolate chips.
Step 3: Using a Tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop Tablespoon sized balls of dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Use your fingers or a fork to form the cookie shape.
Step 4: Bake at 350ºF for 9-10 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Cool on baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Brittany’s Tips
- Use the right protein powder: Make sure you’re using a plant-based protein powder for these cookies! Whey protein powder doesn’t soak up as much liquid and will change the consistency of these cookies.
- Use the right peanut butter: When it comes to your nut butter whether you use peanut butter, almond butter or another nut or seed butter, make sure you’re using a natural one with only one or two ingredients: the nuts and salt.
How to Store
Another reason I love these healthy protein cookies is that they are great for meal prep and store wonderfully. Here’s how to store them:
- At room temperature: Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
- In the fridge: These cookies will stay fresh for up to one week in the refrigerator.
- In the freezer: Let the cookies cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using a pea-based vegan vanilla protein powder for the best flavor and texture, but feel free to use a different flavor plant-based protein powder if that’s what you have on hand! Just don’t use a whey protein powder as the cookies will turn out too wet because whey protein powder doesn’t soak up liquid the same way plant-based protein powders do.
Nope! These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you want to keep them fresher for longer, you can refrigerate them for up to a week.
Yes, I don’t see why not. Crunchy peanut butter adds a fun texture to these cookies. Just make sure it’s natural for the best results.
More High-Protein Snacks to Try
- High Protein Dunkaroo Dip
- Protein Pudding
- Protein Muffins
- Protein Cinnamon Rolls
- Snickers Salad Protein Bowl
Be sure to check out all of my protein recipes and the full collection of cookie recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup plant-based vanilla protein powder, I used Sun Warrior vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips, I like Lily’s dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except chocolate chips and stir to combine.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Using a tablespoon or medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll dough into 16 balls. Each cookie should be about 2 Tablespoons of dough. Flatten with fingers or a fork to form a cookie shape.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool on baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Peanut-free: Use almond butter or another nut butter of choice.
- Nut-free: Swap the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been using this recipe for months and one of the things I love about it is how adaptable (and forgiving) it is! Yesterday, I added in an overly ripe banana. Knowing that the consistency would be more like a batter than a dough, I poured it into an 8 x 8 pan (after adding 2 tsp. of cinnamon & a tsp. of vanilla). Baked for about 30 minutes (my cookies usually take about 13 minutes) . . . wonderful. Thanks Brittany!
Thanks for adding that note about whey protein powder. That’s what I used the first time I made these (I’m the one who complained that it turned out like batter, not dough.) Well, I switched to pea protein and you were right . . . the powder does make the difference. Just made another batch and added a tsp. of vanilla extract, 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, and replaced the chocolate chips (much as I love them) with dried cranberries. Also cut the maple syrup to 1/3 cup. What a great recipe! 🙂
My son is 14 and is looking for all things protein to eat. I found this recipe and made it, expert l except with chocolate protein powder, cause that’s what I had on hand. He loved them and took the rest of them to school with him and told his friends about them. I will have to get some vanilla protein powder to try these out, again. 😁
WOO! I am so glad you found this recipe and these cookies turned out great for you, Melissa. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
I followed the recipe exactly and was so pleased with how these came out! These make a great snack to hold me over between meals. will definitely keep this recipe in my usual rotation.
YAY! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and you are enjoying these cookies, Jackie. Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
I’d made these a while ago, but the result was batter, not dough. I poured it into an 8″ square pan and made bars. The bars were good, but very crumbly (good as granola). I tried the updated recipe (which I actually thought was totally different because I no longer saw “drippy” as a peanut butter descriptor). 🙂 Anyway, same result: batter, not rollable in my hands at all. (But very tasty as I liked it off!) I added half a cup of flour and was able to make cookies with them. Yummy!
Hi Ruth. I am not sure what might have happened to cause your dough to be more liquid. Did you change anything about the recipe? What type of protein powder did you use?
I didn’t change anything in the recipe. The protein powder I used is a mystery to me, as it’s unlabeled (bought from a local delivery service called “The Rounds”). (I used to use Sun Warrior; maybe I’ll go back to that!) 🙂
I just made these, and they are chewy and very tasty! I dreamed of a chocolate chip cookie using natural sugar and without any refined flour, and this recipe delivers. The fact that they have protein makes them even healthier! Instead of vanilla protein powder, I used chocolate Vega Protein & Greens, so there are even traces of veggies in them (veggie taste is undetectable). This cookie satisfies my craving for a traditional chocolate chip cookie, and it is difficult to eat just one. Finally, this batch resulted in 20 cookies for me, and they’re not too small or too large. I will be making these again for sure.
Fabulous, Angela. I am SO glad you found this recipe and these cookies turned out amazing for you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
I found these to be overly sweet – if I make them again, I will decrease the maple syrup. I used Truvani vanilla protein powder (main ingredient is pea protein) so perhaps its monk fruit extract added to the sweetness?
Hi Anne – Yes, depending on the protein powder you use, you will need to adjust the amount of additional sugar you add. Some protein powders are sweeter than others.
Could you please clarify why all the comments on the recipe are old, even though it appears to be a new recipe?
Hi Hava – I recently made some adaptions to this recipe and republished it for my readers. Hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Delicious. I used North Coast unflavoured pumpkin protein, added some vanilla extract and had great results. So good!
YUM! Sounds delicious, Jessica. I am so glad you are loving these cookies and they turned out amazing for you! Thanks for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
I really doubted these when putting them on the baking sheet. They are amazing!!!!!!!!!
Light and fluffy and delish. Thank you!
WOO! I am SO glad you loved these cookies, Amanda. Thanks so much for your review & star rating, I appreciate it!
Yum! I love how simple and delicious these cookies are. I used sunflower butter and actually skipped the maple syrup (it seems like a crime, I know) because I wanted a (very!) low sugar cookie and they turned out great! Thanks for another fabulous recipe!!
SO delicious! Thanks so much for sharing your version of these cookies and I am so glad to hear how great they turned out for you. Appreciate your review & star rating, it means the world to me!
How come no one has a cookie with out chocolate chips in them. I want a cookie I can leave in the hot car and eat after my run without it melting all over the place.
Hi! You can totally leave the chocolate chips out of this cookie and they will still be great.
I made these with almond butter and Sprouts brand Salted Caramel pea protein + instant espresso for a caramel macchiato situation. So good, thank you!!
Yum! A caramel macchiato protein cookie sounds amazing, thanks for sharing your swaps, Em!
So delicious!! I’ve been searching for a different type of post-workout snack and these are excellent.