These chocolate chip peanut butter Protein Cookies are soft, chewy, and taste reminiscent of an old-fashioned peanut butter cookie. But surprise! They are just 112 calories each and contain 7 grams of protein, making them the perfect post-workout treat!
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Chocolate chip peanut butter protein cookies—without the price tag of store-bought.
I was very excited when I first found protein cookies in that protein aisle at Target. (If, like me, you’re always trying to up your protein, you’re definitely familiar with the protein aisle.) But whoa: they are SO expensive!
Rather than spend a small fortune, I decided to see if I could come up with my own recipe for protein cookies that wouldn’t blow my grocery budget or eat up my daily calorie count if I decided to have more than one. And I have to say, my endeavor was a success!
- These homemade protein cookies are sweet enough for dessert but wholesome enough to qualify as an acceptable post-workout snack.
- In addition to the peanut butter and eggs, the majority of the protein in these cookies comes from whey protein. (I use this brand of vanilla whey protein powder, but you could totally use chocolate if you’d like).
- This protein cookie recipe is naturally gluten-free, as whey protein and coconut flour replace the wheat flour.
If you’ve never purchased whey protein powder and aren’t looking to (though I’d hope that any of these recipes with protein powder would convince you), you can check out my original Oatmeal Protein Cookies, which are made with peanut butter, quinoa, and banana.
5 Star Review
“This recipe is amazing! I have such a sweet tooth but I have fitness goals so these are perfect, they taste like a peanut butter cookie.”
— Trish —
My Tips for Perfect Protein Cookies
If you can make Chocolate Chip Cookies or Peanut Butter Protein Bars, you can make these chocolate chip peanut butter protein cookies too. They’re super easy, but here are some tips I’ve picked up over the years of making this recipe.
- Use Other Protein Powders With Caution. I haven’t tried a plant-based protein powder yet, but a few readers have reported that pea protein powders have yielded delicious results. If you decide to play around with the recipe and test it out, I’d love to hear how it goes!
- But Don’t Swap Out the Coconut Flour. Coconut flour is also high protein and high fiber too; you can read all about it in this post for Coconut Flour Cookies (this is the brand I buy). It works differently in baking than other flours, so if you switch this out with something else, there is a high likelihood that your protein cookies won’t work out!
- Adjust the Consistency of the Dough If Needed. Because every protein powder has a different formulation, you may need to adjust the recipe a bit to get the right texture for the dough. Add more protein powder if it seems too wet, or more liquid if it seems too dry and won’t come together properly.
- Let Them Cool Before Enjoying. These protein cookies are more reminiscent of a healthy muffin-like cookie than an ooey-gooey peanut butter cookie, so proper cooling will ensure that they’re fully set and don’t crumble!
How to Make Protein Cookies
Prepare. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it 350 degrees F.
Make the Dough. Stir together the peanut butter, coconut sugar, salt, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda, protein powder, and coconut flour.
Form the Cookies. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten the tops a bit.
Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the edges are dry to the touch but the middles are still a bit puffy and doughy. Cool the protein cookies on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. ENJOY!
More Healthy Cookie Recipes to Try
- If your favorite snack is a banana slathered with peanut butter, you’re going to adore these easy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies.
- For another gluten-free cookie option, try my simple Almond Flour Cookies.
- Peanut butter lovers, be sure to add these Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie to your baking agenda too!
Protein Cookies
Video
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Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice, I used shelf-stable natural peanut butter—see notes if using refrigerated/drippy nut butter
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder ~36 grams
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, coconut sugar, salt, egg, egg white, and vanilla extract. Mix briskly until ingredients are well blended. Sprinkle the baking soda over the top. With a rubber spatula, work in the protein powder and coconut flour until well combined. The will seem very dry first but will continue to come together as you stir and push. Fold in chocolate chips.
- At this point, judge your dough, as the amount of moisture may vary based on the brand of protein powder and nut butter you use. It should be slightly sticky but not a total mushy mess. If you need a firmer dough, add a bit more protein powder. For a looser dough, sprinkle the batter with a bit of milk (or almond milk) and with a spatula, fold it in until the dough comes together.
- With a small cookie scoop or spoon, portion the cookie dough by tablespoonfuls and drop onto your prepared baking sheet (you will have 12 to 14 cookies total). With your fingers, gently flatten the tops of the cookies, as they will not spread but will puff up during baking.
- Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the edges are barely golden brown and dry to the touch but the middles seem fairly doughy. Do not overbake! Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them directly to the wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- No other flour can be substituted for the coconut flour. Coconut flour is incredibly unique and thus needs to be used in this recipe.
- TO STORE: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE: You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, then thaw a few at a time. I don’t recommend microwaving the cookies, as this tends to dry them out.
Nutrition
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Hi can u advise ingredients in grams I am in the uk and have no cup measure and there isn’t a standard conversion thanks
These look great. I wonder if you could post some recipes for baking that uses non-whey protein powder? So many people are lactose-intolerant. I’m at the point where sometimes I don’t open a post that says high-protein because of this issue. Thanks!
I did it! I conquered my fear of baking w/ coconut flour!! And the cookies are super yummy (or according to my 4 yr old, “very delicious”)! I think my cookie scoop is xsmall because I ended up with 27 cookies. But that just means I can eat 2x as many for the same calorie count, right?! Also, I used plant based protein and had to add a splash of milk to the batter because it was too dry for my liking. But they turned out great! Thanks for another great recipe!