Thick, rich, and perfectly fudgy, these Coffee Protein Brownies are a truly indulgent but energizing treat. Made with fresh coffee and chocolate protein powder for a mocha-like flavor, the protein brownies are then topped with a creamy, coffee protein frosting for pure decadance.
"I love the dense, rich texture and the coffee kick,they're perfect for those long nights. I love snacking during busy work nights and these are great because they're healthy too. Simple and easy to make!" -Gloria
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- ⏲️Ready In: 55 Minutes
- 👪Serves: 9
- 🍽 Calories and Protein: 282 kcals and 12 grams of protein
- 📋Main Ingredients: Chocolate protein powder, chocolate chips, ground and brewed coffee, almond flour, coconut flour, eggs, and avocado oil.
- 📖 Dietary Notes: Dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo.
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: These coffee brownies are rich, fudgy, and packed with chocolate and coffee flavor for a healthier indulgent dessert.
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If there’s one dessert classic that never misses, it’s brownies, and these paleo protein brownies give you the best of both worlds. Designed for coffee lovers (aka busy moms who hit that afternoon slump), they deliver a rich mocha flavor and a satisfying high-protein treat without reaching for another sugary snack.
I love that you get the indulgence of a chocolate dessert, the bold coffee kick, and real staying power all in one bite, just like with this coffee smoothie bowl and protein coffee chia pudding. It’s a simple way to enjoy dessert while still supporting the benefits of a high protein diet which is the exact idea behind my Strong and Sweet Protein Guide.
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💭Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy to make: These coffee brownies use basic gluten-free pantry staples and a hint of protein powder to come together.
Flavor: They're sweet but still have that bold coffee taste. With the chocolate in them, they're almost mocha-like and topped with a latte-flavored icing.
Fudgy texture: Thanks to the paleo chocolate chips and coconut palm sugar, these protein brownies with coffee have an ultra-thick, rich, fudgy texture.
Versatile: Though they’re great for a mid-day pick up they also work in place of a traditional dessert. In fact, your coworkers won’t even realize that these brownies have protein in them, kinda like these gluten-free protein brownies.
This blog post and brownie recipe has been sponsored by Transformation Protein, my newest obsession! I wanted to do a Transformative Protein Review because they have powders that not only taste good but have high-quality ingredients to give maximum fuel.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Almond flour: The base of these high-protein brownies, make sure to use almond flour so that it blends more smoothly and doesn’t leave a gritty texture (learn the difference between almond flour and ground almonds).
- Coconut palm sugar: Any sugar you have on hand will work, but coconut sugar is paleo-friendly and gives a fudgier texture to the coffee brownies.
- Ground and fresh coffee: Use a blend you absolutely love, as the flavor will come through quite well. Most recipes will use espresso powder, and though that can work too, regular coffee granules are just fine.
- Protein powder: You need to use Transformation Chocolate Protein for these brownies. Not only does it create a rich and decadent texture, but it also gives the brownies a sweet flavor.
- Chocolate chips: make sure the ones you use are dairy-free and paleo as needed. I like Enjoy Life Chocolate chips for that reason.
- For the frosting: The coffee protein frosting on the chocolate protein brownies is made from three ingredients only. You need canned coconut milk, vanilla protein powder, and cooled coffee. Of course, protein buttercream, and non-dairy cream cheese frosting work as well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Flavor Variations
Salted caramel latte: In place of the coffee fristing, drizzle or smear coconut milk caramel frosting on top with a sprinkle of salt.
Triple chocolate: Drizzle the mocha protein brownies with dairy-free chocolate glaze for extra richness.
Decaf brownies: If you love the coffee flavor but don't need the pick me up, use decaf coffee in place of regular. This works for coffee fudge, too.
How To Make Coffee Protein Brownies
Step 1: Melt the oil and chocolate over low heat and whisk until smooth.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add the eggs to the dry mix and begin to stir.
Step 4: Pour in the melted chocolate chips and mix until combined but no more.
Step 5: Pour the chocolate brownie batter into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper and smooth it out evenly.
Step 6: Bake for 18-20 minutes and let cool fully.
Step 7: Pour on the frosting and smooth it over the cooled coffee brownies.
Step 8: Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Bring the protein brownies out of the oven before they look totally done, this is what helps them stay fudgy in texture.
Adjust the intensity of the coffee flavor by how much ground coffee you use.
Transformation Protein blends insanely well, so as long as you mix everything until combined, the brownies won't have that classic chalky taste that some protein recipes do.
Know that you can use a beef isolate protein powder in place of this protein, and the results will be similar. However, a pea-based protein will cause the coffee brownies to dry out as it absorbs too much liquid.
Transformative Protein Review
These coffee brownies were made with both Transformation Protein’s Chocolate Lava Cake Protein and their Vanilla Ice Cream Protein (for the frosting).
These coffee protein brownies were made using Transformation Protein’s Chocolate Lava Cake Protein in the base and their Vanilla Ice Cream protein for the frosting. It’s a dairy-free protein powder that makes it easier for busy moms to enjoy a rich, high-protein dessert without sacrificing taste or texture.
One of the reasons I love working with Transformation Protein is its unique blend of egg white protein and collagen. Collagen is a gentle, high-quality protein source that tends to cause less bloat than traditional powders, and unlike many pea proteins, this blend doesn’t soak up too much liquid, meaning no dry, gritty brownies. Learn more about collagen vs protein powder. Bonus: the flavors are seriously good, which makes sticking to your goals a whole lot easier.
Protein powder made from collagen peptides, egg whites, and plants .. that tastes like cake! The BEST whey protein alternative.
How To Store Them
Wait until the coffee brownies have cooled before storing them. Once cooled, store them in the brownie pan wrapped with plastic wrap or an airtight container.
Make ahead: if you’re making these chocolate protein brownies ahead of time, don’t frost them until you need them. Store them unfrosted on the counter for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
StoringOnce they have the coffee frosting on top, store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Though they can be eaten right out of the fridge, they do firm up a bit, let them come to room temperature or heat them lightly to bring back their soft texture.
Freezing: You can store protein brownies in the freezer in a sealed container for 1-2 months. Try to store them in a single layer. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before enjoying as directed above.
Protein Coffee Brownies FAQs
Protein brownies don't taste dry as long as enough liquid and high-fat ingredients are used. Protein brownies can become dry when using vegan protein powder, as they absorb so much liquid or if the brownies are over-baked.
I'm sure you can; however, you may not want to use as much. Espresso powder is obviously more potent than straight coffee, so you might want to scale back.
Protein brownies often turn out dry, dense, or rubbery because protein powder absorbs much more liquid than regular flour. When the batter doesn’t have enough fat or moisture to balance it out, the brownies lose that classic fudgy texture and can become chalky. This can also happen if the batter is overmixed or overbaked.
More Protein Brownie Recipes You’ll Love
If you tried this High Protein Coffee Brownies Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes!
High-Protein Coffee Brownies ((Paleo)
Video
Ingredients
For The Protein Brownies
- ⅓ cup Almond flour
- 1 tablespoon Coconut flour
- ½ cup Transformation chocolate protein powder
- 2 teaspoons Ground coffee
- ⅓ cup Coconut palm sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Chocolate chips paleo as needed
- ⅓ cup Avocado oil
- 5 eggs
For The Coffee Frosting
- 4 tablespoons Transformation vanilla protein powder
- 4 tablespoons Canned coconut milk drain the water
- 2 tablespoons Brewed coffee cooled or room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Melt the oil and chocolate chips over low heat and whisk until smooth. Don’t burn.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the eggs into the dry mix and begin to stir.
- Pour in the melted chocolate chips and mix until combined but no more.
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the brownie batter in and use a silicone spatula to smooth it out evenly.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely before frosting.
- In a small bowl, mix together the frosting ingredients until smooth.
- Pour on the frosting and smooth it over the cooled coffee brownies.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Nutrition
Darby says
So rich and chocolatey and I so love the coffee frosting on these brownies. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
fitasamamabear says
Mmm the frosting I put on everything for a week haha
Gloria says
I love the dense, rich texture and the coffee kick—they're perfect for those long nights. I love snacking during busy work nights and these are great because they're healthy too. Simple and easy to make!
fitasamamabear says
The coffee kick is a mid-afternoon life saver!
Jan says
Healthy brownies??? Yes please. These were so delicious and I didn't feel bad about eating them. Thanks for the great recipe.
fitasamamabear says
Glad you loved them!
Katrin says
These brownies came out great! I love how full of protein they were and that I didn't feel like napping after having a few. 😉 Thanks so much! I'll be making these again for sure.
fitasamamabear says
Haha you definitely won't be napping with these!
Mitzi says
I just tried your coffee brownies and I loved it! It was so easy to make and the creamy coffee frosting is a game-changer!
fitasamamabear says
Omg they're so stinking good right? Thanks for giving them a go!