Crispy and indulgent these vegan protein cookies are the perfect on-the-go snack. Made without oats or bananas, the gluten-free protein cookies are loaded with healthy fats and vegan protein powder to keep you fueled.
Need healthy snacks in a pinch? Or fast but healthy breakfast ideas? As a Certified Nutrition Coach, I put these protein cookies into both categories!
Made with a combination of vegan protein and classic trail mix ingredients, they're a great high-protein snack. Meaning that these cookies are both indulgent and fueling (similar to this double chocolate protein fluff!) all while bumping up your protein for the day. Learn more about the benefits of a high protein diet and why you want to amp it up!
Grab them on your way out the door or as an afternoon indulgence. Either way they'll quickly become a staple in your fridge!
Fall in love with the cookies:
- Easy: whip them up in one bowl
- Allergy-friendly: dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and vegan
- No Oats
- Unique: made without bananas or peanut butter
Ingredients You'll Need
Most protein cookie recipes (and protein recipes in general) use a combination of whey protein powder, peanut butter, and oats or bananas, like these no bake protein cookies.
These gluten-free protein cookies however exclude all of those! Likewise, you won't find any almond flour in these cookies.
Though almond flour is a healthy dose of fats, it also sky-rockets the calorie and fat content of a recipe.
Vanilla protein powder: these cookies use vegan powder in place of whey protein powder. Because each vegan powder has a slightly different make up, the kind you choose can and will affect the flavor and texture (just like in these vegan protein cookies).
Maple syrup: adding a hint of sweetness to the vegan protein cookies without making them too sugar-filled.
Seed blend: chia seeds and pumpkin seeds add a healthy dose of fats to the recipe while stretching the batter further.
Almond butter: make sure to use fresh nut butter so that it blends into the batter well versus the hard stuff at the bottom of the jar. Almond butter is great but peanut butter works just as well!
Coconut milk powder: don't skimp on the coconut milk powder as it gives the cookies a very indulgent taste.
Dried cranberries: giving a bit more flavor and sweetness. If you really want indulgence, sugar-free chocolate chips work too!
How To Make The Gluten-Free, Vegan Protein Cookies
- Combine all dry ingredients into a large bowl except the cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
- Melt the coconut oil and add in the wet ingredients one by one.
- Add in the remaining two ingredients and mix well.
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion the vegan protein cookies onto a silicone cookie mat.
- Bake for 14 minutes and let cool on the pan.
Vegan Protein Versus Whey Protein Powder
These cookies have not been tested with whey protein powder.
In general, though, vegan protein powders tend to absorb more liquid (especially pea protein-based powders) which is much different than whey protein- it's how these 3 ingredient protein cookies work. And because each vegan powder is made with a different blend of plant-based proteins each one absorbs differently.
In the same way, each protein powder is sweetened slightly differently than the next.
Thus, the protein powder you choose will affect both the taste as well as the texture of the cookies.
Learn more about how to choose the best protein powder for your goals.
Choosing A Protein Powder
These vegan protein cookies were made using Progressive's Harmonized Fermented Protein Powder. This protein is a blend of five non-GMO legumes, grains, and seeds.
It’s allergy-friendly (no dairy, gluten, nuts, or soy) and is sweetened with only stevia and monk fruit.
But best of all is that this protein is fermented. This helps break down the “anti-nutrient” in grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes that often causes bloating.
So this protein powder not only contains 23g of protein per serving but it also aids digestion and helps keep you bloat-free!
In good measure, they've also been made with Genuine Health's Protein powder and Botanica Protein Powder as well. Both have turned out delicious- Botanica protein will result in crispier vegan protein cookies than Genuine Health.
Important Teaching Tips
Because each protein powder absorbs differently, each one will have a different texture. Powders like Orgain and Botanica will create crispier cookies. Powders like Progressive or Genuine Health will be more hearty because they absorb more liquid.
If using one of the crispy protein powders, the batter will seem runny when spreading onto the cookie sheet.
Make sure to let the cookies cool completely on the cookie tray. Otherwise, they fall apart. This is especially true if you plan to dip them into protein cookie butter as they won't hold up.
Know that almond flour and coconut sugar isn't needed in this recipe because there's already enough "bulk" and sweetness to hold together. By vomiting almond flour and coconut sugar, it also helps keep the calories down.
Lastly, these vegan protein cookies taste even better and crispier when stored in the fridge for a day!
Substitutions
These cookies are pretty easy to substitute. Chocolate chips are a great addition (mini chocolate chips work best!) and peanut butter will work for almond (any nut butter should be okay!).
Hack: choosing crunchy nut butter gives a whole new fun texture to the protein cookies!
Chocolate protein powder will work in place of vanilla and give a fun twist on the cookies.
Basically, you can easily change the flavor of the cookies by using peanut butter, chocolate protein butter, and mini chocolate chips.
Of course, any dried fruit works in place of cranberries as well.
What Can You Use Protein Cookies For?
Because these healthy protein cookies are trail mix based, you can use them for just about anything:
- a healthy breakfast paired with fruit
- a fueling snack
- post-workout
Not only do the vegan protein cookies contain protein powder but also a lot of plant-based protein as well. Especially from the chia seeds.
Of course, you can always go for more indulgence and whip up these peanut butter chocolate chip protein cookies instead!
Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).
Frequently Asked Questions About Protein Cookies
Protein is used to rebuild tissue, boost your immune system, and keep you full. Thus, increasing your protein intake can be a great way to stay healthy and get fit. Protein cookies make it easy to increase your daily intake while still enjoying delicious foods.
Vegan protein powder absorbs liquid. This means it can replace the flour in many recipes (though not in equal measurements). Adding protein powder to cookies can reduce their carbohydrate values while increasing the protein in the cookies.
Many times protein cookies are dry because they need more liquid. Vegan protein powder (specifically pea protein) absorbs liquid which means the recipe needs to have extra in order to get the desired texture. If protein cookies are dry, try increasing the oil, adding chocolate chips, or a liquid sweetener to the recipe.
No. Baking protein powder does not destroy the properties or the benefits of the powder.
That's the fun thing about baking with protein powder: it's easy to switch up flavors! Though this recipe was made with vanilla, using a chocolate protein powder or even a caramel one is an easy way to give some variety.
Any nut or seed butter can be used in protein cookies and changing your nut butter can be a fun way to swap the flavor! Likewise, using creamy or chunky nut butter can alter the texture as well.
Because there is already so much liquid in the recipe, almond milk isn't needed. It's the coconut oil and maple syrup that helps make these cookies crispy, adding almond milk would negate that.
Differences In The Video
The protein cookies were originally made with more maple syrup and dried fruit. This made it so the batter was a bit more "runny" and spread out.
I revised the cookies to bring the carb count down slightly. With the revisions, the batter will not be as runny as you see in the video and you'll need to press the vegan protein cookies down into circles.
Other High Protein Recipes You'll Love
- Easy vanilla protein bars
- Cookie dough balls
- Chocolate protein balls
- Fudgy protein brownies
- Peanut butter and jam protein balls
- Cookie dough protein overnight oats
- Easy protein pancakes
- Chocolate peanut butter protein balls
- Protein cookies
- Banana protein donuts
- Carrot cake collagen cookies
- The best high-protein snacks
- Salted caramel protein fluff
- Gluten-Free Pantry Staples
Vegan Protein Cookies (gluten-free_
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder 1.5 scoops
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅛ cup chia seeds
- ¼ cup coconut milk powder
- ⅛ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅛ cup coconut unsweetened
- 2 tbs coconut oil measured solid
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, combine the protein powder, baking powder, coconut milk powder and chia seeds.
- Once the coconut oil is melted, stir in the oil, almond butter, and maple syrup. Once everything is coated, stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Grease a cookie sheet and using an ice cream scoop, portion out the batter. Press each cookie down into a circle
- Pop in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan.
- You can eat them like that and they're moderately crispy. However, popping them into the fridge overnight makes them absolutely perfect.
Notes
- The protein powder you choose will affect the texture of the cookies (see notes in the blog post)
- You can substitute any dried fruit for cranberries. Chocolate chips are a fun addition too. Likewise, peanut butter works in place of almond.
- Each protein powder has a slightly different protein count (in grams) and thus, the protein markup in the nutritional profile might be off by 1-2 grams
- The video of the vegan protein cookies is slightly different than the revised recipe, the batter is not as liquid.
- Check out the Gluten-Free Pantry Essentials to stock up on!
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Jennifer Van Haitsma says
These look good! I've been reading more about the benefits of chia seeds but don't really know where to start. Can I just cook them into anything? HELP! lol. Thanks for sharing this!
fitasamamabear says
Eekk yes!!! Chia seeds kick butt and a little goes a long way!! So you can start by adding them to oatmeal/ogurt/smoothies m(more in this post: https://fitasamamabear.com/five-way-to-get-chia-seeds-into-your-diet/) we rock chia pudding the most because my girls LOVE IT (I have a few recipes for it so search around.
Keep in mind chia seeds ABSORB so for baking you can't just add them in willy nilly lol they pull all the water. I love using them in no-bake recipes (energy balls, bars etc) because you just add more liquid if you need it. Those are good places to start. <-- I just realized I sent you like a paragraph here haha I get REALLY excited about chai seeds!
Sabrina says
Wow, a delicious and addictive cookie! I love the wholesome ingredients and that these are a healthy grab and go, thanks!
fitasamamabear says
Thank you! Yup it's a tasty one, my kiddos can't get enough of them haha and I love that they're loaded with "trail mix" style things!
Camille says
Wow, these scream DELICIOUS!
fitasamamabear says
They're soooo decadent!
Marieke says
I'm vegan and celiac and I honestly still struggle with finding breakfast foods that I want to eat - but breakfast cookies?! Count me in!
fitasamamabear says
It can be such a challenge! I find dairy-free, gluten-free challenging too because you HAVE to go with gluten-free vegan lol But yes! These are freaking addictive though so you've been warned 😀 We double the batch every time now lol
Kelly Neil says
What a great little pick-me-up snack! Pinned this one to make later. Thanks for all of the great info!
fitasamamabear says
Ah glad you like them! Honestly, they're freaking addictive haha crazy decadent but loaded with trail-mix yummy lol enjoy them!
Rachel Campbell says
Is there anything I could use instead of coconut milk powder?
fitasamamabear says
Hrm, you could use a dairy-free creamer (powder) if you have it, otherwise, I'm not sure. The coconut milk powder helps sweeten and also gives the batter a creamy texture. I'd say try adding 1/4 scoop more protein powder but it's a binder & thickener so may change the texture a bit. Either that or replace in equal amounts with almond meal and give that a go.
Amanda says
I just made these cookies and WOW...I love them!! They are perfectly crispy and airy while the cranberries add a bit of chewiness. They are just the right level of sweet, too. I used RS Salted Caramel Cupcake protein powder and since I don't have pumpkin seeds on hand, I substituted with sesame seeds. It tastes good so I would say it is a safe substitute.
Thanks a million for the great recipe, Mama Bear! I will be using this one a lot 🙂
fitasamamabear says
Ahhh, caramel cupcake protein would be AMAZING. Thanks for the heads up on the substitution and the protein swap. I'm o happy you gave them a go! You'll be addicted now... hehe
Domini says
Could I use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter? I want these NOW!
fitasamamabear says
Yep you can! They have roughly the same texture too so it should work perfectly.