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These Protein Blondies are thick, chewy and packed with gooey chocolate chips. Boasting over 13 grams of protein each, they are the perfect macro-friendly treat to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Craving more high protein desserts? Then you should also try my protein brownies, protein muffins, chocolate protein cake, cottage cheese cookie dough and protein cheesecake.
Welcome to your new favorite dessert: Protein Blondies. They are sweet and soft, with a salted peanut butter taste that will have you hooked at first bite. It will feel like cheating on the diet, when in reality you’re not. Each blondie packs over 13 grams of protein for just 162 calories. They have approximately the same macros of cookie dough protein bars, but they taste like real dessert. Guilt-free indulgence at its finest!
Grab your protein powder and a bowl, because you’re about to learn everything on how to make the most delicious high protein blondies at home. Read through the end for all tips, tricks, and plenty of recipe variations.
Ingredients and substitutes
Here’s everything this recipe requires. No refined sugar, no white flour, no oil, no butter and no artificial sweetener. Just a handful of pantry staples that you probably already have at home.
- Egg. A large egg is essential to bind the batter and add depth of flavor. For a vegan option, replace it with one flax egg.
- Banana. To keep these blondies soft, moist and sweet, use a ripe banana. You can also swap it out for 1/2 cup (110 g) of unsweetened applesauce or 1/2 cup (110 g) of pumpkin puree for fewer carbs.
- Maple syrup. My favorite alternative to sugar or artificial sweeteners, it’s healthy and unprocessed. Possible substitutes are honey, agave nectar, date syrup and sugar-free syrup.
- Peanut butter. Protein blondies can’t be such without peanut butter. For the best result, prefer creamy peanut butter with no added sugar or oil. Little salt is okay. Great alternatives are almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini. Powdered peanut butter may also work, but you’ll need to mix it into a cream with little water or milk.
- Protein powder. This recipe uses a whey/casein blend, it keeps the texture soft without drying. As a replacement use whey, vegan protein powder, or casein. Vanilla and peanut butter flavors are my recommendations.
- Almond flour. Almond flour improves the texture and adds a delicious nutty flavor. Substitute it with almond meal, oat flour, wholewheat flour or all purpose flour.
- Oat flour. This adds bulk with fewer calories and fats than almond flour. You can replace with more almond flour, whole-wheat flour, spelt flour or all purpose flour.
- Baking powder. This helps them rise and get soft.
- Vanilla extract. A teaspoon of vanilla extract enhances the flavors. If using vanilla protein powder, you may omit this ingredient.
- Salt. The salt brings out all flavors and balances sweetness. Omit if your peanut butter is already salted.
How to make protein blondies
Step 1 – Mix wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. Add egg, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until the batter reaches a smooth consistency.
Step 2 – Add dry ingredients. Add to the wet mixture protein powder, almond flour, oat flour and baking powder. Stir until dry and wet ingredients are combined and free of lumps – do not overmix. Fold through your chocolate chips.
Step 3 – Bake. Transfer the batter into a prepared baking pan and top with more chocolate chips if desired. Bake in hot oven for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are no more raw inside. Make sure you do not bake them for too long, or the blondies may get dry.
Step 4 – Let cool. Let cool completely to room temperature before slicing. I find that these blondies taste much better after they have cooled completely, especially after a night in the fridge. But if you prefer gooey chocolate chips, enjoy them warm.
Recipe variations
- White chocolate: Use white chocolate chips instead of regular for a creamy twist. For extra flavor, choose white chocolate protein powder flavor.
- White chocolate & raspberries: Add ¼ cup of white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate and ¼ cup of raspberries, fresh or frozen.
- Birthday cake: Use vanilla protein powder and mix in 2-3 tablespoons of sugar-free sprinkles.
- Salted caramel: Swap maple syrup for caramel syrup (or try my keto caramel sauce) and sprinkle sea salt on top.
- Chocolate brownie: Replace oat flour with ¼ cup of cocoa powder, or see my Protein Brownies recipe.
Dietary adaptations
- Vegan. Use vegan protein powder and a flaxseed egg as a replacement for egg. I haven’t tried replacing the egg with 1/2 mashed banana, but it should also work.
- Low calorie. Replace almond flour with more oat flour and use powdered peanut butter (such as PB2 or PB Fit) instead of regular peanut butter. To achieve the same consistency, add the powdered peanut butter to a bowl and mix it with little water until smooth. You’ll get the perfect protein blondies for weight loss.
- Low carb. Swap oat flour for more almond flour and replace banana with mashed pumpkin. Additionally, sweeten the bars with keto maple syrup or a sugar-free syrup of your choice.
- Gluten-free. Start by choosing a gluten-free protein powder, I recommend milk based proteins such as whey/casein blends or casein. After that, you can either use certified gluten-free oat flour or replace it for more almond flour.
- Nut-free. Use oat flour instead of almond flour and replace peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini. I’ve tested this recipe with white tahini and the taste was top-notch.
Recipe tips
- Choose a good protein powder. For the best texture, opt for a whey/casein blend, pure casein, or a high-quality vegan protein powder. Avoid using whey concentrate or isolate alone, as they can dry out during baking. Additionally, be cautious with certain plant-based proteins, like pea protein, as they often have an earthy, chalky taste that may overpower the recipe.
- Do not overmix. Just stir until dry ingredients are well incorporated into the wet mixture. When you mix for too long air is incorporated into the batter, which leads to dry blondies.
- Do not overbake. When baking with protein powder, baking times tend to be shorter. The less you bake protein powder, the less likely it is going to become dry and rubbery – especially whey.
- Let cool. I find that protein powder blondies taste much better after they have cooled down completely, especially if they have sit in the fridge overnight. Somehow their texture becomes chewier and the flavors more pronounced. But of course, you should serve them warm if you crave extra gooey choc chips.
How to store and freeze
Once baked, let the blondies cool completely before slicing into squares. Store them in an airtight container, where they’ll keep for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge.
For longer storage, place them in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat at 350°F (180°C) in the oven for 3-5 minutes or microwave for about 30 seconds until warm. Enjoy with a glass of milk!
More macro-friendly desserts
- Protein cinnamon rolls
- Protein muffins
- Protein chocolate cake
- Protein donuts
- Moist protein banana bread
- Cottage cheese brownies
- Protein mug cake
- Greek yogurt brownies
- Protein cheesecake
- Flourless protein brownies
Protein Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 banana, ripe
- ¼ cup (65 g) maple syrup, or honey
- ⅓ cup (85 g) peanut butter
- 2 scoops (60 g) protein powder, see notes*
- ¼ cup (20 g) almond flour, or preferred flour
- ¼ cup (20 g) oat flour, or preferred flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅙ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (40 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and fold a 7×7 in (15 cm x 15 cm) brownie pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana. Add egg, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until the batter reaches a smooth consistency.
- Add to the wet mixture protein powder, almond flour, oat flour and baking powder. Stir until dry and wet ingredients are combined and free of lumps – do not overmix.
- Fold through chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan and top with more chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake in hot oven for around 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are no more raw inside. Make sure you do not bake them for too long, or the blondies will get dry.
- Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing.
Notes
Measurements note
- I recommend measuring all ingredients in grams for more accuracy. When developing this recipe, I weighted all components with a scale – especially protein powder. Depending on whether you use whey, casein or vegan protein powder, the amount in 2 scoops may vary. You will need 60 grams, approximately 1/2 heaping cup.
Ingredient notes
- Egg: For vegan protein blondies, replace with 1 flaxseed egg.
- Banana: Use a medium-sized ripe banana, it should weight approximately 4 oz (110 g).
- Banana replacement: Replace with 1/2 cup (110 g) of unsweetened applesauce or 1/2 cup (110 g) of pumpkin puree.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter can be replaced by almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Protein powder choice: Use whey protein powder, vegan protein powder, casein or protein blends – preferably vanilla flavored. This recipe uses a vanilla whey/casein blend.
- Protein powder adaptations: Depending on the protein powder used, the dough might require either more almond flour (in the case of whey) or a drop of milk (in the case of vegan protein powder or casein).
- Protein powder recommendations: I recommend a whey/casein blend, pure casein or plant based protein powder with great taste and quality. Vanilla flavor is ideal.
Baking tips
- Do not overmix, or the blondies may become dry and tough.
- Do not overbake, they are ready when the center is no more raw. Little gooeyness is okay, they will firm up further as they cool.
Texture notes
- Whey protein blondies tend to have a slightly drier and denser texture. For the best result I recommend a whey/casein blend, casein or vegan protein powder.
Storage directions
- To store. Let the blondies cool to room temperature first, then slice and place into an airtight container. At room temperature they will last for up to 3 days, in the fridge they will keep for a maximum of 5 days.
- To freeze. Pack into zipper bags and freeze for a maximum of 3 months.
- To reheat. Defrost the desired amount and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in hot oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes, or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Nutritional values notes
- Nutritional values may vary based on protein powder and ingredients used. For accurate values, calculate your nutrition facts.
