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This Single Serving Protein Cookie is the best homemade protein snack. Vegan, gluten-free and low sugar, this peanut butter filled protein cookie will satisfy your sweet tooth without guilt.
Why buying high protein snacks when you can make your own? Protein brownies, protein muffins and chocolate protein cake. You name it, MattsfitChef has it! And from today, I also have the best macro-friendly cookie for one!
One thing about me is that I love high protein snacks. Protein bars and cookies have been my weakness since I was 16. At the time my favorite was a chocolate protein cookie with peanut butter inside, tasting similar to a brownie. Over the years I’ve tried many other brands such Quest and Lenny & Larry’s. All tasted quite good, but one thing wasn’t – the ingredient list.
I’ve been trying to consume less to none artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose because they mess up with my body. Constant cravings for sweets, stomachaches, bloating…Nah, it’s not worth it. So I decided to satisfy my cravings with a homemade single serving protein cookie. Healthy, macro-friendly and sweetened naturally. Welcome to my latest obsession, I LOVE it!
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy and macro-friendly. Boasting 25 g of protein, this chocolate protein cookie for one is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, eggless and free from refined flour or sugar.
- Quick and easy. You only need a bunch of simple ingredients and 15 minutes of your day, anyone can make it. It takes even less than a trip to the supermarket, choosing the right product and waiting in line to pay.
- Extra delicious. A huge brownie cookie filled with peanut butter, it tastes so much better than Lenny & Larry’s or anything you could buy. Try this recipe and satisfy the cravings while hitting your macros.
- Budget-friendly. One packaged cookie can cost anywhere between 2$ to 3$, and most don’t even taste good. But this single serve protein cookie is different, because you are going to make it at home.
Ingredients
In the following list you are going to find all the ingredients required. In addition, I’ve also included some tips and common replacements in case something is missing. For the precise measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the end.
- Banana. Half mashed ripe banana provides natural sweetness and binds the dough with no eggs and no flax eggs. You can replace it with 3 tablespoons of applesauce or mashed pumpkin.
- Protein powder. I used organic chocolate pea protein, sweetened with monk fruit and no artificial sweetener. You can choose any vegan protein powder, flavored or unflavored, but avoid whey. Whey protein won’t give structure to the cookie.
- Oat flour. Both homemade and store-bought oat flour are suitable, gluten-free if necessary. Almond flour, spelt flour or all purpose flour are great alternatives.
- Cocoa powder. The recommendation is for unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Peanut butter. You are going to need peanut butter both for the dough and for the filling. It helps the ingredients stick together and adds a delicious nutty flavor. Peanut butter can be substituted with almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Maple syrup. In this recipe, maple syrup adds a touch of natural sweetness without artificial ingredients or white sugar. Honey, agave and date syrup will also do the job.
How to make single serving protein cookie
Step 1 – Combine. In a bowl mash ½ ripe banana, then combine with peanut butter and maple syrup. Stir until smooth. Add protein powder, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
Step 2 – Mix. Start mixing with a fork, then use your hands to knead the dough until smooth. If it is too thick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of nondairy milk and keep kneading until smooth. Divide the dough into 2 parts, then roll each into round discs about 0.2 inches (0.50 cm) thick.
Step 3 – Fill. Add a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of one disc, then cover with the second piece of dough. Gently press down edges to seal the cookie.
Step 4 – Bake. Place the small-batch cookie over a parchment paper covered baking sheet and bake in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe variations
- No filling – Instead of dividing the dough into 2 parts and filling with peanut butter, you can shape a large single serve protein cookie or make two smaller biscuits.
- Vanilla – Replace cocoa powder with an extra tablespoon of oat flour and use vanilla protein powder. You can keep the filling, swap it out for dark chocolate or bake plain vanilla biscuits.
- Double chocolate – Instead of spreading peanut butter into the center, use a piece of dark chocolate or protein chocolate spread. Also sugar-free white chocolate goes well.
- Birthday cake – Make a vanilla cookie as described before, then top with sugar-free sugar sprinkles. If you keep the filling, I recommend almond or cashew butter.
- Snickerdoodle – Substitute peanut butter with almond butter, both for dough and filling, and add a ⅓ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to your ingredient list.
Recipe Tips
- Choose a good protein powder. I recommend a high quality vegan protein powder with minimal ingredients, no artificial sweetener and no sugar. I used organic pea protein sweetened with monk fruit and little stevia. For the flavor, chocolate, vanilla and flavorless are great picks.
- Sweeten to taste. Different protein powders taste different, and we all have unique preferences. If you realize that the dough is missing sweetness, add more maple syrup. Since there is no egg, you can also try the dough alone.
- Adjust with milk. Depending on the type of protein powder, your dough may become dry and crumbly when mixed. In this case, fix the consistency with 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk until it gets smooth.
Storage directions
To store. Place the cookie in an airtight food container or in a zipper bag and keep in a cool, dry place such as your cupboard for up to 4 days. It comes in handy as a protein snack on the go, as a pre-workout snack or as a late-night healthy treat.
To freeze. Allow to cool, the pack it into a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat in hot oven at 350°F (180°C) for 3 – 5 minutes or microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend vegan protein powder or casein, whey concentrate, whey isolate, egg protein and collagen won’t work. Plant based protein and casein are the only two types of protein powder that provide structure without drying if heated.
Yes, you can air fry protein cookie at 320°F (160°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
Yes, you can microwave it on high it in 30 second intervals for 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes. However, I do not recommend microwaving it because the texture won’t be the same.
More high protein snacks and desserts
- Protein muffins
- Cottage cheese cookies
- Low calorie protein brownies
- Moist protein banana bread
- Pumpkin protein muffins
- Cottage cheese brownies
- Greek yogurt protein cookies
- Protein cheesecake
- Cottage cheese cheesecake
Single Serving Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ ripe banana, mashed
- ½ to 1 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
- 1 ½ tsp peanut butter
- 2 tbsp protein powder, I recommend chocolate flavor
- 1 ½ tbsp oat flour, or almond flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅓ tsp baking powder
- 1 to 2 tsp milk of choice, if necessary, see notes
- a pinch of salt
- chocolate chips, optional for topping
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 tsp peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a bowl mash ½ ripe banana, then combine with peanut butter and maple syrup. Stir until smooth.
- Add protein powder, oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
- Start mixing with a fork, then use your hands to knead the dough until smooth. If too thick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of nondairy milk and keep kneading until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 2 parts, then roll each into round discs about 0.2 inches (0.50 cm) thick.
- Add a teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of one disc, then cover with the second piece of dough. Gently press down edges to seal the cookie.
- Place over a parchment paper covered baking sheet and bake in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Milk: The amount of milk required depends on how thick and dry the dough is. If, after mixing, the protein dough is still dry and crumbly, add little milk until it reaches a smooth consistency.
- Protein powder: I used chocolate flavored pea protein. Vanilla or brownie flavors are also great, but if you use unflavored protein powder you may need more sweetener.
- Banana: Replace half mashed banana with 3 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin purée.
