Homemade vegan protein cookies are a healthier, more affordable alternative to store-bought protein cookies and bars. With pea protein powder, cocoa, and unrefined sweeteners, you'll love how naturally wholesome these are. Plus, each 125 calorie cookie contains almost 9 grams of plant-based protein!
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Why You'll Love Homemade Protein Cookies
My husband is (or was) a fan of those Lenny & Larry's Complete Cookies. So I set out to create a healthier, more affordable option, and I have to say, mission accomplished!
Since my vegan protein cookies don't contain enriched wheat flour, palm oil, gums, or refined sugar, they don't taste exactly like any of the Lenny & Larry's cookie flavors, but honestly I think they taste better!
These protein cookies taste like real food. They're moist from mashed banana, lightly chocolatey, not overly sweet, and thanks to peanut butter and pure pea protein powder, they're very satisfying.
And these contain almost twice as much protein as Lenny & Larry's!
Flavor-wise these remind us of my Oil-Free Banana Brownies, which are one of my most popular healthy dessert recipes. The combination of cocoa and banana is just too scrumptious.
So how do these stack up nutrition-wise? Let's take a look...
Protein Cookie Nutrition Facts
Half of a Lenny & Larry's Complete Cookie is considered 1 serving, and per serving they contain:
- 210 calories
- 6 grams fat (3 grams saturated)
- 8 grams protein
- 30 grams carbohydrate
- 12 grams sugar
For comparison's sake, let's call two of my Vegan Protein Cookies a serving because that's similar to the number of calories in half of a Lenny and Larry's Complete Cookie.
Per 2 cookies, these contain:
- 257 calories
- 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated)
- 17 grams protein!
- 30 grams carbohydrate
- 17 grams sugar
Of course, we all know that macros don't tell us whether a food is healthy or not. It's about so much more than that.
But I wanted to highlight exactly how much protein these cookies contain since there are a lot of athletes, bodybuilders, etc, who make an effort to take in more protein than us average folks.
I would certainly rather eat these 9-ingredient wholesome cookies that DON'T contain all of the unwanted stuff and have TWICE as much protein. Feels like a win to me!
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Ingredient Notes
To create a delicious cookie that didn't need a lot of added sugar, I decided to use ripe bananas as the base of the recipe. So in case you're curious about substitutions, I haven't tested these any other way than with banana.
I did make a completely different version one day with almond flour and applesauce, and they had potential! But we really enjoy the flavor bananas bring to the recipe, so they won out in the end.
- 2 very ripe bananas - the sweeter and more fragrant the bananas, the tastier the cookies will be.
- peanut butter - substitute another nut or seed butter, if needed.
- coconut sugar - or other granulated sweetener such as cane sugar, date sugar, or brown sugar.
- vanilla extract - adds nice flavor and aroma. Sometimes I like to add a bit of almond extract, too.
- pea protein powder - I use Anthony's brand unsweetened pea protein. If you choose a sweetened, flavored protein powder you can reduce the amount of sugar slightly, and add a few more oats or other dry ingredient if the dough seems too moist.
- oats - regular, old fashioned rolled oats add fiber and complex carbs and make these cookies even more satisfying.
- cocoa powder - you can use regular or Dutch process unsweetened cocoa.
- baking powder
- mini or regular chocolate chips - these are optional but delicious! Enjoy Life brand makes dairy-free, allergy-friendly mini chocolate chips that work well here.
See the recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.
How to Make Vegan Protein Cookies
- First, peel and mash the bananas. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the pea protein powder, baking powder, cocoa powder, and oats. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, and fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Scoop up approximately 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. If you have a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop that makes it easy. Just put two scoops of dough in your palm, squeeze them together, and roll it into a smooth ball.
- Gently flatten each cookie into shape, then use a fork to flatten them even more and create a criss-cross pattern on top.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes.
And that's it! You just made delicious, healthy protein cookies that you can snack on all week long.
Tip: Notice how thick the dough is in the photo above. Bananas bind the protein cookies together and sweeten them naturally. The protein powder also helps with binding, since we're not using eggs or regular flour.
Variations
- other protein powders - instead of plain pea protein, use your favorite sweetened protein powder (we love vanilla), and reduce the sugar. With less sugar if the dough is too wet, mix in more oats, cocoa, or a spoonful of any flour.
- other nut/seed butters - Instead of peanut butter try almond butter or tahini, or use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- peanut butter protein cookie - replace the cocoa with powdered peanut butter (like PB2).
- additions - instead of chocolate chips try dried cranberries, currants, raisins, or chopped nuts.
How to Store and Freeze
Once the cookies are completely cool, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
The cookies are fine at room temperature for the day-like if you plan to pack them for work, school, hiking, or running errands. Otherwise, I recommend keeping them refrigerated.
More Ways to Use Pea Protein
Now that you have pea protein powder on hand, you might be curious about other ways to use it.
Unflavored and unsweetened pea protein is neutral in flavor and surprisingly versatile. You can incorporate it into many different recipes like smoothies, baked goods, pudding, sauces, and oatmeal.
Here are a few more ideas:
- Add pea protein powder to energy balls like these almond pulp bites.
- Mix it into chocolate banana baked oatmeal or this creamy breakfast farro.
- Make protein overnight oats.
- Use it in homemade Go Macro protein bars.
- Stir it into cereal and vegan granola.
- And for dessert, enjoy some vegan protein ice cream!
Top Tips
- For the best flavor, use bananas with plenty of dark spots, and don't forget the chocolate chips!
- Be sure to stir natural peanut butter very well before measuring so that it doesn't make the dough too oily.
- If the dough seems too moist, add a touch more protein powder, cocoa, and/or rolled oats, and mix well.
I hope you enjoy these vegan protein cookies as much as we do! If you try the recipe please leave a comment and a star rating below to let everyone know how they turned out!
More High Protein Snacks
Recipe
Vegan Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 medium-large bananas) - They should have a lot of spots and smell very sweet.
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup natural peanut butter, salted - Stir very well before measuring; If using unsalted peanut butter, add ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- ¾ cup pea protein powder, plain/unsweetened
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup mini vegan chocolate chips (see Notes) - Check for allergens, as needed.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Place bananas in a mixing bowl, and mash with a fork. Whisk in the vanilla, coconut sugar, and peanut butter.
- In a medium-size bowl whisk together the pea protein, cocoa, baking powder, and oats. If using unsalted peanut butter be sure to also add ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet, and stir to combine. The dough should be very thick. If it seems too moist, mix in a bit more protein powder and rolled oats. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Scoop up a scant 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. I like to use a small cookie scoop (1.5 Tbsp). Put two scoops of dough in your palm, squeeze them together, and roll into a smooth ball. Use your palms to gently flatten each cookie into a thick patty. Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these don't spread in the oven). Use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern on top of each one, further flattening them into a cookie shape.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.
Notes
- refined sugar-free - use grain-sweetened carob chips or Hu brand chocolate.
- other protein powders - instead of plain pea protein, use your favorite sweetened protein powder (we love vanilla), and reduce the sugar. With less sugar if the dough is too wet, mix in more oats, cocoa, or a spoonful of any flour.
- peanut-free - sub almond butter or tahini, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
- Double peanut protein cookie - replace the cocoa with powdered peanut butter (like PB2).
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Orion says
Hi! I probably did something wrong because these taste and smell very hard like the pea protein powder. I wanted something to mask the taste. But these where really strong on that. They also were very sweet. I am not sure what I did wrong. Maybe I added too many pea powder? I am sad because these look very tasty but they aren’t yummy at all. Maybe it was also that I used carob cocoa powder? I can’t explain it they taste very chalky and grassy and very sweet.
Lori says
Hi Orion,
Hmmm it does sound like maybe you somehow used too much protein powder. I'm surprised they also tasted too sweet, unless your pea protein is flavored and sweetened. Did you also use very ripe bananas (important for moisture) and the full amount of nut butter?
Amy says
I added Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Powder for that extra hit of peanut as i love it... turned out delicious! Definitely didn't get 12 cookies out of the mixture, more like 9 but still love them and they taste amazing ( albeit a bit sticky with the mixture)! Very cost effective, yummy and better than the store bought options! Thank you!
Vesna says
Love these cookies. Made them quite large so I extended the cooking time to 20 min. I used PANA dark cooking chocolate pieces and put them in the middle of the cookies. Absolutely delicious
Patti says
Can these be made without the protein powder?
Lori says
Hi Patti,
I'm sure they can, but you'll just need to add another dry ingredient as a replacement. More oats or a small amount of oat flour should work! Let us know if you give them a try.
Emily Grantham says
Super easy and less protein-y taste than traditional bars. Also much cheaper. Will be making again, thank you!
katy says
These look great, but I tend to prefer almond butter to peanut butter. Will that work? I"m also not a big fan of ripe bananas. Could it work to use bananas that are less ripe? thanks for your suggestions and great recipes!
Katy
Lori says
Hi Katy, yes almond butter is great. And for the bananas... when they're ripe they contribute more moisture and sweetness. So if it's just that you don't like eating ripe bananas straight, you may still be okay with them here after being baked. But if you know you don't enjoy ripe bananas in baked goods you could try using less ripe ones, then add a splash of milk and maple syrup for extra moisture and sweetness. That would probably work. 🙂 Enjoy!
Katy says
Those are great suggestions, thanks! Can't wait to make these.
Anna says
You could try using sweetened applesauce, but I'd start out with maybe ¾ cup (vs 1 cup banana) as it has more moisture than bananas do. If the batter is too sticky/runny, try adding a few more oats and an extra tbsp of cocoa/ protein powder. Good luck!!
Nela says
Could also use applesauce instead of bananas. May make a runnier dough, but definitely eliminates the banana problem!
Madison Masi says
QUESTION: If I only have Chocolate protein powder, do I omit the Coco Powder?
Lori says
Hi Madison, good question. I would probably keep 2 to 3 tablespoons of cocoa, just to make sure they're chocolate-y enough. And since chocolate protein powder is sweetened you may even want to decrease the sugar just a touch. Hope that helps!
Rhi says
These were awesome! With all the healthy baking I've done over the years, I actually don't think I'd ever made protein cookies. I subbed the coconut sugar for monk fruit sweetener and carob powder, and I also used chocolate-flavoured protein powder, so they were extra chocolatey and brownie-like. Will definitely be making these again. Thank you!!
Lori says
Woohoo! Glad you loved 'em, Rhi.
Marie says
Just made these and they are delicious! Thanks so much. How many cookies do you get out of a batch? I got 6 and just want to check that sounds about right. The reason I’m asking is because I want to know is so I can make sure each cookie is roughly 128 calories.
Lori says
Hi Marie,
So glad you like them! I got 12 cookies per batch. You can find that information in the recipe card above. See where it says "servings 12" right next to the calorie content? Hopefully that helps!
Alina says
Such a great recipe! I made these with my 5 year old daughter, she loves them! Their satisfying texture feels a lot like brownies. Not overly sweet or peanutty, and the banana flavour is nice (and I don't usually like cooked banana). Thank you so much!
Glushkina1 says
It was great!
This is the best recipe with pea protein powder I've ever tried. Thanks a lot for sharing
Lev says
hey i was super grateful to find a recipe that used unflavored protein powder because i bought a ton of it really cheap! i used 50g of soy protein isolate rather than pea protein and rounded it out with ~25g of PB2 (powdered peanut butter) to add protein but also cut the soy taste and it turned out great! also replaced coconut sugar with brown sugar bc that's what i had. these turned out awesome and are a great affordable higher protein alternative to a basic clif bar! <3
Lori says
That's awesome, Lev. Love the PB2 addition. So glad you enjoyed them!
Liza says
I must have mismeasured somewhere b/c the dough turned out dry and crumbly. It aslo yielded 19 cookies! I also used reg sized chocolate chips, which I had a hard time keeping in the dough. So will go mini next time. I'm not vegan, just a person who bought too much protein powder, so added an egg to the second batch to bind the dough better. It definitely turned out fudgier with the egg. I'll still keep playing with the recipe though and keeping it vegan.
Karen Ricketts says
These are not only delicious, but really hearty and satisfying. The banana gives them a nice touch of sweetness and we really like the chocolate pieces in them. Another great addition to our cookie rotation!
Lori says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Karen. Thank you for the feedback!