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Get It NowI’ve been on a kick to add more protein to baked goods for a few years now. These protein cookies are a fun twist on my flourless peanut butter cookies — I added protein powder, tossed in chocolate chips (because, why not?), adjusted the ratios, and added a sprinkle of sea salt. The result? Soft, chewy cookies that are like a blend of peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies — that you can feel good about. So next time you want an extra boost of protein in your treats (yes, really), make this protein cookie recipe with me!
Why You Need My Protein Cookie Recipe
- Hello, chocolate and peanut butter – These taste like a peanut butter cookie studded with melty chocolate chips. You’ll love the flavor and soft, chewy texture!
- Clean ingredients – Just 6 of them, plus salt! My protein chocolate chip cookies are naturally low carb and gluten-free, with no refined sugar or flour.
- Boost of protein – 8 grams of protein in each cookie! If you’re a fan of protein-packed baked goods like this, don’t miss my protein muffins, protein donuts, protein bars, protein brownies, and peanut butter protein balls, too.
- Quick and easy – You can enjoy these in just 20 minutes! I love them for a quick healthy snack, workout boost, or better-for-you dessert.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my peanut butter protein cookies, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Peanut Butter – You’ll need the thick kind. I like this one with no sugar added. Another nut butter or even seed butter might work, but many of them are runny, so that would change the texture of your cookies.
- Protein Powder – This is how we get high protein cookies! I recommend whey protein powder for the best texture. Other protein powders, such as plant-based protein or egg white protein, might work (and would make this recipe dairy free), but I find they work differently than whey and could affect the end result. Let me know how it goes if you try a substitute!
- Sweetener – Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is my go-to, because it’s 100% natural, tastes like sugar, and doesn’t dry out your protein cookies. If you like a brown sugar flavor, replace half of the regular Besti with Besti Brown instead. Other sweeteners will work, but many are more drying.
- Eggs – Flax eggs work, too.
- Chocolate Chips – Use your favorite. I love these sugar free ones! You can also swap them with raisins or dried cranberries.
- Vanilla Extract – I use this brand. Feel free to switch things up with other extracts, like almond extract or maple extract.
- Sea Salt – A little in the dough balances the sweetness, and I like a little flaky sea salt on top, but this is optional.
How To Make Protein Cookies
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the protein powder, Besti, and sea salt, breaking up any lumps.
- Add the wet ingredients. Whisk in the eggs, then stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. Your protein cookie dough mixture should be smooth and thick, like a stiff peanut butter.
- Press the cookies. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Use a fork in a crisscross pattern to flatten into a cookie shape, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Add the chocolate chips. Dot them over the tops of the cookies and press in gently.
- Pop in the oven. Bake the protein cookies, until they are semi-firm and not sticky on top, but slightly underbaked. If you want the optional flaky sea salt, sprinkle it over them while they are warm. Gently transfer to cooling rack to firm up before enjoying!
My Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend a cookie scoop. This dough is sticky and difficult to form without one, plus a scoop ensures your protein cookies are all the same size and bake at the same rate. This scoop is my favorite! Pack the dough in before releasing.
- Why flatten the cookies with a fork? It’s about texture! I used to just flatten with the palm of my hand, and the texture is much better using the fork method – just like any other peanut butter cookies.
- If your fork sticks to the cookies when flattening, dip the tines in water between presses. Sometimes I need to do this and sometimes not.
- Chocolate chips go on top of the cookies, not mixed into the batter. I really wanted chocolate chip protein cookies, but when I tried mixing them in, they melted all over the pan. They stay intact quite well if they are on top, and you can still press them in a bit.
- If your cookies aren’t baking evenly, rotate the pan halfway through. And a good baking sheet makes all the difference—I have this sheet pan in every size for even baking!
- For best texture, underbake slightly. Overbaking can cause too much peanut butter oil to leak out, leaving the cookies dry. A little oil is normal, but if there’s a lot, they’ve been in the oven too long.
- Be careful transferring the cookies to the cooling rack. They are very fragile right out of the oven, so I use this cookie spatula to transfer them. Don’t use your hands, or they might break!
Protein Cookies (Easy Recipe)
My protein cookies are like a chewy peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips and a protein boost! Gluten free and no refined sugar.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the protein powder, sweetener, and sea salt, breaking up any lumps.
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Add the eggs and whisk at the edge of the bowl to mix the yolk and white. Add the peanut butter and vanilla, and stir until smooth and thick (the texture should be like a more stiff peanut butter).
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Scoop the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop, and release balls of dough onto the lined baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the balls into cookies, first in one direction and then the opposite direction, to about 1/4 inch (~1/2 cm) thickness.
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Dot the chocolate chips over the tops of the cookies and press in gently. Try to avoid having the chocolate directly touching the parchment paper.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are semi-firm and not sticky on top, but slightly underbaked.
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Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the cookies if you like (optional). Do this right away while they are hot, so that the salt sticks.
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Use a cookie spatula to carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool completely to firm up.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 protein cookie, about 2 1/4 inches in diameter
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get evenly baked cookies with the right texture, avoid sticking or chocolate melting all over your pan, and prevent the cookies from falling apart.
- Store: Keep your protein cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies, or just scoops of raw cookie dough (without chocolate chips). Thaw on the counter overnight before enjoying or baking.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Protein Cookies
Gratitude Moment
I’ve been making these protein cookies since 2018, but every time I seem to change a little something (lol).
This last time, I really feel like I’ve nailed it. I switched to whey protein powder (I used to use bone broth protein and admit the taste was a little odd), added the fork pattern, adjusted the ratios, and changed how I add the chocolate chips (add on top instead of fold).
And last but certainly not least, I switched to Besti for the sweetener! These cookies used to turn out significantly more dry when I used to make them with other sugar alternatives. Besti makes them more moist and chewy. Give them a try and let me know what you think!
118 Comments
Gisselle
0I have Perfect Keto Protein Powder Vanilla, Grass Fed Collagen Peptides, Low Carb Keto Drink Supplement With MCT Oil Powder. Can I use that instead of the Vital Protein Collagen Peptides?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Gisselle, I haven’t tried it with any of these alternatives so can’t say if it would work. Sorry!
Janette
0I had to add a couple of scoops of coconut flour as mine were very runny.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Janette, I’m glad you got them to work! Sometimes the consistency varies depending on the peanut butter used.
Kerstin
0I love almost all your recipes. I think they are the best around and most match my macros exactly. This recipe however was not my favorite. They came out great, but tasted terrible. I used a popular brand of peanut butter but ugh….terrible…. overbearing peanut taste. I will now start fresh with the almond chocolate chip cookie recipe. Hopefully that will be a winner!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kerstin, Sorry to hear this one wasn’t for you. It’s definitely a peanut butter cookie (with chocolate chips) and has the flavor of peanut butter in it, so if you’re looking for a traditional chocolate chip cookie, these are not it. In that case I definitely recommend my plain low carb chocolate chip cookies instead.
Linda
0Does anyone else have the same problem? I am unable to print the recipe cards.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, Sorry to hear that. I just tested the print functionality and it worked fine for me. Please feel free to use my contact form if you’re still having this issue and I’d be happy to help you troubleshoot.
Marge
0What is Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, and where can I buy them?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marge, You can get Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (and more info about them) here.
Shannon
0Hi, can the collagen be substituted with gelatin or will that not work?
Thanks so much, loving your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shannon, Sorry, no, you need collagen for this one. The consistency of gelatin is different.
Amy Smith
0I’m vegetarian. I don’t eat bovine products. Is there something I can use instead that will work in my diet? I’d love to make them. They look very good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Amy, I haven’t tried, but you might be able to use a plant protein powder.
Angele
0I really love to make recipes with protein powder for my kids!! Mine is already sweetened with stevia, so do you think I should omit the erythritol?
Thank you for your delicious recipes!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Angele, You’d need less sweetener if your protein powder is sweetened, but you’d still probably need some additional sweetener. It’s hard to say how much because I don’t know how sweet your protein powder is. And, the texture would be different with reduced or omitted sweetener, due to the changed consistency of the cookie dough. I hope you’ll get the chance to try it with collagen as written, but if you make it a different way, I’d love to hear what you did and how it turns out!
Angele Bernier
0Hi Maya,
So I tried the recipe with my Isolate protein powder (Yummy sport Caramilkz) and it was delicious!!!
I used 1/2 cup of protein powder and 1/3 of swerve and it was perfect!!
I can’t wait to try the recipe with all the other flavors I have but I will also buy some Vital protein collagen peptides to try it!!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Kriendy
0Hi, can the vital protein collagen peptide be substituted with almond flour or coconut flour
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kriendy, No, sorry, I don’t recommend doing that as they work differently. You can make my almond flour chocolate chip cookies or coconut flour chocolate chip cookies if you want to use those flours.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the cookies, Angele! Thanks for stopping by!
Tina
0Mine did not turn out at all like the video. The batter looked the same, but when baking, the ingredients melted all over the pan. The sugar free chocolate chips 100 percent cacao did not bake well. The peanut butter with 0 added sugar was hard to stir and made the cookies very oily even though it was stirred very well. Not sure I will even try to eat this batch.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tina, Sorry to hear that! It might be a difference in ingredients used. The brands I used are linked on the recipe card. In addition, the chocolate chips are sugar-free and stevia sweetened, not 100% cacao, so that could have been part of the issue. I hope you’ll try again with the ingredients listed, or otherwise find another cookie recipe you like!
Susan
0To make the Low Carb Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter cookies, is it absolutely necessary to include the 1/3 cup of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for the cookies to turn out? Can something else (available in Canada) be substituted ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Susan, Yes, the collagen is necessary. You can try a different protein powder, but I haven’t tried so can’t vouch for the results. Vital Proteins is available in Canada – you can order it here.
Cheryl Geller
0How should these be stored to keep them fresh and chewy?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, You can keep them in an airtight container on the counter for a few days, in the fridge for 7-10 days, or freeze for longer. I had this in the post above so don’t miss the other tips above that, too. 🙂
Dee
0Love your site. Can I use regular unflavored protein powder instead of collagen?. I don’t have any. I would really like to make these cookies. These look really good.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Dee! Yes, you can. I hope you’ll get to try them sometime with collagen, too.
Diane Kimes
0Would regular collagen without the peptides work for this? The collagen peptides just aren’t in my budget, and I happen to have some regular collagen (which I haven’t really figured out how to use yet). Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Diane, Yes, both will work. Collagen peptides are just easier to absorb and get the benefits.
Diane Kimes
0Thank you. They were yummy and easy. 🙂