Vegan Protein Cookies

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These Vegan Protein Cookies are packed with protein but taste like a dessert! Just mix everything in a bowl and then scoop out the cookie dough onto a tray and bake. You'll have an easy post-workout snack that you'll really enjoy. You can also make them in an air fryer really fast.

Hey Internet, we've got another recipe for those of you who are looking to get more protein on a vegan diet. Everyone is always claiming that vegans can't get protein but I've yet to meet a fellow vegan who was protein deficient. Plants are packed with protein! I mean, how else would bison and gorillas get so big and they only eat plants!

There are so many sources of vegan protein, too. And it's not just from vegan protein powder, though it's quite useful for baking. 

We have a lot of recipes that are packed with plant based protein. We've recently have made a Vegan Protein Pasta for our dinners and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Smoothie that's great for breakfasts with extra protein. Our new Hoisin Tofu is a great way to get some more protein with a lot of flavor.

And if you're looking for more vegan protein recipes or just to increase your protein intake, try one of our great compilations: High Protein Vegan Meals, Vegan Meat Recipes, or Tofu Recipes.

You can also try our vegan protein mug cake for another easy healthy dessert!

Many plant-based protein powders are made from pea protein isolate. Even whole green peas have a ton of protein; for a ½ cup of peas, you get 4 grams of protein and a ton of other vitamins and minerals, but obviously the isolate form is going to have more. Same with soy protein isolate v.s. soy beans. 

Vital Wheat Gluten also has a boat ton of protein. Our Instant Pot Seitan has 30 grams of protein in one serving. There's tofu, lentils, beans and so much more. You can find a list of other sources at this article.

Now, we've developed a new recipe that adds to our list of high protein snacks and desserts. These homemade protein cookies are made with plant-based protein powder and are the perfect way to add some more protein in your daily intake.

What's best is that this vegan protein cookie recipe doesn't even taste like a healthier treat; it tastes like a decadent vegan cookie with ooey-gooey chocolate. These are so much better than store-bought protein cookies, which, in our opinion, sometimes turn out way too dry or dense. You'll need to be careful with these delicious bites if you have a sweet tooth. But luckily, they store great in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

If you're tired of protein shakes, try these. We think they're the best protein cookies we've tasted!

Why You'll Love These Vegan Protein Cookies

• Easy to Make Recipe: The prep time on these high protein cookies cookies is about 5 to 10 minutes of work. Just mix everything in a bowl, use a scoop to make cookie dough balls, and just pop them in the oven.
• Crispy and Gooey Cookies: We've torn into these right after baking them. The edges get that rich crunchiness that some cookie recipes get, while the insides are a soft and filled with melty chocolate chips!
• Easily Stored: We placed them in an airtight storage box in the fridge and they lasted 5 days. They might have lasted longer if Paul hadn't eat so many!

Ingredients

Pick up these simple ingredients the next time you're at a grocery store. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredients, instructions, and accurate nutritional information (to the best of my ability; please consult your physician or healthcare professional if you have specific dietary needs). I give substitutions for the ingredients in the section below this one, so most people can still make this recipe!

• 0.75 Cups Peanut Butter: Peanut Butter is a great ingredient to bake protein cookies with. In addition to being oily, which is great for the bake as it acts a vegan butter, it has more protein and healthy fats to add to the recipe.
• 0.25 Cups 100% Pure Maple Syrup: This sweetener is a great way to add a little more liquids to your batter while adding the unique sweetness to it.
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil: Hear us out, a little coconut flavor goes super well with the chocolate flavors we are about to add!
• ¾ Cups Almond Flour: Not only does this keep the recipe Gluten-free, it adds more flavor to the recipe.
• ⅔ Cups Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder: This is both your protein source and chocolatey goodness. We like to use this plant-based vegan powder called Orgain Organic for our recipes.
• A Pinch of Salt: Use your fingers for a small pinch, but if you need an exact amount try a scant ⅛ teaspoon.
• 3 Tablespoons Ground Chia Seeds (40g) + 6 Tablespoons of Water: We will use these to make egg replacers for our bake.
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons Soy Milk as Needed: You may need a splash of soy milk to help make you batter wetter to get the right consistency to your batter.
• ⅓ Cups Vegan Chocolate Chips + Extras: You'll add ⅓ cup of the vegan chocolate chips to the batter. Try regular dairy-free chocolate chips or dairy-free white chocolate chips! If you want your cookies to look pretty, you'll want to reserve some chips to lightly press into the unbaked cookies before adding them to the oven or air fryer.

Substitutions

Please note that any substitutions may alter the nature of the cookie batter. Make sure to add your ingredients slowly and be prepared to have to add more of the other ingredients to make your batter wetter or drier. You want your batter to be able to be combined, but you don't want it to be super wet and sticky.

• Peanut Butter: Almond Butter can be used 1-to-1 as a replacement for peanut butter if you have a peanut allergy. Any other thick nut and seed butter should work but be careful with tahini because it is quite thin and you may need more vegan protein powder and/or flour.
• Maple Syrup: Agave is a great liquid sweetener that can substitute for maple syrup. You can also make a homemade simple syrup with one part water and one part organic cane sugar. You could also do try our vegan honey if you'd like to make a delicious and unique vegan liquid sweetener. Coconut sugar may also work, but you may end up needing an extra splash of non-dairy milk to help the dough come together.
• Almond Flour: Oat flour should work fine for this cookie. Note that it will change the texture, but should still work fine. I imagine that all purpose flour or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend would work well too. Note that if you're using another flour like cassava flour or coconut flour, I haven't experimented much with those and don't know how the recipe would turn out.
• Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder: You could use cocoa powder, but then these cookies would just be regular cookies! If you want these to still be chocolate protein cookies, you need to have protein powder in them. Luckily, there are many types of vegan protein powders other than pea protein powder. Hemp protein, brown rice protein, and soy protein are all great choices. Also, the recipe should still work with a vanilla protein powder (for a regular chocolate chip cookie or other type of protein powder, but it won't be super chocolatey! 
• Chia Seed Eggs: Flax eggs will also work (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water to make each flax egg, and use a total of three flax eggs). Alternatively, you could use 3 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer (link) mixed with 6 tablespoons water.
• Soy Milk: Almost any plant-based milk should work with this recipe, such as almond milk or oat milk. The soy milk we use is just higher in protein (that's one of the reasons we keep it stocked) but so little is used in the wet ingredients that it shouldn't affect the recipe too much.
• Vegan Chocolate Chips: If you can't find any dairy free chocolate chips, try chopped walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or any other nut you enjoy. Or try raw pumpkin seeds.

How to Make Vegan Protein Cookies

1. Preheat your Oven: Set your oven to 350 F (175 C) and let it come to heat. Skip this step if you are air frying your cookies. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Mix your Chia Eggs: Mix your flax eggs in a small bowl or measuring cup. Let them set in a refrigerator for a few minutes. If you have a spice grinder, grind up the chia seeds first. This will make the process take about 30 seconds.
3. Melt the Coconut Oil: If your coconut oil is solid, add it to a small dish and microwave it for 10 to 20 seconds to get melted coconut oil.
4. Mix the Ingredients: Add everything except the chocolate chips to a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients first and then the wet and mix them until they are combined. The dough should be moist yet not tacky and wet.
5. Fold in the Chocolate Chips: Add in the vegan chocolate chips and gently fold them in. Be careful if you're using your hands as the chips can melt!
6. Make Cookie Dough Balls: Using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, make cookie dough rounds and add them to a baking sheet with at least one ball's space between each other and the walls of the tray.
7. Flatten the Dough Balls: With the palm of your hand, gently flatten each ball into a disc (or you can use a the bottom of a drinking glass).
8. Add Additional Chocolate Chips, Optional: Gently press a few of the remaining chocolate chips into each unbaked cookie.
9. Bake Cookies, Oven Directions: Place your cookies in the oven for 24-28 minutes. Use a spatula to check to see if the bottoms have browned. If they have, they are done.
10. Air Frying Instructions:  Add cookie discs to air fryer basket. Set air fryer to 350 F (175 C) and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the crispness you want in the cookie.
11. Cool and Serve: Remove vegan cookies from oven or air fryer and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before enjoying.

Storage Instructions

Once they have fully cooked, add your chocolate peanut butter protein cookies to a zippered food storage bag or airtight storage container. Leftover cookies can last 5 to 7 days in a refrigerator in these conditions. These healthy protein cookies are great cold, but you can leave them on a plate for a few minutes to eat them at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds.

Expert Tips

• Even More Chocolate: If you want an even more gooey cookie, try using vegan chocolate chunks instead of chips!
• Clean Up Each Ball: Make sure your cookie dough balls are uniform before pressing; no bits hanging out of the sides. Simple pick the little crumbles of dough up and gently press them into the ball.
• Use Parchment Paper: Don't be impatient, use either some parchment paper or a baking mat to keep your cookies from sticking to the tray while baking!
• Protein Bars: Add the batter to a lined square pan and bake until firm (20-30 minutes), then let cool fully and slice into bar shape for easy vegan protein bars!
• Even More Protein: Add up to a third cup of hemp seeds to the cookie dough for a protein boost!

Frequently Asked Questions

More High Protein Recipes

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Smoothie
• Oil-Free, Vegan, Fudgy Protein Brownie Bites
• Vegan Protein Pasta
• Vegan Protein Mug Cake
• Vegan Steak
• Hoisin Tofu

Read more about vegan high protein recipes at our article with over 100 recipes!

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