Protein Cookie Dough (3 Flavors!)

If you’re on the hunt for a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth, you’re going to love my Edible Protein Cookie Dough recipe! Made with just 6 basic ingredients in less than 10 minutes, this super-versatile protein powder cookie dough boasts a whopping 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving.

As much as I love desserts of all kinds, there’s something extremely satisfying (albeit a little foolhardy) about eating raw, unbaked cookie dough. However, unlike regular cookie recipes, these protein cookie dough balls are intended to be eaten straight from the bowl, with no baking required.

Made in less than 10 minutes using just 6 basic ingredients, these versatile cookie dough protein balls are the perfect post-workout (or post-middle-of-the-night baby-feeding 🤷‍♀️) treat. Whip up a batch on your meal-prep day and enjoy the rewards all week long.

Aside from being a snap to make, they’re also allergen-friendly. My edible cookie dough with protein powder is naturally egg-free and nut-free, plus is also easy to make gluten-free, vegan, and soy-free. No matter what diet you’re on, you can fit these yummy nibbles into it!

You’re also welcome to shake up the flavors by swapping in different mix-ins — I’ve offered 3 separate recipes to show you just how versatile they are. Plus, making your own high-protein cookie dough rather than buying it at the store is a far more budget-friendly way to get your dough fix.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get to the kitchen to make some of this protein-packed cookie batter!

Jump to:

• What does protein cookie dough taste like?
• Ingredients
• Substitutions
• Instructions
• Storage Instructions
• Optional Variations
• Tips & FAQ
• Nutritional Info
• Pricing Info
• Other high-protein snack recipes
• Recipe

What does protein cookie dough taste like?

Just the way cookie dough should taste — sweet, creamy, crunchy, and a little bit grainy. It tastes like afternoons from childhood when Mom would let me lick the beaters after she made a batch. In other words, my protein cookie batter tastes like pure, unadulterated happiness.

Ingredients

As promised, you only need a few basic ingredients to make this protein cookie dough recipe. Here’s what to grab:

• Whole Wheat Flour – Swapping in whole-grain flour for all-purpose adds a nifty boost of fiber and protein, plus gives the cookie dough a wonderfully nutty flavor.
• Chocolate or Vanilla Protein Powder – Pick your protein depending on what flavor of cookie dough you’re after.
• Cocoa Powder – Optional, but excellent for adding lots of bright chocolate flavor to the chocolate cookie dough recipe. I personally opt for Dutch-processed cocoa powder because it is less bitter than conventional cocoa, but you’re welcome to use regular, black cocoa, or even raw cacao powder if you prefer.
• Pure Maple Syrup – For sweetness and moisture to bind the dough together without adding refined sugar. Plus, who doesn’t love the flavor of maple?!?
• Coconut Oil – For added richness. You can use either refined or unrefined coconut oil, but the unrefined version will give you a more pronounced coconut flavor.
• Milk – You’re welcome to use any milk of your choice, dairy or plant-based.
• Vanilla Extract – For rich complexity.
• Mini Chocolate Chips or Sprinkles – For extra yumminess.

Substitutions

As a dietician, I’m well aware that every person’s body is different and that you might need to make some substitutions to the recipe to make it work for you. Here are some easy swaps you can make without sacrificing flavor:

• Whole Wheat Flour – You’re welcome to swap in regular all-purpose flour or your favorite gluten-free flour blend if you prefer, but you’ll miss out on the whole-grain nutrients and the tasty, almost nutty flavor of whole wheat. You can also use other whole-grain flours like einkorn, oat, or brown rice flour if you like.
• Chocolate or Vanilla Protein Powder – Feel free to experiment with other flavors of protein powder (e.g. coffee, peanut butter, or cookies & cream) to create your own recipes!
• Cocoa Powder – You’re welcome to experiment with powdered peanut butter for a nutty twist or carob powder for chocolate flavor without any chocolate instead. Alternatively, you can swap in hot cocoa mix, but you’ll want to dial back on the maple syrup to prevent the protein dough from becoming too sweet.
• Pure Maple Syrup – Any other liquid sweetener like agave nectar, honey, brown rice syrup, or date syrup can also be used.
• Coconut Oil – Feel free to swap in butter (regular or vegan) if you prefer.
• Vanilla Extract – You can swap in an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder, or use half as much ground vanilla. Alternatively, consider experimenting with other extracts (e.g. coconut, lemon, lime, maple, almond) to come up with new cookie dough flavors!
• Mini Chocolate Chips or Sprinkles – You’re welcome to omit these, or swap in your own favorite mix-ins like raisins, chopped toasted nuts, or toffee chips. Read on below for more ideas!

Instructions

These cookie dough protein bites come together in under 10 minutes, making them the ideal last-minute treat. Here’s how to make them:

Step 1: Heat Treat Flour for 60-90 seconds on high in the microwave. Stir, then heat for another 30 seconds, until temp reaches 165°. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Dry Ingredients. Add the protein powder (and cocoa powder if using), and stir to combine.

Step 3: Wet Ingredients. Add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of the milk of your choice, and vanilla extract, then stir to combine. If the mixture is a little dry, add another 1-2 tablespoons of milk and stir.

Step 4: Fold in either mini chocolate chips or rainbow sprinkles (if using), until evenly distributed.

Storage Instructions

Store in a covered container in the fridge for 4-5 days. The dough will harden in the fridge, so allow for it to come to room temperature before you’re ready to eat it for the proper cookie dough consistency. You can also individually portion them into protein cookie dough bites before storing them in the fridge for easier access.

Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. To eat, allow to defrost and come to room temperature.

Optional Variations

While I love these cookie dough protein balls just the way they’re written, there is plenty of room for you to experiment and customize them to your needs and preferences. Here are a few optional variations to consider:

• Different Flavor Protein Powders – Easily change the flavor of the cookie dough by trading in a different flavor of protein powder.
• Other Mix-Ins – Mini chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles are just the beginning! You can also add:
  • Dried Fruit
  • Toasted Nuts
  • Toffee Chips
  • Other Flavor Baking Chips (e.g. mint, peanut butter, butterscotch)
  • Chocolate Sprinkles
  • Chopped Pretzels
  • Cinnamon Sugar (try rolling the balls in it rather than stirring it in)
• Gluten-Free Protein Cookie Dough – Swap in your favorite gluten-free flour (e.g. oat flour or brown rice flour) and make sure to read the labels on your protein powder.
• Vegan Protein Cookie Dough – Use vegan milk and plant-based protein powder.
• Cookie Dough Truffles – Dip them in melted chocolate for an extra decadent treat.
• Cookie Dough Ice Cream – Make tiny balls of edible cookie dough, then freeze before stirring them into your favorite softened ice cream.

Tips & FAQ

• Portion the dough before refrigerating. While you *can* just scoop all the dough into a container and pop it in the fridge, I find that measuring it out into balls makes it easier for me to get my sweet fix whenever the craving strikes.
• Let the dough come to room temp for eating. The dough will harden up quite a bit in the fridge thanks to the coconut oil, so letting it warm up a bit will give you a much more typical cookie dough consistency.

Nutritional Info

With an impressive 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving, this protein cookie dough packs quite a nutritional punch. Add the fact that this sweet treat is made with whole-wheat flour and you can see how it’s actually a pretty nourishing treat.

Since one serving clocks in at 294 calories and has 12 grams of fat, these protein bites are great as a between-meal snack or as a light meal replacement. If I’m being totally honest, I’ll sometimes eat them for breakfast. (Being an adult is fun sometimes, right?)

The total nutritional content per serving is:

• Calories: 294 calories
• Total Fat: 12 grams
• Protein: 10 grams
• Sodium: 34 mg
• Carbohydrates: 40 grams
• Fiber: 5 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Pricing Info

This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour: $1.13
• ½ cup vanilla protein powder: $1.74
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup: $1.32
• 2 tbsp coconut oil: $0.43
• 2-4 tbsp milk of choice: $0.06
• 1 tsp vanilla extract: $0.13
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips: $0.86

The total cost to make this recipe comes out to be around $5.67 or $0.95 per serving!

Other high-protein snack recipes

• Protein Donuts w/Maple Glaze
• Simple Oatmeal Protein Cookies
• Easy Protein Overnight Oats
• 5 Minute Matcha Protein Balls
• Cold Brew Coffee Protein Smoothie
• Healthy Protein Bars: A Dietitian’s Review

Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!

Recipe

If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!

xoxo Megan