Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

These irresistible peanut butter protein cookies are actually good for you! Enjoy eating your protein in this creative and sweet way.

Healthy Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

What if I told you that you can boost your protein intake by eating yummy cookies? While shakes and healthy pancakes have their place, there is nothing quite like a sweet and soft peanut butter cookie, hot out of the oven.

Everything about these cookies is pretty amazing. Not only did I use extra peanut butter – the natural kind and the powdered kind – but these cookies are high in fiber too!

Yup, that’s all thanks to the oat flour.

These are gluten-free and sweetened with glucose-friendly maple syrup. When you pack these cookies in your lunch, you can feel good about your choice.

They are a delicious post-workout snack or a protein boost when you need it most!

Ingredients Needed

There are no crazy or weird ingredients in these cookies – just real, whole ingredients that are good for your body. They are easy to find at the grocery store!

Here’s a bit more about what I used:

• Powdered Peanut Butter (pb2): You’ll use 1/2 a cup of this powder. It bosts the protien content without affecting the texture.
• Water: Use 1/4 cup of water to thin out the thick texture of the dough.
• Maple Syrup: About 1/4 a cup of real maple syrup will sweeten the cookies naturally.
• Natural Peanut Butter: You only need 1/4 a cup of natural (unsweetened) peanut butter.
• Vanilla: Adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla will enhance the flavor in these cookies and actually make them taste sweeter.
• Oat Flour: This add structure and fiber to the cookies and is a healthy gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. You need 1/3 a cup!
• Vanilla Protein Powder: This fortifies the cookies with extra protein and gives them a delightful vanilla taste. You need 2 tablespoons.
• Baking Powder: This helps the cookies rise so they are nice and chewy. You’ll use 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
• Sea Salt Flakes: This is the perfect topping for the cookies. Sea salt flakes on top don’t just look lovely, but they really bring out all the flavors in these cookies too.

Kitchen Tools Required

If you have ever baked cookies before, then you probably already have all the tools you need. This is what I used when I made them.

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Cookie Scoop
• Fork

For measuring, you will need 1/2 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon.

How To Make Healthy Protein Cookies

It might seem as simple as mixing the cookie dough, forming cookies, and baking them, but there are a few extra steps in there that will make all the difference.

First, preheat the oven to 350F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together half of the peanut butter powder and the water. Then, add maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Whisk them all together until they are completely combined.

In a small bowl, use a spatula to mix together oat flour, the rest of the peanut butter powder, protein powder, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir them together until a dough forms.

Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll the cookie dough into balls of about 1.5 tablespoons worth of dough. Flatten them with the back of a wet fork. There should be around 14 cookies.

Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes or until they are golden brown. Once they are cooled, top them with sea salt.

Below are some common peanut butter cookie questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

Is creamy or crunchy peanut butter better for these cookies?

Whether you use creamy or crunchy peanut butter for these cookies is a matter of personal preference. If you use crunchy peanut butter, the cookies will have small bits of peanuts in them. This could be delicious, especially if you enjoy cookies with nuts.

I used creamy peanut butter because I prefer soft and chewy peanut butter cookies without nuts in them.

How do you know when peanut butter cookies are fully cooked?

Peanut butter cookies will be very soft and will firm up as they cool. You’ll know they are fully cooked when they turn golden brown and don’t have the same “wet” or “glistening” look on the outside.

Is maple syrup healthier than white sugar?

Maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than white sugar, which is why I prefer to use it when I bake. Maple syrup is also sweeter than white sugar, so you can get away with using less of it.

How do you make your own oat flour?

Making your own oat flour is literally as easy as pureeing dry oatmeal until it becomes fine flour. You can use steel-cut oat or even quick-cooking oats.

I prefer to use steel-cut oats because they went through less processing.

Is a baking sheet the same thing as a cookie sheet?

I use these two terms interchangeably, but there is a difference. A baking sheet has a rim around the edge. A cookie sheet is completely flat, without a rim around the edge. The rimless design allows bakers to slide cookies off the sheet without smashing them into the side.

You can use either a baking sheet or a cookie sheet for these cookies. Beginner bakers might appreciate the ease of a cookie sheet.

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container, like a cookie jar, at room temperature. They will last about a week – if you don’t eat them all first!

These cookies will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Here are some more of my favorite cookies to make. Enjoy!

• Healthy White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Easy Nutella Cookies
• Healthy Kitchen Sink Cookies
• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.