These No-Bake Protein Cookies are a recipe packed with fiber and plant-based protein to keep you full and fix your sweet craving during the day.
No-bake Protein Cookie recipes are my favorite snacks, just next to my Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls, Protein Mug Cake, and Chocolate Protein Yogurt. They are ready in less than 30 minutes, and they are packed with all the nutrients you need to be full for hours. They are a great healthy snack for kids or for recharging after a workout.
If you like my no-bake vegan cookies, you’ll love this protein-loaded version. They are naturally:
- Dairy-Free
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Refined Sugar-Free
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make healthy no-bake protein cookies are a few simple ingredients and less than 20 minutes.
- Creamy Peanut Butter or almond butter. Both are high-protein nut butter options. Otherwise, for a nut-free option, try sunflower seed butter.
- Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love, including sugar-free Monk fruit syrup or brown rice syrup for a low GI option.
- Melted Coconut Oil – To keep the cookies together.
- Almond Milk or any non-dairy milk you have, including coconut milk or oat milk.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor
- Cocoa Powder – I prefer to use unsweetened cocoa powder to make it easier to balance the sweetness.
- Chocolate Protein Powder or vanilla protein powder. Choose a plant-based version.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats or quick oats
- Seeds – I like to use a combination of chia seeds and hemp seeds. Both are high in proteins and add a lovely crunch to the no-bake cookies. But feel free to use any seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or even crushed almonds.
How To Make No-Bake Protein Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, stir all dry ingredients rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, cocoa powder, protein powder, and sea salt. Set it aside.
- In a non-stick saucepan over low heat, warm the peanut butter, coconut oil, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. When the mixture is well-combined, remove it from the heat.
- Pour the hot liquid mixture onto the dry ingredients, and using a silicone spatula, stir to combine them. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Cover a large baking sheet or plate with parchment paper. Make sure it fits your fridge or freezer because you will bring it inside later.
- Lightly oil the paper on the baking sheet. Scoop about one tablespoon of cookie batter and release it on the paper. Repeat until no more batter is left and all cookies are formed. Leave some space between each cookie to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Place the plate or baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes or until the cookies are hard and set.
Storage Instructions
These no-bake protein cookies soften very fast at room temperature. They are better stored in an airtight container in the fridge to stay crispy. You can also freeze no-bake cookies. They last up to 3 months in an airtight box, and you can also enjoy them frozen. They are very tasty and crunchy just out of the freezer.
Allergy Swaps
If you have some food allergies, I listed some options for you below:
- Nut-free – replace the nut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini. Keep in mind that seed butter is slightly bitter. Also, replace almond milk with coconut milk or oat milk.
- Sugar-free – you can use a sugar-free liquid sweetener like monk fruit syrup in this recipe.
- Gluten-free – any gluten-free cereal can be used instead of rolled oats, including rice flakes, puffed quinoa, cornflakes, or puffed buckwheat.
- Coconut-free – you need an oil that firms up at room temperature. You can’t use olive oil or vegetable oils in no-bake recipes. The only option is cocoa butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t want to use protein powder, swap for homemade oat flour or extra rolled oat to compensate for the protein powder.
You can also follow my no-bake peanut butter oatmeal vegan cookie recipe here. It’s protein powder-free.
Yes, you can use gluten-free certified oats or puffed quinoa, or rice flakes as a gluten-free option.
Yes, you can add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the batter, or you can melt the chocolate chips with the liquid ingredients to firm up the peanut butter chocolate cookies even more.
More No-Bake Cookie Recipes
Below I listed some more super easy no-bake cookie recipes for you to try!
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No-Bake Protein Cookies
Ingredients
Liquid ingredients
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter (Unsalted) - natural, creamy, fresh jar
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil - melted (measure melted!)
- 3 tablespoons Almond Milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
Dry ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¼ cup Chocolate Protein Powder
- ¾ cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Hemp Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium-size saucepan, add fresh creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and almond milk.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly to combine and form a consistent mixture.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla extract, cocoa powder, protein powder, oats, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. Stir until fully combined.
- Stir until it comes together into a chocolate batter that holds.
- Use a cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon to scoop out the dough and transfer it onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently press the top of the cookies with the back of a spoon to flatten.
- Repeat these steps until no more protein cookie dough is left.
- Freeze the baking sheet for 10 minutes or until the cookies harden. Otherwise, place it in the fridge overnight.
Storage
- Store for up to 7 days in a sealed box in the fridge. After that time, the no-bake cookies are still tasty but get sticky as some moisture goes in.
- Freeze in an airtight box or silicone bags and defrost 1 hour before eating, on a plate, at room temperature on your countertop.
Just double the recipe. You’ll wish you had once you try them!! Made 2 batches back to back. These are SO tasty, and the texture is great. I added some extra seeds (flax, pumpkin), 1/4 cup chocolate chips because I had vanilla protein only, and actually doubled the protein powder amount. Everything else was the same – Insanely good!