Protein Cookies Without Protein Powder (8g Protein)

These Protein Cookies are a high-protein snack made with no protein powder, no eggs, no dairy, no gluten and they still bring over 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber!

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Protein Cookies without protein powder

These Protein Cookies are a high-protein snack made with no protein powder, no eggs, no dairy, no gluten and they still bring over 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

Total Time: 22 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 11 cookies

Calories: 247.5 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ ½ cup Medjool Dates - (note 1) 80g 6 dates, pitted
• ▢ ⅓ cup Soy Milk - lukewarm (note 2)
• ▢ 1 can Canned Chickpeas - 15 ounces / 425g can – drained, equivalent to 1 1/4 cups of cooked chickpeas (note 3)
• ▢ ¾ cup Peanut Butter (Unsalted) - (note 4)
• ▢ ½ cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats - (note 5)
• ▢ ½ cup Pumpkin Seeds - (note 6)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 7)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips - (note 8)

Instructions

• In a glass bowl, place the pitted dates and cover them with warm milk (I microwaved it for just 30 seconds). Place a plate on top of the bowl to prevent the milk from evaporating. Set it aside for 10 minutes to give the dates time to soften.
• When the dates are soft, pop the bowl in the fridge to cool down the milk otherwise, it will melt the chocolate chips in the cookie dough.
• Open the can of chickpeas. Wash and drain them under tap water in a sieve. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line one large cookie tray with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with coconut oil. Set aside.
• Place the chickpeas into the food processor with the cooled dates and milk they have been soaked in, peanut butter, oats, pumpkin seeds, vanilla extract, baking powder, and maple syrup.
• Blend on high speed for 30 seconds, stop, scrape down the bowl of the food processor, and repeat these actions a few times until the batter is smooth and there are almost no lumps of chickpeas. It should not take more than 2 minutes in total.
• Remove the blade, and stir in the dark chocolate chips with a spatula.
• The batter is sticky and thick. That's normal. Spray some cooking oil in a cookie dough scoop, scoop some dough, and release it on the baking sheet.
• Place the chickpea cookie dough ball on the prepared tray, leaving half an inch between each cookie. These cookies will not expand in the oven. I made 11 cookies.
• Slightly wet your hand and press the dough balls to flatten them into cookies.
• Bake the cookies for 18-22 minutes until the top is golden brown and crusty. The cookies remain very soft, and that is normal. They are fudgy.
• Let them cool on the rack for 10 minutes, then slide a spatula under each cookie to transfer them to a cooling rack.
• Leave them for 1 hour to reach room temperature before eating.

Notes

Note 1: Any date variety works. Make sure you weigh the dates if you are using smaller dates.

Note 2: Or any milk you love. Soy milk has more protein than almond or oat milk, so it’s the best option for more protein.

Note 3: Canned chickpeas are already cooked. If cooking yours from dry chickpeas, cook them, let them cool, and measure 1 1/4 cups.

Note 4: Or any nut butter you like, such as almond butter or cashew butter. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter.

Note 5: Or gluten-free certified oats, or quinoa flakes.

Note 6: Or sunflower seeds or hemp seeds to add even more protein per serving. Avoid chia seeds and flaxseed. They will absorb too much liquid, and they won’t add much protein.

Note 7: Or agave syrup, or skip and add more milk instead. This makes the cookies softer, and I found the sweetness too low without maple syrup.

Note 8: Optional, you can swap for chopped nuts or more seeds.

Storage: Store in the fridge or in the pantry for up to 4 days. Otherwise, freeze in a box and defrost on a plate at room temperature for 3 hours before eating.

Oven Mode: I use the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you have to use conventional mode, I recommend increasing the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 247.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.4g | Protein: 8.2g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.3g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 162.2mg | Potassium: 308.4mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 11.6g | Vitamin A: 45.1IU | Vitamin B12: 0.1µg | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Vitamin D: 0.1µg | Calcium: 89.9mg | Iron: 1.4mg | Magnesium: 69.8mg | Phosphorus: 163.3mg | Zinc: 1.4mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Medjool Dates – This provides natural sweetness and a sticky texture that binds the dough together. You can also use other soft date varieties like Deglet Noor, though you might need to soak them a bit longer if they are dry.
• Soy Milk – This adds moisture to help blend the dates and boosts the protein content of the cookies. Almond milk or oat milk work well too if you prefer those flavors.
• Canned Chickpeas – These form the main base of the cookie dough, packing in fiber and protein without needing any flour. White beans such as cannellini beans or navy beans are great substitutes that blend just as smoothly.
• Peanut Butter – This adds healthy fats and a rich flavor that helps mask the taste of the chickpeas. Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option are excellent choices.
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats – These give the cookies structure and a nice chewiness. Quinoa flakes or quick oats work fine here as well if you want a slightly different texture.
• Pumpkin Seeds – These add a nice crunch and extra nutrients to the mix. Sunflower seeds or hemp seeds make good swaps if that is what you have in the pantry.
• Vanilla Extract – This enhances the sweet flavors in the cookie dough and adds a classic cookie aroma.
• Baking Powder – This helps the cookies rise slightly and softens the dense texture of the chickpea base.
• Maple Syrup – This brings extra sweetness to balance the earthy chickpea flavor. Agave syrup or brown rice syrup are suitable alternatives.
• Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – These add delicious pockets of chocolate throughout the cookie. Cacao nibs or chopped nuts are tasty options if you want to keep the sugar content lower.

How to Make Protein Cookies Without Protein Powder (in Pictures)

Carine’s Baking Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect protein cookie!

• Adjust the sweetness – I prefer adding that splash of maple syrup to mask the chickpea taste completely. If you want a date-only sweetened treat, skip the syrup and add a bit more milk instead to keep the texture right.
• Cool the mixture – Make sure you let the warm milk and date mixture cool down in the fridge before blending. If it is too hot, it will melt the chocolate chips when you fold them in later.
• Boost the protein – Swap the pumpkin seeds for hemp seeds to increase the protein content even further without changing the texture of the cookies too much.

More Protein Cookie Recipes

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Banana Protein Cookies

Pumpkin Protein Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Protein Cookies