Smart Eating Plan

It’s your cheat day, and you’re looking for a healthy treat that isn’t packed full of useless carbs and yet totally satisfies that sweet tooth but it’s hard to find anything that really does it right?

In fact, those who have smart eating plans that are also sustainable include cheat days and you need to cut yourself some slack sometimes because food should really be meant to be enjoyed after all. Lucky for you, this chocolate Chip Protein Cookies recipe is the perfect fix and packs more than 5 grams of protein per cookie.

The Importance of Protein in Every Meal

In my article on How to Build Muscle, I outlined 3 main strategies for how to pack on lean muscle mass quickly and effectively.

One of the factors discussed in that article was increasing your overall calorie intake, with a particular focus on a high-protein diet. In order to build new muscle mass and keep it on, it’s essential that you provide your body with the material (ie., protein) and energy (ie., carbohydrates) needed for these processes.

And this is where snacking can play such an important role. If you’re trying to pack on lean sexy muscle, you’ve probably already got your meals covered. But high-protein snacks can help provide your muscles with a continuous source of protein between meals, and that can go a long way to making some serious fitness gains.

Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies Recipe

These cookies are tasty, satisfying, and totally in line with your muscle building and fat burning goals. The other great thing about protein is that it also takes longer to digest, which means it helps stabilize blood sugar levels, prevents cravings, and uses up more calories in the process. So even if your goal is weight loss, these protein cookies can help do the trick.

Here’s what you need…

Ingredients:

¼ c coconut flour (measured correctly)
2 heaping scoops vanilla protein powder (Gaspari Nutrition Myofusion)
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ c Agave
2 tbsp Stevia
1 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
¾ cups whole wheat or whole grain flour

You may substitute any protein of your choice, but you may want to consider a more natural alternative like Optimum 100% Natural Whey.

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (F).

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and 2 scoops of protein powder.

In a separate bowl, cream together coconut oil, vanilla, egg, agave, & stevia. Add in almond milk, and then beat in egg until incorporated.

Slowly add in flour mix, followed by chocolate chips.

On 2 lightly oiled cookie sheets, form cookie dough into small balls (about an inch to 2 inches in diameter). You should end up with 8 cookies per cookie sheet.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes at 325 degrees, or until cookies start browning on edges. If you have them stacked, it’s a good idea to rotate cookie sheets half way through for even baking.

Remove from cookie sheets and allow to cool on a cold surface or cooling rack. Allow cookies to stand for 10-15 minutes before serving. Recipe makes 14 cookies.

Looking for another fun way to use protein powder in your baking?

Check out my recent Protein Pancakes Recipe here. These protein pancakes are a great way to start your day!

Have any feedback about this Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies Recipe? Please leave a comment below…