Banana Bread Protein Cookies
These banana protein cookies are chewy, with a muffin top like texture and are made in one bowl. They require no chilling, are easy to make and have 8 grams of protein per cookie.
I am all for a butter and sugar packed dessert as you probably know by now. But sometimes you need something that tastes indulgent without all the heaviness. In come these banana bread protein cookies. They’re thick and chewy – sort of like a muffin top and have 8 grams of protein per serving.
They’re made with good for you ingredients in just one bowl and take only about 10 minutes of active prep time. Perfect for an after school snack or healthier dessert!
Since I do not recommend any protein powder to any traditional cookie recipe, this recipe that already calls for protein powder comes in clutch. Adding it to a recipe that doesn’t call for it will likely dry out the cookies and lead to an unpleasant texture. Try my protein sugar cookies next!
Before we get started…
- Feel free to use your favorite sugar replacement in these cookies to make them keto friendly and low carb. I like this one. However, I do not recommend any liquid sweeteners here.
- Be sure to use certified gluten free oat flour if you are cooking for someone with Celiac or a severe gluten allergy.
- You can use a chocolate protein powder, but that won’t create a very rich chocolate flavor, it’ll be pretty mild since this recipe doesn’t call for any cocoa powder.
How to make banana protein cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mash the banana really well and measure out 1/2 cup. Add to a medium mixing bowl.
Whisk in the sugar, egg, nut butter and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the chocolate chips and mix well, then fold in the chocolate.
Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough can get sticky, so sometimes it’s helpful to grease the cookie scoop.
Press on a few extra chocolate chips. The cookies won’t spread a ton while baking, so you can flatten them lightly with your finger tips if you want them a bit thinner.
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown. They will continue to firm up as they cool. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. I like a sprinkle of flaky salt on top!
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Ingredients & substitutions
Banana. You need two really ripe bananas which will add natural sweetness and moisture to these cookies. If you don’t want banana, just try my classic chocolate chip protein cookies instead!
Egg. Just one egg will not only add moisture to the cookies and help bind all ingredients, but also adds some extra protein! If you are vegan, you can safely swap for a flax egg or a store bought egg replacer, but this will change the protein content.
Nut butter. Peanut butter will add some flavor and extra protein. You can easily sub for any other kind of nut butter such as almond butter, but peanuts have more protein.
Sugar. I have tested these with brown and white sugar and both work well! The color will vary depending on the kind you use – I used dark brown for the photos.
Flour. Oat flour will help absorb some of the excess moisture and make these into a true cookie. You can swap for almond flour if you prefer a grain free option.
Protein powder. I used a vanilla pea protein, but any kind of vanilla protein powder, such as whey, will work well.
How to store
Once prepared, these banana protein cookies will keep for about 3 days. Because of the moisture from the banana, they can get kind of mushy in a sealed container, so I suggest a plate covered with foil so they have a bit of room to breathe.
You can also freeze these after they bake! Simply let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheat right from frozen in the oven at 300 just until warm through the center and the chocolate begins to melt.
More high protein desserts!
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Banana Bread Protein Cookies
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- ½ cup mashed banana about 2 ripe bananas
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup almond or peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mash the banana really well and measure out 1/2 cup. Add to a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the sugar, egg, nut butter and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
- Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the chocolate chips and mix well, then fold in the chocolate.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- The dough can get sticky, so sometimes it’s helpful to grease the cookie scoop.
- Press on a few extra chocolate chips. The cookies won’t spread a ton while baking, so you can flatten them lightly with your finger tips if you want them a bit thinner.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Let cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying. I like a sprinkle of flaky salt on top!
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