BEST PROTEIN COOKIES

Protein cookies seem to be the new thing. Everywhere I go, everywhere I look in the grocery store or convenient store there seems to be a protein cookie staring back at me. I love the concept and I love the fact that food manufacturers are making an effort to produce something better than the regular old sugar laden cookie. I know what you’re thinking… Yes, a lot of the “protein cookies” out there are still junk but some of them aren’t so bad (in taste or ingredients).

I was curious about these new cookies and I’ll try anything once. So, I made it my job to taste test some of the most common protein cookies out there. I’ve tasted at least 10 from grass-fed whey to vegan protein cookies. It’s a hard job but someone’s got to do it! Ok but seriously, I wanted to see what all of the fuss is about. I picked three of my favorite protein cookies from the bunch to share with you.

3 BEST PROTEIN COOKIES

Quest Protein Cookie

Quest bars are so popular! Everyone I know is talking about Quest. Their products tend to be low in sugar, limited in ingredients and have a substantial amount of protein. The Quest protein cookies are very similar. FYI – I taste tested the couple chocolate chip flavor.

What I loved about Quest Protein Cookie: They are a little smaller than the other protein cookies making it the perfect snack. They have a substantial amount of protein, a good amount of fat and the carb count is low when you subtract the fiber. And 10g of fiber! Wow! The macronutrient composition is calories 240, Protein 15g, Carbs 10g net (20g total – 10g fiber) and 16g Fat. The overall taste was pretty good.

What I didn’t love: Sugar alcohol doesn’t always agree with me and I know it bothers a lot of you. This particular protein cookie has erythritol. If you can tolerate it then it probably won’t be of any concern for you. I didn’t love the texture. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad texture or weird texture. It says “soft & chewy” on the package. I actually found it a little dry. I still enjoyed it but out of the 3 protein cookies featured here, it was my least favorite in the texture category.

The Complete Cookie (Lenny & Larry’s)

The complete cookie is the first protein cookie I saw. It’s the first protein cookie I ever tasted and I’ve taste tested almost every flavor.

What I loved about The Complete Cookie: It’s non dairy, vegan, egg free, soy free (ingredients) and Non GMO! All great things! This cookie also has 10g of fiber! Yes! There are no sugar alcohols, no artificial sweeteners and the palm oil is sustainably sourced. I do like the texture of The Complete Cookie. It’s pretty moist and the chocolate chip flavor is definitely my favorite. The nutrition info in 1 cookie: 400 calories, 16g fat, 56g net carbs (66g – 10g fiber) and 16g protein.

What I don’t love: There is some kind of slight artificial flavor. It’s not pungent but it kind of lingers (or at least it did for me). This is a vegan cookie so it may have something to do with the all plant based ingredients. I don’t love that there are 400 calories and 56g net carbs. That’s a lot of carbs! Granted…it is a cookie and if you’re indulging, you’re indulging but these are touted as a “complete cookie” and there are only 16g of protein. Is the amount of protein substantial and more than any other regular cookie? Yes, of course. I’m just not a fan of the ratio of carb/protein in this particular cookie.

OatMega Cookie

I absolutely loved the OatMega Cookie! I won’t even hide my love for these cookies. This was by far my favorite out of any of the protein cookies that I tried. I really liked everything about it including the flavor. If you haven’t tried the OatMega protein bars, they’re also really delicious. I especially like the OatMega Chocolate Mint Protein Bar. All of their products use grass-fed whey protein and add in omega-3s for a healthy fat boost!

What I loved about OatMega Cookie: I absolutely love the flavor of these cookies. They chocolate chip is by far the closest thing to a real cookie in the protein cookie category. It was moist yet light and a little chewy too. Perfect! I love that they use grass-fed whey protein and actually add omega-3s to the cookies. They are gluten free, non GMO and also have 10g of fiber. Their nutrition: 330 calories, 15g Fat, 31g net Carbs (41g – 10g Fiber) and 12g of protein. While I’d love a little more protein, I’m way more satisfied with the ratio of protein, carbs and fat in this cookie than the others. The grass-fed whey comes from happy New Zealand cows that are pasture raised and antibiotic-free according to the package. And a HUGE bonus – I can understand and pronounce all of the ingredients! All great things!

What I didn’t love: Like I said above, I’d love to see a little more protein and may be a little less fat but you can’t have it all, right? Honestly, I don’t have a lot of cons for this cookie because I loved the taste so much!

One More Option: SUPERFOOD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Another option for protein cookies — I have been making our chocolate chip superfood grain free cookies and adding a few tablespoons of collagen to the recipe boost the protein content! It makes these cookies even more nutrient dense, adds protein and they’re made from all natural ingredients. I like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. You could do the unflavored or vanilla.

CHOOSING THE BEST PROTEIN COOKIE FOR YOU

Is the protein cookie a perfect concept? No, but it’s a great alternative to a sugar laden, zero protein, high fat cookie any day. You’ll probably need to try a few (like I did) in order to find your favorite. In the end, I really loved the OatMega. To be honest though, making homemade superfood chocolate chip cookies is probably my favorite option overall though. Like I said above, you can add protein powder or collagen to boost the protein content.

Hopefully, this posts helps you a little in choosing your protein cookie. My advice is try a few out and see what suits your tastebuds. Enjoy! - Margot

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