My Essential Protein Cookies

If you can’t seem to get enough protein in during the day and you’ve been working on upping your number (I always recommend AT LEAST .5 g for every pound of bodyweight to start, then try to get up to 1g/lb of bodyweight once you’re good there), try these babies out!

When I begin working with women on their custom nutrition plans for fat-loss, we start with a food log so I can see what normal looks like in their lives. I often find that they’re choosing snacks that are either higher in calories than they think, usually due to hidden sugars, or lower in calories but don’t do a great job turning off their hunger cues and satisfying them for longer.

Our snacks should satisfy hunger and keep us full for a good couple hours. We want to look for filling fiber, low sugar, a bit of fat and a decent amount of protein. The general rule of thumb I use is to look for the total net carbs of the snack, subtract fiber and protein grams and we should be let with a value that’s under 10 for a snack that’s filling and doesn’t negatively impact blood sugar. These cookies come in at a 5!

Since I discovered this recipe on the news (jkjk, I totally saw it on TikTok), I made it weekly for a few months and altered it and refined it to be a SUPER satisfying and filling snack that fits all my rules for snacks; low sugar, high protein and low-ish calories.

I can honestly say I’ve never purchased this many bananas in my life! I’ll usually grab 1 or 2 with a cup of decaf coffee in the afternoon or with a chamomile tea at night and they’re a perfect, FILLING, sweet hit for those times when I’d rather be eating the kid’s Easter basket leftovers. ;)

Jess’s Crack Cookies (inspired by @eatingbirdfood on TikTok) - Recipe makes 2 dozen cookies.

61 calories, 3g protein, 10g carbs, 2g fiber per cookie

4 Bananas (mashed) - I tend to use bananas that just turned yellow rather than super ripe brown ones.

1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp ground flax seeds, 1/4 c. almond milk - mix together to make a “gel”

To the bananas add:

1/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

Large pinch of Cinnamon

1.5 cups of rolled oats

3 scoops protein powder - I use Garden of Light Vanilla Whey

1 Tbsp. PB2 or 1-2 tsp. of your favorite no sugar peanut butter

Place parchment paper on cookie sheets and use a large cookie scoop to portion cookies out onto the sheet pan (you don’t need to grease the parchment). Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes depending on how well done you’d like them, we love the bottoms pretty browned.

Enjoy!