Giant cookies seem to be all the rage these days, and that’s for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to eat a giant gooey cookie?
Whether it’s the infamous Levain cookies, or my favorite Fat & Weird Cookies, I’ve officially hopped on that big cookie bandwagon.
The only problem is, I haven’t come across a big thick cookie that is also protein-packed….until now.
This protein cookie weighs a full HALF OF A POUND. Yes, that’s an 8-ounce cookie, my friends.
It’s fudgy, gooey, gigantic, and protein-packed.
And, it’s safe to eat raw, so you can safely underbake this beauty for a delicious half-baked protein cookie.
Now, fair warning: this isn’t the lowest-calorie cookie you’ll ever make. But in fairness, it weighs half a pound. I don’t expect you to eat the entire thing, but if you did, it eats like a meal.
And even if it were a full meal, the nutrition would still be rather impressive…
This half-pound protein cookie has 700 calories and 51g protein.
Yup, this cookie has over 50g of protein in it!
Don’t worry about the high-calorie count. This cookie is massive, so I don’t expect you to down the entire thing in one sitting.
Plus, this tastes like an actual amazing cookie- it doesn’t taste like protein in the slightest.
But, if you are worried about the calories, you can easily turn this recipe into smaller cookies.
If you use this recipe to make 3 cookies, then each cookie will be 230 calories, 1g2fat, 19g carbs, and 17g protein.
This recipe has two different versions: classic chocolate chip and double chocolate. No matter which you choose, you’ll be getting over 50g of protein!
How to make Half Pound Protein Cookies
Even though these cookies are massive, they follow the same general directions as most other cookies.
I first developed my large protein cookie recipe a while back, and it taught me 2 very important lessons when it comes to making large protein cookies…
- Chilling the dough is necessary. We let the cookie dough sit in the fridge for one hour before baking to help prevent the cookie from spreading too thin.
- The type of protein powder you use makes a huge difference.
I use PEScience protein (Code “Matt” will save you 10%), which is a blend of whey & casein protein. The addition of casein protein is what leads to a thick final product. If you use whey protein alone, the results vary quite a bit…
If you use whey protein, just be warned that the end product will likely be a thinner, dry cookie. I cannot recommend that PEScience protein enough.
Step 1: Mix together the wet ingredients
The mixture won’t be totally smooth, but stir everything together so they are mostly mixed up.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients
It may seem like the cookie dough is too dry, but continue mixing until it all comes together (use your hands if you need to).
At this stage, the dough will weigh over 8 ounces (a half-pound).
Once you have cookie dough, fold in chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. I’ve had success using mini chocolate chips in the past, but have since starting using chocolate chunks and I find they really elevate any cookie recipe.
Step 3: Chill the dough for one hour
I know, having to wait is the worst. But chilling the cookie dough is necessary for this recipe. If you were to bake this cookie without chilling, you run the risk of it not only spreading too thin but also becoming a bit cakey as well.
I transferred the dough to a plate and covered it to leave it in the fridge for an hour.
Note that cookie dough can be chilled longer for one hour as well, so if it’s easier, you can chill the dough in the fridge overnight!
Step 4: Form the cookie
We’re going to shape the cookie into an oval so it is taller than it is wide. You can form the cookie into a ball, but I prefer this method so it stays nice and thick without spreading out wide too much.
You can certainly keep the dough as one large ball of cookie dough, but the height of the cookie prior to baking helps it to remain a nice large cookie vs a flatter cookie.
Don’t get me wrong, it will work (and still taste amazing) either way.
Step 5: Bake at 325 degrees F for 12 minutes
I’ve experimented with different bake temperatures and times, and this is the best result. Trust the process!
When the cookie comes out of the oven, it’s going to seem incredibly soft and unbaked inside…
But the magic happens as we let this cookie sit.
You want to let this cookie set for one hour after baking.
As the cookie sits, the inside solidifies but still stays very soft & moist. If you were to bite into the cookie right out of the oven, it would be way too gooey.
One hour is the perfect amount of time, but you can let it sit for even longer if needed.
When I first attempted this recipe, I cut into the cookie right out of the oven and the inside oozed right out of it. Since then, I’ve learned that the cookie firms up significantly as it sets, but still remains incredibly soft.
After at least one hour, the inside of these half-pound cookies becomes very cookie dough-esque and I am here for it.
And since these cookies have 700 calories, you likely won’t want to eat them in one sitting. Here are my two recommendations:
- Cut the cookies in half and put one half in the fridge (or cut into thirds). Half a cookie will be 350 calories with 25g of protein, which is like having a really delicious protein bar.
2. Cut these half pound cookies into small slices to enjoy them as smaller cookies. You can also simply form smaller cookies right from the start, but that’s much less fun.
You can save these leftovers at room temperature, or if you want them to thicken up a bit, they can also be stored in the fridge.
Either way, this cookie holds up VERY well as leftovers. Even two days later, this half-pound cookie was still incredibly soft and gooey.
More recipes for cookie lovers
If you’re willing to make a half-pound protein cookie, I’m willing to bet that you love cookies.
You are in the right place! Check out some of my other favorite protein cookie recipes:
- No-Bake Protein Cookies
- Protein Cookie Butter Spread
- XL Protein Sugar Cookie with Vanilla Frosting Core
- High-Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Healthy No-Bake Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Healthy High-Protein Oreos
Half Pound Protein Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Your hunt for the ultimate protein cookie is over with this HALF POUND protein cookie. Go for double chocolate or keep is classic with chocolate chip.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie
- 46g (1.5 Scoops) Chocolate or Vanilla Whey/Casein Blend Protein Powder
- 30g Oat Flour
- 15g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- Pinch of salt
- 30g Brown Sugar Substitute
- 32g (2 Tbsp) Peanut Butter
- 50g Unsweetened Applesauce
- 28g (2 Tbsp) Light Butter / Butter Spread
- 15g Chocolate Chips / Chocolate Chunks
Chocolate Chip Cookie
- 46g (1.5 Scoops) Vanilla Whey/Casein Blend Protein Powder
- 30g Oat Flour
- 10g Almond Flour
- 5g Coconut Flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- Pinch of salt
- 30g Brown Sugar Substitute
- 32g (2 Tbsp) Peanut Butter
- 50g Unsweetened Applesauce
- 28g (2 Tbsp) Light Butter / Butter Spread
- 15g Chocolate Chips / Chocolate Chunks
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, applesauce, and brown sugar. It won't be completely smooth, but mix it together until all of the brown sugar has dissolved into the mixture.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to your bowl, then use a silicone spatula to mix it all up until a dough forms. It's going to be thick and may seem dry, but keep mixing- it will come together.
- Fold in chocolate chips, then refrigerate for one hour. Refrigerating the cookie dough helps keep the shape so it won't spread out as much.
- After the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Form the cookie dough into an oval so it is slightly taller than it is wide (see photos above). Doing this allows the cookie to remain nice and thick without spreading wide. Add the cookie to a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookie from the oven and let it sit for at least one hour. The cookie sets as it cools, and if you were to cut into it right out of the oven, the inside would be way too gooey. One hour is the minimum time you should allow the cookie to sit for it to come together and still be nice and soft inside, but it can sit for hours before eating.
Notes
- HOW TO SAVE 200 CALORIES (ISH): You can swap the peanut butter out for canned pumpkin in these cookies to save calories. Use 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin in place of peanut butter and it should work great, just like in my other protein cookie recipe.
- This cookie will keep well at room temperature, but if you find that it is very soft, you can also add it to the fridge to firm up after baking.
- The type of protein powder you use really matters. If you use whey protein, this cookie is not going to come out nearly the same. To see how different protein powder affects cookie recipes, check out my Ultimate Protein Powder Substitution Guide.
- The peanut butter can be swapped for any other kind of nut butter if you have allergies. Or, you should be able to swap it for regular butter, but I did not test this.
- Oat flour works very well for cookies. I have no tested any other type of flour, but I don't think that using a low-carb flour like almond flour or coconut flour will work here because they are not as binding.
- The total calories for the chocolate chip cookie are 760 calories per cookie.
- I do not count sugar substitutes as part of my carb totals.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size Half Pound CookieAmount Per Serving Calories 700Total Fat 37gCarbohydrates 58gFiber 13gProtein 51g
Yvanova
Monday 13th of March 2023
Hi, do you have any cookie recipe using whey protein isolate? Or can I replace the whey/casein blend for the isolate? Thank you
Matt
Monday 13th of March 2023
Unfortunately I do not, I have only been using the blend. I'm sorry!
Greg
Thursday 16th of September 2021
I really don't like the taste of applesauce so I was wondering if you can taste it in the final product or not and what's the point of it in the recipe?
Matt
Tuesday 21st of September 2021
@Greg, You can't taste it at all. Applesauce is a replacement I use often to replace the need for eggs, but it doesn't add any flavor.
Mike
Tuesday 14th of September 2021
OMG thanks!! Will try it tomorrow 😍
Do you think casein alone will do the job better instead of a blend? Since casein is what makes the blend great?
Matt
Tuesday 21st of September 2021
@Mike, sorry for missing this comment! I don't think it will work quite as well, but I don't think it'd be detrimental. Let me know if you tried it!