Protein Cookies, GF

By MaryEllen

These lightly sweet protein cookies are the perfect breakfast or on-the-go snack that keeps you full but doesn’t weigh you down! They’re even Weight-Watchers friendly.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (60 g) oat flour (I grind my own from old-fashioned rolled oats), certified gluten free if necessary
• 1/2 cup (50 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, certified gluten free if necessary
• 3 scoops (30 g) collagen protein powder
• 1/2 cup (48 g) powdered peanut butter or 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (45 g) cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (100 g) ripe banana, mashed (from about 1 medium-sized banana)
• 3 tablespoons (48 g) smooth unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons (42 g) pure maple syrup, at room temperature
• 2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) miniature dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Details

Adapted from glutenfreeonashoestring.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.

In a large bowl, place the oat flour, oats, protein powder, powdered peanut butter or cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the mashed banana, applesauce, maple syrup, and eggs, and mix to combine. The mixture will be thick but soft. Add about 1 tablespoon of the miniature chocolate chips, and mix until evenly distributed throughout.

Scoop 2 to 3 tablespoon portions of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a medium-size spring-loaded ice cream scoop, placing them about 1 1/2-inches apart from one another. The cookies will barely spread during baking. Smooth the portions of dough into 1/2-inch thick rounds, and scatter a few of the remaining miniature chocolate chips on top of each portion of cookie dough.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 13 to 15 minutes (depending on size), or until the cookies are lightly brown around edges and set in the center. If you’ve made the chocolate variety, browning won’t be apparent so you’ll have to go by whether or not the cookies are set all the way to the center. Allow to cool on the baking sheet until firm, at least 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage: Once they’re cooled, I recommend storing these cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator. They can be stored in the freezer for longer, but they’ll need to be thawed for a few minutes at room temperature before serving. They thaw quite quickly, though.

Substitutions:
Bananas and applesauce: I’ve tried this recipe with all applesauce, all bananas, and more bananas than applesauce, as the recipe is written here. I don’t find that the cookies taste much like bananas the way the recipe is written, so try varying the balance and see how you like them.