{gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, protein-packed}
I honestly have no idea why I called these ‘Pillow Cookies’… but the puffy, crackle-y look of these protein cookies make me think of warm, chocolate pillows so well, Pillow Cookies it is. I of course used dairy-free chocolate chips, but if you aren’t dairy-free or vegan, you can definitely use regular chocolate chips. As for the protein powder, even if you aren’t dairy-free or vegan, I would stick with plant-based protein powder. The reason being that whey or casein will make these protein cookies turn out rubbery. Plant-based protein powder has a flour-like consistency, which makes it awesome for baking!
Ingredients
- 1 scoop (~30 g) plant-based chocolate protein powder (I like Garden of Life)
- 2 tbsp oat flour, or ground oats
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- ½ tbsp flax meal (I like Bob’s Red Mill)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 2-3 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, add protein powder, oat flour, cocoa powder, sugar, flax meal, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
- In a small bowl, add applesauce, 2 tbsp almond milk, almond butter, and vanilla. Stir until fully mixed together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until a dough-like consistency, adding a tbsp or so more of almond milk if it is too dry. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Form dough into balls and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crispy you like your cookies. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.
- Eat your heart out!