Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve been looking for a solid recipe for protein cookies for quite some time, unfortunately there are very few to be found. On top of that, some just don’t work, while others taste gross.
I was a tad frustrated by that and almost ready to give up the idea. That's when I made up my mind and decided it was about time to try to create a solid recipe for protein cookies.
I tried and tried (and tried) until I perfected these protein cookies. Packed with proteins, fibers, precious nutrients, but considerate in sugars and fats, these cookies are just delicious.
They can make for a perfect post-workout recovery snack and, if you have kids, they are a perfectly healthy treat.


Protein Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies [Updated 01/25/2013] Print this Recipe!
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

[Updated 01/25/13] Although I was thrilled (and still am) with the original recipe I found that using applesauce failed to give them the expected crunchiness. I retested using coconut oil one time and butter another time, in both cases with more satisfactory results.
The quantities involved were also excessive. I decided to cut them in half. You can still double if needed.
I also found that scooping a ¼ cup of dough made for humongous cookies that almost looked like scones. Using a tablespoon results in much more reasonable sized cookies.

Ingredients
Makes about 2 dozen medium size cookies

1 cup / 4.5 oz / 120 gr rolled oats
⅓ cup / 0.7 oz / 22 gr wheat bran (or germ)*
½ cup / 2 scoops protein powder (vanilla or unflavored)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup / 4 oz / 113 gr butter (or coconut oil), at room temperature**
½ cup / 3.8 oz / 110 gr firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs (or 4 egg whites or 2 flax eggs)
3.5 oz / 100 gr of dark chocolate bar (+70%), chopped into chunks (or chocolate chips)

* If you don’t have wheat bran (or germ) use whole wheat flour. If, instead, you want to keep them gluten-free use brown rice flour.
** Feel free to use applesauce as a fat substitute, just don’t expect crunchy cookies.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), with racks placed in the middle. Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
In a bowl combine the oats, protein powder, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Either by hand, or using an electric mixer, cream the butter (or coconut oil) until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar for a couple of minutes, scraping down sides a few times along the way. Incorporate the eggs (or flax eggs) one at a time, then the vanilla.
Add the dry mixture, and stir until everything barely comes together. Then stir in the chocolate, mixing until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough to make uniform balls. Arrange each cookie at least 3-inches apart on the baking sheet. They'll flatten out quite a bit.
For extra crisp cookies, bake until deeply, deeply golden on the bottom, about 11 to 12 minutes. Rotate the pans once about 2/3 the way through baking. When you reach the 10 minutes mark keep an eye on the oven, and make sure they don't burn.
If you like your cookies a little chewier, you should bake for less time. Cool on a rack.

Nutrition facts

One cookie scores the following nutrition facts: 118 calories, with 6 grams of fat, 12 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein.