My brother’s birthday is next weekend! Because he adores lemon treats—anything from cookies to cupcakes to scones to cheesecake and more—I’m helping him celebrate by declaring this Lemon Week on the blog. I don’t know who’s more excited about that… Me, who gets to bake everything, or him, who gets to eat it all!
As a computer science person, my brother often fields lots of questions from my family about various technology-related things like external hard drives and frozen laptop screens. Lately, the majority of the queries have come from our parents, but every so often, I jump in with one of my own.
This past week, I did just that… And I asked my brother to help me learn all about Snapchat. Have you heard of Snapchat? It’s one of the more recent additions to social media, and the app is a place to share quick snapshots and short videos on smart phones and mobile devices.
I know I’m part of the younger generation, but boy do I feel old while trying to figure some of this stuff out!
So my brother spent a couple of days walking me through the various screens, captions, filters, and stickers associated with the app. I filmed short silly videos to send to him, and he replied with little clips and pictures of his own. By the end of the week, I actually felt like I understood what I was doing, thanks to his technological smarts and patience!
P.S. For those of you on Snapchat, I’m AmyBakesHealthy. Follow my account for sneak peeks and exclusive behind-the-scenes blog footage!
As a huge thank you to my brother, I wanted to bake him lemon cookies because they’re one of his favorite desserts. Yet knowing me, I had to put a little twist on the classic flavor, and I added another fruit he enjoys to create these…
Strawberry Lemonade Protein Cookies! Bright sunshiny citrus paired with sweet juicy berries in one irresistible dessert… And the added protein boost makes them a dream come true. The plate of treats disappeared extremely quickly after I handed it over to my brother!
To make these cookies clean-eating friendly and low-carb, we need two important ingredients: coconut flour and protein powder. Coconut flour behaves very differently than any other flour! It’s about three times as absorbent, meaning we use a lot less, but that extra absorbent property also means it’s incredibly important to measure the coconut flour correctly because any extra will quickly dry out the cookies and turn them cakey. I highly recommend a kitchen scale! This is the exact inexpensive model that I own, and it’s worth its weight in gold. I use it in every recipe I bake for this blog!
These healthier cookies require whey-based protein powder. I used this exact brand, and I love that its whey taste isn’t as noticeable as with many other brands. You’re welcome to use whatever whey-based protein powder you already have at home, but remember, not all protein powders absorb equally! If the cookie dough seems too wet, add a tiny bit more coconut four, but if it seems too dry, add a hint of milk.
Note: I do not recommend using plant-based protein powder because it is typically much more absorbent than whey-based protein powder and would make the cookies dry and cakey.
I added fresh strawberries to the cookie dough because they tend to contain less moisture than frozen. Too much moisture from the fruit can cause the cookie dough to spread a lot while baking, and it really isn’t fun when your cookie dough turns into one giant blob in the oven! If you can only use frozen strawberries, then thaw them first and lightly pat them with paper towels to soak up any excess moisture before dicing.
However, these cookies only flatten a teensy tiny bit, so you must flatten the cookie dough before baking to your desired thickness and width. The cookie dough tends to be sticky, so use a spatula instead of your hands! Then bake, wait, and…
Yum!
| Strawberry Lemonade Protein Cookies | | Print |
- ¼ c (28g) coconut flour (measured correctly)
- 2 scoops (84g) vanilla protein powder (I used Jamie Eason's Lean Body for Her)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (3g) lemon zest (about 1 medium)
- 1 ½ tbsp (21g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp (45mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 medium)
- ¼ c (60mL) agave
- 2 tbsp granulated Swerve
- 2 tbsp Truvia
- ½ cup (80g) diced fresh strawberries
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the lemon juice and agave. Mix in the Swerve and Truvia until completely dissolved. Stir in the coconut flour mixture until completely incorporated. Gently fold in the strawberries. Let the cookie dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
- While the cookie dough rests, preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 12 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width using a spatula. (Between ¼” to ½” is best.) Bake at 325°F for 11-13 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
If the cookie dough looks too dry, add 2 teaspoons of milk at a time until everything comes together. If it looks too wet after letting it rest, add 1 teaspoon of coconut flour at a time until the texture is thicker.
Xanthan gum helps hold the cookies together and make them chewy.
Honey may be substituted in place of the agave.
Swerve and Truvia are both no-calorie, Stevia-based sweeteners. You may use all of one or the other, or you may substitute your preferred granulated sweetener instead.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower carb, high protein}
Wow, these look super moist and soft! I love all your healthy cookies! 🙂
Thanks Marsha!
Hiya,
I view your website from the UK and I struggle to find places to buy the ingredients you list without importing them. Do you have any advice or alternatives that are suitable in the UK?
Thanks
My recommendations for substitutions depend on the specific ingredients. What exactly are you trying to substitute for Sarah?
Thank you for replying
granulated Swerve is the main one but also I’m very confused by the protein powder as there are many different ones
My pleasure Sarah! Truvia may be substituted 1-for-1 for the granulated Swerve if you can find that. Otherwise, it’s a 1-to-1 substitution for granulated sugar, so that would work too. I actually have to buy most of my protein powders online as well. I always link to the exact one that I use, but if you can find something at a store near you with a similar Nutrition Label, that should be fine. Make sure it’s whey-based protein powder if that’s what the recipe uses and vice versa for plant-based. 🙂
Computer science for your brother, chemistry for you..no big deal. These look fluffy and fantastic!
Thanks Brittany! You know us… 😉
I made a few modifications to this recipe and the batter was awesome, until I added the strawberries… They were too wet and wouldn’t mix in for some reason. Was it hard for you as well?
Yikes! No, that didn’t happen to me when mixing in the diced strawberries. What modifications did you make Jessi? It could be that those played into the issue that you described. I’d love to work together to figure out a solution so your next batch turns out much better!