Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Cookie Dough

 
While I worked in an organic chemistry research lab during my undergraduate years in college, the department arranged for our group to shift from our original medium-sized lab space to a much larger one on the other side of the building. As part of the move, they also converted an unused area into a break room for us at the end of the hallway adjacent to the new lab.  

When that remodel finished, the professor in charge of our group outfitted the new break room with a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker (he brewed at least two pots of coffee each day for himself, and almost all graduate students in the chemistry department depended on similar amounts of caffeine too!), and convection-style toaster oven. He also brought in plenty of shelves for us to store plates, mugs, silverware, and nonperishable food.
 

 
Around lunchtime every day, as well as during the late afternoon lull, I always found at least a handful of the grad students in our group sitting around the large table in the break room. With the huge refrigerator, many of them started to bring in home-cooked entrées to reheat, rather than walk across campus to the student-run “restaurant” area to grab a hot meal like pizza, chili, or burritos from one of the dozen food stations.

One day, one of the oldest grad students carried in a package of premade cookie dough and aluminum foil from the grocery store along with his lunch. Partway through the afternoon, he stopped by the break room, tore off a sheet of the foil, and placed one of the balls of cookie dough on top. After his phone timer rang, he pulled open the door of the convection toaster oven and enjoyed a warm cookie full of rich, melty chocolate chips with his afternoon coffee pick-me-up.

What a smart guy!!
 

 
During one of my recent afternoon coffee breaks, I remembered what my friend had done, and although I was highly tempted to do the same… I didn’t have the patience to wait for the cookie to bake! So instead, I did the next best thing and whipped up this Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Cookie Dough. It tastes just like a cookie dough snuck straight from the bowl, but it’s entirely safe to eat raw (no eggs!) and contains 17g of protein!

Basically… It’s a dream come true for both my sweet tooth and my waistline!
 

 
This super easy recipe starts with two important ingredients: peanut flour and protein powder. Peanut flour is made from finely grinding partially defatted peanuts, so it has the same flavor as regular peanut butter but a lot fewer calories! I absolutely love Protein Plus because it only contains roasted peanuts. (I always buy my peanut flour online!) Other brands also add in granulated sugar, which we’re avoiding in this healthy, clean eating recipe.

This recipe was specifically designed for soy protein powder. I’m obsessed with Bob’s Red Mill soy protein powder, and I use it every single day. (It’s especially good in this smoothie and these cookie dough protein bars!) Unlike many other companies that also add refined or artificial ingredients into their protein powders, Bob’s Red Mill only includes one ingredient in that protein powder: soy protein. This makes it entirely clean eating friendly, and because it’s basically flavorless, it’s the perfect backdrop for our cookie dough! (I always buy my soy protein powder online too!)

Note: If you’d like to use a different protein powder, I’ve included the best substitutes in the Notes section underneath the recipe Instructions.
 

 
To sweeten your protein-packed cookie dough, you’ll use another one of my favorite ingredients: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way—you’ll only need a generous ¼ teaspoon for this entire recipe! I prefer SweetLeaf because I love its warm vanilla flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertastes like some other stevia products have. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, and I also purchase it online. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)

As a chocoholic (it’s why I wrote my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook!), the best part of the cookie dough is the chocolate chips! I always use mini chocolate chips because their smaller size ensures that every bite contains a morsel of chocolate… Which is basically a necessity if you love chocolate as much as I do! I’m obsessed with Ghirardelli’s mini chips because they have a wonderfully rich flavor. And if you use warm milk to mix up this cookie dough, they’ll start to melt when you stir them in. You have to try that—it truly makes this cookie dough that much more irresistible!
 

 
Total and complete bliss! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees that I’ll see the notification from you! 😊) I’d love to see your cookie dough and feature it in my Sunday Spotlight series!

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You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥   Single-Serving Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie Dough
♥   Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites
♥   Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars
♥   Fudgy Brownie Batter Protein Bars
♥   Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Bars
♥   Brownie Batter Protein Bites