You are going to love this easy Protein Snickerdoodle Cookie recipe! A classic treat of buttery cookies that are crisp around the edges yet soft and chewy on the inside. These treats are a healthier twist than traditional cookies and are gluten-free and low-sugar. A holiday staple that’s perfect year-round!
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Is there anything better than biting into a perfectly soft and chewy cookie that has a very slight crunch on the exterior? One that’s warm and rolled in a mouth-watering cinnamon sugar coating? Talk about satisfying.
These protein snickerdoodle cookies went through quite the trial and error process to ensure they had the perfect texture while not sacrificing on flavor.
It’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to create for awhile and I’m happy to say that it not only does it offer the nostalgic and irresistible taste of snickerdoodles, but it’s easy to make and also adds a nutritional boost by incorporating protein-rich ingredients.
Creating healthier versions of those classic recipes as all know and love is a passion, and with the inclusion of protein, these cookies not only contribute to a satisfying treat but also support your body, mind, and will help in reaching health goals!
These cookies are gluten-free, and have very low sugar content, as this recipe uses monkfruit as a natural sweetener, making it a guilt-free option for enjoying a delicious treat while prioritizing your well-being.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 📋 Key Ingredients for Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
- ⏲️ How to Make Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 🤔 What Makes This Cookie Healthy?
- 🧑🍳 Substitutions
- 📖 Variations
- 🔪 Equipment to Make Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 🥣 How to Store Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
- 💭 Top tip
- 🍪 MORE SNACK RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
📋 Key Ingredients for Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
The ingredients for these Healthy Snickerdoodle Cookies are simple and easy to find, most of which you might already have available in your fridge and pantry!
Snickerdoodle cookies consist of two parts: the dough and that delicious cinnamon sugar coating! This recipe calls for 10 ingredients total:
- Almond flour – Such a good flour to use for baking when trying to keep things in the healthier side!
- Tapioca Flour – This ingredient is maybe the secret to this recipe… it’s what will add that nice crispy outer edge while still keeping the inside soft and chewy!
- Protein powder – I’m all about adding a plant-based protein powder to baked goods, and vanilla flavors always tend to bake really well.
- Butter – Typically I like to stick with vegan butters for most of my recipes, but using a quality grass-fed butter in this recipe is IT. If you can splurge and go for it, go for it. You won’t regret it. I also tested a plant-based butter and it was so delicious, so if needing to keep plant-based then a vegan butter will work great too!
- Egg
- Monkfruit sugar – I included some alternatives to this ingredient down in the Substitutions section.
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
⏲️ How to Make Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
Snickerdoodles cookies are one of the easiest cookies to make! There will be some time you’ll have to chill them for and then roll them in cinnamon sugar, but it’s a super simple easy-to-follow process that’ll take no time at all.
- In a medium bowl, mix the butter, egg, vanilla extract and monkfruit sugar together.
2. Set aside the bowl of wet ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, tapioca flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly combine the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
5. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes.
6. While the dough is chilling in the fridge, make the cinnamon sugar coating by combining cinnamon and monkfruit sugar.
7. Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 fahrenheight and use a large cookie scoop to make 6 round dough balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar topping.
8. Once all dough balls have been coated with cinnamon sugar topping, place on cookie tray and press down slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Lastly, remove cookies from oven while the cookies are still on the baking tray, use a spatula or round object to taper in the sides of the cookies, shaping them while they are still warm.
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before transferring to cookie rack to finish cooling completely.
Hint: When placing the cookies on the baking tray after rolling in cinnamon sugar coating, press your thumb down in the center of each cookie, making a light indent. This indent will allow the cookies to spread more evenly when baking.
🤔 What Makes This Cookie Healthy?
If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you might have noticed that making healthier versions of treats and recipes is kinda my thing.
As a board-certified health and wellness coach, I’ve worked with hundreds of individuals who all have similar things in common: having health goals in mind while not wanting to sacrifice the things we love – like food!
Finding the middle ground (that little thing we like to call balance), is truly the key to not only being able to reach goals in a way that actually feels good, but to ultimately be able to maintain them in the long-term as well!
The pursuit of wellness and eating well should be an enjoyable experience. By using healthier ingredients and including certain ones that increase the nutritional value, we’re easily able to find that middle ground while truly enjoying the journey.
Nutrient rich ingredients used in this Snickerdoodle Recipe:
Protein powder – By incorporating high-quality protein sources we not only enhance the nutritional value without compromising the taste, but positively impact energy levels, improve mood, and help support weight loss and/or maintain weight.
Protein plays such a crucial role in metabolic health, muscle repair and longevity. In addition to that, prioritizing protein in all of your meals and snacks has been shown to help mitigate blood sugar spikes, which supports a healthy metabolism and helps keep hormones balanced.
Almond flour – There area really so many health benefits of almond flour, from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, to improving metabolic health and the good gut bacteria – this ingredient is too good to miss! The best part? Almond flour is made from ground almonds and can easily be made at home.
Almond flour is also a low glycemic index food compared to its counterparts, making it helpful when managing blood sugar levels. It’s also rich in monounsaturated fat, helping to support heart health by reducing cholesterol as well as improves digestive health due to the prebiotic fiber content.
Monkfruit sweetener – You may notice that I use monkfruit sweetner in the majority of my recipes – and for good reason! As someone who manages inflammation from chronic pain in addition to PCOS, making sure to manage my blood sugar levels is critical to ensure pain levels are mitigated and energy levels, mood and weight is easily maintained.
Monkfruit is a gamechanger. It’s what will help keep this recipe low sugar as it has glycemic index of 0, keeping blood sugar levels stable and supporting a healthy, well-optimized metabolism; along with quite a few other health benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants.
🧑🍳 Substitutions
Here are some potential substitutions you can consider for the Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies recipe:
- Protein Powder: If you don’t have vanilla protein powder, you can use other protein powders like plain, cinnamon-flavored, or even a collagen powder if you’d like. Keep in mind that the nutritional value and flavor might vary slightly.
- Almond Flour: You can substitute almond flour with other nut flours like cashew flour or hazelnut flour. If you’re looking for a nut-free option, try using oat flour. Whole wheat or all-purpose flour will work as well, but will remove the nutritional value and no longer be gluten-free.
- Tapioca Flour: For those who are not fond of tapioca flour or don’t have it available, you can replace it with arrowroot powder or more almond flour.
- Butter: You can replace butter with a plant-based butter, ghee, coconut oil, or a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil. Flavor and consistency may vary.
- Monkfruit Sweetener: You can substitute monkfruit sugar with coconut sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.
- Cinnamon Sugar: For the cinnamon sugar coating, you can use coconut sugar, granulated sugar, or brown sugar.
Eeach substitution might slightly alter the taste, texture, or nutritional content of the cookies. It’s a good idea to do a small test batch if you’re making significant substitutions to ensure the desired results.
Also, keep in mind any dietary restrictions or preferences you or your guests might have when choosing substitutes.
📖 Variations
While I haven’t had a chance to experiment with variations for this recipe just yet – I can think of quite a few ideas that would taste so good!
- Chocolate Chip: Fold in a handful of dark chocolate chips or chunks to create the most magical combo of snickerdoodle and warm chocolate chip cookie flavors.
- Nutty Sensation: Mix in chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds to add a satisfying crunch and a nutty depth of flavor.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients for a fall-inspired twist that combines the warmth of spices with the comforting taste of snickerdoodles.
- Peanut Butter: For a peanut butter twist, swirl in a spoonful of creamy peanut butter into the cookie dough. A peanut butter drizzle on top would taste so good as well!
- Chai spice : In addition to the cinnamon in the recipe, add a little ground cardamom for an even more cozy, unique and aromatic twist.
Feel free to combine these variations or come up with your own creative ideas. The versatility of the protein snickerdoodle cookies recipe makes it a canvas for endless possibilities!
🔪 Equipment to Make Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
To make Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies, you won’t need any specialized equipment. Here’s a list of basic kitchen tools you’ll need:
Mixing Bowls: You’ll need at least two mixing bowls, one for combining dry ingredients and another for wet ingredients. You will also need one small bowl for the cinnamon sugar coating.
Whisk or Fork: Use a whisk or fork to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Accurate measurements are important, so you’ll need measuring cups for dry ingredients like flours and protein powder, and measuring spoons for smaller amounts of ingredients like baking soda and spices.
Spatula: A spatula is useful for scraping down the sides of the bowl and ensuring all ingredients are well mixed.
Large Cookie Scoop or Spoon: I used a large cookie scoop for these to make 6 large protein cookies. You can use a spoon and scoop dough into roughly 2-inch balls to get similar results.
Baking Sheet: A baking sheet lined with parchment paper prevents the cookies from sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
🥣 How to Store Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
Storing these cookies at room temperature is going to be the best way to ensure their freshness and flavor. They’ll last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, if they’re not eating sooner than that.
If you need to store the cookies for a longer period, consider refrigerating them. This is especially important if your kitchen tends to get warm and humid. Place the airtight container in the refrigerator.
For more long-term storage, then freezing is a great option. Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then transfer them to an airtight container or zip-lock bag. Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator before consuming.
💭 Top tip
For perfectly shaped cookies, use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to portion out the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. This not only ensures uniform cookie sizes but also helps create a consistent texture during baking.
Additionally, lightly wetting the bottom of the scoop with water or oil can prevent the dough from sticking and make the scooping process smoother. This simple technique isn’t necessary, but results in beautifully round and evenly baked cookies that look as good as they taste!
🍪 MORE SNACK RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
If you’d like more easy and healthy recipes delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list! As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram at @livinginflux so I can see and share your creation – Enjoy!
Protein Snickerdoodle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Almond flour*
- ½ cup Vanilla protein powder* plant-based
- 2 tbsp Tapioca flour*
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Monkfruit sweetener*
- ⅓ cup Butter* melted
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine together the butter, egg, vanilla extract and monkfruit sugar and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, tapioca flour, protein powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly combine the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling in the fridge, make the cinnamon sugar coating by combining cinnamon and monkfruit sugar.
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheight and use a large cookie scoop to make 6 round dough balls. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar topping until coated entirely.
- Once all dough balls have been coated with cinnamon sugar topping, place on cookie tray and press down slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and using the sides of a spatula (or large cup or round cookie cutter), shape the cookies to create more even circles by tapering the edges of the cookies. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to baking rack to finish cooling completely. Enjoy!
These were so good! Couldn’t even taste the protein and made a second batch almost immediately. Thanks for the recipe!