What I love about Oatmeal Cookie Protein Bites
To start with, these Oatmeal Cookie Protein Bites are undeniably addictive! In fact, each bite bursts with the sweet, nostalgic flavour of chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough. The best part? They’re completely gluten-free, high-protein, egg-free, and require no baking whatsoever. Plus, they’re loaded with wholesome, flavourful ingredients like oats, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and creamy cashew butter. So, they’re both nutritious and delicious!
For sweetness, I use maple syrup along with just a couple of tablespoons of xylitol to perfectly capture that classic “cookie dough” taste. Alternatively, you could use a sugar-free brown sugar substitute or just regular brown sugar. Coconut sugar works too!
These little protein bites are ideal for on-the-go. For instance, I frequently double the batch and store them in the fridge for convenient grab-and-go snacks throughout the week. Whether you need a quick breakfast, a lunchbox treat, or a sweet after-dinner indulgence, these protein bites have you covered. Either way, you’re going to absolutely love them!
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Oats – Rolled or old-fashioned oats work best for this recipe. If you can, try to get sprouted oats as they are better for digestion. If you are gluten-free, of course look out for those specified gluten-free oats.
- Protein powder – I like to use unflavoured, grass-fed whey protein powder for this recipe. Sometimes the vanilla flavoured protein powders have a funny taste, so I prefer the unflavoured. If you want to use vanilla protein powder, that’s ok, but they will be sweeter than intended. I’d maybe omit the xylitol as well as the vanilla extract.
- Hemp hearts – You want hemp hearts for this recipe, not hemp seeds which are much larger.
- Cashew butter – Cashew butter is one of the ingredients that really makes these protein bites taste like cookie dough. It has a delicious, creamy and buttery flavour. You can find this at most grocery stores or your local health food store. If you must substitute with another type of nut butter, that is fine. Although, they probably won’t have that “cookie dough” flavour that we’re going for.
- Xylitol – Helps give the bites that sugar-like taste and classic cookie dough flavour without the added sugar! It can be found at your local health food store or try ordering it online. Look for non-GMO xylitol which can be easier to digest. You can also use coconut sugar, maple sugar or brown sugar in place of xylitol.
The Steps
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla until completely combined.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients.
To the same bowl, add the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, hemp hearts, xylitol and salt. Mix well until fully combined. Transfer to the freezer for 5 minutes and then mix in the chocolate chips.
Step 3: Form into balls.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop a portion of the protein mixture into your hand and compress it into a tight ball. Continue until the entire mixture has been converted into about 13 protein bites.
Step 4: Store in the fridge.
Transfer the 13 protein bites to the prepared storage container. Secure the lid and store in the fridge until you need them!
FAQ
Yes! You can certainly swap the whey protein powder for a plant-based protein powder like pea or soy. However, be aware that this will slightly change the flavour and they most likely will not taste like cookie dough.
Yes, you can substitute xylitol with brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar or regular sugar. Instead of maple syrup, honey can be used if desired.
These protein bites don’t need to be refrigerated but they will be softer and slightly more sticky when kept at room temperature. They certainly will stay fresh for a lot longer when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. They could be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. They’re really delicious cold and fresh out of the fridge though!
Yes, but you may need less due to the texture of quick oats. I would start with 1 1/2 cups and go from there. If the mixture is still too sticky, add another 1/4 cup. If it holds together without being too sticky, leave it at 1 1/2 cups. Quick oats absorb quite a bit more moisture and this is why you’ll probably need less.
Oatmeal Cookie Protein Bites
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled or old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup plain/unflavoured whey protein powder
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp hemp hearts
- 2 tbsp xylitol
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare a medium-sized storage container and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the cashew butter, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. If it's too hard to mix, you can microwave for 20 seconds to soften the mixture.
- Add the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, hemp hearts, xylitol and salt and mix well with a wooden spoon until combined.
- If you microwaved the wet ingredients, transfer the protein bite mixture to the freezer for 5 minutes before adding the chocolate chips so they don't melt.
- Remove from the freezer and stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- With a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into your hands and form it into a tight ball.
- Transfer the protein bite into the prepared storage container and repeat with the remaining dough until it's all gone and you have about 13 protein bites.
- Keep stored in the fridge for when you need a snack on-the-go!
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