PROTEIN SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH (VEGAN)
Arguably the best part of making cookies is eating the unbaked cookie dough – who agrees? With this Protein Sugar Cookie Dough, you don’t have to worry about getting Salmonella from raw eggs because it’s 100% egg-free and vegan! Not to mention, one serving has 9 grams of fiber, only 5 grams of sugar (including sprinkles!) and an impressive 23 grams of plant-based protein. An equal serving of store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough has almost 43 grams of sugar! Best of all, this cookie dough has the sugary, buttery flavor and thick, doughy consistency you crave!
Did you know? Studies (1,2) indicate that fullness factor is determined more by volume and portion sizes than actual calorie intake. So, choosing “low energy density” foods (fewer calories per volume), can help you lose fat and maintain weight loss without feeling overly hungry.
Protein recommendation
For added protein, I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Cake Batter flavor. This protein has an ideal amino acid profile for muscle-building and no artificial ingredients! Unlike a lot of vegan protein powders, it tastes delicious, too! Feel free to use my code “NOEXCUSES” for 20% all orders from LIVbody.com. If you don’t have this particular brand, any protein powder should work as long as you like the flavor. If you don’t have protein powder, add one-quarter cup of flour (all-purpose flour, cassava flour, gluten-free baking blend, oat flour, or half as much coconut flour) and omit the water this recipe calls for.
Which beans work in this recipe?
You can use chickpeas or white beans (cannellini, butter, or navy beans) in this recipe. If using chickpeas, I recommend “peeling” them by pinching each pea to remove and discard the outer hull. After draining and peeling, rinse them thoroughly. This adds about 5 minutes to the prep time, but it yields a much silkier texture and ensures there is no “briney” flavor. If you’re not thrilled about the prospect of peeling each and every chickpea, just use white beans instead.
Sweetener substitutions
To add sweetness without any sugar, I used Pyure Organic Stevia Blend, a calorie-free blend of stevia and erythritol that’s twice as sweet as sugar. A virtually identical substitute would be Truvia Natural Sweetener. If you substitute baking stevia, granulated erythritol, or granulated sugar like coconut sugar, you will need about twice as much (up to one cup) to achieve the same level of sweetness. If using stevia extract or drops, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart.
Other substitutions
Cashew butter works best in this recipe, but sunflower seed butter can work in a pinch. You can also use a vegan buttery spread and omit the butter extract. Speaking of butter extract – yes, it’s vegan! You can find it next to the vanilla extract in the baking aisle.
Since I’m not all about artificial colors in my food, I used naturally-colored sprinkles to add some festive fun to my cookie dough, but any kind of sprinkles will work. If you choose to add the white chocolate chips and need dairy-free, these are the best vegan white chocolate chips I’ve found! Feel free to swap them out for dark chocolate chunks, oatmeal and raisins… whatever your heart desires 🙂
Somehow this cookie dough is even better chilled, so I’d suggest leaving it in the fridge for a couple hours for the ultimate experience.
Here’s the printable recipe for this Protein Sugar Cookie Dough! I’d love for you to rate and/or comment below if you try it.
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
Protein Sugar Cookie Dough (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (250g) low sodium chickpeas or white beans* drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp. creamy cashew butter*
- 2 tbsp. water as needed
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. butter extract* optional
- 1/2 cup (60g) vegan protein powder* I used LIV Body brand in Cake Batter, use code "NOEXCUSES" for 20% off livbody.com
- 6 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda optional
- 2 tbsp. natural sprinkles* optional
- 2 tbsp. white chocolate chips* optional
*See blog post above for substitutions.
Instructions
- If using chickpeas, peel them by pinching each pea to remove out hull and discard. Rinse beans throughly and add to a blender, along with cashew butter, water, extracts, protein powder, sweetener, and baking soda.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- Fold in sprinkles and white chocolate chips (optional), then chill for a couple hours for the ultimate healthy cookie dough experience! Leftovers will keep in the fridge up to one week.
Notes