PUMPKIN CHIP PROTEIN COOKIES (VEGAN)
With October in full swing, all I care about is pumpkin and apple desserts! And front of my mind are these Pumpkin Chip Protein Cookies! They’re vegan, gluten-free, high protein, low sugar, perfectly soft, and full of pumpkin spice flavor and chocolate chips. What’s not to love? The kids kept asking for these until they were gone – and I didn’t say “no” because I know they’re balanced and nutritious. The only sad part about that is I didn’t get as many for myself LOL.
Did you know? Too much added sugar (including coconut sugar, honey and maple syrup) has been linked to higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, studies show. (source) This is why I cut back the sugar content of my baked goodies using natural sugar alternatives such as monk fruit or stevia. Besides, I just feel better without a big sugar hit to my system!
Protein recommendations
These Pumpkin Chip Protein Cookies get their protein from LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Pumpkin Pie flavor. I love that this protein tastes delicious while being low in carbs and fat. It’s also free of artificial additives! LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein even contains organic superfoods and added probiotics (keeps my gut happy)! Use my code “SARAHWILKINS” for FREE shipping on all LIV Body products 🙂
You should be able to substitute whey concentrate, whey-casein blend, most plant-based blends, or soy isolate in these cookies, but doing so will alter the flavor and texture somewhat. You also may need to adjust the amount of liquid to get a thick, rollable dough!
Flour recommendations
You have quite a few options when it comes to flours! I used my favorite gluten-free baking flour, but you can also use fine oat flour, sweet white sorghum flour, white whole wheat flour, or cassava flour. Or, use half as much coconut flour for a slightly lower carb, less tender cookie! If using almond flour, you will need about twice as much (one quarter cup).
Sweetener recommendations
To add that rich home-baked cookie flavor, I used a monk fruit brown sugar alternative. I just love the hint of brown sugar! You can use any reduced-calorie brown sugar alternative, like Lakanto Golden, Sukrin Gold, Swerve Brown, or Truvia Brown Sugar (use half as much Truvia Brown). Baking stevia, granulated erythritol, granulated monk fruit, or a granulated sugar like coconut sugar will also work, but won’t taste as rich. If using stevia extract or drops, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart!
Other substitutions
I used a combination of almond butter and vegan buttery spread for a thick but crisp texture. Using only almond butter will yield a thicker, denser cookie; while using only buttery spread will yield a thinner, more tender cookie. It’s really up to you – but I found this ratio to be perfect! You can totally substitute the almond butter for any nut or seed butter. You can also swap the vegan buttery spread for semi-solid coconut oil or unsalted butter (not vegan).
Instead of egg whites, I used ground flax and warm water. However, you can sub one egg white if not vegan, or use your favorite vegan egg replacer instead of flax. I actually like the flax texture better than egg white in this recipe!
Finally, feel free to use white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips. You can also use one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices.
Here’s the printable recipe for these vegan Pumpkin Chip Protein Cookies! I hope you’ll rate this recipe or comment below if you try it 😉
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
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