Protein Packed Snickerdoodles

Healthier Snickerdoodles

Back on the protein cookie grind!! These aren’t your average snickerdoodles. The browned butter gives these cookies a nutty, caramelized flavor that pairs well with cinnamon. Made with whey, casein, oat fiber, psyllium, and vital wheat gluten, the ingredients pack a surprising amount of protein and fiber into each cookie without turning them into a disgusting healthy mess.

The result is a soft, chewy cookie with crisp, cinnamon sugar edges.

 

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

• 113g butter, browned — approximately 90g after browning
• 50g skim milk
• 116g white sugar
• 106g brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 6g vanilla extract
• 30g vegetable glycerin

Dry Ingredients

• 50g all purpose flour
• 60g oat fiber
• 6g psyllium husk
• 30g vanilla whey protein powder
• 30g vanilla casein protein powder
• 14g vital wheat gluten
• 3g cream of tartar
• 2g baking soda
• Pinch of salt

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 25g white sugar
• 5g ground cinnamon

Note: This recipe makes more cinnamon-sugar coating than you’ll necessarily use. I used approximately half of the prepared coating, or about 12.5g sugar + 2.5g cinnamon, for the finished cookies. Nutrition below is calculated using that amount.

 

Instructions

1. Brown the butter

Add a stick (or 113g) of butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter develops golden brown milk solids and a nutty aroma. When the butter starts to foam, pull the pan off the heat.

You should end up with approximately 90g browned butter.

Allow it to cool for several minutes.

2. Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the browned butter, skim milk, white sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, and vegetable glycerin.

Whisk until smooth and well combined.

3. Combine the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, oat fiber, psyllium husk, whey protein, casein protein, vital wheat gluten, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

Make sure the cream of tartar and baking soda are evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.

4. Make the dough

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Mix just until everything comes together into a thick cookie dough. Avoid overmixing.

The dough will continue to firm up as the oat fiber, psyllium, and protein powders absorb moisture.

5. Chill

Refrigerate the dough for 30–45 minutes.

This makes the dough easier to portion and helps prevent excessive spreading during baking.

6. Make the cinnamon sugar

Combine 25g white sugar and 5g cinnamon in a small bowl.

You won’t necessarily use all of it. For these cookies, approximately half of the mixture was used.

7. Portion and coat

Divide the dough into 16 equal portions, approximately 31–32g each.

Roll each portion into a ball, then roll generously in the cinnamon sugar.

Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one, and flatten with your hand or the back of a spatula. 

8. Bake

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.

At the halfway mark, take them out and bang/tap/flatten the cookies. Essentially, use oven mitts to hold the cookie sheet, and tap/bang it on the counter to flatten the cookies 4-6 times. This releases trapped air, and condenses the interior, to create an unreal texture. Put back in the oven for the remainder of the time.

9. Let cookies cool on the tray for 5-10 minutes. They will firm up as they set while staying soft inside, then let rest on a rack. Enjoy!

This allows the centers to finish setting while keeping the cookies soft and chewy.

 

Nutrition per Cookie (Makes 16)

Calories: 165

Protein: 6g

Carbohydrates: 24g

Fat: 6g

Fiber: 4g

Using approximately half of the cinnamon-sugar coating