14 Pre-Made Protein Cookies You Can Buy At The Store, Ranked
Sometimes we want a sweet treat full of ingredients that can fuel our bodies, and other times we want to get our daily dose of protein in without adding protein smoothies to our routine. The solution? Protein cookies! These sweet treats offer an easy (and often yummy) way to pack some protein into your diet without turning to other supplements. But which ones actually taste good, pack in a decent amount of protein, and are worth the best bang for your buck?
If you've spent copious amounts of time trying to find the ideal protein treat only to end up disappointed, you're in the right place. I tried 14 packaged protein cookies on the market and ranked them based on taste, texture, protein content, and how much added sugar was in each. I chose to make added sugar a factor due to personal preference — if I'm eating something for its protein content, I don't want it to be loaded with extra sugar. I'll make it clear when added sugar played a factor in my ranking so you can decide whether to purchase based on your own preferences and nutritional parameters. Read on for my ranked selection of protein cookies.
Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.
14. Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip
Coming in at the bottom of my list is Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip cookie. A quick aside about Lenny & Larry's selections: Each is ginormous, pretty heavy, and technically two servings. That made the nutrition information feel a bit misleading, and I wished the company had either split it into two separate treats or listed the nutrition information as though one cookie was a serving. Regardless, my qualms with this chocolate chip cookie went far beyond these factors.
The one good thing I have to say about this is that it was far from being a dry and crispy chocolate chip cookie — the texture was dense and chewy, and had it had a better flavor, I likely would have enjoyed it. However, it was incredibly bland and there was something very off-putting and artificial about the flavor that left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. The chocolate chips had a chewy, taffy-like texture that I didn't find appealing. Though it contains 16 grams of protein (which is more than many others on this ranking), the 22 grams of added sugar and unappealing flavor earned it an easy last place.
13. My Cookie Dealer Coffee Cake
I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. I'm a fan of coffee-flavored everything, and it's a flavor I frequently add to my home bakes. I actually did enjoy the coffee flavor, but that was the only thing I liked about it. My Cookie Dealer is another brand that considers one treat to be two servings, and even though the 21 grams of protein present could have been a great addition to my diet, I was also too aware that it packed 32 grams of added sugar. Considering that I try to keep my added sugar intake to a minimum (even when enjoying a sweet treat), I found that amount off-putting.
My Cookie Dealer's Coffee Cake cookie was one of the driest on this list. It was still soft, but since everything I tried was soft, that couldn't save it from taking a lower spot in the ranking. It wasn't as bland as some others but that's purely because of its coffee flavor; there wasn't much other flavor to speak of. The added sugar content also knocked this further down on the ranking than it may have been otherwise. Had the sugar at least contributed to giving it a better flavor, I could have been more forgiving.
12. Lenny & Larry's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
To its credit, Lenny & Larry's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip offering was a perfectly nutty, chewy peanut butter cookie. In fact, of all the peanut butter cookies on this list, this one had the most potent peanut butter flavor, which saved it from getting a lower spot. It packs 18 grams of protein and 20 grams of added sugar, which contributed to its earning a higher spot than the brand's chocolate chip flavor.
Unfortunately, this cookie felt like a chore to chew. It was fairly sticky and heavy, and I found myself wishing it boasted slightly subtler flavors just to make it less dense. I didn't like the beginning of the bite at all, but I liked it more toward the end as it became softer — on the whole though, it just didn't provide the most pleasant eating experience. Given that the only good thing about this one was its potent flavor, I couldn't give it anything above spot number 12, especially as I didn't find myself wanting to take more than a bite of it.
11. My Cookie Dealer Milk & Cookies
Up next is My Cookie Dealer's Milk & Cookies protein cookie. I was excited to try this one based on the package alone, so you can imagine my disappointment when what I pulled out looked nothing like what was depicted. Had it boasted the ooey-gooey texture it was purported to, I could have given it a higher spot on this list. As it stood, its mediocre presentation and 42 grams of added sugar doomed it to spot number 11. Not even its 18 grams of protein and pretty good flavor could save it.
I expected a moist, rich treat; unfortunately, this was anything but. Though it had a soft texture, it was quite dry, which I could have forgiven had the package not set me up for disappointment. On the plus side, it boasted a warm, rich flavor and wasn't bland in the slightest, but I found it tasted sweeter than necessary. On the whole, it was fine but not at all outstanding, and I didn't find the decent flavor was enough to justify all the extra sugar.
10. CTRL Monster Cookie
CTRL's Monster Cookie is another that I wanted to like way more than I did. It contains 15 grams of protein, 10 grams of added sugar, and 4 grams of collagen, a nice add-in that I didn't find in other protein cookies on this ranking. All in all, it was well within my personal nutritional preferences and would have earned a higher ranking had the flavor been better. Unfortunately, I found it to be pretty lackluster.
Though it was the most bland of CTRL's offerings (the other two I tried ranked much higher), the white chocolate chips and cookie pieces offered a nice variety of flavors. In terms of the snack itself though, there was something artificial-tasting about it, and I'm not sure what to attribute that to. It had a good texture and, though slightly crumbly, was one of the chewier options I tried. This could have ranked a couple of spots higher if it didn't have that slightly artificial flavor.
9. Quest Chocolate Chip
For being a protein cookie with no added sugar, Quest's Chocolate Chip flavor was palatable. However, it only earned this high of a spot because it lacked sugar (instead, it uses stevia as the sweetener). Unfortunately, of the cookies I tried that didn't have added sugars, this was my least favorite. It didn't look appealing right off the bat. What I took out of the package looked like it was made from playdough, which wasn't an appetizing start.
I wouldn't call this bad, but it just wasn't that great. Aside from being rather bland, I felt I could taste the protein content, and it left a strange aftertaste upon having a bite. Though good, the chocolate pieces barely redeemed it. It was soft enough and had a decent texture, but I wouldn't call it the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie — rather, it was slightly doughy. The only thing that saved it from having a lower spot on this list was the bonus fact that it doesn't contain added sugar.
8. Lenny & Larry's White Chocolate Flavored Macadamia
If you were to ask me to name my favorite protein cookie on this list based on flavor alone, Lenny & Larry's White Chocolate Flavored Macadamia would get the top spot. It also boasted one of the best textures of any treat here — it was a super chewy cookie without having the dough-like texture of the last pick. If you want a snack that tastes great and boasts a good amount of protein (16 grams, to be precise) and you don't mind added sugar, give this one a go. For me, the 22 grams of added sugar kept this from taking a higher spot.
This pick had a delicious and almost tropical macadamia flavor, and even though I'm not big on white chocolate, I didn't mind the white chocolate chips sprinkled throughout. It was soft, moist, chewy, and rich. I also don't know if I could have eaten a whole cookie in a single sitting, so it made sense for Lenny & Larry's to consider it two servings. However, I still wish that the company had made a cookie one serving and either put two in a package or made the package smaller.
7. Love Chew Banana Bread
I had never heard of the Love + Chew brand before writing this article, but I'm happy that it's finally on my radar. My biggest pro for this brand was its ingredient label — it was simple and only listed 10 items, and all of them were foods I recognize. This cookie has 7 grams of protein, making it one of the lowest-protein options on this list, and one reason it didn't rank higher. It also contains 17 grams of sugar but no added sugar (date paste and bananas brought all the sweetness).
The cookie definitely tasted like banana bread, but not the most flavorful banana bread I've ever had. I found myself wishing it had more flavor, and even the addition of cinnamon or some salt on top could have done a lot to enhance it. The texture was soft and chewy, and this was probably the stickiest cookie I tried. On the whole, I'd eat it again, especially if I wanted a little protein snack that didn't leave me guessing about any of the ingredients.
6. Atkins Chocolate Chip
My second favorite chocolate chip protein cookie I tried was by Atkins. Sure, it doesn't contain any added sugar (using sucralose instead), but that's pretty far down on the list of reasons why this got the number six spot. It genuinely tasted better than most of the other chocolate chip flavors I tried, and the 10 grams of protein certainly didn't hurt, either.
Just to be clear, I didn't absolutely love this one — after all, it still only has a middling spot here. But if you specifically want a chocolate chip protein cookie, I'd choose this one over Quest's or Lenny & Larry's in a heartbeat. Though it has a similar doughy texture to Quest's, I found it to be slightly more flavorful and not quite as sticky. Additionally, it didn't have any of the weird artificial flavor that Lenny & Larry's did. My favorite chocolate chip protein cookie is still to come, but if you see this on the shelf at your local grocery store, I'd say it's a pretty good buy.
5. Love Chew Cherry Almond
The other Love + Chew flavor I tried was the Cherry Almond cookie. As with the company's Banana Bread selection, it only has 10 ingredients and they were all foods that were familiar to me. I appreciated being able to read the label and know exactly what I was putting into my body. It also had no added sugar (though it did contain 17 grams of naturally-occurring sugars from cherries and date paste) and packed 7 grams of protein.
The Cherry Almond cookie had the same slightly sticky, chewy texture as the Banana Bread option. However, I preferred the flavor of this one to the brand's other offering. I loved how the almond extract came through, and the cherries added a nice burst of sweetness whenever I came across one. Nothing about it was overwhelming, nor did it pack the flavor punch I think it had the potential for. Nevertheless, I'd definitely have it again.
4. Quest Peanut Butter
As far as peanut butter protein cookies go, I liked Quest's. It has 15 grams of protein, no added sugar (swapping it out for sucralose), and it's flavorful enough to earn the number four spot on this list, though the following three picks were definitely tastier. However, unlike those, you're much more likely to encounter Quest's on the shelves of your local grocery store, making this a great option if you're looking for a protein treat that's more easily available.
This cookie probably had the subtlest peanut butter flavor of any of the peanut butter selections I tried, but it was still far more interesting than some of the previous choices, and I appreciated that the peanut flavor didn't overwhelm. The peanuts scattered throughout gave some variety to the otherwise soft, chewy, and not-at-all-sticky cookie. I liked this and would have it again, but the following three options won their top spots for being extra flavorful.
3. CTRL Chocolate Chunk
Finally, we've arrived at my favorite of the chocolate chip options I tried: CTRL's Chocolate Chunk Protein Cookie. This one packs 15 grams of protein, 4 grams of collagen, and 10 grams of added sugar. Despite having more added sugar than a few of my previous picks, it wasn't enough to reduce this to a lower spot, as the flavor and high protein content made this an easy pick for the number three spot.
I could tell from my first bite that this was better than the other chocolate chip treats I tried. It was way more flavorful, very thick, and chewy, without having any of that play dough-like texture that Quest's had. It also didn't have any of the artificial flavor I found in Lenny & Larry's. My one complaint about this snack was that it was slightly dry; however, it was still soft, and I'll take a little crumbling over a doughy texture any day. The chocolate chunks tied the whole cookie together, and I could have easily eaten the whole thing without batting an eye.
2. CTRL Black Ice Chocolate
My number two pick goes to CTRL's Black Ice Chocolate Protein Cookie. Unlike the brand's Chocolate Chip version, I'm not sure I could eat this all in one sitting, but for a good reason — this had the richest, deepest flavor of any cookie I sampled. It contains 15 grams of protein, 4 grams of collagen, and 9 grams of added sugar. As with the last one, the depth of flavor and high protein content more than made up for its added sugar content.
If you want a protein treat that tastes like a rich, dark chocolate brownie, this is it. Aside from being absolutely gorgeous to look at, it's also a pleasure to eat. It's very soft to the touch and easily one of the chewiest selections here without being sticky in the slightest. As a dark chocolate fan, I appreciated how rich it was, though I could see that being a turnoff for some consumers — if you don't like dark chocolate, this may not be your cup of tea. Personally, I really enjoyed it.
1. Atkins Peanut Butter
Finally, in all respects, Atkins' Peanut Butter Protein Cookie was a no-brainer number one choice. I simply loved it — it contains 10 grams of protein and no added sugar, which it trades for sucralose. It also didn't suffer the pitfalls of some other options in this ranking. The one thing I'll say about this cookie is that it was slightly sticky in texture, but that wasn't nearly enough of a problem to knock it down at all.
In my opinion, Atkins got the strength of the peanut butter just right in this one. It wasn't as weak as Quest's nor as strong as Lenny & Larry's, and the mild peanut butter flavor kept it from feeling too overwhelming. The texture was also on point — it was delightfully soft and chewy without being dry or heavy in the slightest. All in all, this was the most well-balanced of the protein cookies I tried.
Methodology
To rank these cookies, I tasted them all back to back, and evaluated them based on flavor, texture, protein content, and added sugars. Again, I made note of the sugar content where relevant, so you can decide whether that's in line with your own dietary preferences. However, due to personal preference, I couldn't justify giving one with added sugar a higher ranking over one that had none, even if its flavor was better.
The highest spots went to cookies that boasted great flavor and packed a punch of protein, and though a few high spots went to selections that had some added sugar, it was on the lower end. Texture ended up not playing as big of a role as I anticipated, as most of the cookies were soft and chewy, so I had no big textural complaints about any of them. If you're after great-tasting protein cookies, look toward the top and middle-bottom of my list. If you want options with no added sugar (and are willing to sacrifice some flavor), look toward the middle.