By Based on our viral chocolate chip cookies, these fudgy almond flour cocoa cookies are made with no protein powder! Made with hemp seeds and lots of chocolate, they are easy to whip up in one bowl. Our freezer is never without these cookies in it!
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Gone are the days of dense and lame Quest protein. We are on a mission to create protein baking ideas that taste like the classic version (or better) and without protein powder! We are building out our cookie deck. First, we have our protein chocolate chip cookie, and now, we have this double chocolate chunk almond flour cookie.
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more chocolate, please
You can never have enough. Seriously.
- Gluten-Free: No all-purpose flour here! We use hemp flour and almond flour for more nutrients and to keep them free of gluten.
- No Chalky Taste: Since we only use whole ingredients, not protein powder, there's no weird aftertaste or texture!
- Chocolate on Chocolate: Not only do these use cocoa powder but they also add chocolate chunks. And, of course, they are this chocolaty and delicious without processed sugar!
simple ingredients
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Unsalted butter: You can also use a butter substitute, coconut oil, or salted butter. If you use salted, just reduce the added salt by half.
- Pure maple syrup and coconut sugar: These do more than just add sweetness; the granulated coconut sugar helps build stability so the cookies stay together better. Brown sugar will work, too.
- Cocoa powder and chocolate chunks: Use unsweetened cocoa powder. For chocolate chunks, I use a semi-sweet or milk chocolate Hu bar chopped up so there's no processed sugar. Regular chocolate chips work, too!
- Runny cashew butter: It must be runny! Otherwise, your cookies will be dry. The best brands I've found are locally made ones (with the oil on top), 365 brand, and Good and Gather brand. Just be sure to stir in the oil really well first.
- Egg yolks: Cocoa powder acts a lot like flour, and when I tested these with whole eggs, the cookies were too cake-like. To get that rich, fudgy flavor, we need just the yolks. Save the egg whites to make cinnamon roll protein baked oats or homemade Samoa cookies.
- Pure vanilla extract: Adds extra buttery flavor without needing more butter.
- Almond flour and hemp seeds: Any almond flour or almond meal works. You can either mix the hemp seeds in whole or blend them to turn them into flour. Both variations are delicious!
- Low-fat plain Greek yogurt: Adds moisture and protein. You can use thick, strained whole milk, low-fat or non-fat yogurt. Icelandic is another common choice.
- Baking basics: Grab baking soda and salt. And flaky sea salt if you like a really good cookie!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: almond flour
You'll find almond flour in a lot of my recipes because it's higher in protein than wheat flour and gluten-free. But the best part is that it has more fiber, and you don't have to worry about ecoli like you do when dealing with raw all-purpose flour since it's roasted before being milled. If you have leftover, try using it to make these protein balls without protein powder, protein bars without protein powder, or protein skillet brownie.
here's how to make almond flour cookies (with photos & video)
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full chocolate protein cookie recipe!
- Mix wet ingredients: Beat the butter until fluffy, then mix in the other wet ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients: Add the other ingredients and let it chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This is important when working with almond flour! It should look like the photo below when ready.
- Bake: Preheat the oven, scoop out 12 even balls, and bake for 8 minutes. Then, remove the cookies from the oven and drop the pan on the counter to flatten them. Return them to the oven for 5 more minutes, then drop them once more on the counter. Check out the video for an example of doing this!
- Cool: Let them cool for at least 15 minutes (they are very tender at first), then transfer to the freezer for another 15 minutes before digging it! Finish with flaky sea salt for a real wow moment!
quick recipe video
don't get soupy cookies
On our original recipe we had one comment that the cookies were soupy. And obviously we don't want to happen to you! The key to avoiding this is to put the cookies in the freezer to set up, both the dough and the baked cookies. Almond flour has a big habit of not binding right away so in order to get that chewy fudgy inside but still keep the cookies together, you need to cool them in the freezer. Don't just keep baking; otherwise, they will be dry.
common questions
No, almond flour is a must. But, you can sub the hemp seeds for extra almond flour.
Sure thing! Just make sure they are drippy.
These cookies should look just set on the edges but will still be soft in the center. They will keep baking and set up as they cool.
troubleshooting & testing notes
The cookies are dry
This happens when they are overbaked, so don't let this happen to you!
Slamming the pan
This gives the cookies that crinkle look. Without the slam, the cookies will be too puffed up. So, don't be afraid to really let her rip! And by that, I mean carefully and evenly drop the pan from about 3"-6" above the counter onto a surface that won't break. Ha!
how to store cookies
I actually prefer to store these in the freezer. Just flash-freeze them on a baking tray for a few hours, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. When eating, just let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so before enjoying them.
You can also scoop out dough balls and freeze those!
Recipe
almond flour cocoa cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (room temp, or butter substitute, coconut oil, see notes for using salted)
- ¼ c pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- ¼ c cashew butter (runny (I like Target and Whole Food's brands, any nut butter will work))
- 2 egg yolks (save the egg whites for baked oats!)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 c almond flour
- ½ c hemp hearts or hemp flour (can swap for extra almond flour)
- ¼ c low fat unsweetened plain greek yogurt (full fat or non-fat work too)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cu Hu milk chocolate bar (diced or any chocolate chips you like)
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together the ¼ cup unsalted butter and ¼ cup coconut sugar until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Then beat in the ¼ c pure maple syrup, ¼ c cashew butter, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and ¼ c low fat unsweetened plain greek yogurt until well combined.
- Mix in the ⅓ cup cocoa powder, 1 c almond flour, ½ c hemp hearts or hemp flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt until fully incorporated. Let the dough chill in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a tray with a silicon mat or parchment paper. You can also go unlined but they can stick a bit.
- Use a cookie scoop to portion out 12 even balls onto the cookie sheet. Leave 2-3" between each one for them to spread. Gently roll into balls but minimize touching them because it will make the butter melt again.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the pan and slam or drop the tray on the counter twice to flatten them. Drop them from 33"-6" above the counter onto a surface that won't break.Return to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until the edges are just set. Remove from the oven and slam on the counter once more.
- Top with flaky sea salt right when they come out of the oven. Then let them cool for 15 minutes on the counter(super important when working with gluten free baked goods) to continue baking and firm up. Then move them to the freezer to fully cool and set up, otherwise they will crumble on you. Then enjoy!If you're not sure what this means, check out the video to see what it means to slam it on the counter.
Video
Notes
This gives the cookies that crinkle look. Without the slam, the cookies will be too puffed up. So, don't be afraid to really let her rip! And by that, I mean carefully and evenly drop the pan from about 3"-6" above the counter onto a surface that won't break. Ha! The cookies are dry
This happens when they are overbaked, so don't let this happen to you! Storage
I actually prefer to store these in the freezer. Just flash freeze them on a baking tray for a few hours, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. When eating, just let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so before enjoying them. You can also scoop out dough balls and freeze those!
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I would love to make these but we have egg allergy at home - can I use flax egg or chia egg for this recipe, do you think it will work?
It will definitely will work with flax eggs!
Maple syrup? Is there an equivalent substitute?
Agave will work! It has to be a liquid sweetener but honey is an acid so it reacts differently with the baking soda in the cookie, leaving agave as the best alternative to maple syrup.
Really good and easy!
These cookies are very good. I substituted a few things: Cream of Tartar for baking powder, cottage cheese for yougurt and I added some flax seeds. Didn’t seem to affect taste or texture. They actually were not very crumbly.
Great to hear!