This recipe uses the same first steps as my peanut butter/tahini cookie dough protein balls, but includes baking instructions to turn them into crumbly cookies. The texture of these cookies is not like regular cookies, I have to warn you upfront. They are crumbly, but do hold their shape.

Ingredients:

• 8 grams of coarse brown sugar – do not omit!*
• 4 crushed coffee-sweeteners*, I use these ones (https://www.ah.nl/producten/product/wi216331/ah-zoetjes) containing cyclamate and saccharine, being virtually calorie-free
• ¼ tsp. of salt
• 22 grams of soy protein isolate, I use this one (https://www.hollandandbarrett.nl/shop/product/holland-barrett-soja-proteine-60082201?skuid=033649)
• 44 grams of nut butter, I use a mix of 100% peanut butter and tahini*

Feeling indulgent? Why not a chocolate chips? Or roll these balls in some cocoa powder?

* see notes

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Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (355 Fahrenheit)
2. Crush your sweeteners and mix with the brown sugar, salt and protein powder
3. Add your mix of peanut butter and tahini and stir until fully combined, the mix should stick as a dough but should not be wet
   • Too wet? Add more protein powder
   • Too dry? Add some more tahini/peanut butter
4. Roll into 8 balls (about 9 grams a piece) and flatten onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper
   • Want to add something extra; press some halved peanuts onto the top
5. Bake into the middle of the oven for 8 minutes, then remove them and let them cool down*

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Like you can see above, I accidentally baked them a bit too long one time (I have made this recipe repeatedly). However, when you bake them a bit too long, they become slightly too bitter for my taste. The images below are of a more successful batch!

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Notes:

I like to use sweeteners in high-protein recipes to get more beneficial macro’s, and using these sweeteners with very little fillers means that it doesn’t take up a lot of cabinet space. However, it does require you to crush the sweeteners if you want them to be incorporated in anything other than hot liquids. I don’t mind though 🙂

To ensure that my recipes don’t taste too artificial I like to use a mix of sweeteners and sugar. However, in this recipe, the brown sugar has a more important function; it adds a bit of texture/crunch. This gives it the cookie dough texture without using uncooked flour, but using only protein powder and a bit of sugar instead!

Do note that every peanut butter, tahini and protein powder is different. These quantities work for me, but it is possible that the texture is not quite right for you. Try adding more/less protein powder or nut butter to achieve the right texture. I have been tempted before to add water, but this has two down sides; the sugar will dissolve and the protein powder will become chewy/crumbly, both making the texture of your final protein balls a lot less appetizing. Also, lately I have been using a lot more tahini and less peanut butter, but that is because after having COVID, peanut butter tastes a bit weird to me….

These cookies are quite fragile, especially when just baked, so handle with care and let them cool down a bit before transferring them.