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Got some pumpkin puree leftover from your other pumpkin treats such as a Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie or a Pumpkin Rice Pudding but you’re not sure how to use it? That’s no problem at all - these cookies are an easy and tasty way to use up your pumpkin! As I mention in my free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen, Making Cooking Fun!!, if you’re looking to try something new in the kitchen but you don’t know where to start, checking the fridge and/or pantry is a wonderful first step to see if you can create some excellence with ingredients that are begging you to use them up! Take it from me from personal experience, that can of pumpkin is just so huge, and you really gotta get creative when using it!
I hadn’t had a good chocolate chip cookie in some time, and I wanted to try out something new for dessert! The pumpkin is excellent here, making these cookies an amazing choice for fall! Also, who doesn’t love an added boost of protein that’s delicious? These cookies not only satisfy your sweet tooth but also pack a punch of protein with every bite, making them a smart choice for any time of day. Whether you're looking to use up leftover pumpkin puree or simply want to bake something delicious, this easy recipe will soon become a favorite in your home. Get ready to enjoy these soft, flavorful cookies that make healthy snacking a breeze!
To see the entire process of making your new healthy favourite cookie recipe from start to finish, be sure to watch the video! If you’re not already, I would also really appreciate it if you could please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and don’t forget to hit the bell button so you receive all of the notifications when a new video recipe goes live! Let’s get baking!
Why You’ll Love this High Protein Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!
- Simple to make: When I first made these pumpkin protein chocolate chip cookies, I was blown away with how quick and easy they are to make! It only took me a little under 10 minutes to prep the cookies, and they bake in under 10 minutes! If you have all the ingredients available to you, then you can bake these cookies whenever the craving for a tasty but healthy sweet treat strikes without having to put in a ton of effort or dedicate lots of time. I would consider these pumpkin chocolate chip protein cookies an anytime dessert!
- Minimal ingredients: To convince you to try these cookies even more, let me tell you that there are only 9 ingredients that you need for these fall cookies to come together, plus it’s likely that you already have them all! No need to raid the pantry and spend a long time putting everything back!
- Packed with protein: The protein in these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies will help keep you satisfied and contribute towards your daily protein goals! Don’t worry - you won’t have any chalky aftertaste if you use the correct type of protein powder!
- Pumpkin goodness: The essence of these healthy pumpkin protein chocolate chip cookies really comes from pumpkin! We’re featuring pumpkin puree, pumpkin-flavored protein powder, and homemade pumpkin pie spice to give you the ultimate fall experience.
- Big cookies: Although these cookies are healthy, don’t be fooled by thinking you won’t be satisfied. These cookies are quite huge, yet they’re still nutritious and light! I personally love the satisfaction of eating a big cookie, and that’s exactly what you’ll get with this easy fall cookie recipe!
Is This HIgh Protein Pumpkin Cookie Recipe Healthy?▼
Yes, they really are healthy cookies! Here’s why:
- Oat flour: Instead of using all-purpose flour, we’re going to use oat flour. Oats are a whole grain food, and they’re incredibly nutritious! They contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant compounds. Oats are famous for being an excellent source of fibre that will help keep you full for longer, so that these cookies won’t make you feeling hungry right after eating them like regular cookies would. Furthermore, oats can lower cholesterol levels and improve blood sugar, which can be very beneficial to prevent type 2 diabetes or to reverse it.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener, and ever since coming to Canada, it has become my favourite! Believe it or not, maple syrup contains multiple antioxidants - 24 of them to be exact! These antioxidants can assist in fighting inflammatory diseases and can even help in preventing cancer and improving overall skin health. Unlike refined sugars which can be rapidly metabolized by the liver resulting in sugar crashes, natural sweeteners on the other hand have a lower score on the glycemic index, which means they will not spike your insulin levels as much. Of course, in order to prevent health problems like type 2 diabetes and obesity, all types of sugar should be consumed in moderation. For more information on the health benefits of pumpkin, check out this article.
- Pumpkin: Not only are these cookies made with pumpkin for the fall vibes, but pumpkin is an excellent superfood! Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, which can boost immunity. Furthermore, pumpkin is very light, where a cup of cooked pumpkin contains 49 calories. Pumpkin is also high in fibre, and combined with a low calorie count, it can help assist in weight loss. Check out more information on the health benefits of pumpkin here.
- Protein-packed: Protein is a very important macro-nutrient in one’s diet, and it really is important for everyone to get enough in their daily diets. While protein still has a slight association with muscle-building, everyone of all ages require the correct amount of protein, which is about 0.8 grams to 1 gram per pound of lean body mass.
Dietary Information For High Protein Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Protein Pumpkin Cookies are…
- Gluten-Free
- Refined sugar-free
- High protein
Equipment for Pumpkin Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients for High Protein Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
For all measurements and to save the full recipe instructions, make sure you scroll down to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! All ingredients in the cookie dough will automatically be adjusted for you based on how many cookies you’re looking to make! By default, the recipe makes 4 large cookies.
- Oatmeal: I’m using rolled oats blended into oat flour.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract gives the best flavour, even if it’s a bit more expensive. I would avoid artificial vanilla.
- Protein powder: I’m using pumpkin protein powder from PEScience to further enhance the pumpkin flavour in the cookies. If you don’t have this, then don’t worry! You can simply substitute with a vanilla protein powder and add additional pumpkin spice to replicate the flavour.
- Maple syrup: We need the cookies to have a bit of sweetness without being overpowering. Maple syrup is my favourite sweetener and it nicely complements the fall flavours here. However, if you don’t have maple syrup or don’t want to use it, then honey would also be a great option if you don’t need the cookies to be vegan! Agave syrup can also work well.
- Pumpkin puree: You could use store-bought pumpkin puree from a can or homemade.
- Pumpkin spice: If you really want to, you can use a store-bought one, but I strongly encourage you to prepare your own homemade blend! Pumpkin spice simply consists of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and allspice.
- Egg: We’ll use one egg and an egg white to ensure that the cookies are nice and moist, and an added egg white to boost up the protein a bit more.
- Coconut oil: I love the flavour of coconut oil, and it’s a great oil for baking! You could even use ghee if you’d like and you eat dairy.
- Baking powder: A little bit to allow the cookies to rise.
- Salt: To enhance the flavours of all our other ingredients.
- Chocolate chips: Some will be folded into the cookie dough and we’ll add the rest on top when baking our cookies.
How to make Healthy Pumpkin Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, add in the dry ingredients: oat flour, pumpkin spice, protein powder, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients: egg, egg white, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Add the dry mix to the wet mix, and add in about two thirds of the chocolate chips. Fold the chocolate chips and mix gently until everything is well combined.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use an ice cream scooper to scoop out the cookie portions onto the baking tray, and use the back of a spoon to flatten out the tops. Add the remaining chocolate chips on top.
Bake the cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes. These cookies firm up as they cool, so pull them out while they still look slightly underbaked in the centre.
Allow the cookies to cool down slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Tips for Warm and Tasty Healthy Protein Pumpkin Cookies
- Oat flour keeps your cookies soft and chewy — protein powder alone makes them chalky or rubbery. If you’re blending oats yourself, pulse until fine but not pasty.
- Make sure you measure all the ingredients exactly as they are listed. For baking, precision and accuracy is key!
- Some protein powders are already sweetened (especially vanilla ones). Taste the dough before baking — you might not need that full amount of maple syrup or honey.
- You can make the cookies as thin or as thick as you would like. However, keep in mind baking times will differ based on the thickness of the cookies. These cookies don’t spread much because there’s no butter/sugar creaming. Gently press each ball before baking so you get that classic cookie shape.
- These cookies firm up as they cool, so pull them out while they still look slightly underbaked in the center. That’s how you keep them moist and soft.
- Feel free to switch up the toppings based on your preferences - I have plenty of ideas listed below!
Do I Have to Add Chocolate CHip TO These Pumpkin Protein Powder Cookies?▼
You definitely don’t have to! I personally love chocolate chips, and the molten chocolate chips complemented the pumpkin so well. However, you can top these cookies any way you’d like! Here are some ideas:
- Chocolate chips: If you don’t want them to be semi-sweet, you could do white, sea salt caramel chips, peanut butter chips, cream cheese chips, or dark.
- Nuts: If you want some crunch, try adding in some chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Other mix-ins: How about some M&Ms or mini Reese’s peanut butter cups?
- Glaze or sauce: I think my Cream Cheese Glaze would work extremely well here! You could also garnish with some Caramel Sauce, Cafe Mocha Chocolate Syrup, molten peanut butter, or even my Pumpkin Spice Sauce if you can’t get enough pumpkin!
Serving Pumpkin Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are absolutely delicious on their own, but if you want to pair them for a satisfying snack, then here are some ideas:
Coffee: Hot or cold coffee would be amazing with these cookies!
Cold coffees
Hot coffees
Sugar Cookie Latte, Caramel Brûlée Latte, or Gingerbread Latte French Vanilla
Tea: Rose Chai, Ginger Chai, or a Turmeric Chai Latte.
Hot chocolates: Baileys Hot Chocolate, Decadent White Hot Chocolate, S’mores Hot Chocolate or Nutella Hot Chocolate
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