Hazelnut Protein Cookies

What are your thoughts on protein powders?

To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan!

I know in certain circumstances protein powders/supplements can be useful; they’re an easy and convenient source of complete, high-quality protein. When someone is lacking in protein consumption or if they’re trying to build muscle, protein powders can be beneficial. I am always trying to grow muscle and feel strong, but I could never get behind the protein powder trends. I love to actually eat the things I need in order to live a healthy lifestyle. Need extra protein? Eat some chicken or eggs or anything else that has protein. I was always worried that if I started eating my nutrients in the form of powders I would become dependent on them. I was worried that I would no longer find the excitement in prepping savory meals with grilled chicken and roasted veggies and sweet potato fries.

I was definitely wrong! I still love to get my main source of protein from my savory foods like turkey or chicken, but I love that now I can get an extra dose of protein without it if I’m not craving it: like in the morning! I’ve been loving adding a dash of protein powder to my overnight oats or my baked oatmeal or even my pancakes. It’s nice to know that I start my day off on the right foot with a little extra protein which leaves me fuller for longer. Recently, I’ve been playing around with desserts and protein powders. I found a naturally sweetened protein powder with a vanilla flavor that I added to a few cookies and I found that I couldn’t even tell it was in there. The texture of the cookie didn’t change and the little addition of vanilla was nice, plus: I was for sure satisfied!

That’s not to say that you need the addition of the protein powder in this recipe and I’m definitely not an expert in all of this. I know what my preferences are and what works best for my body. I still choose to rarely use protein powders, but I loved it in this recipe so I kept it! You can play around with different brands and find the ones you like. It’s important to remember that there’s only one person that can decide what’s best for your body and that person is you. You can decide what you like and you don’t! Hopefully you like these cookies lol.

I used my own almond milk, Bob’s Red Mill flours, and Hu chocolate for the melty chocolate top. The protein powder I used was vegan and unsweetened from Tera’s, but again- find the one that works best for you.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sweet potato mash

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 cup hazelnut flour

• 1/3 cup protein powder (I used Tera’s vegan protein powder)

• Dash of cinnamon (1/2 to 1 tsp)

• 1 egg

• 1 bar Hu Kitchen dark chocolate

Recipe:

1. Boil one small sweet potato to make the mash (peel and chop in half before boiling)

2. Combine all dry ingredients and mix well

3. When the potato is soft, mash it using a fork and measure out 1/2 cup sweet potato mash. Add it to the dry mixture with the almond milk. Mix until smooth

4. The dough will be on the wetter side, so just use a spoon to scoop up circles onto a baking tray

5. Top each one with a chocolate square and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes

6. Let cool and enjoy!