These Cookie Dough Protein Bars with Collagen Powder are the closest I’ve come to a cleaner version of Quest cookie dough protein bars. Made without oats, they’re gluten free, grain free and dairy free. Plus, they don’t contain sugar alcohols like erythritol, which can cause digestive issues for some people.
The protein bars get their chewy texture from coconut flour. It also provides a boost of fiber. Then, I like to add chunks of dark chocolate to complete the cookie dough vibe. I use 70% cocoa chocolate to keep the sugar content down, but you could go darker or use sugar-free chocolate chips.
Best collagen powder
I’ve tried a number of collagen powders and my favorite is Great Lakes Collagen. It’s hydrolyzed collagen, also known as collagen peptides or collagen hydrolysate, which means that it has been broken down into its component amino acids to assist with absorption by the body. I use the unflavored version, which is almost flavorless so it blends well into recipes like these protein bars.
You can find other collagen protein powders in health food stores, supplement stores and online. I have found that some brands have an unpleasant odour and taste. If you want to try out a new brand, have a read of their customer reviews or see if they offer smaller sample sizes to test it out before committing to a larger purchase.
What can I use instead of collagen powder?
Whey protein powder can be used instead of collagen powder in recipes like these homemade protein bars. I would use whey protein isolate if possible, since it tends to dissolve better than other whey powders like whey protein concentrate or whey protein blends.
Although whey is not dairy free like collagen powder, whey protein isolate is usually very low in lactose. So it can be easier to digest when compared to other whey powders. Plus, it’s usually more cost effective than collagen powder, which can be an important consideration.
How many calories are in these cookie dough protein bars?
Each of these cookie dough protein bars has 156 calories and 9.4 grams of protein. You can check out the nutrition facts under the recipe below. For a larger serve of protein, you can cut the slab into larger bars. The mixture can also be rolled into protein balls if you prefer.
Ingredients for protein bars with collagen powder
- Cashew butter: To add some healthy fats and creaminess to the protein bars. You could use almond butter or another nut butter if you prefer.
- Maple syrup: To sweeten the bars. You could use honey or a sugar-free syrup sweetener as a substitute. Brown rice syrup should also work, but it’s not as sweet as maple syrup or honey, so you may need to adjust the amount to taste.
- Hydrolyzed collagen powder: As mentioned above, I like to use Great Lakes Collagen because it’s almost flavorless and blends well into recipes.
- Coconut flour: To give the bars structure and a chewy texture. It also adds a boost of fiber.
- Dark chocolate: I use a 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar, cut into chunks. However, you can use any chocolate bar or chocolate chips.
- Vanilla extract: Helps to give the bars a cookie dough vibe. You can leave it out if you don’t have any.
- Salt: To enhance the flavor of the bars. You can leave it out, but I highly recommend including it.
- Water: A small amount of water helps to dissolve the collagen powder and brings the mixture together.
More protein powder recipes
- Choc Mint Whey Protein Balls
- No Bake Almond Nougat Protein Bars
- Coffee Whey Protein Balls
- Chocolate Whey Protein Bars
- Clean Protein Bars
For more ideas, check out the Protein Powder Recipes page.
Cookie Dough Protein Bars with Collagen Powder Recipe
Serves
12 bars
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
20 mins chilling
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup / 120 g cashew butter
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 80 g maple syrup
- 1 tbsp / 30 ml / 30 g water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup / 75 g hydrolyzed collagen powder (see Note 1)
- 3/4 cup / 84 g coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/3 cup / 60 g chopped dark chocolate
Method
- Line a 4 x 6 inch / 10 x 16 cm container with baking paper or cling film (see Note 2).
- Place the cashew butter, maple syrup, water and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the collagen powder, coconut flour and salt and mix until you get a dough. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little extra coconut flour. If it’s too dry, add a few drops of water.
- Mix about half of the chopped chocolate into the dough. Press the mixture firmly into the lined container. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top of the slab.
- Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until the mixture firms up. Once firm, remove from the container and cut into bars.
Notes
- Collagen powder – I use unflavored collagen. However, any collagen powder should work. If using a flavored variety, make sure you enjoy the flavor since quite a bit is used in the recipe, so it will be noticeable. Whey protein isolate also works well as a substitute.
- Setting the mixture – You can use a different sized container as long as it’s close to 4 x 6 inch / 10 x 16 cm. A larger container will give thinner bars, and a smaller container will give thicker ones. Alternatively, you can roll the mixture into protein balls.
- Storage – Store the protein bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you won’t eat them in this time, you can freeze them and enjoy straight from the freezer or defrost in the fridge as needed.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving size: 1 bar (made with 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
- Energy: 156 Calories / 651 Kilojoules
- Total Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 9.9 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.4 g
- Sugars: 7.4 g
- Protein: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 76 mg
- Potassium: 55 mg
These look so good. Already taking Collagen powder and need something sweet
I hope you enjoy if you make them 🙂
If you wanna get more of a baked cookie flavor you could try broiling your chocolate for a few minutes until it blisters. Then let it cool and then mix it in. Also, toasting either the coconut flour or the almond flour would help.
Wonderful recipe and final product.
Thanks Christopher, interesting idea!