Try this unexpected ingredient to make fabulous vegan cookies

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.

Life is short. Eat vegan cookies!

Are you trying to strike the right balance between delicious and nutritious fuel for your outdoor adventures? Let me introduce you to the greatest way to add protein to delicious vegan cookies. I feel a lot less guilty for eating cookies when I know I made them myself and they meet an important nutritional need. Whether your toil is physical or mental, read on to learn more!

The magic comes from beans. I know, it sounds slightly crazy. Beans are for dinner, right? Please hear me out. Beans are a fantastic way to boost the protein content of a vegan cookie without drying out the treat. Beans are also inexpensive, so trying one of the recipes below doesn’t require much investment. I suspect you’ll like them more than you expect.

Is this trick just for vegans?

Though using beans in baking is a common trick among vegans, these cookies are good enough to share with all your friends! These recipes can satisfy any dietary need. They’re delicious enough for your friends who eat all the things. They’re easy to adapt for gluten-free folks, and they contain no dairy. Go ahead, blow some minds in your life. Share these luscious vegan cookies far and wide. 

Why add protein to vegan cookies?

It is my humble opinion that life is so much better when you allow yourself occasional treats. Sure, we should all be careful about how much sugar we consume. And avoid using food as pawns in mind games. But it’s absolutely possible to make treats that feel much healthier than the usual go-to fare. The couple of recipes I share below utilize beans to boost the protein contact of the cookie. They taste great and make a contribution to the daily protein needs of both vegans and omnivores.

And no, you will not taste the beans. It’s truly amazing how the beans blend right into the other ingredients. Mainly, they offer a smooth texture, extra moisture, and that coveted protein content. Bonus: your cookies will be vegan and gluten free! I also love that beans are inexpensive, so there’s no need to purchase specialty ingredients such as protein powders.

Give these vegan cookie recipes a try:

Chickpea chocolate chip cookies

Vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies

Seriously, you need to try these cookies. For the sake of the protein, people.

There are a few other benefits and tips for success you’ll want to keep in mind as you expand your horizon and experiment with beans in vegan baking.

What’s the best way to eat these vegan cookies?

I really love both of these cookies as a delectable treat on a long run or hike. Anyone can bring a store-bought cookie in their pack. But homemade vegan treats? That’s next level amazing. And you can be that cool person. My most important tip here is to eat the cookies early on your adventure. As I pointed out above, they are fragile once they have warmed up out of the fridge. This means they have a tendency to fall apart. Be sure not to smash them in with other items in your pack. If you can, you’ll probably want to store them in a small hard-sided container.

The other time to eat these cookies is at that party you’re attending. The party where there are people with varying dietary needs. I know those situations can be intimidating, but these protein-packed cookie recipes will solve all your problems.

These cookies are both vegan as long as you choose vegan chocolate chips. They can both be made gluten free. And they’re both dairy- and egg-free without any modifications. Tough problem solved! Plus, you get to impress your friends with your delicious, high-protein snack that contains a secret ingredient. You’ll be famous.

What else should I know?

Both of the cookie recipes I’ve shared in this post freeze very well. The freezer is one of my favorite ways to reduce food waste. Do you want cookies but you’re not going to eat the whole batch before they’re getting old? Throw a bunch in the freezer. Then you can take them out of the freezer only as you need them. I’ll make a batch at the beginning of the summer and pull them out two-by-two each weekend as I go on outdoor adventures. They’re also a fabulous insurance policy for when friends come over to your place unexpectedly. These cookies thaw quickly – pull them out of the freezer and impress your guests once they arrive.

We’ve only explored a tiny bit of what is possible with beans in baking. Beans really are the best way to add protein to a vegan treat. It’s worth getting creative and seeing what else is out there! Brownies, flourless cakes, and more. Don’t be afraid to try an old ingredient in a new way. This is what adventurous people do in the kitchen. Get out there on the Internet and in cookbooks – find some other bean-boosted, protein-filled recipes you’d like to try.

The bottom line on beans in vegan baking

There’s nothing to fear about using beans in vegan baking! These proteinaceous buddies are your friends. They add protein to delicious treats for vegans. They are also commonly used in for gluten- and dairy-free diets.

Your luscious cookies can be made with a low-cost ingredient that adds great moisture to baked goods. And they’re way closer to the healthy end of the spectrum than most of what you’ll find at a store.

Live a little! Eat adventurous cookies and share the news with your crew.