These chocolate protein heart cookies are delicious and versatile shortbread cookies. Besides the taste, the best thing about them is they can be baked or prepared as no-bake cookies. Both versions taste just fantastic. Packed with chocolate and protein, they are just the perfect ~~Valentine’s Day~~ everyday treat.

Why try these chocolate protein heart cookies

Versatile The dough for these cookies is just a dream. It can be baked, which gives the cookies the perfect shortbread texture or they can be prepared as no-bake cookies, tasting like the goddess chocolate protein power balls. Also, if you feel like it feel free to experiment with the shape of your cutter.

One bowl recipe Preparing these cookies, whatever version you’ll go for (I’d recommend trying both versions, simply divide the dough into two parts, or just make the double batch 😉) couldn’t be easier. Add all the ingredients to a large bowl, thoroughly mix them with your hand, and voila, the dough is done.

Gluten-free These cookies are made with wholesome ingredients that are naturally gluten-free. Oat flour makes a base for these cookies, so make sure to use a gluten-free certified if needed.

Packed with protein This recipe calls for a generous 2 scoops (50g) of protein powder. The number of protein per cookie depends on two factors – the thickness of your rolled-out dough and the size of your cookie cutter. My 2×2-inch big cookie hearts contain 3g of protein per a 🤎.

What are these chocolate protein cookies made of

Oat flour or finely blended oats. Use gluten-free certified to make gluten-free cookies.
Whey protein powder Chocolate flavored sweetened. The one I use is sweetened with stevia.
Cocoa powder I like to use unprocessed cocoa powder. It enhances the chocolate flavor and is also rich in antioxidants.
Butter Dare I say it’s a must for the perfect cookies? I have not tried these with the coconut oil, but if preferred feel free to experiment and replace the butter with 1/3 cup of coconut oil.
Honey Gives these cookies the right sweetness and helps with the dough texture. Can be substituted with maple syrup. and use
Dark Chocolate Melted. I make these with 90% dark chocolate to reduce the amount of sugar content. If you want to use milk or semi-sweet chocolate add 1-2 tbsp of oat flour to the dough to get the right consistency of the dough.

TIP If you don't have a chocolate protein powder at hand or just want to use your favorite protein powder in different flavour that goes well with chocolate feel free to do so. What doesn't go with chocolate, right?

How to make these chocolate protein heart cookies and helpful tips

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Start the mixing process with a rubber spatula. To ensure all ingredients are well incorporated it’s best to finish the process using hand(s). Form the dough into a compact disk shape and wrap it in plastic wrap.
Chill the dough for up to 30 minutes.
The dough needs to be refrigerated for up to 30 minutes to get firmer which makes the rolling out easier. But we don’t want it to harden too much. If you let the dough chill for more, you’ll need to let it warm up a bit before it’s ready to be rolled out.

For baked cookies, you can make the dough up front and refrigerate it overnight or for up to 3 days. Let it warm up for about 1 hour or until it’s soft enough to be rolled out.
Roll out the dough and cut the cookies.
Put the dough on the counter and roll it out to about 1/4-1/3 inch thickness. Cut out cookies in desired shape(s). The heart-shaped cookie cutter I used is about 2×2 inches big providing about 22 cookies.
For baked cookies: Bake for about 8 minutes.
If you desire baked cookies with a shortbread-like texture, bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes at 180°C/350°F. If your cookie cutter is much bigger (than 2×2 inches), you might need to bake for about a minute longer. Make sure you don’t overbake. Let cool to get firmer before consuming.
For NO-bake cookies: Store them in the refrigerator.
If you go for the no-bake version of these protein cookies, you are done after the third step. It’s best to store them in the refrigerator. It helps them remain fresh for up to 3 days.

TIP For no-bake cookies
If you want to make these cookies faster and don't mind a different shape, you can absolutely just roll the dough into separate small balls and you are done - just made the chocolate protein cookie dough bites.