I can’t think of many things better than walking into an ice cream shop and getting hit with the smell of fresh waffle cone. That has to be one of my favorite smells in the entire world.
These protein cookies capture that exact experience, transforming those nostalgic ice cream shop flavors into a protein-packed treat.
Regular salted caramel cookies are delicious, but I wanted to take it to the next level. PEScience released a seasonal caramel waffle cone protein powder, so rather than stick with plain caramel, we’re leaning into the waffle cone flavors as well.
Each salted caramel waffle cone cookie contains just 150 calories and packs in 7 grams of protein! And when you bite into one of these cookies, you get actual pieces of crispy waffle cone and pockets of gooey caramel throughout
You can enjoy one (or two) of these protein cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth and help hit your protein goals. If you’re a fan of ice cream cones and also a fan of high-protein treats, then these caramel waffle cone cookies are exactly what you need.
How to Make Caramel Waffle Cone Cookies
These cookies come together thanks to a unique protein powder flavor to really kick up the caramel flavor. We’re using PEScience’s new seasonal Caramel Waffle Cone protein powder as our base, then amplifying that flavor with actual caramel chips and finishing it off with a caramel drizzle.
The crispy waffle cone pieces are what really sets these cookies apart. By crushing up an actual waffle cone and folding it into our dough, we get that authentic ice cream shop crunch in every bite.
When combined with the caramel bits, it creates a cookie that tastes like it came straight from an ice cream parlor’s kitchen.
This is one recipe where real butter is non-negotiable. I typically love finding ways to cut calories in my recipes, but after testing these with light butter (containing half the calories), I can confidently say that regular butter makes these cookies about 100 times better. The richness it adds works perfectly with the caramel flavors.
When you’re mixing up your dough, you’ll notice it’s a bit softer than traditional cookie dough. Don’t worry – this is exactly what we want!
The hour-long chill time is crucial here, allowing the butter to firm up and the waffle cone pieces to soften slightly into the dough. Once the dough has chilled, the dough will be much firmer.
Serving Tips
These cookies are delicious right out of the oven, but two elements will help to take them over the top:
- Coarse Sea Salt
- Caramel Sauce
Caramel is great on its own, but salted caramel will always get my vote. Sprinkle a little sea salt on these cookies when they’re done to really enhance the flavor.
Before serving, I also like to give these a drizzle of caramel sauce as well.
I’ll be honest: in this photo I used regular caramel sauce because it made for a much better aesthetic. If you’re worried about the extra sugar or calories, just note that a little drizzle is going to add negligible calories to each cookie.
But if you do want to stick with a lower-calorie or higher-protein alternative, you can always whip up a batch of my protein caramel sauce to drizzle on top!
Back to the cookies: they actually get better after a day in an airtight container. I find that the flavors develop even more as the cookies sit, and the interior of the cookie firms up while still remaining fresh.
These will keep for a few days at room temperature, but you can store them for longer in the fridge, which makes them firmer and chewier – almost like a different dessert entirely. Both ways are delicious, so it’s really just personal preference.
More Nostalgic Protein Treats
If you love desserts that remind you of childhood favorites, you’ve got to try my No-Bake Cosmic Brownies, Protein-Packed Dunkaroo Dip, Protein Oreos, or Protein Oatmeal Cream Pies. Each one captures those classic flavors while adding a little protein boost.
Give these caramel waffle cone cookies, or any other high-protein nostalgic treats listed above, and let me know what you think!
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl (protein powder, oat flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda).
- Melt the butter in the microwave and mix it into the dry ingredients along with the syrup until it comes together to form cookie dough.
- Fold the caramel chips and crushed waffle cone into the dough, then refrigerate for one hour to allow the butter to set and the flavors to develop.
- Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Break the cookie dough into 6 pieces (this same recipe will also work for 4 larger cookies or 8 smaller cookies), roll them into balls, and place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to fully cool for about 15-20 minutes.
- Once ready to serve, top with a drizzle of caramel and sea salt and enjoy!
Notes
- PEScience has a limited edition caramel waffle cone protein powder for this recipe, and the caramel flavor makes for a delicious salted caramel cookie. If that protein powder flavor is unavailable to you, you can substitute it for vanilla or snickerdoodle flavor, but the cookies will end up sloightly different.
- The protein powder (PEScience) is a whey/casein blend, so another type of protein powder may not produce the same results.
- Using regular butter (not light butter) is critical for this one. Light/spreadable butter will work if it’s all you have, but if you want authentic cookie texture, stick with regular full-fat butter.
- I used a zero-calorie brown sugar substitute in this recipe, so I do not count that in my carb totals below. If you are very strict about carbs, or you use regular brown sugar, you’ll want to make those adjustments when tracking the macros for these cookies.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6
Serving Size 1 Cookie
Amount Per Serving
Calories 150Total Fat 9gCarbohydrates 9gProtein 7g
