Soft & Gooey Protein Blondies (With 10g Protein)

If you’re a fan of soft, chewy blondies but also trying to up your protein intake, these protein blondies are about to become your new favorite dessert.

Imagine biting into a thick, gooey blondie that melts in your mouth and is studded with rich chocolate chips. Now, imagine that same blondie packing 10 grams of protein with only 145 calories.

It sounds too good to be true, but these protein blondies are the real deal. Let them be proof that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or texture to enjoy a protein-packed treat that fits your macros.

On my quest to create the perfect protein cookie recipe, I recently struck gold with my protein cookie skillet. It’s like a giant, gooey chocolate chip cookie cake loaded with protein – what’s not to love?

I knew I had to remix that recipe into high-protein blondies, and let me tell you, the result is simply irresistible.

 

Ingredients needed for protein blondies

The key to these protein blondies is using a combination of whey/casein protein powder, oat flour, and almond flour. This trio of ingredients creates the perfect soft and chewy texture that you want in a blondie.

I like to use a peanut butter-flavored protein powder to really drive home the peanut butter flavor, but you could easily swap it out for vanilla if you prefer a more neutral blondie base. Just make sure you’re using a blend of whey and casein for the best texture – using all whey can result in a drier, more crumbly blondie. As is the case with all my recipes, I stick with PEScience protein powder.

Oat flour is my secret weapon in most of my protein cookie recipes. It lends a soft texture and slightly sweeter flavor that you just can’t get with all-purpose flour. And almond flour adds a subtle nuttiness and helps keep the blondies moist. For anyone with nut allergies, you can just use more oat flour in place of almond flour, but the end result may not be as soft.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a blondie without brown sugar. It’s what gives these protein blondies that classic rich, caramel-y flavor. I like to use a brown sugar substitute to keep the calories in check, but regular brown sugar works just as well.

To keep these blondies extra moist and gooey, I added some unsweetened applesauce to the batter as well. It’s a great way to add moisture without adding a ton of extra calories or fat with butter or eggs.

And let’s not forget the mix-ins. I went with classic chocolate chips, but you could easily swap them out for white chocolate, peanut butter chips, or even chopped nuts. The world is your oyster!

How to make protein blondies

Making these protein blondies is a breeze. You don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients – just a couple of bowls and a spoon or spatula.

Start by mixing together your wet ingredients in a large bowl – that’s your peanut butter, light butter (I used Country Crock Original), and unsweetened applesauce. The mixture doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, but you’ll want to mix everything together until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients – protein powder, oat flour, almond flour, brown sugar substitute, baking soda, and salt.

Add your dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix everything together until you have a thick, albeit slightly sticky, cookie dough.

Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips (or whatever mix-ins you’re using).

Spread the batter into a prepared 8×8 baking dish. You can line the pan with parchment paper to make it easy to lift the blondies out later (like with my protein brownie recipe), but cooking spray works just as well here.

The key to getting those perfect gooey blondies is to underbake them just slightly. I found that 12-15 minutes at 325°F is the sweet spot, but keep an eye on them. You want the edges to be lightly golden and the center to look a bit underdone.

Let your blondies cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing. I know it’s torture to wait, but trust me, it’s necessary. They’ll continue to set up as they cool, giving you that perfect dense, chewy texture. The blondies may look too cakey when they first come out of the oven, but you’ll see the center sink as it sets.

Once they’re cool, slice them into 16 squares and dive in!

If you want larger blondies, you can opt for fewer slices, but 16 total protein blondies worked great for these.

For reference, if you decide to slice these into 12 total blondies, each one will contain 190 calories and 13 grams of protein, which is still very impressive for decadent blondies!

Tips for the best protein blondies:

• Use a blend of whey and casein protein powder for the best texture. If you only have whey, you can try using a bit less than the recipe calls for to avoid dryness.
• Don’t overbake your blondies! Err on the side of underbaking for the gooiest texture. Remember, the ingredients are all safe to eat raw, so a little underdone is okay.
• Let your blondies cool completely before slicing for the cleanest cuts. If you can’t resist digging in while they’re warm, just know they’ll be a bit messier and gooey inside (but just as delicious).
• Store your blondies in an airtight container, preferably in the fridge. These will remain fresh at room temperature, but the texture is more “authentic” when stored in the fridge due to some extra firmness. When stored at room temperature, the exterior tends to soften.

 

More protein-packed cookie recipes to enjoy

If you’re loving these protein blondies, be sure to check out some of my other favorite high-protein cookie recipes:

But these are just the tip of the protein cookie iceberg- check out all of my protein cookie recipes here.

 

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