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About This Recipe
Imagine this: a chilled Reese’s peanut butter cup, but instead of peanut butter inside, you find chilled, sugary cookie dough! That’s exactly what these healthy chocolate cookie dough cups are and they are OUT OF THIS WORLD!
These no bake cookie dough cups feature a frozen shell of rich dark chocolate stuffed with the best lightened up protein cookie dough. They’re truly amazing and do not taste lightened up for a second!
These cookie dough cups are one of my favorite treats to keep stashed in the freezer. They’re like candy but better. The oats, peanut butter and protein powder provide more substance to not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but also your belly, leaving you fuller longer and without the sugar crash.
I love having a couple of these with a glass of milk at night or 1-2 one after lunch for the perfect after-lunch sweet treat!
If you love these cookie dough cups, you might also like these chocolate covered cookie dough squares, monster protein cookie dough bars or chocolate chip cookie dough bites!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Cookie Dough Cups
- Chocolate covered cookie dough? Yes it’s just as good as it sounds!
- Made with easy staple ingredients you most likely already have.
- No-bake recipe. Perfect for when you don’t want to cut the oven on.
- Protein packed! 6g of protein per cup!
- So easy to make and such a convenient, healthy treat to have on hand!
- They’re freezer friendly! And one of my favorite freezer stash snacks!!
- Chocolate chips – I used dark chocolate chips since they’re more bitter and richer, making them a great contrast with the sweet cookie dough. But semi-sweet works good too. Milk chocolate may be a little sweet but if you like super sweet things, go on!
- Quick oats – quick oats give this cookie dough texture and make it more chewy. I wouldn’t recommend steel cut or old fashioned oats because they wouldn’t have quite the same texture effect. If you have old-fashioned oats you can pulse them in a food processor or blender a few times to get them like finer like quick oats.
- Protein powder – I used PEScience vanilla (code Laurenfitfoodie to save!) I typically stick to vanilla because it’s neutral and doesn’t overpower the rest of the cookie dough, but a peanut butter flavor could be yummy too. Different protein powders have different absorbent properties, so if your cookie dough seems too dry just add some milk a teaspoon at a time until you get to cookie dough consistency.
- Flour – I love using oat flour for this recipe because it makes a delicious flavored cookie dough! All-purpose flour works too but it is recommended to heat treat all-purpose flour if consuming raw (see notes below on heat treating all-purpose flour). I haven’t tested with almond flour but I’m confident that would work too. I wouldn’t recommend using coconut flour.
- Peanut butter – Peanut butter helps the texture of this cookie dough and I love the flavor it brings! But cashew butter, almond butter or any nut butter also work. Use sunflower butter to make this recipe nut free.
- Brown sugar – I used Truvia but regular brown sugar works too!
- Butter – I used light butter to bring the fat down a little bit but regular butter works even better if you want to use that. Use dairy-free butte if needed.
- Milk – we’ll just be using a tiny bit, like 1-2 tsp, to help this dough get to cookie dough consistency! But if you don’t have any you can easily replace with unsweetened applesauce or water!
- Vanilla – to make the cookie dough flavorful!!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
To a medium bowl, add the oats, protein powder, oat flour, peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and milk.
2. Mix together until well combined and cookie dough consistency. It takes a while for all the dry ingredients to mix in, but if you find it’s still too dry, add a little milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until desired consistency. Place in the freezer until ready to use.
3. Prepare a double boiler (add water to a saucepan and place a glass bowl in it). Bring water to a light boil then add chocolate chips to the glass bowl.
4. Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds until melted.
5. Meanwhile, gather 10 muffin cup liners and set on a mini muffin pan. Add 1 tsp of melted chocolate to the bottom of each liner. Lay a dish towel on the counter underneath the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to spread the chocolate across the bottom.
6. Roll 1.5 tablespoon of cookie dough into a thick oval disk and place on top of the chocolate base.
7. Then add the remaining chocolate on top, about 2 tsp per cup. Spread around with the back of your spoon or tap the pan on the counter again to get the chocolate to spread out evenly across the top and down the sides.
8. Sprinkle with flake salt (if desired) then freeze for at least 30 minutes. Keep stored in the freezer.
Are these cookie dough cups gluten-free?
Yes, as long as you use certified gluten-free oat flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour, these cookie dough cups are naturally gluten-free.
Can I make these cookie dough cups vegan?
Sure! Just use dairy-free butter and chocolate chips. You can use vegan protein powder or omit the protein powder completely. Add a little extra oat flour if needed to balance the wet and dry ingredients.
What if I don’t have silicone muffin cups?
I like using these individual silicone muffin cups because I think they’re easier to work with but you can also line a mini muffin pan. If using a regular size muffin pan, double the amount of chocolate and cookie dough added to each cup.
Can I omit the protein powder?
You can, you may just need to add extra flour since not adding the protein powder would alter the wet/dry ratio of the cookie dough. Anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup extra flour should work. Start with an extra 1/4 cup and gradually add until you get to cookie dough consistency.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Healthy Chocolate Cookie Dough Cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quick oats (40g)
- 1/3 cup vanilla protein powder (40g)
- 1/4 cup oat flour (28g) see notes
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (56g)
- 3 Tbsp light butter spread (42g) or softened regular butter
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar (or substitute)* (24g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp milk more as needed (dependent on your protein powder)
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (180g)
- Flake sat optional for garnishing
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Instructions
- In a medium bowl combine the oats, protein powder, oat flour, peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and milk. It takes a while for all the dry ingredients to mix in, but if you find it's still too dry, add a little milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until desired consistency. Place in the freezer until ready to use.
- Prepare a double boiler (add water to a saucepan and place a glass bowl in it). Bring water to a light boil then add chocolate chips to the glass bowl. This is the easiest way to melt the chocolate without burning it but you can also microwave in 30 second increments at 50% power if you prefer. Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds until melted.
- Meanwhile, gather 10 silicone muffin cups and set on a flat sheet pan you can place in the freezer. You can also use a muffin pan or mini muffin pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate to the bottom of each cup. Lay a dish towel on the counter underneath the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to spread the chocolate across the bottom.
- Roll 1.5 tablespoon of cookie dough into a thick oval disk and place on top of the chocolate base.
- Then add the remaining chocolate on top, about 2 teaspoons per cup. Spread around with the back of your spoon or tap the pan on the counter again to get the chocolate to spread out evenly across the top and down the sides.
- Sprinkle with flake salt (if desired) then freeze for at least 30 minutes. Keep stored in the freezer.
Notes
To defrost: let sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. To make vegan: use a vegan protein powder and dairy-free butter. Also make sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free. *Nutrition calculated using Truvia.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
