The first thing I love about this cookie is that it is giant! How can you go wrong with a recipe that has  “giant” and “chocolate” in the name? Secondly, I love that it is single serving. Yes, that’s right—it’s giant and it is single serving! So when I bake this protein cookie, I get to indulge in the entire thing myself.

Want to know what makes it even better? You’re probably thinking, “How could this get any better than it already is?” Well, let me tell you, it can! This recipe is gluten-free, contains only naturally occurring sugar and has 25 grams of protein, which means you can eat this entire cookie yourself, 100% guilt-free!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

This recipe calls for sunflower seed butter, but that can be easily swapped for almond, peanut, cashew or any other kind of nut or seed butter you happen to have on hand. The measurement will remain the same. The recipe also calls for unsweetened applesauce, but you can easily use pumpkin puree interchangeably. And if you want your cookie to be grain-free, you can substitute the oat flour with extra flaxseed meal—just add a total of 2½ tablespoons of flaxseed meal to the mix.

I also use cacao powder versus cocoa powder for this recipe. I personally prefer cacao powder, as it is much less processed and provides greater health benefits than cocoa powder. It’s extremely high in iron, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants. Plus, it’s a natural metabolism and mood booster! You can shop my favorite cacao powder here.

To make this more of a superfood cookie, you could sub chocolate chips with cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are just like chocolate chips but they are chocolate in its raw form and do not contain any extra ingredients. They are also an excellent source of fat and a great way to get your chocolate fix without raising your blood sugar. You can shop my favorite cacao nibs here.

Ingredients:

 1 scoop chocolate AfterBurn

 2 tbsp. oat flour

 1 tbsp. cacao powder

 ½ tbsp. flaxseed meal

 ¼ tsp. baking soda

 ⅛ tsp. salt

 3 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

 2 tbsp. plant-based milk

 1 tbsp. sunflower seed butter

 Stevia to taste

 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

 1 tbsp. 100% unsweetened dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine Afterburn, oat flour, cacao powder, flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt. Stir until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, plant-based milk, sunflower seed butter, stevia and vanilla extract. Stir until completely mixed.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until a dough-like consistency is formed. Add more milk if needed. Fold in chocolate chips.

Using your hands, form a ball with the dough and place on the baking sheet. Press ball into a cookie shape, about ½ inch thick. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, more or less depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer your cookie.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Enjoy the entire cookie, guilt-free!

Nutrition Facts: 

Serves 1

Calories: 404

Carbs: 30g

Fat: 20g

Protein: 31g

1. Oatmeal is perfect for meal prepping for the week.

I love to bake this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal recipe on Sundays to ensure I have either a healthy breakfast to grab when I am on-the-go or for when I need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack. I love how absolutely simple it is to meal prep. Just stir all the ingredients together, transfer to a baking dish and bake! 

2. It’s kid-friendly!

My kids absolutely love this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal recipe and are always asking for more. If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be to get your kids to eat foods that are actually healthy—and this recipe makes it so simple!

*Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a commission. Keep in mind I linked these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission we receive from your purchases. Whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you!

3. I love all things maple!

As much as I love eating a plate of pancakes drenched in maple syrup, I know it’s a complete sugar bomb and should only be something I treat myself to from time to time. This Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal gives me that same delicious maple flavor without all the processed sugar by using maple extract and stevia drops instead.

4. It’s filled with protein.

It’s important to include protein into your breakfast, but for me it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Between the Afterburn and Greek yogurt, one slice of this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal gives me 13 grams of clean protein.

5. It’s gluten-free and contains zero added sugars!

I feel so much better when I remove both gluten and sugar from my diet. I not only feel more energized, but I notice my complexion to be more clear and I feel less bloated. Sometimes it can be hard to find a quick breakfast on the go, that is gluten-free, sugar-free and high-protein. Thankfully, this Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal is all three! 

This Baked Maple Protein Oatmeal is…

High-protein

Sugar-free

Gluten-free

High in fiber

Warm

Comforting

Filling

Easy to make

Perfect for meal prepping

Ingredients:

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 scoops Afterburn protein

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 cups plant-based milk

2 whole eggs

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. maple extract

2 bananas

Topping:

1 cup Greek yogurt

2 tsp. maple extract

2 tsp. Cinnamon

Stevia

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly combine eggs, plant-based milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and 2 tsp. maple extract in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine oats, Vanilla AfterBurn, baking powder and salt, then stir.

Transfer dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir again until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9” x 13” glass baking dish. Cut bananas into thin slices and spread evenly on top of mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

For the topping, combine Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. maple extract, cinnamon and stevia in a small bowl. Stir until evenly mixed. Once the baked maple oatmeal is fully cooked, remove from oven and allow to cool. Top each serving with 1 to 2 spoonfuls of Greek yogurt topping.

Nutrition Facts: 

12 Slices

Serving size: 1 slice with ¼ cup Greek yogurt topping

Yields 12 slices

Calories: 210

Carbs: 22g

Fat: 8g

Protein: 13g

Regular pancakes heighten my cravings for more carbohydrates 

But to be 100% honest, as much as I love them, they fail to keep me full and satisfied. Generally after eating a plate of pancakes, I am hungry again an hour later, and I crave more carbs than usual throughout my day. I finally realized that consuming carbohydrates—especially processed carbohydrates like pancake mixes from a box—without any protein or fat will drastically spike my blood sugar levels, which heightens my cravings for more carbohydrates.

But I wasn’t going to give up my Saturday morning pancakes that easily, and that’s why I came up with these extremely satisfying Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes. Made from complex carbohydrates and whole-food ingredients, and packed with 40 grams of protein per serving, these protein pancakes set me up perfectly for a successful day of eating.

Swap out the maple syrup for this…

To include a healthy fat into the mix and ditch the sugar-packed syrup, I love to combine one teaspoon of maple extract with one tablespoon of melted coconut oil, ghee, cashew butter or almond butter and drizzle over my Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes.

This recipe has transformed my comforting, but highly-processed, pancakes into a nutritious, balanced meal without compromising the taste!

Perfect Post-Workout Pancakes

I also love diving into these Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes post-workout. With the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein, there is no better way to replenish my body and fuel my muscles for growth than with these pancakes. Whip up a batch and let me know what you think!

These Protein-Packed Afterburn Pancakes are…

High-protein

Gluten-free

Easily made vegan and dairy-free

Simple

Healthy

Fluffy

Filling

Delicious

Indulgent-tasting (without actually indulging!)

Ingredients:

½ cup oat flour

 ½ cup pumpkin puree

2 egg whites

1 scoop Vanilla Afterburn

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Heat a non-stick or oiled griddle over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using about ¼ cup for each pancake or make one giant pancake. Brown on both sides.

Nutrition Facts: 

Single serving

Calories: 371

Carbs: 39g

Fat: 6g

Protein: 40g

They are gluten-free, grain-free, processed sugar free, and easily made vegan by swapping out the egg for a flax egg. Plus, they are filled with extremely healthy fats that stabilize your blood sugar and hunger hormones, preventing you from feeling the need to overindulge. The Vanilla Afterburn whipped frosting is not only protein-packed, but also is gluten-free, vegan and contains zero processed sugar.

Bake a batch of these and get your sugar cookie fix this holiday season, without working against your goals!

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• – 2½ cups almond flour
• – ¼ cup honey
• – 1 egg
• – 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• – ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• – ½ teaspoon baking soda
• – ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Frosting:

• – 3 scoops Vanilla Afterburn
• – ¼ cup honey
• – 3 tbsp. melted coconut oil
• – 1 cup unsweetened nut milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a food processor, or with a hand mixer, and mix until a smooth ball of dough forms, about 30 seconds. Using a spoon or your hands, form small balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. 

While cookies are baking, add Vanilla Afterburn, honey and melted coconut oil into a mixing bowl. Add in half the nut milk and beat with a hand mixer. Slowly add in more nut milk until a frosting-like consistency is reached. Continue to beat for 5 minutes or until all lumps are removed and a whipped frosting texture is formed. Spread on your cookies and enjoy!