protein desserts

One of my favorite cheat desserts of all time is a triple chocolate pizookie from the originators themselves, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.

A giant cookie….

piping hot out of the oven….

served like a pizza….

with ice cream on top?!

That was a F%$#%^’n genius idea!!

I hope whoever thought of that is enjoying the fruits of his/her labors out on the beach somewhere on a tropical island, chillaxin’ on a hammock, swaying in the wind.

I love pizookies so much, I wanted to add a third one to the blog to go along with the other two already on here—-my Rocky Road Protein Pizookie, and my Dark Chocolate Raspberry Apple Protein Pizookie.

This new one combines two popular cookie flavors, and merges it into one ultra delicious combination…

one I’m sure you will devour like the cookie monster once your feast your eyes on it.

And since (just like my other recipes), this uses real, natural ingredients, is protein-packed….

and uses NO refined flours, NO granulated sugars, NO butter—–

then why the heck not?!!

So…. without further adieu….

Enter….my Dark Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Protein Pizookie!!

A warm, gooey, fresh out of the oven giant skillet cookie….

fully loaded with dark chocolate chips, cinnamon, peanut butter, banana, amaretto….

topped with even more cinnamon and dark chocolate chips….

and finished off with a luscious 72% cacao dark chocolate drizzle….

YOW-ZA!!

Welcome to protein dessert heaven!!

This is one of my favorite desserts on the blog!   It’s not only ultra delicious, but it’s loaded with protein, antioxidants, and fiber!

Now, I try to make it a point to NEVER use refined flours,  NO granulated/cane sugars, NO butter in my recipe batters—and instead use “healthier,” more natural substitutes.

So here’s how this protein pizookie differs from a regular pizookie….

1) Almond flour replaces all-purpose flour.  Almond flour is loaded with fiber, nutrients, protein—-something all purpose flourdoes NOT provide.  Almond flour is also WAAAY lower in carbs— 1/4 cup of your average almond flour contains 5g carbs, 3g fiber, while 1/4 cup all purpose flour contains about 22g carbs, and less than 1g of fiber.  

2) Monk fruit sweetener replaces granulated white sugar.  I use this in the batter, and mix it with cinnamon for the “cinnamon sugar” topping that snickerdoodles are famous for.

This sweetener is the juice collected from the monk fruit, and it is similar in appearance to regular table sugar.  The main difference—it’s about 200 times sweeter than sugar, but with zero calories, and zero carbs.  You can sub it in at a 1:1 ratio for regular sugar.

I personally love this stuff!  This is such a great substitute for any granulated sugars in any recipe.

I use it in most of my “sweet” recipes ever since I found out about it.  More detailed information about monk fruit can be found here.

3) NO butter used!  For decades, butter has been known to be detrimental to your overall health because of its high saturated fat and calorie content.  It seems to be making a comeback of late, as current research may suggest otherwise (Dr. Axe has a great article on the benefits of grass-fed butter, check it out here), but there’s no denying that its high fat content may not be that good for you.

So instead of butter, I added peanut butter into the batter.   The “healthy” fats and oils from the peanut butter gives the pizookie added moisture and chewiness.  You don’t really taste the added peanut butter, but it’s a fantastic substitution for butter, and you get some added nutrition to boot.

4) Boosted with whey protein powder.  Typical pizookies consist mostly of sugar, butter, flour, and no protein powder.  But this pizookie, believe it or not, contains more protein powder than actual flour, and what’s even more amazing—-it’s just as rich, just as moist, and just as, if not, more flavorful than a regular pizookie!

OK, here are the nutritional benefits of the main ingredients in this Dark Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Protein Pizookie…

Dark chocolate has been shown to contain high amounts of antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids—all of which are believed to help fight cancer, fight free radical damage, and fight disease.   Certain research has shown dark chocolate to maybe help improve brain function, boost memory, and enhance focus.  Studies have found flavonols in dark chocolate may help improve blood circulation to the heart and may help lower blood pressure.

Cinnamon is considered the most antioxidant-rich spice available in the world.  These antioxidants are believed to maybe help fight cancer, fight off disease, slow the aging process, and protect our DNA from cell damage.  Cinnamon has also been shown that it may help fight off infection and sickness.  It also may help fight bad breath.

Peanut butter, which is basically grounded up peanuts, contain about 8 grams of protein per ounce, this is more than all other nuts.  Peanuts contain bioactives like flavonols and phenolic acids, that provide numerous health benefits.  Studies have shown that resveratrol (found on the peanut skins), a bioactive found in only a few foods, may help lower risks of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. 

Bananas are packed with potassium, a very important nutrient which has been shown to help support the body’s circulatory system, help move oxygen throughout our cells, and helps to lower high blood pressure.  Bananas are high in fiber, which helps to keep our digestive system running smoothly and helps to remove toxins.  

And here’s what you’ll need…

Some quick notes before you get started…

-You can sub in 1/2 cup applesauce in place of the large banana.

–Don’t overmix the batter!  This will give you a dry, tough pizookie!  Just mix the dry into the wet ingredients until everything becomes incorporated, then fold in the dark chocolate chips.

-All ovens are different, but generally, check the pizookie at about the 17 minute mark.  Shake the skillet around and see if the batter jiggles.  If there is still a bit of a jiggle, and slightly wet in the center, give it just a bit more time—let it bake for about 1 more minute, and check it again.  You may need to do this multiple times.  The sweet spot is to remove it from the oven just before it is actually done, with a gooey center.   Use a toothpick down the center, if you’re still not sure.

-The toothpick test: Insert a toothpick down the center of the batter—For a gooey pizookie, the toothpick should come out with slightly to no wet batter, but some crumbs would be OK.  If the toothpick comes out very clean, you’ve overbaked the pizookie and it’ll be too dry!  After a couple of tries, you’ll get the feel for it, and you’ll know exactly when.

–Better to slightly under-bake, than to over-bake!  Remember, the pizookie will still continue to bake in that smoking hot skillet even when taken out of the oven.

-After taking them out of the oven, let the pizookie rest for about 5 minutes before digging in!  It’ll be very tempting to gobble them up at this point, but this time will let them bake a bit more—–aww, what the hell, just dig right in!  It’s best fresh out of the oven!

-If you need to save some for later, put the leftovers into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.  Best if eaten within 3 days.  Enjoy!

If you love this recipe, then you should check out my other ones just like it!!…

• Peanut Butter Amaretto Protein Snickerdoodles
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry Apple Protein Pizookie
• Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars

Alright then, let’s get to it!!

Print Recipe

Dark Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodle Protein Pizookie

A warm, gooey, freshly-baked dark chocolate chip snickerdoodle protein pizookie...loaded with cinnamon, bananas, amaretto, peanut butter...a 72% cacao dark chocolate drizzle---NO refined flours, NO granulated sugars, NO butter----it's the ULTIMATE protein dessert!!

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

18-25 minutes

Servings

slices

Ingredients

cookie batter:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 1/3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 banana (med-large)
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

garnish:

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
• dark chocolate chips
• 2 squares dark chocolate bar (70% cacao or hgher)

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 18-25 minutes Servings slices Ingredients cookie batter: 1 cup almond flour 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder 2 tsp cinnamon 3 1/3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 banana (med-large) 1 whole egg 2 tsp almond extract 1/4 cup peanut butter 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips garnish: 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener dark chocolate chips 2 squares dark chocolate bar (70% cacao or hgher)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Add dry ingredients (powders) to bowl. Mix well. In separate larger bowl, mash banana with a fork. Add rest of wet ingredients into bowl. Mix well. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients bowl, mixing thoroughly. Fold in dark chocolate chips.
3. Grease an 8" cast iron skillet with olive oil. Pour batter onto skillet. Add more chocolate chips on top if desired.
4. Bake in oven for about 18-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out with slightly to no wet batter.
5. Remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix cinnamon, monk fruit sweetener together. Sprinkle the mix over top of pizookie.
6. Melt dark chocolate squares in microwave, using 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted.
7. Add dark chocolate chips, drizzle melted dark chocolate on top of pizookie. Serve immediately right from the skillet!

Recipe Notes

-You can sub in 1/2 cup applesauce in place of the large banana.

–Don’t overmix the batter!  This will give you a dry, tough pizookie!  Just mix the dry into the wet ingredients until everything becomes incorporated, then fold in the dark chocolate chips.

-All ovens are different, but generally, check the pizookie at about the 17 minute mark.  Shake the skillet around and see if the batter jiggles.  If there is still a bit of a jiggle, and slightly wet in the center, give it just a bit more time—let it bake for about 1 more minute, and check it again.  You may need to do this multiple times.  The sweet spot is to remove it from the oven just before it is actually done, with a gooey center.   Use a toothpick down the center, if you’re still not sure.

-The toothpick test: Insert a toothpick down the center of the batter—For a gooey pizookie, the toothpick should come out with slightly to no wet batter, but some crumbs would be OK.  If the toothpick comes out very clean, you’ve overbaked the pizookie and it’ll be too dry!  After a couple of tries, you’ll get the feel for it, and you’ll know exactly when.

–Better to slightly under-bake, than to over-bake!  Remember, the pizookie will still continue to bake in that smoking hot skillet even when taken out of the oven.

-After taking them out of the oven, let the pizookie rest for about 5 minutes before digging in!  It’ll be very tempting to gobble them up at this point, but this time will let them bake a bit more—–aww, what the hell, just dig right in!  It’s best fresh out of the oven!

Did you try this recipe?  How did it work out for you?  Any questions about my method?  I would love to hear from you!  Sound off in the comments section below or use the social media links above or throughout the blog.  Thanks guys!!

 

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