This fun low carb recipe is going to ROCK YOUR SOCKS!
It started out as a mini chunky chocolate chip cookie meal prep experiment in my kitchen, but I just kept going with it… and ended up with the most AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS no-bake chunky chocolate chip cookie dough bites. 😍
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Atkins. The opinions and text and this AMAZING recipe creation are all mine.
The cookie dough bites were PERFECT as-is, then I covered them in a sugar free chocolate coating and sprinkled them with just the tiniest bit of super fine sea salt and WOWSA – chocolate covered chunky cookie dough!
They’re VERY low carb and such a great treat. 😉
No-Bake Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bites
The macros are spot on!
They are 2.3 net carbs each, 12 grams of fat and 7.4 grams of protein with a ratio of 75% fat and 19% protein.
And honestly, you could make them half the size I did. They are 2-3 good bites and oh-so-satisfying!
Those macros are without the chocolate on the outside.
I used zero net carb chocolate chips melted down with MCT oil for my chocolate coating, but the chocolate does add even more fat content – and deliciousness. 🙂
But to be honest, I love the chunky chocolate chip cookie dough bites straight up, without the chocolate, too!
Adding the chocolate and fine sea salt to the outside just made them addictively good! But it’s totally optional…
The chocolate is definitely messier on the hands, and means you have to store them in the freezer. Where the chocolate chip cookie dough bites can be stored in the refrigerator for a quick grab & go protein snack.
Why This Recipe?
You probably already know I rarely cook, and recipes are NOT my specialty. 😅
That said, there are two reasons I came up with this super easy creative recipe…
First, because I’m on a protein kick lately.
And second because I found myself with a stash of Atkins products, including the Atkins Vanilla Protein Powder.
That was my fault because back in the Spring when I reviewed and tested two Atkins Bars, I mentioned I’d love to try their Protein Wafer Crisps.
They offered to send me some to try. (Thank you, Atkins!) I accidentally selected the protein powder (too) though. They also sent my favorite Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars. 🙂
I love the bars for a convenient snack or meal replacement, but I wasn’t really sure what to do with protein powder since I rarely drink shakes anymore, so… this fun recipe was born! 👩🍳
No-Bake Chunky Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Recipe
I’ll give you the ingredients & instructions first, then walk you through the process in a photo tour so you can see how easy these are to make.
It literally only takes about 10 minutes to whip this up!
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter or almond butter
* 1/4 cup coconut oil
* 4 ounces of cream cheese
* 1 cup Atkins Vanilla Protein Powder
* 1/2 cup almond flour
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars, chopped up
* 2 ounces (56 grams) of sugar free chocolate chips
* Optional chocolate coating: mix MCT oil or coconut oil 1:2 with sugar free chocolate. I used one TBSP of MCT oil with two TBSP’s of sugar free chocolate chips, microwaving them 10 seconds and stirring until it was a smooth creamy chocolate sauce.
Ingredient Notes:
I used Philadelphia 5 Simple Ingredients cream cheese, which is half a carb per ounce, much lower in carbs than many other brands.
I did not personally add any sweetener, but you could sweeten to taste with your favorite sugar-free sweetener. The vanilla protein powder, Atkins bars and chocolate chips gave this a nice rich sweet flavor that suited me as-is!
This recipe makes 21 bites/servings using two TBSP of dough per bite. You can create twice as many rolling them into smaller one TBSP bites instead if you prefer.
* Note: your macros may vary depending on the brands you use and the number of servings you make, so be sure to add your ingredients in the Free MyFitnessPal Recipe Calculator or in the Atkins Carb Counter so you can log your portions accurately.
Instructions:
Measure the peanut butter, coconut oil and cream cheese in a mixing bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir those three ingredients together until it’s a well-mixed creamy mixture. (Microwave for another 10-15 seconds if necessary to get it smooth.)
Add in the protein powder, almond flour and vanilla and combine all the ingredients together. Fold in the chopped Atkins bars and sugar free chocolate chips, and stir into an evenly mixed batter.
Use a 2 TBSP measuring cup to dip out each portion and roll into balls. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate for one hour. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Photo Tour Recipe Tips
Chop up your Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars and measure out your sugar free chocolate chips first, and set those to the side.
That way you can easily add them in when it’s time.
When I first added in the chopped Atkins bar and chocolate chips, I wasn’t sure they were going to mix well. It may look like they won’t!
The batter didn’t seem to “stick together” very well to me.
It felt and looked crumbly:
However, it held together just fine when rolled between my hands into perfectly portioned balls.
You can also press it down into a silicone candy mold if you prefer.
I tried both, and they came out perfect!
I made mine in the evening, so I left them in the refrigerator overnight in a sealed glass dish, but you’ll want to refrigerate them at least an hour to let them get firm.
They are such a delicious combination of chunky, creamy, nutty, crunchy sweetness! It satisfies ALL the wants. 🥰
The Optional Chocolate Layer (Highly Recommended!)
The chunky chocolate chip cookie dough bites were SO good as-is, but adding the chocolate coating and just a sprinkle of super fine sea salt turned these from YUM… to WOW! 😍
The only downside as I mentioned earlier is that you have to store them in the freezer, and the chocolate makes them messy on your fingers. 😉
They may do fine in the refrigerator actually, but chocolate made with MCT oil tends to melt quick.
In a small bowl, mix MCT oil or coconut oil with sugar free chocolate. You can also chop a sugar free chocolate bar. I mix this two parts chocolate to one part oil.
For a full batch, start with four TBSP chocolate and 2 TBSP oil. It’s easy enough to make more chocolate sauce if you need it. And you may want to keep some “bare” to enjoy!
Because those are not messy. 😉
After your cookie dough bites have set up firm in the refrigerator, dip them into the liquid chocolate sauce and coat well with a spoon.
Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or in silicone molds.
Put them in the freezer so the chocolate can set up firm.
They come out perfectly delicious! 😋
If you made any other shape, like my flat round version in silicone molds for example, take those out of the mold once they are firm.
Add a teaspoon or a little more of the chocolate sauce to the bottom of the mold, and place the cookie dough bite back into the mold and press down so the chocolate squishes up around the sides.
Spoon a little over the top and spread it out evenly, then pop them in the freezer to set up.
That makes for a perfectly even “chocolate cup” around your cookie dough bites.
If you’re going to add the pinch of super fine sea salt (highly recommended!) you’ll want to wait until the chocolate starts to set up, but isn’t all the way firm yet – so after about 5 minutes or so in the freezer.
That way the salt sticks, but doesn’t get absorbed into the wet chocolate. 😉
I use Redmond Ancient Fine Sea Salt, which pairs amazingly with dark chocolate!
This has to be the MOST fun I’ve had yet working with Atkins products!
I went through lots of different ideas (and recipe fails, lol) trying to figure out the BEST way to use the Atkins Vanilla Protein Powder, but this was definitely the winning combination of textures and flavors. 😉
And there was no baking required. Win!
Adding in the chopped up Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars gave it that perfect “cookie dough” taste and texture, with chewy and crunchy bits throughout.
I like the chocolate and sea salt addition so much that on my next batch, I’ll definitely make them half the size (one TBSP bites instead of two TBSP per bite) and coat them ALL in a salted chocolate. 🥰
They’re worth the little extra messiness on my fingers! lol
It’s nice to grab a shake or a bar for a quick low carb snack or easy meal replacement when you’re in a rush, but sometimes you just want a little something more.
Creating easy recipes with the products you have on hand, or the staples in your pantry, is a fun way to mix things up and keep from getting “food bored.”
I don’t personally snack very often (hardly ever) and don’t eat dessert, so I grabbed a couple of these “protein bites” for breakfast this morning.
They went great with my coffee! ☕️🍪
Just two of those really held me over too, with a full 15 grams of protein and 24 grams of fat.
I love that my low carb lifestyle allows for so many fun indulgences!
It’s a wonderful thing when chocolate covered chunky cookie dough doesn’t spike your blood sugar or knock you out of ketosis. 🙂
Many foods that people might consider healthy actually WILL spike your blood sugar. A banana for example has the same effect as 5 teaspoons of sugar, based on the glycemic load calculation, and a cup of raisins: nine teaspoons of sugar!
This is what Atkins calls the “hidden sugar effect” — when carbohydrates convert to sugar when digested. You don’t see the sugar, but your body does.
That’s why I’d much rather grab a bar, like my favorite Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bar. I’m really loving the Atkins Peanut Butter Protein Wafer Crisps now too!!
But it’s even better when you can whip up something SO decadent in as little as 10-15 minutes, and have them on hand to enjoy anytime you need a good low carb protein snack. 😉
This isn’t the first time I’ve created a recipe out of Atkins shakes and bars. I once baked a cake using both!
See: Low Carb Cinnamon Crunch Coffee Cake Recipe. 💕
It’s fun to get creative with things in your pantry, and come up with fun new low carb recipes to enjoy!
* * * * *
In my recent post about Atkins vs Keto I explained how they are similar in so many ways. I stay in nutritional ketosis for health reasons, so I test all products with my ketone/glucose meter – and Atkins bars don’t spike my blood sugar or affect my ketone levels.
Atkins and Keto are one and the same to me, as I explained in that post, but one of the main differences with Atkins is that they allow more flexibility as you get further into your low carb lifestyle.
They encourage people to incorporate healthy whole foods back into their meals and find their own personal carb tolerance level, which is something I’ve been experimenting with myself lately.
I really enjoy working with them to get out messages like that, which so many of you seemed to enjoy…
And of course to create fun new low carb recipes we can all enjoy. 😉
Let me know if you try this one, and what variations you experiment with!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
These look absolutely delicious! So glad they turned out and they are no bake. Win!
I love that too – such a simple recipe you can make up in a few minutes without even heating up the kitchen! π
Could any low carb bar be substituted for the atkins peanut butter bar? I really want to try these but am highly allergic to peanut products. I don’t know if you know of any site that has similar bars but made with almonds or cashews or pecans.
Hi Edith π Sure! Even Atkins makes lots of other bars besides this one, and the allergens are listed on their website or on the box at your local stores. I recommend something that has a bit of crunch AND a bit of nougaty chew to get the same yummy texture.