If you’re a coffee fan, then you’ll love these coffee bean cookies for their cute coffee-bean shape and delicious coffee flavor! Soft, chewy and fudgy, and with a sweet complex flavor, the protein powder in these cookies makes this a delicious and energy-boosting midday snack that keeps you alert and happy
I confess…I’m not a regular coffee drinker. Compared to my Mom or some of my friends who drink coffee every single day, and sometimes even multiple times a day, I drink coffee occasionally– like maybe 2-3 times a week.
That said, I remember seeing my parents drinking coffee every morning together. It is one of the best memories of my childhood. I felt like drinking coffee together made them start the best day for each other. And after being surrounded by coffee lovers, I had to fit in with an authentic coffee-flavored dessert or snack.
Indeed, it is about good food and an excellent company to make you feel like someone special, and today, I’m bringing out one of my favorite recipes, the protein coffee bean cookies. Yes, they look like a coffee bean and taste like one too.
Soft, chewy and fudgy, and with a sweet complex coffee flavor, these protein cookies make a delicious midday snack for any coffee lover. The rest of my family loves them because they are like an instant energy booster and helps a lot in overcoming the sudden sweet tooth.
How do these Coffee Bean Cookies Taste Like?
The bitterness of the coffee compliments the sweetness of the cookie dough. And the protein powder adds nodes of earthiness. We have added flaxseed and honey for making the cookies a bit complex, but it is just perfect for satisfying any coffee lover.
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Protein Powder – I used a plant-based protein powder, like the Orgain brand (this chocolate protein powder). You can also use vanilla protein powder. You can use whey, but I found out they resulted in a gummier texture.
- Nut Butter – While you can use any nut butters for this recipe, I used almond butter, like this one. Other natural nut butters I’d recommend are pecan butter, walnut butter, cashew butter, mixed nut butter, or even seed butter like sunflower. So many choices!
- Cocoa Powder – regular or dark
- Instant Coffee Granules – you can use any kind, such as Mount Hagen’s Organic Instant Coffee, or Espresso Powder such as King Arthur brand’s
- Honey – I used honey for this recipe but you can use other liquid sweeteners of choice like maple syrup, or agave syrup which are vegan-friendly. For a sugar-free / low carb option, use a sugar-free liquid sweetener such as liquid allulose, sugar free imitation honey or sugar-free pancake syrup
- Flaxseed Meal- You can buy flaxseed meal, but I like to make my own by grinding whole flaxseeds in a high power blender.
- Coconut flour – Coconut flour does not substitute well, so I can’t recommend swapping coconut flour with other ingredients unless you absolutely had to (you could try 2 Tbsp coconut flour = ½ cup almond flour). You probably won’t get the same texture or mouthfeel as the original recipe.
How to Make
How to Shape Coffee Bean Cookies
STEP 1
Roll the batter into 8-10 balls, and lay them out on a parchment paper lined cookie pan.
STEP 2
Press a side of a spoon handle or chopsticks horizontally into the center of the cookies to shape the balls into a coffee bean shape.
STEP 3
Bake the cookies in a 350F preheated oven for 7 minutes, just until the tops of the cookies are dry. Don’t overbake, as the cookies will harden slightly as they cook even though they seem really soft at first.
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins for Coffee Bean Cookies
- Feel free to experiment with natural flavoring / extracts. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn’t feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as hazelnut extract or peppermint extract.
- Instead of almond butter you can also use pecan butter, walnut butter, cashew butter, mixed nut butter, or seed butter like sunflower or pumpkin seed butter.
- You can also try using nutella instead of the nut butter 🙂
How to Store
- You can store these protein balls covered at room temperature for up to 48 hours. For longer storage, you can place them in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze up to 4 months.
Final Tips
- Be sure to use a microwave-safe bowl (preferably glass, like this one) when you’re heating the nut butter
You Might Also Like these Protein Bite Recipes
Coffee Bean Protein Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
- 1/2 cup almond butter 128 g
- 1/4 cup liquid sweetener of choice such as honey, maple syrup or sugar free syrup**
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup protein powder***
- 6 Tbsp coconut flour
Instructions
- First combine ground flax, water and instant coffee granules and let the mixture sit at least 5 minutes so that the coffee is fully dissolved.
- Heat the almond butter in a microwave-safe glass bowl for about 20 seconds until softened.
- Add the honey or maple syrup and mix well.
- Add the prepared flax egg and the rest of the ingredients into the nut butter mixture, until the batter is well mixed and can be rolled up into a ball without sticking to your palms. NOTE: depending on which protein powder and liquid sweetener you use, you may need to add more coconut flour (2-3 Tbsps) to achieve the right consistency.
- Roll the batter into 8-10 balls, and lay them out on a parchment paper lined cookie pan.
- Press a side of a spoon handle or chopsticks horizontally into the center of the cookies to shape the balls into a coffee bean shape.
- Bake the cookies in a 350F preheated oven for 7 minutes, just until the tops of the cookies are dry. Don't overbake, as the cookies will harden slightly as they cook even though they seem really soft at first.
Notes
Nutrition
So in love with this shape!
Thanks Annee!
I used the same protein powder on your recipe link but mine turned out slightly gummy. Maybe it’s because I slightly underbaked it?
Hi Emily,
Yup, underbaking does make the centers of the cookies more gummy, but this can also be due to the batter being overmixed. Another thing you can do is also reduce the protein powder to 1/3 cup and use more (about 2 Tbsp) more coconut flour instead and see how that works for you!