High-protein desserts can come in the clutch when you’re looking to round out your nutrition at the end of the day.
Imagine this, you get to the end of your day. You’re not really hungry, but you’re snacky. You look at your macros and, sure enough, you have the macros left for a snack – except – you’re a bit short on protein.
*Cue, high-protein desserts.*
Now, you could search the internet and find hundreds of high-protein desserts that require baking, mixing, and measuring. Honestly, you can pretty much add protein powder to any baked good assuming you have the right flavor of (or flavorless) protein.
But we wanted to give you the download on our go-to high-protein desserts that are quick, easy, and hit that sweet tooth without busting your macros.
5 High Protein Desserts We Can’t Get Enough Of
Greek Yogurt Mousse:
I call this a mousse because the texture at the end feels thick and whipped the way a yummy chocolate mousse feels.
There are a couple of different ways to make this, but I’m going to break down the simplest version first.
First up, grab some flavorless non-fat Greek yogurt.
Next, grab your favorite flavor of Jello pudding mix (I like chocolate or cheesecake!). If you’re wanting this to be low-carb as well as high-protein, opt for a sugar-free packet!
Next, scoop out your yogurt into a bowl and mix these two ingredients together. The ratio is really determined by personal taste, but I usually do about 1 cup of yogurt to half a packet.
Make sure you mix well so you don’t have any yucky powder pockets and the flavor gets distributed throughout.
Top with whatever works for your macros! Berries, dark chocolate chips, and coconut shavings are some of my go-to’s!
With Greek Yogurt clocking in at 18g of protein per ¾ cup, this protein dessert is a go-to!
Protein Froyo
If you have a Ninja Creami, you already know what to do with this suggestion.
But if you don’t, try this:
Freeze your yogurt mousse from above and enjoy it as a froyo moment. Do this by either letting it thaw until it’s scoopable, or pulsing with the blender gently (be careful, or you’ll end up with a smoothie!). I like to add frozen fruits or chocolate to make it feel like a Ben and Jerry’s pint!
If you don’t want to use the mousse as your base, you can absolutely use plain or flavored Greek Yogurt instead.
Protein Energy Balls
If you haven’t made these because you’re worried about the fat content in peanut butter, I understand.
First of all, we shouldn’t be afraid of fats – in fact, dancers need to consume fats to keep their hormones and bodies functioning at peak capacity. But sometimes we do find ourselves in a season where we have a limited fat budget in our macros.
If this is the case for you, I recommend using peanut butter powder – which is a great way to achieve a peanut butter flavor without the added fat content.
Whichever route you choose, the recipe goes like this:
Peanut butter + protein powder + oats + chocolate chips (optional)
Mix and roll into little balls to snack on whenever you choose! (If you’re tracking, be sure to enter the recipe into your tracking app with the correct number of servings you made. This will make keeping track a breeze!)
Protein Hot-Coco
Now, if you aren’t a coffee drinker, you might come at me for calling hot cocoa a dessert.
But guys.
It’s literally Hot CHOCOLATE. It’s a dessert – at least in my book.
So there are a couple of ways of doing this.
You can simply add protein powder to your hot cocoa – Boom. You got protein coco.
Buuut some people don’t like how this tastes.
I like to use cocoa that is literally made to be high protein – I find the taste is a little more like hot chocolate and sometimes they have added benefits!
This is my bedtime hot cocoa! It is packed with vitamins and minerals that help you wind down and prepare for a good night’s sleep, plus 10 grams of protein and only 2 grams of carbs per serving!
If you don’t want the sleepy-time benefits, a few protein companies actually have a hot chocolate flavor! My favorite is the Ghost protein hot cocoa – it even comes with mini marshmallows!
Protein Brownies
Listen, if you’re a part of the DWL family already, you may remember our black bean brownie recipe that packs fiber and protein into one dessert. If not, you really should sign up, even if it’s just for our monthly scannable recipe guides!
But let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t have all those ingredients on hand. So.. I give you the simplest protein brownie recipe that exists for an easy and quick high-protein dessert.
Grab your favorite boxed brownie recipe and mix it according to the directions on the box and take note of the moisture level of the mix.
Next, add a scoop, or two, or three, of chocolate or unflavored protein to the mix.
Make sure that the moisture level hasn’t dried out too much. If it has, add a bit more oil, eggs, or water to the mix to ensure your brownies maintain that gooey brownie texture!
Finally, bake and enjoy!
Which one of these desserts will you be trying? I think the protein energy balls have my name on them! Let us know which one you try and take a photo of the finished result! Tag us at @dancerswholift on Instagram and share your recipe successes and tweaks with the DWL fam!
Want more nutrition tips like these? Read: 10 Tips For Eating Healthy At A Restaurant, What Should A Dancer eat in a Day, The Pros and Cons of Creatine: Busting the Myths and Revealing the Facts
