Dark & Hot Chocolate Protein Paleo Cookies with Four Sigmatic Elixirs
I’m a big fan of dessert.
I’m also a big fan of being healthy so I pick and choose my sweet calories wisely. If I can have more dessert for healthier calories, I will. Especially if there’s chocolate involved and especially if they’re protein-filled, actually delicious, super gooey, rich and fudgey.
I’ve made these bad boy cookies quite a few times since my figure competition (because now I can not watch what I eat so closely) and each time I’m incredibly pleased with the results. These hot chocolate cookies are moist on the inside and crisp on the outside. Aka: the perfect cookie or kinda like me…
The dough is pretty damn tasty, too. Just go do yourself a favor and make these… and leave some dough in the bowl for pre-gaming while you wait for the actual cookies to bake.
These wonderful Dark [Chocolate] & Hot Chocolate Protein Paleo Cookies are Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-fr… you get the idea. They’re also healthier than your average cookie and taste way better than your usual “protein” cookie.
They’re also baked with mushroom powder. Sounds pretty gnarly, huh?
But wait! They’re not gnarly at all! They’re delicious! And using my beloved Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee and Hot Chocolate mixes are fantastic while adding to the complexity of flavors. Don’t have mushroom coffee or mushroom hot chocolate laying around? Get yours here! Or sub out for more cocoa powder but that’s not quite as fun.
Side note and side benefit by using these mushroom elixirs:
- Lion’s Maine + Chaga: Increased productivity + enhances coffee’s brain-boosting effects + powerful antioxidants, anti-viral effects, and immune-boosting properties
- Cordyceps: Stimulation without jitters + actually support the adrenal glands (instead of the detrimental effects that caffeine usually causes)
If you are feeling like a fungi (…get it?) then I would absolutely adding in one or both of these awesome mixes.
Another side note on protein powder: I would recommend not using whey protein.
Why?
1. I really dislike whey or using dairy proteins. 2. Whey protein makes every baked item spongey. I don’t want to eat a sponge. 3. I’ve only tried this using my favorite Sunwarrior protein blend so I cannot guarantee absolute success if using whey protein. 4. This protein just tastes better than everything else. 😛
And finally, you’ve come to the part of the blog that you are really only interested in:
THE R E C I P E.
Happily inspired by one of my new favorite recipe sources, ETB Fit.
Dark & Hot Chocolate Protein Paleo Cookies
- 2 scoops Sunwarrior Chocolate Classic Plus protein powder
- 2 tbsp Birch Benders Paleo pancake mix (may also use Birch Benders gluten-free pancake mix)
- 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 packet Four Sigmatic Hot Chocolate
- 1 packet Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee (Lion’s Maine or Cordyceps)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (heaping) coconut oil, softened
- 1-3 tbsp water, as needed for consistency
- handfuls of Enjoy Life (dairy-free) chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Top with all wet ingredients and mix again to incorporate into a batter. This batter will be slightly thicker but add in a bit of water 1 tablespoon at a time to help with mixing.
Throw in your chocolate chips, mix again, then roll 1 large tablespoon cookie dough into balls and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes – but removing from the oven before totally done (still soft) helps keep the moist and gooey, fudgey textured cookie.
Eat and repeat!
