A super easy way to add more protein into your (high carb) baked goods is to replace some of the flour with protein powder.
Protein powder is isolated protein in powder form that can be from a dairy source, like whey protein, or a vegetable source, like pea protein - you can even have hemp protein! One of my favorite things to do in order to up the protein in a recipe is to add in protein powder.
When replacing flour for protein powder, start with replacing ⅓ cup of protein powder for every 1 cup of flour in the recipe. In some recipes, like these peanut butter protein cookies, you can actually replace all the flour and it will still work, but others require a little extra flour of some sort, like rolled oats in this protein pancakes recipe.
I try to keep both a vanilla flavored protein powder and a chocolate flavored protein on hand at all times for just this purpose. Okaaaay, and for my tasty protein shakes (which I usually have every morning).
Protein powders varied widely, so you'll need to find one that fits what you're looking for - whether you want to choose one based on flavor, protein quality, price, vegetarian, clean, etc.
Protein powder can replace flour in all sorts of baked goods and other recipes, such as:
- Pancakes (like these!)
- Cookies (like these!)
- Waffles
- Protein Bars (like these!)
- Breads
- Muffins
- Lattes (yep, lattes!!)
- And More!
And try not to just stop at the protein powder for a healthy flour substitution. Instead, look to replace all-purpose flour with healthier, unrefined flours, like whole wheat flour, buckwheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or coconut flour. These will all carry a lot more protein and other nutrients than your typical all-purpose flour.
Protein Powder As A Flour Substitute
Here are some examples of my recipes where I used protein powder as a healthy, high protein alternative to flour:
- Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
- High Protein Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Peanut Butter & Chocolate Protein Bars
See? Told ya I love my protein powder (and you should, too!).
To get more tips and tricks on how to start eating clean and loving your healthy lifestyle and food, click here to download my free Beginner's Guide To Clean Eating!
Anna Kiernan
Can I strengthen ordinary flour in yeast goods by using some protein powder? I was thinking of yeast donuts.
Ghenwa
Hello please I want to know which alternative to replace oat fiber in keto recipe is it psyllium husk or protein powder ? because we don’t find oat fiber and if we ordered it’s difficult to receive it in Lebanon
Eric
Not clear. It would be nice if the author replied to readers' questions.
Andy
I'm sorry for being a pedant, but I want to make sure I understand this:
"When replacing flour for protein powder, start with replacing 1/3 cup of protein powder for every 1 cup of flour in the recipe."
What you mean is: you're exchanging the flour and protein 1:1 by volume, but you're only replacing *up to* 1/3 of the volume of the flour, right? So for example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, then you would use 2/3 cup protein and 1 1/3 cup flour. Do I understand this right?
Vivienne
No, it means one cup of flour = 1/3 cup of protein powder.
Sarah
Ive made chocolate chip protein cookies in the past. I used regular All purpose flour and mixed my protein with the flour and used a regular recipe. I sold my cookies to students and baked for my neighbors whom were having low energy and depression. People changed in energy" mood and felt more lively. I know what's good but some ingredients are too expensive. I use the old school way of baking until I can afford better and healthier substitutes. I did what the government ia already doing, adding nutrition back into our food.
Ana
HiLacey,
I just found your channel on YouTube, your blog and your FB Group. Loove your content and the way you present it. I'm about to try some of your recipes. I'm new to clean eating and love to bake. Can't wait to learn with you and taste awesome food!
rohit aggarwal
thanks for the information
Bob Doley
With such low carbs would pea protein substitute in something like cornbread and work? Thank you!
Laura
If I use 1/3 cup of protein powder for every 1 cup of flour, do I still need to add 1/3 cup flour?
Mary Joan
Can I substitute coconut protein pwdr for the rice protein called for in a low carb diet bread recipe? If yes, would it be 1:1?
Donna
Thanks for the encouraging article! I put a scoop of pea protein in my oatmeal cookies today, but the recipe was still too high in carbs and low in protein for all the work. Next time, I'll try adding three scoops and leaving out some of the almond meal.
Greta
Hi,
I know you said you can replace up to 1/3 cup flour with protein powder. . . so what if my recipe calls for a 1/2 cup of coconut flour and I want to use protein powder instead? Can I replace all of it and just do a 1/2 cup of protein powder?
Thanks!
Mel
The post said to replace 1/3 of a cup of flour per full cup of flour in the recipe, so a third of the flour the recipe calls for can be replaced with protein powder. In your case, your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of flour so you can swap 1/6 of a cup of it for protein powder. It's a ratio thing, not an absolute quantity thing 🙂
Faylinn
I have a lot of protein powder at home and it's getting a little boring just using it for shakes. However, I had no idea that I could use the powder to make baked goods. I definitely think that I would enjoy using it in my pancakes and cookies, because it would also add a lot of flavor! But are there certain types of brands that I should or should not use when baking?
Faylinn
I have a lot of protein powder at home and it's getting a little boring just using it for shakes. However, I had no idea that I could use the powder to make baked goods. I definitely think that I would enjoy using it in my pancakes and cookies, because it would also add a lot of flavor! But are there certain types of brands that I should or should not use when baking?