These Cookies Are Good For You. No, Really

A post-run cookie isn’t a bad nutritional choice, as long as it’s packed with protein (like these baked treats) and carbs. We find cookies preferable to choking down a dense protein bar, and they win convenience points over blending up a protein smoothie. Check out how these nutrient-dense cookies crumbled.

Munk Pack Protein Cookie, $2.79

These plant-based cookies, which have a clean ingredient list that includes peanut butter and gluten-free oats, contain 18 grams of protein from peas and brown rice plus 6 grams of fiber, making them a very satisfying treat. The texture is soft and cake-like, and testers gave a thumbs-up for the oatmeal raisin spice and double dark chocolate flavors (the latter tastes very similar to a brownie). Each cookie has 360 calories and 34 grams of carbs, so it can even function as a filling on-the-go snack.

Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie, $1.19 For 2 Oz.

Chewy and moist, these are the most cookie-like of the bunch (read: most delicious). Made without dairy or eggs, each 2-oz. cookie contains 8 grams of protein from wheat, peas and rice plus 5 grams of fiber. Snickerdoodle and peanut butter chocolate chip scored highest with taste testers, who said they’d even enjoy these as on-the-go breakfast with coffee. Cookies for breakfast? We’re in!

The Protein Cookie Company, $2 to $2.50

If you’re in search of extra protein in your cookies, these fit the bill (it is in the name, after all). Each cookie has a whopping 21 to 23 grams of whey protein, but they also have a drier, denser texture than the other cookies in this review. Made with whole-wheat flour and sweetened with stevia, they have a stronger aftertaste than the others as well. Of the four flavors, the dark cocoa chocolate chip was the winner in taste testing.