This article originally appeared on Oxygen
We all know protein desserts can be a total hit-or-miss. They can be chalky, t00 chewy or just plain icky, in all honesty. It’s also true that just because someone puts the word “protein” in front of a product, that doesn’t necessarily make it good for you.
All that said, more often than not it can be a great idea to swap full-on sugar bomb snacks for something with more protein, even if it still comes with extra calories and carbs. Protein can help you feel satisfied for longer and keep you from snacking on less healthy alternatives all day long.
With so many options out there, it can be tough to find protein snacks worth splurging on. We did some of the work for you and rounded up a few of our favorites below.
6 Snacks That Pack a Protein Punch
1. Wow! Protein Donuts
These donuts are moist, soft and oh-so delicious. It’s hard to imagine grabbing a donut after a workout, but this is a great treat to reward yourself and your body after a tough sweat session.
Nutrition Facts
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130 calories
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11 grams protein
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20 grams carbs
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5 grams sugar
2. Flap Jacked Soft Baked Cookie Bar
While this cookie is a little high in calories, it still makes the list because of its ingredient list. Organic peanut butter, prebiotics, organic date paste, organic oats and more. There’s nothing chalky about this protein cookie, either. It’s a melt-in-your-mouth kind of treat.
Nutrition Facts
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215 calories
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10 grams protein
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25 grams carbs
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8 grams sugar
3. 1st Phorm Nut Butter Brownie Batter
There’s nothing better than being given the green flag to eat brownie batter right out of a jar. This dessert nut butter is low-carb and high protein with barely any sugar. Eat it alone or dollop it into your oats to change the breakfast game.
Nutrition Facts
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200 calories
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10 grams protein
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8 grams carbs
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5 grams sugar
4. Optimum Nutrition Protein Cake Bites
If birthday cake is your thing, these protein cake bites are for you. One package has three bites packed with 20 grams of protein. It could be a treat, snack or replacement for a protein bar!
Nutrition Facts
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210 calories
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20 grams protein
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26 grams carbs
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3 grams sugar
5. Eat Me Guilt Free Birthday Cake Protein Brownie
These protein brownies come in all kinds of flavors like birthday cake, red velvet, blondie and more. Woman-owned, Eat Me Guilt Free makes its treats with an amazing 2:1 protein to carb ratio. Plus, they’re soft and moist and oh-my-goodness.
Nutrition Facts
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207 calories
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14 grams protein
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13 grams carbs
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9 grams sugar
6. Munk Pack Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie
Now, these cookies won’t be your go-to if you’re looking for something low in sugar or carbs, but they’re absolutely delicious (after all, the first ingredient in the peanut butter chocolate chip flavor is straight-up peanut butter). Plus, each cookie — aka 2 servings — boasts 16 grams of plant-based protein. They’re also gluten-, dairy- and egg-free, so even vegans can grab these to get their chocolatey peanut butter fix sans actual candy. Plus, they’re free of sugar alcohols and the potential tummy issues that can come with them.
Nutrition Facts (per half-cookie serving)
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160 calories
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8 grams protein
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17 grams carbs
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8 grams sugar
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