Muscle Repair Cookies
Updated Jul. 29th, 2024
Do you ever have a great, I-gave-it-everything-I-had workout and then mentally organize your healthy meals for the rest of the week, only to realize you could really devour a cookie right about now? Who hasn’t? However, with cookies like these, you can’t afford not too. Even though you may feel like you’re indulging, you’re actually just giving your body a healthy 6.5-gram dose of protein per serving. These round discs of goodness help support muscle repair, prevent delayed onset muscle soreness and even supply the extra protein your body needs post-workout. So, go ahead… have a cookie!
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Sugar Free
- Vegetarian
Ingredients:
| 5 medjool dates, pitted | ½ cup manitoba harvest hemp powder | ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract |
| ½ banana | 2 tablespoon ground flax | almond slivers for sprinkling |
| 2 organic eggs | ¼ cup dried cranberries | |
| ½ cup almond butter | 6 dried apricots, diced |
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F
- Combine banana, dates and egg into a blender or food processor. Blend thoroughly to ensure there are no lingering chunks of dates that got missed.
- In a large bowl, combine date mixture and all of the remaining ingredients. Stir well, and put some arm muscle into it – the dough will be tough to stir and will end up quite sticky.
- Using your hands, form dough into cookies and place on an oiled or lined baking sheet. Making sure to leave ¼ inch between each cookie.
- Cookies should bake in the oven for roughly 15-17 minutes. Cooling time will be needed before you can enjoy them, you don’t want to burn the biggest muscle of all, now do you?
Make It This Way
Don’t feel you have to be tied down to hemp protein powder – if you’re on the fence, try using rice or whey protein instead. The protein powder will contribute to the flavour of the cookies, so use an unflavoured protein powder if you don’t want the taste. You could also use ground hemp seeds to substitute for the hemp protein powder in this recipe.
Make this recipe egg-free and vegan by substituting the eggs with the following:
Flax seed egg substitute
[measurements are good for replacing one egg]
1 tbsp finely ground flax seed
3 tbsp water
Combine both ingredients and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. Add to recipe as you would normally.
Try This
Make a double batch of these cookies and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. This way you can have a supply for when you really need it! If you’re not a fan of cranberries, you could always substitute out another dry fruit in its place, like raisins.
This is such a great post workout snack to have and keep on hand! After a big workout the last thing you want to do is think about making a big meal so having these cookies on hand to just grab and go after a workout is so cool! and makes things a lot easier too! I also didn't realize you could substitute the hemp protein with ground up hemp seeds, that is a really great idea!
Hello,
These cookies are delicious! They provide great nutrients to help recover after a workout; best of both worlds, decadent and nutritious!
Stay healthy & well!
This recipe looks so good and healthy. Just wonder if I can Substitute hemp powder with whey protein power? I have lots of whey protein in the pantry and I am don’t want anymore smoothies or shakes. Would like to try using whey power in baking or cooking anything but smoothies.
Hello Emma,
Happy you're enjoying this recipe! You can substitute the protein powders. Baking with protein powder is a great way to use your supplement and add some nutritional benefits to your baking. Here's another protein recipe you may enjoy:
https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/healthy-recipes/hemp-protein-lemon-poppy-seed-cake/
Stay healthy & well!
I agree with Post Workout that these are such a great post workout snack to have and keep on hand! A big workout definitely makes you excited to run into the kitchen for food (and not cooking haha) which means having these cookies on hand to just grab and go after a workout is awesome! I love all of the wholesome berry options that you could use to really customize these cookies and am also glad that you provided a 100% plant-based flax egg substitution option for us plant-based folks. Thank you for always having such yummy, healthy recipes!!
Hello Rachel,
Indeed, post-workout can have you reaching for a quick snack and you'll want some healthy options that are loaded with post workout nutrition to not sacrifice all the gains you just made. You can find more post workout options in this article and include some of the suggested supplements in your baking: https://www.nationalnutrition.ca/articles/health-concerns/health-concerns-articles-post-workout/
Stay fit & healthy!
Ah-what a wonderful and wholesome postworkout snack! I love the use of hemp which is a a perfect trifecta because it is a) super sustainable (good for the planet) b) rich in healthy fats that support brain and heart health (go omega 3s for the brain and heart! good for both mood as well as heart disease) and c) high in protein (good for the muscles!). Bananas are a classic for good reason in this kind of recipe and combining with datas makes for great sweet nourishment. Almond butter and flax are other classics for this kind of thing and for good reason, as healthy, higher-protein fat sources