Rice Krispie Protein Cookie (No Bake, Single Serve, 5 Minutes)

This rice krispie protein cookie has 20g of protein and takes 5 minutes to make with no oven and no chilling time. Single serve, peanut butter flavored, and honestly one of the easiest no bake recipes I've ever put out. It holds together like a real cookie, has that classic cereal crunch, and you'd never guess it started with marshmallows and protein powder.

Okay no jokes, but this recipe was really as last-minute as it gets. I'd had a rice krispie cookie on my recipe list for months and months, but never got around to it. I'd even been saving exactly half a cup of rice krispies cereal in my pantry after making my peanut butter rice krispie treats, just for this cookie.

One random evening I walked into the kitchen and decided to make it because I wanted that container to be empty. Honestly, the quick-and-easy part of this recipe should have convinced me months earlier, but it looks like clearing the pantry was what actually did it. Major regrets on not having any more cereal though, because this cookie turned out so good I wanted a second one immediately and had nothing left to make it with.

Okay no jokes, but this recipe was really as last-minute as it gets. I'd had a rice krispie cookie on my recipe list for months and months now, but never got around to it.
I'd even been saving exactly ½ cup of rice krispies cereal in my pantry after making my peanut butter rice krispie treats, just for this cookie!

But if you're here because you love a quick recipe, these Spicy Tuna Bites from Purely Healthy Living is perfect for a quick lunch!

Ingredients for a Healthy Rice Krispie Protein Cookie

This no bake rice krispie protein cookie is made with simple ingredients you probably already have - especially if you bake with protein powder often. Here's what it takes.

• Rice Krispies Cereal for the snap. Measure it gently - packing it down gets you a dry, crumbly cookie.
  • Sub: Any crispy rice cereal like brown rice cereal works. A gluten-free crisped rice cereal is what you want if that matters to you, since standard Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring made from barley.
• Mini Marshmallows - these melt into the binder that holds everything together, the same way they do in a classic rice krispie treat.
  • Sub: Regular marshmallows cut into pieces work too. They just take slightly longer to soften in the microwave.
• Creamy Peanut Butter for flavor and structure. I use the white chocolate flavor from American Dream Nut Butter because it's lower fat and higher protein than standard peanut butter (code HAYLSKITCHEN gets you a discount).
  • Sub: Regular peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, or tahini if you want it nut free.
• Vanilla Protein Powder for the protein without messing with the peanut butter flavor. I use Quest Nutrition Vanilla - the whey-casein blend stays soft in a no bake dough instead of going chalky.
  • Sub: Whey protein powder like Clean Simple Eats or plant-based protein like Truvani or KOS.
    Note: A whey isolate will absorb more of the syrup, so add the syrup slowly and stop when the dough holds together.
• Peanut Butter Powder, also known as powdered peanut butter. It doubles the peanut flavor without adding fat. I use PbFit or PB2.
  • Sub: More creamy peanut butter works, but reduce the maple syrup back or the dough goes greasy and loose.
• Sugar Free Maple Syrup to bring the dough together. I use the monkfruit maple flavor syrup from Lakanto to keep this recipe sugar free. Be sure it is at room temperature
  • Sub: Regular maple syrup or honey both work, but the cookie is no longer sugar free, and honey isn't vegan.

Ingredient Swaps and Adaptations

I made this version with the ingredient list above, but here's what changes if you need it to fit a different diet.

Vegan Rice Krispie Protein Cookies

Use vegan marshmallows and a plant based protein powder. I recommend KOS Vanilla. Skip honey as the syrup swap and stay with maple.

Gluten Free

Standard Rice Krispies are not gluten free - the malt flavoring comes from barley. Swap in a certified gluten free crisped rice cereal and check that your protein powder is certified too.

Dairy Free

Use a plant based protein powder in place of the whey-casein, and check your marshmallows since some brands use gelatin or dairy derivatives.

If you love no bake cookie recipes, my no bake chocolate protein cookie is another one of those desserts comes together just as fast and hits the macros just as well.

Tips for the Best No Bake Rice Krispie Cookies

• Warm the peanut butter with the marshmallows, not separately. They melt into each other and coat the cereal evenly. Melting them apart gives you streaks of marshmallow and dry patches of cereal.
• Measure the cereal loosely. Half a cup packed down is noticeably more cereal than half a cup scooped, and the dough won't have enough binder to hold it.
• Add the syrup last and slowly. Protein powder and peanut butter powder are both thirsty, and how thirsty depends on the brand. Adding all the syrup up front is the single easiest way to end up with a sticky dough you can't shape.
• Taste before shaping. Protein powders vary a lot in sweetness. If yours is on the plain side, add a pinch of stevia and a bit of vanilla extract.
• Press, don't stir, at the end. Once the dough comes together, stirring just crushes the cereal and you lose the snap that makes it a rice krispie cookie.

My chickpea protein cookie is another peanut-butter-y single serve option.

Storage

This is a single serve recipe and likely to be gone in about a minute, but you can make it ahead.

• Counter: Airtight container, up to 3 days, but it will loose its crisp.
• Fridge: Airtight container, up to 1 week, but also will not be as crispy.
• Freezer: Freezer-safe zipper bag, 2 to 3 months. Let it thaw on the counter before eating.

If you're into single serve cookie recipes, there are a lot more on the site worth bookmarking too.

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