The Worst Protein Cookie You Can Buy, According To Our Taste Test

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Protein is an important aspect of our diets. Not only does it give us energy, aid us in building strength, and boost our immune system, but it also helps us feel full for longer, allowing the meals we consume throughout the day to hold us over without the need to snack or graze in between. Still, there are times when we simply don't want a high-protein smoothie or protein-topped salad. On days like this, we can't think of a better way to up our protein intake than with a tasty protein cookie — and lucky for you, we ranked 14 pre-made protein cookies you can buy at the store.

After tasting the cookies back to back and judging them on flavor, texture, protein content, and added sugar, we found that none could top Atkins' Peanut Butter Protein Cookie, which featured a mild peanut butter flavor and wasn't dry or heavy. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie failed to provide the flavor we had hoped for.

Although the cookie's texture was ideal, providing a dense and chewy bite, the taste was simply not up to the standard of the others in our ranking. In fact, it was quite bland with hints of artificial flavors and a bad aftertaste that lingered. Even the chocolate chips inside the cookie had an odd, taffy-like texture. Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie gets points for featuring non-GMO ingredients and for being vegan and kosher, but overall, this cookie was unappealing.

Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip Protein Cookie may brag about its 16 grams of protein on the front of its package, but each cookie offered by the brand actually counts as two servings. So, while our winning protein cookie, Atkins' Peanut Butter Protein Cookie, might have 10 grams per serving (and also boasts its content on its package), its serving is a full cookie — thus containing more protein than the 8 grams Lenny & Larry's offers per serving.

As for those 10 grams of fiber Lenny & Larry's touts on the front? They, too, are in regard to the full cookie, or two servings. Meanwhile, the more forthright Atkins' listing of 8 grams of fiber is for its full, single-serving cookie.

Over on Amazon, where a 12-pack of Lenny & Larry's Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies can be purchased for over $11, several customers have taken notice of the brand's odd labeling choices and accused it of "deliberately misleading" consumers. "Read and reread nutrition information," one person advised. "Highlighted package info is for the whole cookie, which is two servings and almost 500 calories to get the highlighted fiber and protein." While the back does clearly detail the serving size and nutritional content, many found the advertising to be "deceiving."