Whenever I see one of those MASSIVE dessert recipes on Instagram that somehow claims to be low calorie, high protein AND healthy, I am immediately skeptical 😂 I mean, come on. You are telling me I can eat something that looks like a giant brownie and cookie the size of Baby Ashton’s head, has 32 grams of protein, is only 305 calories AND it's actually going to taste good? There has to be a catch somewhere.

But when I came across this Protein Brookie recipe from @nickkaz.fit, it looked SO GOOD that I figured we had to give it a try. I have four boys in our house who are basically professional snack critics at this point, so I knew there was really only one way to determine whether this thing was actually as good as it looked. It had to pass the 4 Boy Taste Test.

The interesting part about this recipe is that when you actually look at the ingredients, there is some pretty good stuff hiding inside this monster of a dessert. There is pumpkin purée, nonfat Greek yogurt, egg whites, almond milk, cocoa powder and protein powder. The pumpkin adds some fibre and nutrients like beta carotene, while the Greek yogurt and egg whites help give it a pretty impressive amount of protein without sending the calories through the roof.

Now, would I call a giant chocolate brookie a health food? Probably not, but compared to a traditional brookie that can be loaded with butter, sugar and significantly more calories, this is absolutely a more macro friendly option. And with 305 calories, 32 grams of protein, 32 grams of net carbs and only 5 grams of fat per brookie, I was genuinely impressed.

There was just one problem.

If my boys knew BEFORE trying it that there was 120 grams of pumpkin purée hiding inside their giant chocolate brownie, I can almost guarantee at least one of them would suddenly decide they didn't like brownies anymore 😂 So we did what any responsible parents would do.

We didn't tell them.

THE 4 BOY TASTE TEST

This one wasn't even close.

PERFECT SCORE. 10/10.

Every single boy loved it. And not just the boys. Brodie loved it and I loved it too. So technically this became more of a 6 Person Household Taste Test, and this brookie went a perfect 6 for 6.

The boys had absolutely NO idea there was pumpkin purée hiding inside it. Nobody complained about the texture. Nobody asked why it tasted "healthy." Nobody pushed it away after one bite. They just ate it, which, as any parent knows, might be the greatest review you can possibly give a recipe. 😂

This is honestly 100% a must make for anyone looking for a lower calorie snack that still feels like you are eating a proper dessert. The fact that you're getting 32 grams of protein and ingredients like pumpkin, Greek yogurt, egg whites and cocoa along the way makes it even better.

Full credit for this recipe goes to @nickkaz.fit. We didn't create this one. We simply saw it, thought there was NO WAY something this big could actually taste good for 305 calories, and decided to put it through the toughest testing panel we know.

The boys have spoken.

Nick, you passed 😂

LEANgredients

This recipe makes two large brookies. The listed macros are approximately 305 calories, 32g protein, 32g net carbs and 5g fat per brookie. Optional additions are not included in those macros.

Cookie Batter

Wet Ingredients

40g plain or vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
25mL egg whites
2.1mL vanilla extract, optional

Dry Ingredients

10g all purpose flour
10g casein protein powder
5g oat flour
24g granulated sugar substitute
1g baking soda
Pinch of salt

Brownie Batter

Wet Ingredients

120mL egg whites
80g plain or vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
120g pumpkin purée
120mL almond milk

Dry Ingredients

35g all purpose flour
72g to 96g granulated sugar substitute
20g whey and casein blend protein powder
25g black or dark cocoa powder
2g baking soda
2g baking powder
Pinch of salt
Extra 35g all purpose flour, optional if you want the brookie to be denser

Cookie Topping

10g chocolate chips
Extra chocolate chips, optional

Optional Toppings

Ice cream
Chocolate sauce

You can also add ice cream or chocolate sauce at the end if you want to take things to another level, but obviously those additions will increase the calories.

LEANstructions

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and lightly spraying two 5 or 6 inch springform pans (I just used a loaf pan).
For the cookie batter, mix your wet ingredients together in one bowl and your dry ingredients together in another. Once they're mixed separately, combine them to make your cookie batter.
Next, do the same thing with the brownie batter. Mix the wet ingredients together, mix the dry ingredients separately, and then combine the two. Don't overmix the brownie batter.
Divide your brownie batter evenly between the two pans. Dollop the cookie batter over the top of the brownie batter, gently spread it out and then add your chocolate chips.
If you're using 6 inch pans, bake them for approximately 28 to 38 minutes. If you're using 5 inch pans, bake them for approximately 32 to 42 minutes. You're looking for the edges to be set while the centres remain slightly soft.
Once they're finished, let them cool in the pans for approximately 30 minutes before digging in.
Then comes the most important step...

Feed it to your kids WITHOUT mentioning the pumpkin.😂

THE FINAL VERDICT

I genuinely went into this recipe thinking there had to be a catch. Something this big shouldn't be able to come in at around 305 calories, have 32 grams of protein, contain ingredients like pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt AND still taste like an actual dessert.

But somehow it does.

All four boys loved it. Brodie loved it. I loved it. It got a perfect score in our house and is easily one of the biggest surprises we've had from one of these healthier dessert recipes.

So if you want a snack that feels indulgent without completely blowing up your calories, this one is absolutely worth making.

4 Boy Taste Test: 10/10.

And once again, huge credit to @nickkaz.fit for the original recipe.

Now we just have to hope my boys never read this and find out what was actually inside it 😂

P.S. if you want to get back to feeling your best this fall with the kids going back to school and you can finally focus some time on yourself and your health, join me in the LEANSQUAD app where we can workout together. I have so many follow along programs designed to make the most of what little time we have as parents!!

The 305 Calorie Protein Brookie: The 4 Boy Taste Test