Top Tips for Baking With Whey Protein

Baking with protein powder is not as simple as it seems – it’s actually a bit of an art. So here are five tips for you to get started. 

• Know Your Scoop – Just a warning before we get too deep into all this: Baking involves a fair amount of math. In order to make sure that your protein-rich baked goods are… well, good you’re going to need to make sure that all the ingredients are properly proportioned. Which can be a little tricky sometimes. Working with protein powders, though presents a unique challenge. Why? Because you’re used to thinking in terms of “scoops,” which can vary in size from brand to brand. So, before you do anything else, know the actual measurement of your scoop in terms of cups

• Know How to Swap Out Flour – Generally, baking starts with flour. To make things healthier, though, this is normally the first ingredient people want to ditch. So, how do you do it? Grab your favorite organic protein powder or vegan protein powder and figure out enough to replace 1/3 of the flour called for by the recipe. Confused? Me too. So… this means that if your recipe requires 1 ½ cup of flour, you can use up to ½ cup of protein powder instead of flour. To simplify things a bit, think about it in these terms: Your batter should not be more than ½ protein powder

• Don’t Fear Fat – Remember, fat is a macronutrient – meaning that you need it. Plus, it’s delicious. And, even though, it has a less-than-sterling reputation, modern research has revealed that fat has been unfairly vilified and is really very good for you. So, don’t feel like you have to remove all the fat from your recipes

• Pick Your Powders Wisely – Along that same line of thought, it’s important to remember that not all proteins are the same or even interchangeable. For one thing, whey and casein react in completely different ways when added to a recipe – with casein’s natural tendency to clump, it can severely dry up baked goods if it isn't handled properly

• Moisturize – Since, as we just covered, most protein powders will soak up lots of liquid, you’ll have to compensate. Moisturizing ingredients, like bananas, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cooked sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, applesauce, and cooked beets will prevent your recipe from being overly dry and clumpy

Use these tips to make your next delicious recipe and enjoy baking!