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    The Great Purist Bakeoff: High-Protein Baked Goods

    May 25, 2026 5 min read

    protein

    The Great Purist® Bake Off, where bakers used Purist® Whey Protein in their baked goods.

    10 competitors took to the Purist baking arena — aka REP HQ's communal kitchen — to see which baker had what it takes to be crowned royalty of the high-protein baked-good game. The goal? Bring out the most ruthless competitor in each aspiring baker while uncovering the best delicious treats featuring Purist® Whey Protein, with equally great macros.

     

    We're giving you the recipes to the winning baked goods, plus tips on how you can revamp the best recipes with protein powder.

    The Winners

    1st Place: Luis Diaz, Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bars

     

    2nd Place: Alessia Capley, Red Velvet Cupcakes

     

    3rd Place: Cate Hocking, Lemon Bars

     

    1st Place: Oatmeal Cookie Bars

    Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bar, right out of the oven, freshly glazed.

    This baked delight from REP Fitness Equipment Assembly & Facilities Technician Luis Diaz, took the win — thanks to its perfectly sweet and indulgent taste, with a splash of protein to help you reach your daily goal.

     

    When sliced into 36 servings, you're looking at around 128 calories, 2 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of fat.

     

    Iced Oatmeal Cookie Bars

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup salted butter, softened
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 Tbsp canola oil
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup vanilla Purist® Whey Protein
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp salt


    Icing

    • 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
    • 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening
    • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1–2 Tbsp milk


    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
    2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.
    3. Mix in egg and oil.
    4. Add dry ingredients and mix into dough.
    5. Press into greased 9×13 pan.
    6. Bake 15–17 minutes until set.
    7. Mix icing ingredients until thick and smooth.
    8. Drizzle icing over warm bars.
    9. Let cool completely, then slice and serve.


    2nd Place: cupCAKED on Protein

    Hand pipes cupcake batter into a cupcake tin.

    Alessia Capley, Customer Support Representative at REP Fitness, gave Luis's baked goods a run for the money. Her cupcakes, cupCAKED on Protein, were her first venture into baking — with a solid spread of macros that are perfect for a post- or pre-workout treat. "I gave it to my roommates without them even knowing it was a protein recipe," she says. 

     

    Each cupcake offers 120 calories, 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbs, and 4.5 grams of fat.

     

    cupCAKED on Protein

    Ingredients

    • 2/3 cup red velvet cake mix
    • 1/2 cup egg whites
    • 1/3 cup oil
    • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 Tbsp vanilla
    • 1 cup applesauce
    • 3 scoops chocolate Purist® Whey Protein


    Frosting

    • 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
    • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 scoop vanilla Purist® Whey Protein
    • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
    • 1 Tbsp vanilla


    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
    • In a large bowl, mix cake mix, egg whites, oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla, applesauce, and chocolate protein powder until smooth.
    • Line or grease a muffin tin.
    • Fill each cup about 3/4 full.
    • Bake 16–20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    • Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
    • For the frosting, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
    • Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
    • Serve immediately or chill until ready to enjoy.


    3rd Place: High-Protein Lemon Bar Lifts

    Row of lemon bars with powdered sugar topping.

    Cat Hocking, B2B Digital Marketing Manager at REP, came in with a crowd pleaser. Typical lemon bars don't always "fit your macros," but this one is here to save the day with a butt-kicking 17 grams of protein per serving. However, thanks to the use of butter and suger, it still gives you that dessert-like, decadent feeling.

     

    This dish creates 9 servings, with about 375 calories, 17 grams of protein, 49 grams of carbs, and 19 grams of fat.

     

    High-Protein Lemon Bar Lifts

    Crust

    • 1¼ cups vanilla Purist® Whey Protein (about 5 scoops)
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • ¾–1 cup salted butter, sliced
    • ½ cup granulated sugar
    • Zest of 1 lemon


    Lemon Curd Filling

    • 1½ cups granulated sugar
    • ¼ cup Purist Vanilla protein powder (about 1 scoop)
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 cup lemon juice (about 4–5 lemons)
    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)


    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper.
    • In a bowl, combine protein powder, flour, sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
    • Press crust firmly into the pan.
    • Bake for 13 minutes until just set.
    • Whisk sugar and protein powder together, then add eggs and lemon juice. Mix until smooth.
    • Pour filling over hot crust.
    • Bake for 40–45 minutes until the center is set with a slight jiggle.
    • Cool completely before cutting.
    • Dust with powdered sugar if desired and slice into squares.


    Honorable Mentions:

    • Maggie Dunstand's Pistachio Raspberry Matcha Cookies and Bourbon Pecan Choc Chip Pie
    • Ravel's Razzle Dazzles
    • Kasi Murphy's Strawberry Bars
    • Sydney Hosford's Banana Bread


    How to Add Protein Powder to Baked Goods

    Purist protein powder package on a kitchen counter with bowls of ice cream

    If you've got a recipe you love, adjusting the ingredients can help to optimize macros and kick up the protein content. However, different types of protein powder (and how much you use) can cause your final results to differ from the original, so you'll want try baking small batches before you go all-in.

     

    Pick Your Protein Flavor

    Start by picking a flavor of Purist® Whey Protein that suits your recipe — like choclate for brownies or vanilla for cookies.

     

    Replace Some Flour

    Replace part of the flour with some protein powder. For example, if your recipe requires 2 cups of flour, try using 1 and 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup protein powder. Start small, replacing around 1/4th the flour with protein powder, adjusting as needed to suit your desired macros and taste.

     

    Add Moisture

    Protein powder absorbs liquids, so you'll want to add extra moisture — water, apple sauce, milk, oil, etc — to help keep your baked goods moist. Aim for around 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of liquid per 1/4 cup of added protein powder, but adjust slowly to make sure your batter doesn't become runny and overly wet.

     

    Test It Before Making Larger Batches

    Think of yourself like a scientist — your first batch might not come out exactly how you wanted, but that trial run will arm you with the information you need to make your next batch even better. You can always adjust the amount of protein powder you added and wet ingredients to fine tune your protein goodie.

     

    Takeaway

    Hitting your daily protein goals is a lot easier when you can eat a dessert that has the right macros for you. Try out one of our winning recipes to see just how easy it is to add Purist® Whey Protein to your tasty treats — or update your go-to desserts with a little protein that can have big effects on supporting your strength.

     

    FAQs

    Can you bake with protein powder?

    Yes! Start off swapping a small amount of protein powder for flour, and be sure to add some fat, a leavening agent like baking powder, and go easy on the eggs. Baked goods that use protein powder can dry out, but extra fat and limiting the use of eggs can help to hold onto moisture. Also, baking power can keep your dish from deflating.

     

    What is the best type of protein powder for baking and cooking?

    A whey protein concentrate or isolate, like Purist® Whey Protein, is one of the easiest protein powder substitues for baking. It

     

    Rosie Borchert is a NASM-CPT and writer whose work has appeared on BarBend, Tonal, ABC, Netflix, and Amazon Studios. 

     

    This article was reviewed by Ashley Boyer, ACE-CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, for accuracy.