For most people when they choose to go vegan they struggle with giving up cheese, their favorite sandwich with bacon and ranch or something similar.
I’ve been a Strength and Conditioning Coach and weightlifter my entire life and one of my biggest struggles was giving up whey protein. I know that sounds ridiculous, but whey protein is the foundation of 90% of all supplements.
So, when it came to grabbing a bar or a shake after a lift, no whey meant limited options to post-workout nutrition.
Enter Lenny & Larry’s. Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookie is one of the best vegan protein sources that I’ve come across to date.
Are they the best-tasting cookie you’ll ever eat? Absolutely not. Not even close. BUT, in terms of a protein “bar” with 16 grams of protein, their taste stacks up against any protein bar on the market.
This leads us to the ULTIMATE Lenny & Larry’s Cookie Review. Lenny & Larry has 14 different flavors of cookies.
Are they all good? Are any of them good? Which one is the best? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. I’ve tried them all and I’ve ranked them from worst to first. You’re welcome.
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14. Birthday Cake
Somebody has to be last when you’re picking teams for dodgeball and somebody has to be last when you’re doing a cookie review. Sorry, Birthday Cake
, no one wants you on their team.
It’s one of only a few flavors that I will actively avoid when picking a cookie post-workout. If it tastes like Birthday Cake, it’s 3 day old bland flavorless cake. If you have another option, any other option, go with that one.
13. Peanut Butter
Unlike the Birthday Cake, the Peanut Butter cookie is not bad, it’s just one note and that one note is peanut butter. This lends the peanut butter cookie to come off as really dry. You absolutely need something to help wash this down.
If you’re a huge peanut butter fan, you’ll probably have this one up higher, but there is another, much better peanut butter version of cookie on this list.
12. Apple Pie
This one is weird because this cookie tastes like Apple Pie. Actually, it tastes very similar to McDonald’s apple pie, just less sweet.
So, what’s the problem – why is it ranked this low?
It has a good flavor and it tastes like Apple Pie. It’s just not quite what I’m looking for in a cookie. Maybe if you heated it up a bit and threw some ice cream on top it’d be better. Somebody try that and get back to me.
In the meantime, if you like Apple Pie give it a shot, but in my opinion, there are better options.
11. Chocolate Chip
What?!? Am I telling you that the most popular flavor cookie in America didn’t crack the top ten? Yes I am. Look, there is nothing wrong with the Chocolate Chip.
It’s good.
However, there are a lot of chocolate-flavored cookies left on this list. In my opinion, the more flavors you have going on, the less you notice that you’re eating a “protein cookie” that has that “protein flavor” to it.
The Chocolate Chip leaves enough void in flavor to make it hard to get away from the fact that it’s a protein cookie. There’s nothing wrong with that, there are just better cookies to choose from.
10. Lemon Poppy Seed
Just cracking the top ten is the Lemon Poppy Seed. This is a solid cookie that has a good lemony flavor without beating you over the head with it.
In fact, this flavor might have the most subtle overall flavor of any of the cookies. Personally, I’m not a huge lemon flavor fan, but if you are, you may really, really like the Lemon Poppy Seed.
9. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
Ok, you got me. When it comes to Lenny & Larry’s cookies, the peanut butter flavors are good, but not my favorites, including the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip.
To be clear, I do enjoy peanut butter. I literally had two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this morning.
Wait, that’s the answer. Lenny and/or Larry – if you’re reading this you need a peanut butter and jelly flavor. Putting chocolate with the peanut butter, however, does help a bit in cutting the richness of the peanut butter.
If you combo this cookie with a cup of coffee it does make a good breakfast on the go.
8. Oatmeal Raisin
The Oatmeal Raisin cookie arguably tastes the most like the actual cookie it’s trying to replicate. The problem is, the cookie it’s replicating is an Oatmeal Raisin cookie.
I mean, we’re talking about oatmeal and raisins. Don’t get me wrong, you give me an Oatmeal Raisin cookie, I’m going to eat it. Quite frankly, I’m going to like it to.
However, when you put it up against something with say, chocolate, it’s going to struggle.
7. White Chocolaty Razz
Going from Oatmeal Raisin to the White Chocolaty Razz we have moved up a tier in our rankings.
Did you feel it? Did you feel the tier change?
This flavor combines white chocolate with dried raspberries. So you get the deliciousness of the white chocolate along with sweetness of raspberries. It’s excellent.
The only downfall to this cookie is it’s an occasional go-to. You don’t want this one every time. It’s too sweet. But, when you’re in the mood for it, it’s excellent.
6. Coconut Chocolate Chip
This is the best of the three Chocolate Chips. The Coconut creates an excellent background to compliment the chocolate chip. You’re never going to be disappointed with a Coconut Chocolate Chip.
The reason it doesn’t crack the top 5 is it can be a touch on the dryer side.
5. Snickerdoodle
Top 5! The Snickerdoodle, like the Oatmeal Raisin, tastes more like an actual Snickerdoodle cookie than it does a “protein cookie”. The moistness and the flavor are unbelievably good.
I’ve mentioned numerous times that I love a Lenny and Larry Cookie with a cup of coffee in the morning and Snickerdoodle is second to only one other, yet-to-be-named flavor.
Here’s the only problem.
Each Snickerdoodle cookie is generously topped with delicious cinnamon and sugar – and you’re going to have it everywhere. It’s going to be all over your floor, car, your shirt – everywhere.
If that’s not an issue for you when you’re diving in – Snickerdoodle might be top 3.
4. Choc-O-Mint
Chocolate and Mint. It’s such a great combination of flavors that makes the Choc-O-Mint a top 5 flavor. This is an actual chocolate cookie with little morsels of mint all throughout.
It doesn’t necessarily taste like a Thin Mint (the ultimate combination of chocolate and mint), but it does give you a similar vibe.
This one is Jen’s favorite for that reason. It’s like a blast of childhood with Thin Mints or an Andi’s mint.
3. Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin Spice is one of Lenny and Larry’s seasonal flavors so good luck finding this one outside of fall. Oh, but when it’s fall. There are two situations when a Lenny & Larry Cookie shines.
One, is post-workout for all the obvious reasons.
Two is in the morning with a cup of coffee. In THAT scenario the Pumpkin Spice is the undisputed champ. The flavors of pumpkin pie, a bit of cinnamon and spices – oh when it’s fall…
2. Double Chocolate
The flavor of the Double Chocolate cookie comes at you in two waves. The first wave is like a Sledgehammer of chocolate that hits you right in the face.
After that initial burst of chocolate, you’ll notice the second wave which is like a grand piano of chocolate being dropped on your head from six stories up.
Seriously, it’s just chocolate jammed with chocolate and it’s amazing.
1. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
And the winner is… The White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. When done right, this is the king of all cookies and Lenny & Larry’s does it justice. Like the Oatmeal Raisin and the Snickerdoodle, the Macadamia Nut will make you forget that you’re eating a protein cookie.
If you can only try one Lenny & Larry Cookie, this is the one.
Final Thoughts
One of the most annoying questions that vegans get as much as any is the, “But, where do you get your protein?”
As someone who works in sports performance and is in a weight room almost every single day, I can’t even begin to tell you how often I get it.
The fact is, it’s not that hard to get the protein that you need being vegan, even as an athlete. In fact, there are plenty of protein sources for athletes that don’t even involve using supplements.
Having said that, grabbing a quick protein bar or shake after a workout or as a grab-and-go breakfast is something I’ve been doing since high school. With products like Lenny & Larry’s Cookies, it’s something that I’m able to continue doing now.
