Quest Cookies are one of the most popular cookies made by Quest Nutrition.
These cookies are made from a protein blend and are marketed as a healthier alternative to regular cookies.
These cookies are available in various delectable flavors such as Chocolate chip, Peanut butter, Snickerdoodle and more.
And while Quest cookies taste delicious, are they healthy?
Short answer: Quest cookies are healthy as they are high in protein and fiber, contain no added sugar and are free from artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. They are also gluten-free and keto friendly.
Read on to find out more about Quest cookies including their ingredients, sugar, protein, fiber, sodium content and more.
I’ll also compare Quest cookies to other popular cookies to see if they truly stand out from the crowd.
So let’s start.
Also read: Are Aussie Bites Healthy? The Truth About These Cookies
Quest cookies come in two varieties – Protein cookies and Frosted cookies. The Quest protein cookies comes in 5 flavors, while Quest frosted cookies comes in 2 flavors.
Therefore, the exact ingredients in Quest cookies can vary depending on the variety or flavor.
Quest protein cookies are made from Protein blend, Butter, Soluble corn fiber, Erythritol, palm oil, Unsweetened chocolate, Water, Calcium caseinate, and Natural flavors.
On the other hand, Quest frosted cookies are made from Milk proteins, Sunflower oil, Erythritol, Water, Cocoa, Glycerin, Polydextrose, Palm kernel oil, and Cellulose.
Both varieties also contain some common ingredients in smaller quantities (2% or less), such as:
- Natural flavors
- Sea salt
- Soluble corn fiber
- Sunflower Lecithin
- Natural colors (Beet root powder, Annatto extract, Turmeric extract)
- Baking soda
- Sucralose (only in frosted cookies)
- Stevia sweetener (only in protein cookies)
- Xanthan gum
Let’s learn a little about some of the ingredients.
Protein blend: Quest protein cookies are primarily made up of a blend (or mix) of milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate.
Soluble corn fiber: It is a dietary fiber derived from corn. It is also known as resistant maltodextrin and is not the same as regular maltodextrin.
Polydextrose: It is a food additive used as a replacement for sugar, fat or starch in foods.
Erythritol: It is the main sweetener used in Quest cookies in replacement to sugar. It is similar in taste and about 70% as sweet as regular sugar.
Glycerin: It is an odorless liquid made from fats and oils. It is used as a sweetener or preservative in foods.
Calcium caseinate: It is a protein derived from the casein(a protein) found in milk.
Cellulose: It is an insoluble fiber found in plants. It is added to improve Quest cookie’s fiber content.
Ingredients wise Quest cookies are quite good for you.
They does contain some processed ingredients such as vegetable oils, but are free from added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Quest cookies are low in sugar containing 1g or less per cookie, depending on the flavor. All of the sugar is natural.
Instead of sugar, Quest cookies are sweetened with sugar alcohol like Erythritol and sweeteners like Stevia(in protein cookies) and Sucralose(in frosted cookies).
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in fruits and vegetables. It has zero calories and does not have negative effects of sugar, such as increased blood sugar levels and tooth decay.
However, consuming too much of erythritol can result in digestive issues such as bloating, gas or cramps.
Quest cookies contain 4-6g of sugar alcohol per cookie, depending on the flavor. The daily sugar alcohol limit is 10-15g.
Overall, Quest cookies are a great option for those looking to cut down on added sugar.
Here is a table showing the sugar content of all Quest cookies flavor.
| Quest cookie flavor | Total sugar(g) | Sugar alcohol(g) |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | <1 | 6 |
| Double chocolate chip | <1 | 5 |
| Peanut butter | 1 | 5 |
| Snickerdoodle | <1 | 4 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 1 | 5 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | <1 | 6 |
| Birthday cake (frosted cookie) | <1 | 5 |
Quest cookies are a good source of protein.
A single cookie of Quest protein cookies provides 15g of protein. While the Quest frosted cookies provide 5g of protein per cookie.
The peanut butter chocolate chip flavor contains the most protein, with 16g per cookie.
The protein in Quest protein cookies comes from multiple sources such as whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, and calcium caseinate.
On the other hand, the protein in Quest frosted cookies comes from milk proteins such as whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate and micellar casein.
Although there are more protein sources in frosted cookies, they are significantly lower in protein than the protein cookies variety.
Overall, Quest protein cookies are a great option for anyone looking to increase their protein intake.
You can use these cookies as a pre-workout snack to provide an energy boost or a post-workout snack to aid muscle recovery.
Quest protein cookies are an excellent source of fiber containing 9 to 12g per cookie, depending on the flavor. That’s about 36 to 48% of the daily recommended fiber for adults.
If compared, most Quest protein cookies have more fiber than in a fiber one chewy bar.
However, the frosted cookie variety contains only 3g of fiber per cookie.
The fiber in Quest protein cookies comes from various fiber-rich sources such as soluble corn fiber, polydextrose and cellulose.
Here is the table showing the fiber content of all Quest cookies flavor.
| Quest cookie flavor | Fiber(g) |
|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | 9 |
| Double chocolate chip | 11 |
| Peanut butter | 12 |
| Snickerdoodle | 11 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 12 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | 3 |
| Birthday cake (frosted cookie) | 3 |
Quest protein cookies are low to moderate in sodium containing 190 to 230mg per cookie, depending on the flavor.
The Quest frosted cookies are the lowest in sodium, with 80-95mg per cookie.
Sodium is an essential part of a diet, but consuming too much of it can cause heart-related issues.
Fortunately, Quest cookies are not bad for you in terms of sodium as long as you consume them in moderation.
Here is a table showing the sodium content of all Quest cookies flavor.
| Quest cookie flavor | Sodium(mg) |
|---|---|
| Chocolate chip | 210 |
| Double chocolate chip | 190 |
| Peanut butter | 220 |
| Snickerdoodle | 220 |
| Peanut butter chocolate chip | 230 |
| Chocolate cake (frosted cookie) | 95 |
| Birthday cake (frosted cookie) | 85 |
Some flavors of Quest Protein Cookies are high in saturated fat containing 9-10g per cookie. That’s more than 50% of the daily limit set by the American Heart Association.
These flavors include Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, and Snickerdoodle.
Saturated fat has long been deemed as bad due to their potential link to heart-related issues such as stroke and high cholesterol.
However, recent studies have shown that saturated fat does not increase the risk of heart disease when consumed through minimally or unprocessed foods.
Consuming saturated fat from processed foods like burgers, pizzas, biscuits, and cakes is more detrimental for your health.
Quest protein cookies are not highly processed but majority of saturated fat in them comes from butter and palm oil, which are not very good ingredients.
Therefore, it becomes important to consume Quest cookies in moderation.
Quest cookies are good for weight loss as they are low in sugar (1g or less). In addition, they are high in protein and fiber, which help you feel satisfied for longer and prevent unnecessary eating.
However, it’s worth noting that Quest protein cookies are high in calories, with 220 to 250 calories per cookie, which is quite a bit for a snack(without any sugar).
Although, the frosted cookie variety contains 90 calories per cookie.
Despite being high in calories, Quest cookies are better option for weight loss than regular cookies, which contain only sugar in the name of nutrition.
Quest cookies in moderation won’t likely to affect your weight.
Remember that weight loss depends not on only one food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Are Quest cookies good for diabetics? Quest cookies are good for diabetics because they do not contain added sugar and are a good source of fiber. In addition, they uses erythritol, stevia and sucralose, which are considered safe for diabetics in moderation.
Quest cookies are keto-friendly as they are low in net carbs.
The Quest protein cookies variety has 4 to 5g of net carbs, while the frosted cookies variety has just 1g of net carbs.
Is soluble corn fiber keto? I know some of you might be wondering this. Soluble corn fiber is keto friendly as it does not spike blood sugar levels like regular sugar or maltodextrin.
Quest cookies are not highly processed, but they do contain processed ingredients like vegetable oils and sea salt.
However, they are healthier than other cookies or snack options that contain added sugar, salt, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
Quest cookies are gluten-free because they are primarily made from milk-based ingredients and do not contain any naturally gluten-based ingredients.
However, they are not suitable for someone with soy allergy.
Quest cookies are not vegan as they contain milk-based ingredients like whey protein, milk protein or butter.
Let’s compare Quest cookies to some of the popular cookies.
Quest Protein cookies are healthier than Lenny and larry cookies.
This is because Quest cookies do not contain added sugar and have more protein, fiber, and calcium while being gluten-free.
But that’s only when you choose the protein variety of Quest cookies and not the frosted one.
Quest cookies are healthier than Oreos.
Oreos are made from enriched wheat flour, which is low in nutrition(protein and fiber). In addition, Oreos are high in added sugar and contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Grandma’s cookies.
This is because Quest cookies do not contain added sugar and have more protein, fiber, and calcium. In addition, Grandma’s cookies are low in nutrition and contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Nutter Butter.
This is because Quest cookies are free from added sugar and contain more protein and fiber. In addition, Nutter butter contains hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavor.
Quest cookies are healthier than Chip ahoy.
This is because Quest cookies are free from added sugar and contain more protein and fiber. In addition, Chips ahoy contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor.
Final words
After looking at the ingredients and nutritional value, it can be concluded that Quest cookies are healthy.
There are many reasons for this, such as:
- They have no added sugar.
- They are high in protein.
- They are high in fiber.
- They are gluten-free.
- They are keto-friendly
- They do not contain artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.
However, there are also a couple of downsides to Quest cookies, such as
- Some flavors are high in saturated fat.
- They contain palm and soybean oil.
Despite these two downsides, Quest cookies are still healthier than many other cookies.
Just make sure to consume them in moderation.
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