If you’ve done a double take at Lenny and Larry’s cookies, review this article about the taste, price, and whether or not they are healthy!
This epic post is written by an actual dietitian (aka- credentialed food and nutrition expert), so you won’t want to skip it if you are curious about these products!
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate affiliate links. This means: if you click on the links and purchase, I earn a commission.
Disclaimer: This review includes information and the authors own personal opinions. It is not personal dietary advice. Talk to your doctor about any health concerns or dietary changes. See our disclaimers for more details.
What Are Lenny & Larry’s Cookies?
Lenny & Larry’s is a company that sales a variety of protein added bars and cookies.
Interestingly, it appears that they started with a high protein muffin (no discontinued(1)), but are probably most known for their cookies with added protein.
The cookies available at Lenny & Larry’s currently include:
- The Complete Cookie® (2 or 4 ounce sizes): Flavors include chocolate chip, double chocolate, white chocolate flavored macadamia, snickerdoodle, peanut butter chocolate chip, strawberry shortcake, birthday cake, peanut butter, salted caramel, choc-o-mint, chocolate donut, lemon poppy seed, and oatmeal raisin.
- The Complete Crunchy Cookie® (smaller sized crunchy cookies): chocolate chip and double Chocolate flavors.
- Keto Cookie (lower carb options): Chocolate chip and peanut butter flavors.
- The Boss! Cookie® (high protein cookies with little added sugars but does have sugar alcohol (these are not vegan)): chocolate chip, peanut butter, and triple chocolate flavors.
- The Complete Cremes (cookies with crème filling and have added protein): Vanilla and Chocolate flavors.
These cookies are marketed as:
- Fiber fortified
- Free from high fructose corn syrup
- Non GMO
- Using plant based protein.
They are also known to have mostly vegan products (the Boss! Cookie® is not vegan however).
Lenny and Larry’s Cookies Review
Want to see me try out one of The Complete Cookies and Crunchy Cookies? Check out my YouTube Shorts!
Taste
The Complete Cookie®
There are so many different flavors to talk about! In the video above, I go over one of the best sellers (according to the Lenny & Larry’s site at the date of the post):
Here’s a summary of my thoughts on the flavors I have tried (please note, I am recalling a bunch from past memories):
- White Chocolate Flavored Macadamia – Taste Score: 2/10. I did not enjoy this one. It had a chemical/ artificial taste. I could taste the protein powder. 😅
It was gummy, and had a sticky kind of feel. Husband actually had different thoughts (I was shocked)! He said it was pretty good for a ‘protein’ cookie! Daughter took a bite and handed it back to me. - Snickerdoodle Cookie – Taste Score: 8/10. My favorite! I recall this one tasting very sweet kind of like a soft cinnamon sugar cookie. I don’t remember a strong protein flavor.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie – Taste Score: 6/10. This was probably my second favorite. I do remember a bit of an artificial taste, but not as intense as the white chocolate flavored macadamia.
The Complete Crunchy Cookies®
Here’s a video of me taste testing these cookies!
In general, I did not like either of the flavors. Here’s a summary of my thoughts:
- Chocolate Chip: Taste Score – 4/10. Tasted bland – like a not-so-sweet sugar cookie. Could taste the protein blend as well.
It hardly had any chocolate chips which was not something I expected from a ‘chocolate chip’ cookie! Husband said it was just “ok.” He noted hints of vanilla right away. - Double Chocolate: Taste Score- 2/10. These were even more bland and had a even stronger protein flavor. With a flavor like “double chocolate,” thought it was going to taste very chocolaty, but it did not. Husband said it did not have enough flavor in general, and agreed it was not chocolatey.
Interestingly, my daughter seemed to like both of the Crunchy Cookies and kept asking for more on other days! 😄
Portion
Portion sizes vary depending on the cookie type.
At 4 ounces The Complete Cookie large size is huge!
The 2 ounce size visually looks quite big when compared to more conventionally sized cookies (like chips ahoy and Oreo.
The Complete Crunchy Cookies® serving size is 6 small cookies and looks visually appealing as well!
Price
I got the The Complete Cookie® White Chocolate Macadamia flavored 4 ounce cookie for $2.39 USD (this was on sale at Whole Foods).
Here’s how prices vary from different stores (of course, prices may vary):
- Walmart (4 count of the 4 ounce size): $6.98 USD ($1.75 per cookie)
- Target (4 count of the 4 ounce size): $6.99 USD
- Whole Foods: $2.79 USD per 4 ounce cookie
Compared to other vegan protein cookies, Lenny and Larry’s seem to be cheaper.
For example, Munk Pack, another popular vegan protein cookie is about $27.31 USD for a 6 count of 2.96 ounce cookies at Walmart. That’s about $4.55 USD per cookie!
I got the Complete Crunchy Cookies® at Whole foods on sale for $3 USD a package (4.25 ounces).
Here’s how they compare across different stores (Chocolate chip flavor-again prices may vary):
And of course I had to mention this about the price: if you are just looking for a cookie to have as a treat, these are likely going to be more expensive than ‘regular’ cookies!
Ingredients
Of course, ingredients may change, so check your package.
Lenny and Larry The Complete Cookie
Here’s the ingredients as noted from the picture above (The Complete Cookie – White Chocolate Macadamia flavor):
“Ingredients: Enriched Wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), protein blend (vital wheat gluten, pea protein, rice protein), cane sugar, inulin, palm fruit oil, white chips (sugar, palm kernel and palm oil, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin (emulsifier), salt), vegetable glycerine, invert sugar, macadamia nuts, sunflower lecithin, natural flavor, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, guar gum.”
Both the Complete Cookie and Crunchy Cookies have fiber added to them in the form of inulin.
Xanthan gum and guar gum are likely added to the Complete Cookie as a thickener and I wonder if it also added the gummy texture I noted!
Interestingly, the ‘white chips’ in the White Chocolate flavored Macademia Lenny and Larry’s cookie are not actually white chocolate.
White chocolate would normally have some cocoa butter. But this cookie uses oils for the creamy effect.
The Complete Crunchy Cookies®
Here’s the ingredients in the Crunchy Cookie Double Chocolate flavor as pictured above.
“Ingredients: protein blend (vital wheat gluten, pea protein), cane sugar, inulin, palm fruit oil, Enriched Wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), semi sweet chips (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, dextrose, natural vanilla extract), sunflower oil or canola oil, cocoa processed with alkali, natural flavor, salt, baking soda.”
Some cookies- like the Crunchy Cookies do contain chocolate. Something I personally try to keep an eye on is the chocolate sourcing, as it is common much of the chocolate available is source from areas with unfair labor practices.
I could not find out where the chocolate was sourced from, but-on the Food Empowerment Project’s Chocolate list( a company that looks into the chocolate sourcing of various companies to find out if they come from areas that are practicing unfair labor practices), Lenny and Larry’s was placed in the “cannot recommend” category.
If would personally like to see more transparency on where the chocolate comes from if I’m going to purchase one of their chocolate containing products again!
Nutrition
Of course, formulations may change, so check the nutrition facts of your package.
The Complete Cookie®
Nutrition info is taken from the picture above, and is based on the entire White Chocolate Macadamia flavored Lenny and Larry’s cookie (4 ounces):
- Calories: 460
- Saturated Fat: 7 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Sodium: 370 milligrams
- Fiber: 10 grams
- Added Sugars: 24 grams
- Protein: 16 grams
- Iron: 2 milligrams
The entire cookie is a high protein food at 16 grams of protein per the full 4 ounces.
Saturated fat, and added sugar content is is high (more on this later). This is not very unusual for a cookie, but important to be mindful of in the context of your overall diet.
While there is no set standard calorie amount of a ‘high calorie food‘ this cookie is calorically dense.
The Complete Crunchy Cookies®
Here’s some of the nutrition facts based on the picture above ( Lenny and Larry’s Crunchy Double Chocolate flavored cookies).
For one serving (6 cookies) they have:
- Calories: 160
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Sodium: 125 milligrams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Added Sugars: 8 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
- Iron: 1 milligram
These cookies are obviously smaller than the big 4 ounce ones and still quite calorically dense (again, not too surprising for a cookie!) .
These cookies likely have more protein than your standard vegan cookie, like an Oreo.
Are Lenny and Larry’s Cookies Healthy?
Lenny and Larry’s cookies are not a health food.
In comparison to other ‘regular’ (no fiber/protein powder added) cookies, Lenny and Larry’s cookies likely have more protein, potentially less sugar and saturated fat gram for gram (of course, you’ll have to read the labels to compare).
Key point: it’s important to note that we are talking about cookies.
Who expects a cookie to be “healthy?”
Second: “healthy” is a vague term. But when it comes to food, there are some general “healthy principles” most health professionals can agree on, such as:
- Veggies, fruits, and whole grains are important parts of a healthy diet.
- We should reduce saturated fats, and limit added sugars (please note, added sugars are different from natural sugars that is packaged in fruit) and sodium.
The three main criticism I have of the Lenny and Larry’s Complete Cookies are:
- Added sugars
- Saturated fat
- Sodium
- Comparison to other vegan cookies (adding context)
- Caloric Density without Nutrient Density
I’ll go more in depth on each point, but taking all things in consideration, I think that Lenny & Larry cookies can be viewed as a treat.
Added Sugars
One major criticism is the amount of added sugar these cookies have.
Again, not quite shocking for a cookie.
Their popular 4 ounce Complete Cookies have about 16-28 grams (varies depending on flavor) of added sugar per cookie!
The Daily Value (DV) for added sugars is 50 grams per day for a daily 2,000 calorie diet(2).
So one full Complete Cookie could contribute a significant 32-56% DV!
Of course, it’s important to note that we all have different calorie needs. But the DV helps to keep things in perspective.
Again, you probably expect a cookie to added sugar – unless you go for a lower sugar variety (FYI-these may have artificial sugars or sugar alcohols that may cause GI symptoms for some individuals).
And depending on what cookie you compare, Lenny and Larry’s might have less sugar.
Bottom line: keep the added sugars in mind when looking at their overall contribution to your eating pattern.
Saturated Fat
The entire Complete Cookie has about to 2.5 to 7 grams of saturated fat (content varies by flavor).
Too much saturated fat has been associated with adverse health outcomes, such as heart disease. Some research suggests a healthier choice would be to replace saturated fats with healthier fats like Polyunsaturated fats or high quality carbohydrates (such as whole grains) (3).
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends aiming for a dietary pattern with only 5-6% of total daily calories from saturated fat (4).
To put that in context, for a 2000 calorie diet, that’s a limit of approx. 11-13 grams of saturated fat per day. Lenny and Larry’s 4 ounce Complete Cookies contributes a chunk of the saturated fat limit under these guidelines (approx. 19-54% of the AHA saturated fat limits based on the flavor).
With ischemic heart disease being the leading cause of death, this is something to be mindful of (5).
To learn more about saturated and other fats, check out my article here!
Sodium
The Complete Cookies (entire 4 ounces) contribute about 230-600 milligrams of sodium (sodium content varies between flavors).
The AHA recommends a limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day for adults, but also suggests a more ideal limit might be 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults (6).
Based on this, the entire 4 ounce Complete Cookie could contribute 10-40% of total recommended daily AHA sodium limits.
High amounts of sodium in the diet have been associated with high blood pressure-a risk factor for heart disease.
Again, it’s important to be aware of the sodium content in your food and keep your whole eating pattern min mind.
And of course- if you need any help with your diet consult your doctor and Registered Dietitian!
Comparison To Other Vegan Cookies
Here’s how Lenny and Larry’s Complete Cookie (I’ll use the White Chocolate Macadamia flavor) compares to another popular vegan protein cookie – Munk Pack, and more of (what some might call) a ‘regular’ vegan cookie (no protein powder or isolated fiber added).
Keep in mind that their are some discrepancies in the serving size, which skews the comparison a bit!
| Calories | Saturated Fat | Sodium | Fiber | Added Sugars | Protein | |
| Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie – Double Chocolate (half a cookie – 57 gram serving) (7) | 210 | 3 grams | 220 milligrams | 5 grams | 9 grams | 8 grams |
| Munk Pack -Double Dark Chocolate (half a cookie – 42 gram serving) (8) | 160 | 2 grams | 220 milligrams | 3 grams | 7 grams | 8 grams |
| Whole Foods Chocolate Chip Cookie Vegan Cookie (about 47 gram serving) (9) | 250 | 6 grams | 207 milligrams | 2.8 grams | 18 grams | 3 grams |
Looking at this chart, Lenny & Larry’s does have the most fiber, but ties with Munk Pack for protein.
The Munk Pack cookie has a couple grams less added sugar.
The ‘regular’ Whole Foods vegan cookie has the most saturated fat and added sugar.
In short, you might expect more added sugar and saturated fat in ‘regular cookies’ than from Lenny and Larry’s.
Kind of like the name implies, you’d probably expect to get more protein from cookies that are marketed as having extra protein (of course, you’ll want to read those labels to check!)
All three of these cookies can be viewed as desserts!
Caloric Density without Nutrient Density
Cookies are typically more calorically dense foods and don’t contribute many of the vitamins and minerals that we need.
One four ounce Lenny & Larry’s Complete Cookie contains about 420-460 calories depending on the flavor.
This is important to keep in mind because some people may be tempted to eat an entire 4 ounce cookie for breakfast instead of a well balanced meal that includes macro and micro nutrients.
Sure, Lenny and Larry’s cookies does contain added isolated fiber (and fiber is something most of us don’t get enough of), and they also have a decent amount of protein.
But there are several other ways to get those that come packed with other nutrients our body needs.
Case in point: don’t use these cookies to continuously displace other nutrient dense foods!
If any of this sounds confusing to you or you need help personalized guidance with planning balanced meals, a Registered Dietitian can help!
Would I Buy Them Again?
I (again- I’m just speaking for me personally!) would buy the Snickerdoodle flavor again for a treat. I wouldn’t buy the chocolate containing ones (not sure about cocoa sourcing) or the White Chocolate macadamia flavor.
Here’s my final summary!
Pros
- Some flavors are quite tasty!
- Fiber content
- Several vegan options (if this is important to you)
- Some may contain less added sugar and saturated fat than regular cookies (you’ll need to read the labels)
- May be cheaper than some competitor protein cookies.
Cons
- Several flavors have a strong protein powder, an artificial taste or were just bland.
- Saturated fat, added sugars, and sodium can be high
- Caloric density may replace some more nutrient dense foods.
- Lack of transparency with chocolate sourcing (for the cookies with chocolate or cocoa)
- Often more expensive than ‘regular’ cookies
What are your thoughts about Lenny and Larry’s cookies? I think there certainly are healthier snack options that taste good!
If you want to read more vegan food reviews, check out this sampling:
–Lenny and Larry’s Protein Bar Review
Harvest Snaps Review
–Vegan Babybel Review
–Sunrise Energy Bars Review
Want to keep up with future vegan food reviews and nutrition info?
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