- Dessert can be a surprisingly easy way to boost your protein intake—sometimes more than an egg.
- Try high-protein picks like yogurt parfaits, ricotta cake, tofu pudding, and frozen yogurt pops.
- Whether dairy or plant-based, these sweet treats help you hit your protein goals deliciously.
It may be easier to consume protein at meals and snacks, but don’t overlook dessert. In fact, you can find several satisfying desserts that pack more protein than an egg—even if you don’t want to swap flour for black beans or add protein powder to everything.
Why use an egg as the barometer of protein? Eggs are often considered to be one of the best sources of protein, packing 6 grams of protein per large egg. When we look to compare other foods in terms of protein content, we often look at eggs. Catch is, an egg is not exactly a dessert food.
So, we went ahead and rounded up a list of seven desserts with more protein than an egg. Some of these may actually surprise you.
1. Yogurt Parfait
Layer Greek-style yogurt, fruit, granola and chocolate chips in a cup for a delightful, protein-rich dessert. A single-serving container (5.3 ounces) of Greek yogurt has 13 grams of protein—more than double the amount found in an egg. You can customize the toppings to your liking, too. Some ideas are berries, peaches, cherries, dried cranberries, granola, chocolate chips or shredded coconut. For more protein, you could also add nuts, seeds or nut butter.
Plus, Greek-style yogurt is quite low in lactose compared to other dairy products like milk and ice cream, making this a gentler form of dairy for many people with lactose intolerance. This is especially beneficial because dairy is one of the best sources of calcium, a mineral many Americans fall short on.
A cup of yogurt parfait.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
2. Frozen Yogurt Popsicles
You can find frozen yogurt popsicles in the store, but you can also make them at home yourself. Combine Greek-style yogurt and your choice of fruit in a blender, then pour the mixture into popsicle molds. Freeze for a few hours and enjoy! Just ¼ cup of Greek yogurt has about the same protein content as an egg. For extra protein and a richer result, consider adding nut butter to the mix.
Not only is this a refreshing dessert for summertime, it’s also a fun way to increase your fruit intake. Only about 12% of U.S. adults meet the recommendation to eat 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day, so don’t overlook dessert as an opportunity to consume more protein and fruit.
A frozen yogurt popsicle being held in a hand.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
3. Hot Chocolate
When it’s too cold for a popsicle, you can get your post-dinner protein from hot chocolate. This decadent drink is not only full of chocolaty goodness, but using milk as the base makes it high in protein.
Each cup of cow’s milk has about 8 grams of protein. If you prefer a plant-based option, go for soy milk or pea protein milk instead, as they have a similar protein content to cow’s milk.,
A cup of hot chocolate.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
4. Cheesecake
Believe it or not, a piece of cheesecake (a 4.5-ounce slice) actually has slightly more protein than an egg.8 In contrast to regular cake that uses flour, the cream cheese in cheesecake contributes much of the protein. The rest of the protein primarily comes from eggs.
This is another delicious and decadent way to add fruit to your diet. Top cheesecake with berries for some added fiber and antioxidants!
Keep in mind that cheesecake is high in saturated fat, which may increase “bad” cholesterol levels., Dietary recommendations suggest limiting saturated fat to 10% of your total calories. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cut out cheesecake entirely, but be mindful about mixing up your desserts to include heart-healthy options as well.
To reduce saturated fat, you can make cheesecake with reduced-fat cream cheese and plain Greek yogurt, like our Mini New York Cheesecakes. Baking them in muffin tins makes for a fun individual-sized dessert.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
5. Greek Yogurt Bark
As you’re probably noticing, Greek yogurt desserts tend to be some of the highest in protein. Besides parfaits and popsicles, you can also use Greek yogurt to make frozen yogurt bark. Mix yogurt, sweetener to taste and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Then, spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and add your favorite toppings. That could include chocolate chips, dried cherries, berries, granola and nuts. Freeze for a couple of hours, cut into pieces and enjoy!
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
6. Ricotta Pound Cake
Pound cake is undeniably delicious, and if you make it with ricotta, it can even be a high-protein dessert. Ricotta adds nutrition and moisture to the cake. Between the ricotta and eggs, you can get up to 8 grams of protein per slice, like in our Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake. Plus, you’ll sneak in a few grams of fiber if you use whole-wheat flour and add fruit.
A piece of Lemon-Blueberry Ricotta Poundcake on a plate.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studio.
7. Silken Tofu Pudding
The other desserts on this list center dairy, but here’s an option suitable for a vegan diet: silken tofu pudding. Regular pudding uses milk, but this vegan alternative uses tofu insead. Each serving of silken tofu (3 ounces) has the same protein content as an egg.
To make tofu pudding, melt chocolate and blend it with silken tofu, cocoa powder, a sweetener of choice and a dash of salt. Put it in the fridge to chill for a few hours and then enjoy its mousse-like consistency. Topping with berries and sliced almonds could take it over the top.
High-Protein Recipes to Try
Our Expert Take
Don’t overlook dessert as an opportunity to get in protein, especially if you struggle to eat enough protein during meals. Desserts with dairy like a yogurt parfait, Greek yogurt bark and frozen yogurt popsicles are tried-and-true ways to get in more protein than an egg. If you don’t do dairy, we suggest opting for soy or pea protein alternatives since they have a comparable protein content to dairy milk.
