Is TikTok’s ‘Just-like-Ozempic’ 50-Grams-of-Protein Cookie Dough Too Good To Be True? Here Are Our Honest Thoughts
The internet can be a strange place. Especially when it comes to food and health information. Knowing what’s valid versus what’s nonsense on TikTok can be downright confusing sometimes. The latest trend to hit the app is a viral cookie dough that users are claiming makes them lose weight. It’s known as the cookie dough that acts “just like Ozempic.” Yup, you read that right. A cookie dough that acts like a weight loss drug? Dubious. Not only did I make (and eat) the recipe, but I turned to health professionals for answers about this too-good-to-be-true Ozempic cookie dough trend.
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What is "Just like Ozempic" cookie dough?
Before we get into the recipe, let’s back up a bit. According to registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, and author of The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook, Ozempic and its active ingredient, semaglutide, is a GLP-1 agonist that is approved for and primarily used as a medication for people with type 2 diabetes. And although Ozempic is not officially a weight loss drug, research—and users—are finding that substantial weight loss is achieved when they’re on the drug since it’s a side effect for some.
Dr. Caley Scott, ND, of WholeHealth Chicago, says Ozempic works on hunger cues and slows gastric emptying so you feel full longer and eat less.
This brings us to the "Just like Ozempic" cookie dough.
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"[The TikTok] saying it’s 50 grams of protein for that meal is very high which does help to balance blood sugar and build muscle," Dr. Scott says. "That much protein would also help to keep you satiated as well which, in turn, would help you to eat less."
So, it may be a delicious, filling snack, but can you really lose weight by eating cookie dough?
Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, a medical toxicology physician, co-medical director, and interim executive director at National Capital Poison Center, says there is no evidence that cookie dough provides the same clinical effects as prescription drugs.
“The ‘Ozempic cookie dough’ recipe, as currently promoted on TikTok, may be tasty and fun to make,” she says. “However, it is unlikely to result in a sustained release of GLP-1 from the gut and brain that will result in weight loss,” noting that the addition of chocolate chips or sprinkles may actually cause unwanted increases in blood glucose levels.
Harris-Pincus agrees, calling the dough claims “pure nonsense” and says while the combo of protein and fiber does help to slow down digestion and keep you satisfied longer, there is "nothing magical" about the recipe.
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Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
What are some variations of the “Ozempic Cookie Dough”?
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TikTokers are all making a very similar version of this trending cookie dough: two scoops of protein powder (a lot of them use whey); two tablespoons each of coconut flour and oat flour; a quarter cup of milk; sweetener of choice; and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.
However, there are some variations to the recipes, including shredded coconut, different kinds of chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles, as well as using dairy milk, sweeteners such as monk fruit, and experimenting with different types of protein powder. The coconut flour and oat flour seem to be the mainstays here even though some recipes do substitute ground flaxseed for the coconut flour and whole oats for the oat flour (oat flour is easy to make too since you just grind up whole oats in a blender). The recipe is highly customizable to your taste (or whatever you have lying around).
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Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
What does the “Just like Ozempic" Cookie Dough taste like?
I decided to make a version of the cookie dough with what I had: Garden of Life vanilla pea protein powder, maple syrup and unsweetened almond milk, plus the oat flour, coconut flour and chocolate chips. Because I was really into the cookie dough vibe, I decided to add a pinch of salt and some vanilla too (couldn’t hurt, right?). Making it was as easy as throwing all the ingredients into a bowl and stirring until it achieved a cookie dough-like consistency. The taste was pretty on par with cookie dough. I will say that if you’re iffy about the flavor of your protein powder, that will shine through in this recipe as it’s one of the main ingredients. Otherwise, the taste and texture were a good mix of chocolate-studded, vanilla-scented, slightly salty dough—really indistinguishable from a regular recipe of Tollhouse (without the salmonella). I did feel full after consuming the cookie dough—without any noticeable crash—but this was probably due to the decent amount of fiber and protein in the entire recipe of dough (8 grams of fiber and 22 grams of protein).
Try the dough out for yourself and see if it's something you want to add to your meal rotation; Harris-Pincus was straightforward in her bottom line about the recipe: “If you like it, enjoy it! But don't expect it to cause miracle weight loss.”
