The Great Protein Bar Taste Test of 2023

Protein Bars have always been my go-to trail snack because they are easy to pack and provide long lasting energy, which is important when hiking. Over the past few years, I always went with Clif Bars because of their variety of flavors and because they aren't messy (try eating melting chocolate on a hot day...) . But lately, I've started to wonder if I'm missing out on other protein bar options.

Thus, the Great Protein Bar Taste Test of 2023 was born.

So here's what we did. My partner and I each tasted and rated a variety of protein bars. We tried to get a variety of flavors. Some we taste tested multiple flavors, and a couple we only had one flavor. We rated them mostly on taste and overall feelings about the bar as a trail snack. However, I also include information about their calorie count, protein levels, sugar levels, special things of note, and potential messiness factor.

First up is the good ole Clif Bar:

Tested Flavors: Chocolate Chip/Peanut Butter Banana/Chocolate Brownie

Total Calories: 250-260, Total Protein: 10g, Total Sugar: 17-21g

Messiness: very dense, not messy at all. Won't melt easily in heat.

Special Notes: There are a large variety of flavors of Clif Bars sold in stores so lots to choose from. They, however, are NOT gluten free.

Taste Rating: 2.75 out of 5. Some flavors are more flavorful that others. We agreed that Peanut Butter Banana was the most flavorful of the three we tested. Just enough flavor to keep coming back to them!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5. To quote my partner, "unspectacular but classic for a reason". They are convenient, easy to eat, and provide a good amount of protein.

Next up, Special K Bars:

Tested Flavors: Blueberry/Chocolate Caramel

Total Calories: 180, Total Protein: 12g, Total Sugar: 9g

Messiness: These bars are fully coated and can definitely get melty and messy with just a little bit of heat.

Special Notes: These are NOT gluten free. But they are pretty high in iron!

Taste Rating: 3.5 out of 5. I rated these higher than my partner. They both had sweeter, stronger flavors than, say, a Clif bar. My partner thought the chocolate caramel bar tasted too much like a diet bar.

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5. We both liked the blueberry bar. I like the sweeter flavoring while still getting a high protein to sugar ratio. My partner felt like one bar might not be enough to be fully satiated though.

Kind Bars:

Tested Flavors: Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt/Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew

Total Calories: 170-180, Total Protein: 4-6g, Total Sugar: 5-10g

Messiness: These bars are pretty messy, regardless of heat; but on a hot day, they can get pretty melty/messy.

Special Notes: Gluten Free.

Taste Rating: 4 out of 5. My partner rated the taste higher than me. I liked the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew more, because the cherry added more sweetness. My partner liked that these bars are packed with nuts.

Overall Rating: 3.25 out of 5. The lower protein levels brought the overall rating down. I also thought they were a bit hard on the teeth. They are a nice snack, but probably not the best for refueling on a hike.

Atkins Bars:

Tested Flavors: Caramel Apple Pie Bar/Double Fudge Brownie Bar

Total Calories: 150/180, Total Protein: 10-15g, Total Sugar: 1-2g

Messiness: These bars are crumbly and can naturally be a bit messy. But they are also coated and can get real messy with some heat.

Special Notes: Good source of iron and fiber. Low in the sugar department.

Taste Rating: 3.75 out of 5. These bars had nice, strong flavors that are surprisingly complex. My partner really liked the double fudge brownie flavor.

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5. I was surprised at how much I liked these bars for it being Atkins. The flavors are pretty good and seems like they have a variety sold in stores. They pack a lot of protein even in the smaller bar. My partner noted that the two bars were different sizes which he found odd.

Nature Valley Bars:

Tested Flavors: Sweet & Salt Nut - Peanut

Total Calories: 160, Total Protein: 3g, Total Sugar: 7g

Messiness: The peanut butter bottom of this bar would melt easily in heat. But the bar holds together pretty well otherwise.

Special Notes: None.

Taste Rating: 4 out of 5. The bar has a robust sweet and salty flavor, which is tasty but it starts to veer into the realm of candy bar...

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5. Not great on the protein levels and it tastes more like a processed snack than other bars. Could be used for a quick pick-me-up, but not a good refueling bar.

Rx Bars:

Tested Flavors: Blueberry

Total Calories: 210, Total Protein: 12g, Total Sugar: 15g

Messiness: The bar is quite a solid, hardy chunk. Not messy at all.

Special Notes: Gluten Free. This flavor and some others fit the Whole30 diet. Others may fit other lifestyles or diets because of their simple ingredients.

Taste Rating: 3.75 out of 5. I acquired a taste for these bars while doing a Whole30 diet. They are rather flavorful for having such simple ingredients. My partner thought the flavors were pretty well balanced. He's not crazy about dates but he couldn't really taste them. And while Blueberry was the only flavor tested for this comparison, the Coconut Chocolate one is pretty nice, too!

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5. I liked these more than my partner. I think they are simple yet still have flavor and are pretty high in protein. My partner thought they were a little too blocky and chewy for his liking. We both agree that they WILL stick to your teeth which isn't ideal, but that the simple, organic ingredients are nice for a healthy diet.

Think! Bars:

Tested Flavors: Chocolate Almond Brownie

Total Calories: 150, Total Protein: 10g, Total Sugar: 5g

Messiness: It's a dense bar with more of a tootsie roll consistency so not really messy at all.

Special Notes: Gluten Free.

Taste Rating: 3.5 out of 5. My partner liked the taste more than me. He thought it was one of the more successful attempts at capturing real chocolate flavor in a bar. I think it was a little too chalky for my liking.

Overall Rating: 3.75 out of 5. This one divided us. It's probably the biggest discrepancy between our ratings so I'll give you our individual ratings just in case. My partner rated this bar 4.5 out of 5. He thought it had a nice flavor and nice texture. Less protein content than others but its lightness makes it an ideal pick-me-up. I rated the bar 3 out of 5. I thought the flavor was fine but that tootsie roll consistency just wasn't doing it for me (I'm not a fan of tootsie rolls so take that as you will).

Luna Bars:

Tested Flavors: Nutz Over Chocolate

Total Calories: 210, Total Protein: 9g, Total Sugar: 7g

Messiness: The chocolatey bottom could melt with heat. Aside from that, the bar is not terribly dense so it could potentially bend/fold easily.

Special Notes: Gluten Free.

Taste Rating: 4.25 out of 5. We both really liked the flavor. I wanted a little bit more of a chocolatey flavor but my partner thought it was one of the most flavorful bars of the whole test!

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5. Great flavor and the lightness of the oat-based bar makes it highly snackable. Packs a decent amount of protein, too.

Quest Bars:

Tested Flavors: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Total Calories: 200, Total Protein: 21g, Total Sugar: 1g

Messiness: Not messy. It's consistency is similar to the Think! bar which reminds me of tootsie rolls.

Special Notes: None.

Taste Rating: 1.25 out of 5. Very little taste. Every once in a while you hit a chocolate chunk, but the rest is pretty bad. To quote my partner's review: "I’m living for those chocolate chunks. The rest tastes like chemically processed sludge." The after taste is pretty bad, too...

Overall Rating: 1.25 out of 5. We really did NOT like the taste of this bar. If for some reason, you need a super high protein, super low sugar bar, this will work, but you probably won't enjoy it.

And finally, throwing in some Honey Stinger Waffles:

Tested Flavors: Honey/Salted Caramel

Total Calories: 140-150, Total Protein: 1g, Total Sugar: 10g

Messiness: Won't melt, but it does crumble pretty easily.

Special Notes: The salted caramel flavor is gluten free.

Taste Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Tasty, Stroopwafel goodness. Nice, sweet flavor. The Salted Caramel one is particular yummy.

Overall Rating: 3.25 out of 5. These are not really protein bars, but they are sold in the same section in the grocery store so we thought we'd throw in something different! With only 1g of protein, they aren't really meant for long lasting energy. They're more useful as a quick burst of energy and are quite yummy!

Our Favorite Bars: My partner's favorite bar was the Think! Bar (Chocolate Almond Brownie). My favorite bar was the Special K (Blueberry) Bar.

Honorable Mention: We both agree that the Luna Bar (Nutz over Chocolate) should get an honorable mention. It was a close second for both of us!

Our Least Favorite Bars: We both agree, the Quest Bar ends up at the bottom of our list!

Final Thoughts: There are a lot of different types of snack bars out there and depending on your wants and needs, any of these bars are more than adequate (except for you, Quest Bar!). I think I realized I'm craving a combination of sweetness and protein for my hike snack. But whatever you are looking for, I hope the information we compiled helps so you don't have to buy out the protein bar section of your grocery store like we did ;-)