Where to buy: Amazon
In order to find the best vegan protein bars, I tested 20 popular bars for 3 things: protein content, taste, and cost.
While the PROBAR base bar isn’t the best overall (it’s up there though), for reasons that I’ll explain shortly, it’s the best tasting vegan protein bar I’ve tried so far.
If someone told you it was a candy bar (something like a cross between Snickers and Mr. Big), you’d probably believe them.
Table of Contents
How Much Protein is in a Base Bar?
There’s 20 grams of protein in a single bar.
That sounds great, but there’s also 290 calories, and 15 grams of sugar.
So while the raw protein content is good, only about 28% of calories come from protein. That’s not horrible for a vegan protein bar, but it’s not great either.
Ingredients
The ingredients are mostly organic, here’s the full list:
Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Ground Peanuts, Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Glycerine, Organic Agave Inulin, Partially Defatted Peanut Flour, Omega Blend (Flaxseed, Chia Seed), Cocoa, Tapioca Starch, Organic Soy Protein Isolate, Natural Flavor, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Unsweetened Chocolate, Rosemary Extract.
There is a ton of sugar in these bars coming from multiple sources (tapioca syrup, agave syrup, cane syrup), it certainly isn’t a healthy bar.
Note that the glycerine here is vegan (derived from plants), and also that there is palm oil in these bars.
Personally, I avoid palm oil as much as possible (see why many vegans don’t eat palm oil), so that would rule out this bar for me, but make your own call. If you’re not a vegan or don’t mind it, then it’s a non-issue.
The Taste of PROBAR Base Bars in More Detail
I’ve already told you it tasted great, but I think it will help to put some pictures behind the description.
The bar itself looks like a standard chocolate-covered bar:
Breaking it apart reveals that there are a few different layers to the bar:
Aside from the chocolate coating, there’s a top solid layer, and then a crunchy layer which is a mix of chocolate chunks and some sort of peanut or starch crisp.
Overall, it has a nice solid crunch and good amount of chewiness. The flavor and sweetness are both great, and I can’t think of any obvious way to improve it.
That’s why it scored a perfect 10 for taste.
I went with the peanut butter chocolate flavor, but there are many other flavors.
Here’s the full list:
- Chocolate Bliss
- Coffee Crunch
- Cookie Dough
- Frosted Coconut
- Frosted Peanut Butter
- Peanut Butter Chocolate
- Mint Chocolate
Are Base Bars Affordable?
The price will change a bit over time of course, but for now if you buy a box it’ll work out to about $2.8 per bar, depending on where you buy it.
That’s right about average when you look at the prices on a per bar basis.
But when I calculate a score for price, I look at cost per 10 grams of protein. And since these bars have a solid 20 grams of protein, they score fairly high.
On my scale from 1 to 10, Base bars come in at a 8 for price, so they are relatively cheap compared to other plant-based bars.
How Do PROBAR Base Bars Stack Up Against Competition?
Overall, Base bars have a score of 25 out of 30 when you add up the 3 sections.
They are currently the 7th best overall bar I’ve tested (I may add more over time).
The nutrition and cost aren’t great, but if you’re struggling to find a bar you like the taste of, this is the bar.
PROBAR Alternatives
- Clif Builder’s Bar – This is a very similar bar. It’s also unhealthy with a similar protein content and tastes like a candy bar. The difference is that this Clif protein bar is a decent amount cheaper. Here’s my full Clif Builder’s vegan protein bar review if you want to hear more about it.
- Simply Bar – If you’re looking a vegan protein bar with a higher protein content and is actually pretty healthy, this is my top recommendation. It tastes good still, and is also affordable. See why it’s my personal favorite in my full Simply Bar vegan protein bar review.
- No Cow Bars – These bars are relatively healthy and have a high protein content, while still being on the cheap side. I recommend at least considering them. Here’s my No Cow protein bar review.
