Peanuts, salt and caramel. A match made in chocolate-ty heaven if you ask me. And, considering how many supplement companies have attempted to recreate the flavour combination in some form, from as Fulfil’s peanut and caramel to USN’s salted peanut crunch it would seem like a lot of people agree. Grenade’s white chocolate salted peanut has been flying off the shelves too and Snickers itself has released a bunch.
It seems that Barebells have jumped on the bandwagon too, offering a total of three variations on the tried and tested ‘salty peanut’ flavour. These include a standard and a vegan bar, alongside a white chocolate version for fans with a sweet tooth.
We managed to get our hands on the two traditional chocolate ones and wanted to give them a try. At the end of the day, the ultimate question is: Which should you buy, the standard or vegan bar?
Barebells Salty Peanut Bar
Barebells’ offers a broad range of protein-enriched alternatives to snacks and desserts – that never compromise on flavour. Their mission is to make healthy snacks that don’t taste healthy (because life’s too short to not enjoy the little things).
Their protein bars are no exception and made to wow your taste buds, whilst still being high in protein and low in sugar.
The range comes in a variety of flavours and variations including:
- Caramel cashew
- Barebells Salty Peanut Bar
- Hazelnut nougat
- Cookies and cream
- White chocolate almond
- Vegan salty peanut and hazelnut nougat
- Double bite chocolate and caramel crisp
Barebells’ Salty Peanut Protein Bar
Macros:
- Calories – 204
- Protein – 20g
- Carbs (of which sugars) – 16g (1.3g)
- Fat (of which saturates) – 8.2g (3.6g)
Ingredients:
Milk protein, humectant (glycerol), sweetener (maltitol), polydextrose, collagen peptides, cocoa butter, milk powder, water, peanuts, soy crisp (soy protein, cocoa powder, tapioca starch), sunflower oil, cocoa mass, cocoa powder, peanut paste (peanuts, peanut oil), flavouring, salt, emulsifier (soy lecithin), sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K)
The Verdict:
The salty peanut bar has a creamy, soft cocoa core coated in a smooth and velvety milk chocolate coating. The crunchy, golden peanuts laced throughout the bar enhance both the taste and texture, as does the rich layer of salted caramel on top of the bar.
That being said, I would have liked to pick up a *hint* more salt – considering its called ‘Salty Peanut’ as I felt it was a little on the subtly side. Everyone is different though in terms of personal preference so I’d still recommend giving it a try!
- Taste: 8/10
- Texture: 7/10
- Macros: 9/10
- Overall: 8/10
Barebells Salty Peanut Bar (Vegan)
Macros:
- Calories – 211
- Protein – 15g
- Carbs (of which sugars) – 21g (0.7g)
- Fat (of which saturates) – 9.3g (4.1g)
Ingredients:
Vegan protein blend (soy, pea, rice), humectant (vegetarian glycerol), bulking agent (polydextrose), sweetener (maltitol, sucralose), cocoa butter, oligofructose, cocoa mass, peanuts, soy nuggets (soy protein, cocoa powder, tapioca starch), sunflower oil, rice flour, peanut paste (peanuts, peanut oil), flavour, cocoa powder, salt, emulsifier (soy lecithin)
The Verdict:
A dream come true for peanut butter fans, this bar delivers the perfect balance of sweet and salty – even more so than the original bar. The slightly earthy texture that comes with plant-based protein enhances the peanuts’ salty crunch – unlike other vegan bars it has a great mouthfeel and manages to be crumbly but not overly dry.
Plus, whilst the Barebells Salty Peanut Bar comes with slightly less protein than the whey-based version at 15g, it’s still very respectable for vegan protein and enough for most gym-goers by far.
- Taste: 8.5/10
- Texture: 9/10
- Macros: 8/10
- Overall: 8.5/100
TL;DR
Overall Winner: Barebells Salty Peanut Vegan Bar
Thoughts?: The slightly earthy texture of the vegan protein works perfectly with the crunchy peanuts and the flavour is spot on. It’s a tad salty than the original, which we loved but still delightfully sweet. We must admit we were surprised, but we think that this vegan version’s BETTER than the standard bar!
