Protein bars have never hit the mark for me. I've tried countless brands of protein bars: Quest, Think!, ONE, and more. They all have the same underlying protein taste and gummy texture. Even though most protein bars sound enticing with flavors like Birthday Cake, Cinnamon Roll or Chocolate Peanut Butter, they always leave something to be desired. That was until I tried Built Bars. I've seen Built Bars promoted all over social media and they peaked my interest. Built Bars are much different than typical protein bars. They look gooey on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Another aspect that stands out to me is that most people recommend refrigerating the bar for at least 20 minutes before eating. I've never seen this technique for a protein bar, so I was intrigued.
According to their website, each Built Bar contains 110 calories and packs 15 grams of protein. However, once I received the bars, I realized that this is not the case. Some bars are 110 calories, but other flavors can be up to 180 calories, so that is something to be aware of.
Built Bar sent me 10 of their flavors to try. I tried each flavor ranking them best to worse. I ate the bars both chilled and room temperature to see which method I preferred. Let's get started!
Banana Nut Bread
Coming in at the top is Banana Nut Bread. This flavor reminds me so much of baked banana bread. The bar has a slightly artificial banana taste, which I don't mind at all because I love banana flavored things. I can also taste the nuttiness that pairs well with chocolate. This bar has small chunks of walnut throughout which is a nice change in texture from the gooey inside. I ate this bar slightly melted, since I packed it for a picnic on a hot day. The chocolate coating was a little melted and made the bar even more appetizing. If you’re a fan of banana flavored food, you need to try this protein bar.
Peanut Butter Brownie
Peanut Butter Brownie is the definition of fudgey. This flavor has the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter. I thought the chocolate might overpower the peanut butter taste, but the peanut butter comes through just enough. I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, so this is a winner for me.
Raspberry
Normally, I stray towards richer flavors when it comes to protein bars, but this fruit flavor is one of my favorites. The raspberry flavor comes through, but is not overpowering. Raspberry and chocolate isn’t a flavor combination I eat often, but one I need to start. The one downside of this flavor is that it leaves an odd aftertaste, but otherwise I really enjoy it.
Orange Cream
This flavor is surprisingly delicious. I was skeptical about the pairing of orange and chocolate, but it works. The filling tastes just like a Creamsicle Bar. The orange flavor is refreshing compared to the decadent chocolate covering. This flavor is not one I expected to like, but is one of my favorites.
Peanut Butter
When I saw this flavor, I expected it to be overwhelmingly peanut buttery (is that a word?). The bar smells strongly of peanut butter, but when I bite into it, I don’t taste much peanut butter at all. This flavor has less peanut butter flavor than Peanut Butter Brownie. I taste a hint of peanut butter from the chunks of peanuts in the center, but not much else. Even so, I still enjoy this flavor immensely. It tastes more of chocolate than any other flavor, which is still a win in my book.
Salted Caramel
This flavor is alright, but nothing special. It has a subtle salted caramel taste that isn’t overly sweet. It pairs well with the chocolate coating, but doesn't wow me. I expected to like this flavor more, but it falls flat.
Toffee Almond
This bar's taste is hard to describe because it doesn't really taste like much. The chocolate covering overpowers the flavor inside. I tasted almond more than anything, especially when I get a bite with almond chunks. Overall this flavor is by no means bad, just underwhelming.
Mint Brownie
I was excited for this flavor, but I'm disappointed. When I open the package, I smell a strong minty fresh scent. When I taste it, I don't get much mint flavor. It's there, but very subtle. It reminds me of Andes Mints because of the crunchy chocolate covering and minty taste. However, in my opinion, it smells more like mint brownie than it tastes.
Coconut Almond
My expectations for this flavor were high (like Almond Joy high). I think that’s why this flavor is so low on my list. This flavor isn’t as sweet as the others and definitely not as sugary as a Mounds Bar. I have a major sweet tooth, so I am disappointed by this flavor.
Double Chocolate Mousse
Coming in last is Double Chocolate Mousse. This flavor is overwhelming to say the least. Obviously the only flavor in this bar is chocolate and it’s too overpowering. It is dense, rich and fudgey which might sound delicious, but there’s no other flavor to reprieve me of the chocolate. Because of this, Double Chocolate Mousse is my least favorite flavor.
Final Thoughts
Built Bars have a unique, gooey texture that make them unlike any other protein bar I've tasted. I don't feel like I'm eating a protein bar because there is none of that distinct protein taste I find so often in other brands.
However, not all flavors are equal. My top three flavors are Banana Nut Bread, Peanut Butter Brownie, and Raspberry. After some experimenting, I found that I prefer eating Built Bars at room temperature or warmed up. This makes the bars even more decadent, since the chocolate coating is slightly melted.
Not only are Built Bars delicious, but their macro-nutrient breakdown (protein, carbs and fats) is impressive compared to other brands. Most protein bars with this amount of protein are double the calories. Higher calorie foods are not inherently bad, but if you're looking for a lower calorie option with a significant amount of protein, consider trying Built Bars.