The Top 21 Protein Bar Brands to Energize Your Day

Protein has been a bit of a buzzword within the fitness and nutrition communities for a few years now, and there’s good reason for it on both ends: Strength athletes perform best with extra protein intake, and protein-forward diets tend to be the easiest way to keep up a healthy lifestyle. That’s because many protein-rich foods like yogurt, salmon, and eggs are both nutritious and satiating, meaning you can feel fuller for longer with food that’s truly good for you.

For some, high protein bars may be necessary in hitting ambitious protein goals, the double-digit amount of grams boosting daily intakes without needing to squeeze in an extra meal. For others, protein bars simply serve as a filling snack between meals, something to satisfy a sweet tooth while running errands or hitting the gym. Whatever the use, we know the packed rows of the snacking aisle can be overwhelming, so we rounded up 21 of the best protein bar brands to fuel your day so that you know what to reach for the next time you’re browsing for a snack.

While this list is in no particular order (though it is grouped roughly by type), Barebells is the bar that should always be at the top of any protein bar list. Part of the new-age group of bars transforming the industry with new tastes and textures, Barebells is a chocolate-covered bar topped with crispy puffs reminiscent of Rice Krispies. Each bite is altogether gooey, chewy, and crispy, making it a unique, candy-like bar that can be swapped in for a snack or dessert for an extra whopping 20 grams of protein per serving. For the ultimate Barebells experience, grab the classic Creamy Crisp, Cookies & Cream, or Salty Peanut, which best highlight the brand’s flavor and texture.

A bar chiefly found at Trader Joe’s, a grocer we know has great protein options, Misfits is another brand leading the crispy-topped, candy bar-esque protein revolution, this time with dietary restrictions in mind. While Barebells does offer a vegan bar, plant-based is Misfits’ entire brand. Almost every bar is vegan-friendly and gluten free. If any bar can prove that vegan is just as delicious as anything else, it’s Misfits, each bar a flavorful balance of salty and sweet flavors that hardly differ from the milk-based originals. Each bar packs a punch, too, topping out at 14 to 15 grams of protein for less than 200 calories. The brand is definitely for chocolate lovers, and we say lean into it. Try the caramel fudge and brownie batter, the most chocolatey of them all.

So maybe you’re intrigued by the idea of the crispy puffs but aren’t quite ready to jump in — and that’s okay, because Fulfil is the perfect in-between. Topped with just a sprinkling of crispy puffs (rather than the entire exterior), Fulfil bars are a good introduction to the puffy crisp trend. The light amount of crisp nicely balances the dense, chewy bar, which in itself tastes like a Snickers. A lower-calorie bar at 160 cals, Fulfil is also a good choice if you’re looking for high-protein, low(ish)-calorie options that still taste like candy. What’s better is the brand’s dedication to added vitamins, boasting a 30% net realizable value of 9 different vitamins.

You may recognize Alani as the popular new soda touted by celebrities and influencers (Kim Kardashian even had her own flavor) but the brand offers a large range of fitness products — and is the last brand on the list to use chocolate-covered puffy crisps. The Alani crisps are considerably larger than Misfits, Fulfil, or Barebells, but surprisingly less noticeable thanks to the distinctly gooey interior. The interiors are what sets Alani apart, with unique flavors like peanut butter and jelly that have a jammy interior and nutty base. The nutrition isn’t quite as impressive, the small bar sitting at over 200 calories and 11 grams of added sugars, but for a quick, dessert-like snack, this bar is a good dose of well-concealed protein.

On the other hand, you may have discovered that you like these bars because of the puffy crisps and wish there could be even more. Mezcla thought so too, inventing a bar that is entirely puffy crisps with just a thin layer of chocolate coating the bottom. The resulting texture is a little bit like a Rice Krispie Treat, making it the perfect snack for lovers of the sticky, crispy bar of rice puff. Though the protein amount comes in a little lower at 10 grams, the protein is plant-based and the calorie count is just 170 cals, leading it to be one of the healthier bars of the bunch. It’s also the brand that best breaks out of the chocolate-box, offering creative flavors like matcha vanilla and maple blueberry.

On the other end of the new-age bar spectrum is the wafer, a texture meant to replicate the light and airy cookies we used to enjoy by the boxful at Grandma’s house. Powercrunch is perhaps the best version of this concept, the layers of the bar distinct, light, and crispy. The Powercrunch bars are in the lower range of protein (compared to some heavy-hitters on our list) sitting at about 13 grams a piece, perfect for the casual snacker needing just a small boost of protein for their day. While the brand has a vast flavor list, the three you might want to start with are the ones most reminiscent of the original wafer cookies: Triple chocolate, french vanilla, and strawberry crème.

Fitcrunch lands near the very top of our high-protein bar ranking, and for good reason: It has one of the best wafer-style bars on the market as well as a Twix-like chewy bar version. Unlike Powercrunch, the wafer-style Fitcrunch bar is more similar to a KitKat, the wafer ratio a little more dense and chocolatey than light and airy. Fitcrunch also has the benefit of being low calorie and high protein, making it a great choice for athletes and those seeking to add a great deal of protein to their daily intake. It’s also just plain good, with very little of the tinny, powdery protein flavor that often comes with protein bars.

We all know Gatorade for its electrolyte-packed sports drink, but the brand produces a delicious protein-packed snack bar, too. The bars don’t look like they’d be anything special, and the weight of them in your hands indicates that they’d be dense and chewy — but the long, heavy bar is deceptive. The bar takes the concept of the crispy puff and flips it inside out, instead filling the inside of the bar with crisp, bubbly layers. The result is an enormous candy bar, but one that is easy enough to eat before a rigorous basketball practice or just after hitting the gym. Like the brand’s famously hydrating sports drink, the Gatorade bar is really best meant for athletes, the higher calorie and protein intended to satiate the topmost performers.

The next step up from Gatorade’s protein-packed bar is the powerhouse that is Met-Rx. To be clear, the bar isn’t your average protein bar. It’s even labelled as such, calling itself a meal replacement bar rather than just spare protein. While most protein bars are dedicated to being snacks you can use to supplement your meals or soothe a sweet craving, Met-Rx is meant for the days when meals aren’t as accessible as your hunger — think busy work day, long road trip, intense study session, or overnight flight. It’s also perfect for bulking bodybuilders who might need an extra 400-some calories and a meal’s worth of protein. Why does it make the list, though? Besides the eye-popping macros, Met-Rx is just plain good, with an impressive flavor and dense, brownie-like texture.

So you have the crispy puff style bars, the wafer bars, and the incredibly high-protein chewy bars, but what about a bar that’s a little less fussy? Kind Bars are the protein bars for the people who don’t want a candy bar or a meal replacement but rather a salty, nutty snack that can be taken on the go. The bar’s best-selling flavor, chocolate cherry, is the perfect balance of salty and sweet, like a trail mix baked into a portable bar. The only downside to the brand’s classic bar is the protein content, which barely scrapes 5 grams; Kind has the answer to that in the form of a chewy granola-style Protein Max bar with 20 grams of protein.

Rx Bar was only recently the new kid on the block, the bar reshaping the protein market before puffy crisps and wafer bars were even in the picture. Rx Bar takes the dense and chewy texture of the old-school protein bar and recreates it using all-natural ingredients, known for always being clearly listed front and center on the label. Not only does the brand use natural sweeteners like dates and honey, but the 10 to 12 grams of protein in each bar comes from real ingredients like egg whites, oats, and nuts, making it a whole-food choice with very little mystery in the ingredient list. The pieces of almond are large and obvious within the dense layers of chocolate, making it a good choice if you love a snack that is both salty and sweet.

A chewy bar that’s been on grocery store shelves for over three decades, Clif Bars are the dense snack most known for providing all-day energy — not necessarily considerable boosts in protein. The brand in more recent years has released the protein-dense Builder’s Bar, which answers to both those seeking higher protein contents and those needing a crispier texture than the brand’s original bar. Both bars boast the brand’s ethos of clean, plant-based nutrition; Clif Bar is the brand for the people who care about more than just how the bar affects themselves but also the entire planet, emphasizing their impact on everything from the supply chain to the environment.

While we’re on the subject of old-school bars, we’d be remiss not to mention Quest, one of the originators of the protein bar game. Quest is the bar for those who like the classic chewy texture of protein bars, which we can admit is sometimes a necessary reprieve from the crispy, crunchy super-sweet bars. The Quest bar is distinct from the candy-like bars, offering a snack that is straightforward and easy to eat, with a powerful 20 grams of protein in each serving. Perhaps the best thing about Quest is the variety in flavor, offering by far the most flavor selections of any brand on the list.

Quest isn’t the only bar on the market still offering chewy bars with a variety of flavors. One Bar also does this well, specializing in candy bar flavors with classic protein bar texture. Another brand that has been around a long time, you can expect a classic taste and texture out of One Bars with an ingredient list to match. Each bar has nearly 20 grams of protein and less than 3 grams of sugar, making it a good choice for the health-conscious snackers who like a fudgy texture.

Think! is the brand that does it all, offering chewy, crisp, vegan, high, and low protein options. The chewy bars are a little less dense in texture than the original Clif, Quest, and One bars, with the addition of soy crisps giving each bite a pleasant, but subtle, crunch. The brand’s most popular products are the high-protein bars that have 20 grams of protein each, some flavored to match popular Girl Scout cookies (and they really do taste the same). But perhaps the most interesting product is the Delight bar, which is made with a fluffy and smooth interior rather than fudgy and chewy. Think chocolate mousse, but inside a protein bar. How can you not love that?

Although it may seem like every new bar these days is a candy-like KitKat or Twix bar, some brands are perfecting the classic fudgy formula. TruBar lands in the fudgy category but is considerably less dense than its predecessors, the bars noticeably softer and more spongy. What’s better is that TruBar is one of the most nutritious bars on the market, free of sugar alcohols and seed oils while also being vegan and gluten-free. In other words, this is the bar for the super-health-conscious snacker who is looking for an ingredient list they can trust. It also has one of the most impressive fiber percentages of the list, an underrated nutrient essential for digestive health.

Another plant-based brand, Aloha is almost identical to Trubar in texture and nutrition, the ingredient list again free of sugar alcohols and soy while also being vegan and gluten-free. There are a few minute differences between the two brands. Aloha uses monk fruit, pumpkin seed protein, hemp seed protein, and blue agave inulin, which changes the sources of things like protein, zinc, fiber, magnesium, and iron. The biggest difference is the calorie count. Aloha’s bar is nearly 30 calories higher than Trubar’s (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Both high in fiber and plant protein, which bar you prefer may come down to which flavors you like better. Our opinion? Aloha is great for chocolate lovers, the high-quality dark chocolate tasting rich and decadent.

Another brand with noticeably different chocolate flavor is NuGo, and the reason why is listed first-thing on the website: The bars are made without palm oils, which cause the waxy, chalky, artificial chocolate flavor so many protein bars have. NuGo is a little different from Trubar and Aloha, the texture crunchier and crispier rather than chewy and fudgy. The brand is also not entirely vegan, though their vegan bars are some of their best-sellers. Instead, NuGo has several different product lines catered to low carb and gluten-free diets, as well as bars designed for diabetes and dialysis. This is the bar to get if you have dietary restrictions, like the crunch of crispy puffs, and want the taste of real dark chocolate.

A mix between fudgy and crunchy, Balanced Tiger falls into a similar category as NuGo and the vegan bars but with a very different brand ethos. The bar focuses on including functional mushroom adaptogens that balance the mind and body. Functional mushrooms have been quietly making waves around the nutrition world with their unique set of health benefits — but have a long way to go in the snacking market, still mostly only found in the supplement aisle as a coffee add-in or as a looseleaf tea. Being built into a protein bar (with a solid amount of protein at 11 grams) is a new, daring idea that doesn’t hurt to try, especially if you’re looking for a snack that can double as an adaptogen source. Mushrooms aren’t anything scary, even if you don’t recognize the names. They’ve been cited in studies by Biomed Research International to boost cognitive function, reduce fatigue, and mitigate stress, all things we each could use from time to time. Whether you’re just getting into functional mushrooms or were an early pioneer of the trend, Balanced Tiger is a unique snack to reach for that could provide a little more than just protein.

So maybe mushroom adaptogens aren’t quite your speed but you could use a bar with a few extra benefits. Or maybe you simply haven’t found a bar you like yet and are looking for something really different. Built Puffs might be that bar. Not only does each bar include collagen, which improves skin elasticity as well as strength of muscle and bone, but the bars are designed to taste like chocolate-covered marshmallow fluff. Think of a texture similar to a Three Musketeers bar, which is chewy, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth soft. This texture might not be for everyone, but with dozens of fudgy, crispy, chewy, or crunchy bars already popular on the market, it’s a good bar for protein-lovers looking for a totally different way to snack.

Okay, we know these aren’t exactly a bar (though the brand does sell the cookie in bar form) but being that these cookies are sold in gyms like Gold’s and Planet Fitness, they’re worth a shoutout. The texture is actually pretty similar to the fudgy, chewy quality of bars like Quest and Aloha, but with a larger surface area making it softer and more cookie-like. The flavor is spot-on too, tasting exactly like a store-bought cookie (so not exactly the best cookie you’ve ever had, but pretty good). Even better, almost every Lenny & Larry’s product is vegan, most are high-fiber, and some are even gluten-free. You might not be much of a bar person at all, but that’s where The Complete Cookie comes in.