Every Quest Bar Flavor Ranked (Seasonal Flavors Included)

This ranking has been in the works for quite some time, and I’m now ready to give you my official Quest Bar flavor ranking!

This list took me longer than I had hoped because if I had eaten all of these protein bars in one sitting my stomach likely would have completely exploded from all of the fiber and protein.

Quest Bar Flavor Ranking

If you’re unfamiliar with Quest Bars, that must mean you are brand new to the protein bar world. So, welcome!

Quest Nutrition first launched its protein bars in 2010, but it took a few years for them to really take off. Now, they are one of the biggest brands in the fitness industry with some of the best products out there.

To give you a sense of just how popular Quest is, the company was acquired in 2019 with a 1 billion dollar valuation…. yeah, they do pretty well.

What Makes Quest Protein Bars Different?

Quest bar comparison

When Quest first launched its protein bars, they were unlike anything on the market. I still remember when they first launched back when I was in high school (man, that makes me sound old) and being blown away that a protein bar could be that big and still contain under 200 calories.

To that point, protein bars were very… average.

Quest made their bars with fiber syrup, which led to them being extremely low carb, but also super chewy. Quest has changed its formula numerous times, but those original bars were very chewy.

Still, there was nothing else like it on the market, especially for the insanely impressive macros, so they were a huge hit.

Quest bars look a bit different today than they did ten years ago, but they are still the same bars at their core: very low carb, high fiber, and chewy.

Quest’s “Better, Softer, Yummier” Updated Formula

In 2022, Quest underwent a pretty major update to their bars. Over the years Quest bars have been reformulated a few times, but this was definitely the biggest change.

Quest marketed this update as a “better, softer, yummier” formula, which is a pretty big promise considering Quest bars have become synonymous with thick and chewy.

So, are the new Quest bars actually an improvement?

An old Quest bar (top) compared to the updated formula (bottom)

Overall, the updated Quest Bars are definitely softer than they used to be.

When you bite into the bars, you’ll notice that they are significantly softer, but they are still rather chewy. It’s tough to describe, but it’s a different kind of chewiness.

The old Quest bars were thick and chewy, which resulted in them sometimes being tough to bite into (especially if they were cold). With the updated formula, you can easily bite into them, but they are still quite chewy and you need to work to break them down.

If you didn’t love Quest bars before the formula change due to their chewiness, it may not be a big improvement for you. I love that they are much softer now, but I can’t lie and say they aren’t chewy.

In terms of the flavor being improved, it totally depends on the bar itself. I’ll get into the specifics of each Quest bar flavor below, but I’ve found that some flavors improved while others took a major step back.

Overall, it feels like the flavors are a bit dulled down compared to the previous formula, and I find myself wishing that each bar offered a little bit more.

So, if this new formula actually better, softer, and yummier?

Softer, yes, they definitely are. But are they better and yummier than before? It depends on the flavor.

Every Quest Bar Flavor Ranked

For this ranking & review, I will be comparing the regular Quest Bar flavors. I will not include Quest Candy Bars or Quest Hero Bars, because they are completely different products and deserve their own reviews.

I did my best to include every single flavor that Quest offers, but you may mind that some flavors are missing, either due to them being discontinued/seasonal or simply unavailable at the time of this review.

However, I did update this review to include Quest’s seasonal flavors, which you’ll find below.

15. Chocolate Sprinkled Doughnut

Sprinkled Doughnut Quest Bar

This one makes me sad because, before the reformulation, the sprinkled doughnut flavor was one of my favorite Quest bar flavors.

With the new formula, I find this one basically inedible.

I remember the original tasting eerily like a sprinkle donut and being amazed at how they captured the true flavor of a donut.

But this new version tastes extremely artificial and is quite chewy. In a blind taste test, I don’t think I’d know this was supposed to be donut flavored at all.

I tried this one numerous times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, and unfortunately, I found the flavor extremely artificial tasting each time and ended up throwing them out.

14. Chocolate Peanut Butter

Chocolate peanut butter Quest bar

As a lover of all things peanut butter, I find this Quest bar pretty disappointing.

The flavor reminds me a little bit of a peanut butter cookie, but it isn’t a very prominent peanut butter flavor.

Overall, it tastes a bit artificial and ended up being pretty dry as well. While not awful (I was able to eat the bar) it’s definitely disappointing.

13. Double Chocolate Chunk

Double chocolate chunk has decent chocolate flavor to it, but the “chunk” is really lacking.

It seems that with the updated Quest bar formula they reduced the number of mix-ins that the bars contain, and that is certainly true for the double chocolate chunk bar.

The plus side of this bar is that it’s the lowest in calories with just 170 calories (while still containing 20 grams of protein) but the flavor is not overly impressive to me.

If you love basic chocolate, this bar may be a hit for you, but I find it to be a bit bland.

13. Lemon Cake

Lemon Cake Quest Bar

The smell and flavor of these bars are very strong lemon, so if you are someone who loves citrus, this may end up being one of your favorites.

I really enjoy the icing drizzle on top of these bars, and the crunchy shortbread chunks are a nice addition as well.

But, this bar feels very dry. While still soft, the chewiness tastes as if you’re eating a baked good that is overbaked and therefore dry.

In terms of flavor, this is a solid flavor overall, but I wish there was a little more moisture to it so it didn’t feel like eating a dry cookie.

12. Cookies & Cream

Cookies and cream Quest bar

Cookies and cream used to be my number one Quest bar, but it has taken a bit of a hit with the updated formula.

The cookies and cream chunks in this protein bar are very impressive, and on looks alone, this bar is a clear winner.

However, much like the lemon cake Quest bar, the cookies & cream protein bar tastes very dry.

The overall flavor is still awesome, but it feels dulled down compared to the previous formula. I was blown away by the flavor of the previous version, but this one feels just average to me.

Is it a bad bar? Of course not. The flavor is still great, but there is definitely room for improvement.

11. Apple Pie

I really wanted to put the apple pie Quest Bar in my top 10, but it fell just short for me.

This bar has some great components, notably the crunchy pie crust chunks and gooey caramel.

But unlike the pumpkin pie flavor (much higher on this list), this bar doesn’t capture the essense of an apple pie as much as you’d want.

Yes, there is apple flavor here, but this flavor is much more caramel apple than it is apple pie, in my opinion.

As someone who loves apple pies, but isn’t quite as into caramel apples, that’s a bit of a disappointment for me. It’s a solid bar with a decent enough apple flavor, but not quite apple pie.

10. Caramel Chocolate Chunk

Caramel Chocolate Chunk

If you have a big sweet tooth, this is the Quest bar for you.

Quest absolutely nailed the flavor of this one, and it tastes pretty much exactly like what you’d expect from caramel & chocolate chunks.

The thick chocolate chunks contrasted against the gooey caramel make this one a winner for me, and it’s not dry like some of the other flavors.

I love sweets, so I really enjoy this bar. If you’re not big into sweets, I can see this flavor being a bit too sweet for some.

9. White Chocolate Raspberry

White chocolate raspberry quest bar

I didn’t love the previous version of the white chocolate raspberry bar, but the new formula is delicious!

The raspberry smell and flavor are both very prominent, and there seems to be a generous amount of white chocolate chunks in each bar.

I would love it if this bar were a bit less chewy, but the overall flavor is really pleasant and enjoyable.

8. Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Dipped cookie dough quest bar

This bar is delicious. No other way to put it.

All of the cookie dough-related Quest bars are HUGE improvement over the previous formula and taste like legitimate cookie dough.

This bar is not overly chewy, and I find that it truly does resemble cookie dough. If you prefer something a little more chocolate-forward, this is the bar for you.

If you prefer classic cookie dough, scroll to the next flavor…

7. Peppermint Bark

Quest peppermint bark

I don’t enjoy mint-flavored snacks, so ranking this bar inside the top 10 is a huge deal for me.

This is one of Quest’s seasonal flavors, and they absolutely nailed it. This tastes like the perfect combination of peppermint and white chocolate, which is exactly what you want from a peppermint bark flavor.

If you’ve had Andes mints before, that’s what this protein bar reminds me of.

Like I said, I don’t love mint, but if I did, I could see this bar easily being a top 3 flavor.

6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Cookie dough Quest Bar

Chocolate chip cookie dough is even better than the chocolate-dipped version, which is already pretty solid.

The chocolate chunks in this bar are very generous, and it tastes like a bar of actual cookie dough.

While it’s still a little bit chewier than I’d like (that’s just the nature of Quest bars), I simply cannot argue with the flavor.

This is cookie dough, and it’s delicious.

5. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Oatmeal chocolate chip quest bar

Before I tried this bar, I assumed it was just going to be chocolate chip cookie dough with some oats added to it. And while it does look like that, it’s actually a completely different bar.

The oatmeal flavor actually comes through, which was really surprising to me. You don’t just taste oats, you taste actual oatmeal. Pair that with a little bit of cinnamon, and they really elevate this bar.

This bar is a little bit less chewy than the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor as well, making it a clear favorite of mine.

4. Blueberry Muffin

Blueberry muffin quest bar

I was really worried about this bar, because blueberry muffin was one of my favorite flavors before the new formula came out.

Luckily, this bar hasn’t taken a step back!

This Quest bar is packed with a ton of crunchy shortbread pieces and blueberries, and the blueberry flavor is very prominent. Much like white chocolate raspberry and lemon cake, Quest really shines when it comes to fruit flavoring.

If you love blueberry muffins, I think you’ll agree that this flavor is nearly perfect.

It’s still a bit chewy, but not nearly enough to make me dislike this bar. The flavor is just too good.

3. Pumpkin Pie

quest pumpkin pie

This is one of Quest’s limited-edition seasonal flavors, and I really wish it would stick around all year.

The bar tastes like actual pumpkin pie, and not just like pumpkin spice, which is a huge win for me. You can taste the actual pumpkin, and it has a creaminess to it that emulates actual pumpkin pie.

To top things off, there are crunchy pieces of pie crust inside this bar. I mean, what’s not to love?

2. Dipped Cookies & Cream

Quest’s newest protein bar flavor is also easily one of their best.

This dipped cookies & cream bar is a significant improvement over the classic cookies & cream flavor. While I used to love the cookies & cream Quest bar, the new formula makes the overall flavor feel very dull and almost bland.

But this dipped version coats the bar in white chocolate, which means you get that extra flavor and sweetness that the regular version is seriously lacking.

The white chocolate coating makes this taste like it contains even more cream filling, which is never a bad thing.

There’s something to be said for the fact that my top two flavors have a white chocolate coating; Quest absolutely nailed the coating, and it tastes like delicious white chocolate without a hint of protein powder involved.

Here’s hoping that Quest develops more flavors in the “dipped” protein bar line because this is a winner.

1. Birthday Cake

Birthday cake quest bar

Birthday cake is Quest’s best protein bar, hands down.

In fact, pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to, and everything I’ve read online, seem to agree.

Most birthday cake-flavored products out there taste artificial, but that’s not the case here at all. Out of all the birthday cake bars and snacks I’ve tried (which is a lot), this may be my absolute favorite.

While still chewy, this is the softest Quest bar you’ll find. Biting into this one is very refreshing if you’ve only ever had the old, dense Quest bars.

Quest bar bite

The white chocolate crackly coating gives this protein bar the perfect bite while the inside remains super soft and almost cake-like.

If you love birthday cake-flavored snacks, this one will easily be your favorite Quest bar. And if you’re curious about the new Quest formula and have only ever tried the old Quest bars, this is the bar you’ll want to try.

Quest Bars: Overall Thoughts

Quest Bar Flavor Ranking

It’s tough to give a definitive review of Quest Bars when the experience for each flavor is so different.

When you have a flavor you enjoy, Quest bars are awesome. If I had boxes of Birthday Cake and Blueberry Muffin in my pantry, I’d happily eat them every day and I’d consider them some of my favorite protein bars.

However, I find other flavors extremely disappointing, so I can’t say that Quest bars are amazing across the board.

As a brand, I truly love Quest. I’ve reviewed their other products on here, like their Cheese Crackers and Protein Chips, and have been thoroughly impressed with them all.

When it comes to their protein bars, I think it largely depends on the flavor, and my favorite flavor may be totally different than yours.

Quest bars are absolutely worth trying, in my opinion, and I hope my ranking can help to point you in the right direction!

Quest Bar Flavor Ranking
Quest Bar Review (Updated Formula)
Summary
The updated Quest bar formula is definitely softer, but they are still quite chewy. Certain flavors, like birthday cake, are absolutely amazing, and other flavors, like sprinkle donut, are a huge miss. Overall, your review will depend largely on the flavor you choose.
Softness
7.5
Chewiness
6
Flavor Accuracy
6.5
Nutrition
8.5
Overall Taste
7.5
The Good
Updated formula is very soft
Great option for keto diets
Great when heated up
The Bad
While soft, still very chewy overall
High fiber may not be ideal for every diet
Inconsistent flavors
7.4
Give 'Em A Try
Show Comments (3)
  1. Fantastic review and great images, love that this is up to date, would be fun to do a couple historical reviews if you get the time. I remember interesting (?) flavors, such as Cinnamon Roll and PB&J that are no more. 🙂

    1. Thanks David! I actually missed a couple flavors as well, so I need to get them added to this when I get my hands on them. I feel like it would be unfair to add old flavors to this review though considering the new formula! But if I can do some research and collect my thoughts on the old bars I’ve tried, maybe I could put together a separate post for discontinued flavors

    2. To add: banana nut muffin, pb supreme, mixed berry, coconut cashew, chocolate hazelnut, vanilla almond crunch, strawberry cheesecake, lemon creme pie (horrible. reformulated to lemon cake), rocky road, maple waffle…

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Categories