REVIEW: PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

Flavored Tried: BBQ, Buffalo, Cheddar & Sour Cream

Price: $20 for 20 snack bags ($1 per bag)

Nutrition per serving: 120 Calories, 3g Fat, 13g Carbs (5g Fiber), 10g Protein

PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

PopCorners makes absolutely delicious snacks. In fact, the Kettle Corn PopCorners are one of my favorite snacks out there.

So, when I came across these Flex Protein Crisps, I had really high expectations. If you can take the texture and flavor of regular PopCorners snacks and infuse 10g of protein into each serving, you’ve got a real winner!

It’s tough to be 120 calories and 10g of protein in a crunchy snack (unless you’re Quest Protein Chips, which have 18g of protein in a serving). Plus, the 22-chip serving size is quite generous!

Technically these protein crisps are considered “energy-packed” but to be totally honest, I have no idea what that means in this case. I’m guessing because it’s high in protein that it gives you energy, but I won’t read too much into it; it’s just a marketing tactic.

Anyway, let’s see if PopCorners can deliver a delicious snack.

BBQ PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

To kick things off, I tried the BBQ protein crisps first.

In terms of texture, these remind me of a cross between a chip and a rice cake. If you’re familiar with the regular PopCorners snacks, they’re very light and airy because they are a puffed corn chips (very similar to popcorn but in chip form, hence the name).

These chips are on the crunchier and dense side, which is not a bad thing by any means, but definitely different than you might be expecting from PopCorners.

In terms of flavor, the BBQ is fantastic. If BBQ flavoring is overly smoky, I never really enjoy it, but these protein crisps are a perfect combination of sweet and smoky.

Personally, I don’t even enjoy BBQ potato chips a ton, but I absolutely love these Flex Protein Crisps.

Buffalo PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

The buffalo protein crisps definitely pack a ton of flavor into each chip, but the flavor was not what I was expecting.

The flavor is almost cheesy, and these reminded me of a cheese puff when I first bit into them.

However, you’re quickly hit with a ton of spice, and the aftertaste does resemble hot sauce a little bit. If you don’t like spicy food, you definitely will not enjoy these chips. It’s interesting that they don’t state that they’re spicy, but I guess that’s implied when you’re eating something buffalo flavored.

This flavor is certainly not bad, but it’s way cheesier tasting than you’d expect from buffalo. If you like spicy (which I do) the heat levels will be appealing here, but the overall flavor may not totally please the buffalo wing lovers out there.

Update: I did check the ingredients for this one and there’s no cheese in it, so I’m not sure why the taste is so cheesy to me.

Cheddar & Sour Cream PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

The cheddar & sour cream is without a doubt the worst flavor hear.

There’s a slight cheese flavor here, but overall it’s very light in flavor. Looking at the protein crisp up close, you can see virtually no powder coating:

Compare that to the buffalo protein crisps, which are completely coated in a ton of flavoring:

There is a huge difference there! Maybe I got a flukey batch, but there’s a clear winner there, and it certainly isn’t the Cheddar & Sour Cream.

With such subtle cheese flavor and virtually no sour cream flavor at all, this one is a pass from me.

Overall Thoughts: PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps

While these protein crisps may not top the likes of Quest Protein Chips in neither taste nor protein content, these are a really solid high-protein snack.

If you can find these at a local store, I definitely recommend grabbing them to try. I’d pass on the Cheddar & Sour Cream, but the other flavors are certainly worth trying.

You won’t eat these protein crisps expecting them to directly replace your favorite potato chips, but these can certainly satisfy the craving if you’re in the mood for something crunchy.

PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps
REVIEW: PopCorners Flex Protein Crisps
Summary
These protein crisps are a really satisfying snack, and for only 120 calories and 10g protein per serving, it's a great way to get additional protein into your diet. Other protein chips (like Quest) more closely resemble actual chips, but these are still a great option.
Texture
7.2
Flavor Accuracy
7
Nutrition
8
Overall Taste
7
The Good
Satisfying crunch
10g protein per serving
Generous serving size
The Bad
More closely resembles rice cakes than potato chips
All flavors not created equally
7.3
Give It a Try
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