Flavor: Chocolate Peanut Caramel
Price: $8.49 for a box of 8 ($1.06 each)
Nutrition: 80 Calories, 4g Fat, 8g Carbs (2g Fiber & 2g Sugar), 5g Protein
Pure Protein has been one of the longest-standing protein bars on the market, but they’ve remained pretty much unchanged over the years.
In my mind, their bars have remained pretty average over the years compared to the newer, more exciting bars on the market. Whenever I try a new protein bar, if I feel it tastes like a generic protein bar, Pure Protein is always immediately where my mind goes.
That’s not to say they’re bad- in fact, I quite like Pure Protein bars as an introduction to the world of protein bars. But there are far tastier options out there.
Now, Pure Protein has introduced Candy Bar Bites to their lineup, so my hope is that it will be a fun improvement over their classic protein bars.
I previously reviewed Quest Candy Bites and, on the surface, these two products seem to be cut from the same cloth.
They both weigh in at 80 calories with 5g of protein per serving, and it seems like they’re going to be quite similar. The question is, can Pure Protein match or even surpass the Quest version? Let’s find out.
Are These Candy Bar Bites Actually Candy-Like?
True to their name, the Candy Bar Bites are small, but that’s part of the deal. The Quest Candy Bar bites were also small, but they have a much more appealing candy bar-like look to them.
Here’s the Quest version for comparison:
The peanuts are much more pronounced in the Quest version, but I suppose the beauty of any candy bar lies on the inside.
When you break open the Pure Protein Candy Bar Bites, the caramel is the first thing you notice.
The caramel is soft and gooey, which is amazing, but looks aren’t everything.
The overall texture of these bites still leans towards a dense, protein-bar-like consistency.
The base of these bites tastes like a run-of-the-mill protein bar, quite similar to all of the Pure Protein bars. The caramel and peanuts add a nice touch, but here’s the thing: it tastes almost exactly like the Snickers Hi Protein bar.
Now, you might think that sounds like a compliment, but in reality, I found the Snickers bar to be rather bland, tasting more like a generic protein bar than a delicious candy treat.
Protein bars like Barebells manage to more convincingly mimic a candy bar thanks to their soft texture vs the dense nature of these bites or the Snickers protein bar.
Compared to the Quest Bites, which in my opinion tasted like what I was hoping the Snickers Hi Protein bar WOULD taste like, these Pure Protein bites fall a bit short.
The Final Verdict
If you want a quick bite of something sweet but don’t want to commit to a full protein bar, these candy bar bites work. However, with only 5 grams of protein per serving, there’s not much reason to choose these over a regular small bite of candy.
The only real reason to choose these candy bar bites would be if you absolutely have to choose a low-carb option, but I’d reach for the Quest version over these every time.
The Pure Protein Candy Bar Bites are not bad per se, but they do remind me of a very generic protein bar, just in mini form. They don’t really hit the mark as a candy substitute, which is a letdown.
If you consider them mini protein bars, I guess they do their job. But if you want something that actually tastes like candy, these miss the mark.
But hey, I do think the overall texture is better than regular Pure Protein bars, so at least they have that working for ’em.
