Price: $24.99 for box of 12 ($2.10 per bar)
Nutrition Facts: 240 Calories, 10g Fat, 19g Carbs (6g Fiber & 4g Sugar), 20g Protein
Snickers Hi Protein Bar was released in the United States a few years ago, and I immediately ran out to try it.
I was left unimpressed, and after trying the UK version of the Snickers protein bar (my full comparison can be found here), it was clear that the US version was far interior.
Well, it’s been nearly 4 years since these protein bars were released, so I wanted to revisit them to give them another try. Snickers has since released a peanut butter flavor as well, so I was curious to find out how it compared.
I’ve learned to adjust my expectations with protein bar reviews. Surely you shouldn’t expect a protein bar to taste like a candy bar, but Barebells Soft Bar has completely flipped that on its head.
The Barebells Soft Bar tastes so much like a Snickers bar, that it is no longer ridiculous to expect a candy bar-like experience from a protein bar.
Considering my original encounter with Snickers Hi Protein was met with disappointment, I was hopeful that maybe they have learned a thing or two and made some improvements. I didn’t expect Barebells-level deliciousness, but hopefully some improvements.
From a macros standpoint, the Snickers protein bar is pretty much what you’d expect to see in a protein bar. Just north of 200 calories with 20 grams of protein has become the gold standard for protein bars these days.
This isn’t a keto-friendly bar, although 13 grams of net carbs certainly puts the carb total lower than other options out there.
That’s all great… but how does it taste?
Snickers Hi Protein Bar… Does it Taste like Snickers?
Off the bat, I was quite impressed with this protein bar. The chocolate coating is very generous, and you really can’t tell that this is a protein bar and not a candy bar.
When I broke the bar in half (attempted to, anyway) the interior was surprisingly Snickers-like.
You can clearly tell that the caramel and nougat differ from an actual Snickers bar, but they still look quite impressive. In fact, the caramel resembles the Barebells Soft Bar quite a bit.
Looks aren’t everything, but if I were judging this protein bar on looks alone, this would be a 9 out of 10.
Unfortunately, that’s where the good vibes end.
I was really hoping for some resemblance of a Snickers bar, but this is one of the most generic-tasting protein bars I’ve ever had. The components of caramel, nougat, and peanuts make this resemble a Snickers in some way, but there is absolutely nothing about the flavor that will remind you of a Snickers.
This protein bar reminds me of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch protein bar, which I found to be incredibly generic and not at all resembling actual Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
In other words, this is a clear cash grab.
The nougat layer (at least what is supposed to be nougat) is clearly where all the protein is contained, and it is very thick and chewy. Taste-wise, it is similar to any other basic protein bar you’ve ever had.
Does this protein bar look like a Snickers bar? Yes, very much so. Does it taste like one? Not at all.
Snickers Hi Protein Peanut Butter Bar
I was expecting the peanut butter flavor to simply replace the caramel with peanut butter and call it a day, but this felt like a completely different protein bar.
First off, it does actually smell like peanut butter, which is always a nice bonus.
Second, while the nougat interior is still chewy, it is far softer than the regular Snickers protein bar.
Overall, this was a surprisingly decent protein bar. It’s nothing mind-blowing, but it didn’t feel like a disappointment the same way the Snickers Hi Protein Bar did.
I liken this bar to the Pure Protein peanut butter bar: won’t leave you wanting more, but won’t leave you regretting the purchase, either.
I do wish this protein bar was a bit less chewy, but chewiness and protein bars seem to be synonymous in most cases, so it’s not a total deal-breaker.
Snickers Hi Protein Bars: Are They Worth it?
I’ve had worse protein bars…significantly worse. In that sense, I suppose these protein bars are worth it.
But they are not Snickers bars. They’re perfectly average, unexciting protein bars. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you want a true Snickers experience, I cannot recommend the Barebells Soft Bar enough. I never expected a protein bar to perfectly capture the candy bar experience, but Barebells figured it out.
