Barebells has held the number one spot on our list of top five protein bars in the world ever since we came across the product shortly after it hit the market in the late 2010s. It has remained the best in our minds heavily due to its incredibly on-point flavors that hit far more accurately and cleanly than any other competitors out there. The milk chocolate that wraps the signature Barebells Protein Bar is tough to find an equal, its salty caramel is incomparable, and many other tastes it can communicate in a protein bar.
We have our favorites on the menu of the Barebells Protein Bar, including the originals Caramel Cashew and Salty Peanut, Hazelnut Nougat is another great blend of flavors, and the soft and fluffy Creamy Crisp, introduced as a limited Christmas edition under the name Holiday Puffs. More recently, Barebells got extra creative and took one of the first-ever options of its protein bar in Cookies & Cream and infused it with caramel, which we got our hands on to find out if it is as good as it sounds.
Review
The deliciously named Cookies & Caramel Barebells Protein Bar is intended to be everything you get in the classic Cookies & Cream flavor, with an extra layer of sweet and salty caramel. As mentioned, that is something the functional food company is notoriously known to nail — the caramel — and that is exactly how it plays out in the hybrid or dual flavor. As you chew through each bite, it all comes together as the name says: a combination of crunchy pieces and cookies, a smoothy doughy base, and unmissable caramel.
As you bite through, Barebells awesome milk chocolate hits you first, and in its typical rich and decadent fashion. That strong chocolaty taste doesn’t fade, with the cookie dough-like dense base being the next phase of the experience, introducing thickness and crunch thanks to all of the crispy pieces in the bar. That is on par with the original Cookies & Cream, although as you chew, the highlight of the Cookies & Caramel Barebells Protein Bar shines through. You get hit with the brand’s signature salty caramel, and it rolls together very quickly, although the caramel does noticeably hit and joins the chocolate as a strong lasting flavor.
For those curious about the nutrition, the Cookies & Caramel Barebells Protein Bar is not far off any of the other flavors, including Cookies & Cream, despite it being an already available option with an added layer of caramel. The product packs the Barebells Protein Bar’s usual 20g of protein, alongside 21g of carbohydrates with only a single gram of that sugar, no added sugar, 7g of fat, and a solid 210 calories.
Summary
While we had high expectations of the Cookies & Caramel Barebells Protein Bar, seeing as it is the first hybrid flavor that could lead to many other delicious combinations, we didn’t think it’d be as accurate as presented. The product really is Cookies & Cream plus a thick layer of salted caramel, which not only adds to the taste but also the consistency, making it smoother than Cookies & Cream. Barebells has moved quickly on this as well, as it hit Sweden in April and arrived in the US just a couple of weeks ago.
