1st Phorm
Chocolate PB Pretzel
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A layered, candy-bar-style build with actual pretzel crunch and a doughy middle, delivering about 20g of whey-dominant protein while keeping labeled sugar around 5g via sugar alcohols. It leans indulgent without pretending to be a minimalist, whole-foods-only bar.
When to choose 1st Phorm Chocolate PB Pretzel
Choose it when you want a treat-like protein hit that actually keeps you full—post-workout, on the commute, or when lunch runs late. Best for folks who are fine with whey, soy, peanuts, and sugar alcohols.
What's in the 1st Phorm bar?
Chocolate PB Pretzel reads like a dessert, but under the hood this bar leans hard on dairy protein: whey isolate and concentrate (plus a touch of sodium caseinate) do most of the heavy lifting, with soy protein isolate and even a little peanut flour rounding out the mix.
The pretzel crunch comes from gluten‑free grains and starches, while chocolate and peanut butter deliver the flavor you’re here for.
Carbs skew higher than many bars thanks to pretzels, rice flours, and glucose syrup, yet the sugar number stays low because much of the sweetness comes from sugar alcohols and added fibers rather than table sugar.
Fat lands in the middle, a blend of nut butters (mostly unsaturated) and palm‑based oils (more saturated). If you like a protein‑forward bar with a candy‑bar vibe, this one’s macronutrients and additives are built to taste that way.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 25 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Calories
- 260
Protein
2015HIGHMost of the 20g of protein comes from whey—both isolate and concentrate—supported by soy protein isolate and a bit of milk protein (sodium caseinate). Whey is a high‑quality, fast‑digesting dairy protein; soy is also complete and helps with texture and structure. This mix gives you a robust amino acid profile with generally low lactose from the isolates, though it’s still a milk‑ and soy‑containing bar.
Fat
99MIDThe 9g of fat are a blend: peanuts and almonds supply mainly heart‑friendly unsaturated fats, while palm kernel oil (and palm oil in the peanut butter) adds more saturated fat for structure. You’ll also see small amounts of canola and sunflower oils from the pretzels, plus emulsifier fats (mono‑ and diglycerides) used for texture. Net‑net, it’s a moderate fat bar with both wholesome nut fats and more processed, saturated sources.
Carbs
2520HIGHCarbs here are a mixed bag. A good chunk comes from refined starches in the gluten‑free pretzels (brown rice flour, potato and corn starch) along with oats, rice flours, glucose syrup, sugar, and some maltodextrin—quick energy that can spike faster. Soluble corn fiber and chicory root fiber help steady the ride and lower the labeled sugars, but overall these are more ‘refined snack’ carbs than slow‑burn whole‑food carbs.
Sugar
54MIDOnly 5g of sugar, mainly from sugar and glucose syrup (plus dextrose in the peanut butter), but most of the sweetness is actually carried by sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol) and glycerin, with a small boost from sucralose. That keeps sugar low without making the bar bland, though sugar alcohols can cause gas or GI upset for some people at higher intakes.
Calories
260210HIGHAt 260 calories, this sits on the higher end for bars. Roughly a third comes from protein (whey/soy), a third from fat (nut butters plus palm‑based oils), and a third from carbohydrates (pretzels, syrups, and flours). It eats like a small snack‑meal: satisfying, but more than a light nibble.
Vitamins & Minerals
You’ll see about 15% DV iron—likely from a combination of cocoa, soy, and nut ingredients—plus a small calcium bump (about 6% DV) that probably comes from calcium carbonate in the whey crisps and dairy proteins. Mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) are added primarily to protect fats from going rancid rather than as a meaningful nutrient source.
Additives
This is a built‑for‑texture bar, so the label is long: fibers (soluble corn fiber, chicory root fiber), sugar alcohols (maltitol, sorbitol), humectants (glycerin), multiple emulsifiers (lecithins, mono‑ and diglycerides, acetylated monoglycerides, propylene glycol mono esters), a preservative (potassium sorbate), and a colorant (titanium dioxide). These keep it soft, glossy, and shelf‑stable; note that titanium dioxide is permitted in the U.S. but no longer allowed in EU foods.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk whey
Cow's milk whey
Cassava root
Limestone and chalk
Sunflower seeds
Defatted soybean flakes
Fats and oils
Oil palm fruit
Whole-grain brown rice kernels
Potato tubers
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“1st Phorm level-1 bar -PB Pretzel Flavor 🤌”
“Blueberry muffin and peanut butter lover are probably my favorite, they have almost a dough like interior.. very satisfying”
“I like 1st Phorm bars. I don’t like the strange chewy nougat texture of most of them or they taste off. Over several weeks I tried many that people recommended and I never found one I like better.”
Main Praise
Fans keep circling back to how it eats: soft, almost doughy inside with a satisfying pretzel snap and a chocolate–peanut butter shell that actually tastes like a treat. The Chocolate PB Pretzel shout-outs pop up often—one Redditor even dropped a chef’s-kiss emoji and called it a day, which tells you plenty about flavor.
Others describe the interior as dough-like and very satisfying, and a few who sampled widely said they hadn’t found a bar they like better. The 20g of protein per bar is consistently noted as a perk, and the sweetness reads balanced to many palates rather than cloying.
For people who want an easy, throw-in-the-bag snack-meal, reviewers often say it tides them over better than lighter, airier bars. The broad flavor lineup is another upside if you like to rotate, but this salty–sweet pretzel number tends to be a crowd-pleaser.
Main Criticism
Not everyone loves it. A vocal minority reports a chemical taste across the brand’s lineup, and some dismiss these as essentially candy because the macros run heavier than super-lean bars.
The sweetness strategy leans on sugar alcohols like maltitol and sorbitol with a touch of sucralose—useful for keeping labeled sugar low, but a known GI trigger for some; one longtime fan even bowed out after a recent formula tweak added maltitol.
Ingredient-quality sticklers also flag palm-based oils, several emulsifiers, and titanium dioxide (a colorant allowed in the U. S.
but no longer permitted in EU foods). Practical watch-outs include common allergens (peanut, milk, soy, almond), and depending on flavor, sodium can run higher than you might expect.
The Middle Ground
So is Level-1 Chocolate PB Pretzel a guilty pleasure or a smart snack? Honestly, a bit of both.
If your ideal bar is five simple ingredients you could find in a pantry, this isn’t aiming for that—it’s engineered for indulgent texture, which brings a longer, more processed label.
But the protein quality is legit (whey-forward with soy for structure), and at roughly 260 calories with around 20g of protein, it sits comfortably in small-meal territory rather than pure candy.
Taste appears to be the tipping point: some Redditors gush—one literally posted PB Pretzel with a chef’s-kiss emoji—while others say pretzel-in-bars just isn’t their thing and move on.
The sugar alcohol question is the true fork in the road; if you tolerate them, you’ll likely enjoy the low-sugar sweetness and soft bite, and if you don’t, no amount of salty crunch will change how your stomach feels.
What's the bottom line?
1st Phorm’s Level-1 Bar in Chocolate PB Pretzel succeeds at what it sets out to do: taste like dessert while delivering a solid protein payload. It’s satisfying, portable, and—if you like that layered, candy-bar build—genuinely enjoyable to eat. It’s also unabashedly processed, uses sugar alcohols, and contains common allergens, so it won’t be everyone’s daily driver.
Think of it as a tasty, protein-forward snack-meal rather than a super-lean or only-whole-foods bar, and you’ll be right at home. Quick listicle take: An indulgent, salty–sweet bar with real pretzel crunch, about 20g protein, around 260 calories, and roughly 5g sugar sweetened mostly with sugar alcohols. Great for a dessert-y post-workout or afternoon hold-you-over; skip if sugar alcohols bug your stomach or you’re avoiding peanuts or soy.