88 Acres
Chocolate Cherry
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A nut-free, vegan bar built almost entirely from pumpkin and sunflower seeds, with real cherries and dark chocolate—and a standout 30% daily value of iron—without sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
When to choose 88 Acres Chocolate Cherry
Best for nut- and dairy‑free eaters who want a real‑food bar that actually keeps you full—afternoons at the desk, long errands, or trail snacks—rather than a low‑calorie, 20‑gram protein hit.
What's in the 88 Acres bar?
Meet 88 Acres Chocolate Cherry Protein Bar, a seed-powered take on protein that gets its 12 grams from pumpkin and sunflower seeds. The chocolate cherry character is built with tart dried cherries and dark chocolate, rounded out by vanilla and a pinch of sea salt.
Sweetness comes from fruit plus traditional sweeteners like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and the cane sugar in the chocolate, not sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
With more fat and calories than many bars and a standout 30 percent daily value of iron from seeds and cocoa, it eats more like a satisfying mini meal than a featherweight snack.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Calories
- 270
Protein
1215MIDThe 12 grams of protein come naturally from pumpkin and sunflower seeds, not from whey or soy isolates. That keeps it dairy- and soy-free, but also means the protein is less concentrated than the typical 20-gram whey bar, arriving alongside minerals and a bit of fiber from whole seeds.
Fat
179HIGHMost of the 17 grams of fat come from pumpkin and sunflower seeds, bringing predominantly unsaturated fats. A smaller share comes from cocoa butter in the dark chocolate and a touch of sunflower oil used on the dried cherries, adding some saturated fat. It is high for a bar, which boosts fullness and helps steady energy between meals.
Carbs
1720MIDCarbs here are a blend of whole fruit and traditional sweeteners: cherries plus maple syrup and brown rice syrup, with a little cane sugar from the dark chocolate. Expect quicker-burning energy from the syrups, especially brown rice syrup, a rice-based sweetener that hits fast, while the seeds’ fat and fiber act like a buffer. At 17 grams, the carb load sits on the moderate side for bars.
Sugar
104HIGHYou get 10 grams of sugar, primarily from sweetened dried cherries, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and the cane sugar used in the dark chocolate. There are no sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, just conventional sugars that deliver a clear, dessert-like sweetness. It is sweeter than many protein-first bars, though the seeds’ fat helps temper the rise.
Calories
270210HIGHAt 270 calories, this lands on the higher side for the category. Fat from seeds and cocoa butter does most of the lifting, with protein and carbs sharing the rest, so it functions more like a mini meal than a light pre-workout bite.
Vitamins & Minerals
Iron is the standout at about 30 percent of daily value, mainly from pumpkin and sunflower seeds and cocoa. Calcium and potassium are present only in small amounts, and there is no added vitamin blend here; the micronutrients come from the whole ingredients.
Additives
This is a short, familiar list: seeds, cherries, maple and brown rice syrups, dark chocolate, vanilla, and sea salt. The more processed pieces are the sweeteners and chocolate, which provide structure and sweetness without sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, or emulsifiers.
Ingredient List
Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp.)
Sunflower plant seeds
Cherries
Sugarcane and sugar beet
Sunflower seeds
Maple tree sap
Sugarcane stalks
Cacao beans
Cocoa beans
Vanilla orchid beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“I really liked the No Nuts! and 88 Acres bars and they have a good amount of variety.”
“88 Acres are great and totally safe!”
“I just discovered 88 Acres and their bars are really good.”
Main Praise
Fans consistently highlight trust and taste.
In allergy communities, 88 Acres shows up as a go‑to because the bars are made without peanuts or tree nuts and are frequently recommended as a safe choice—a rare relief when most protein bars lean on nut butters.
Ingredient‑wise, people appreciate that the sweetness comes from recognizable sources like cherries, maple, and dark chocolate rather than sugar alcohols, which can bother some stomachs.
Several reviewers call out how satisfying the bar is: the healthy fats from seeds curb hunger and make it a reliable hiking or post‑workout snack, and it doesn’t turn into a melted mess in a warm car.
Food editors have noticed, too—Men’s Health, EatingWell, and Women’s Health all praised the short ingredient list and plant‑based protein approach, especially for folks avoiding nuts.
Main Criticism
The top gripe is price; even happy customers call it a splurge rather than an everyday bar. Availability can be spotty in brick‑and‑mortar stores, which pushes people online.
Texture divides the crowd: most describe a chewy, seed‑crunch profile, but a minority find it too sticky, occasionally oily, or “roughage‑like. ” Flavor expectations matter, too.
If you go in wanting brownie‑fudge levels of decadence, the seedy base can overshadow the chocolate; a few tasters described certain chocolate flavors as simply tasting like “a protein bar. ”
The Middle Ground
When you line up the praise with the pushback, a clear picture emerges: this is a real‑food, allergy‑friendly bar built for satiety, not a candy‑bar cosplay. The chewy seed texture that some call perfect trail fuel is the same trait others find a bit rustic—think trail mix compressed into a bar.
Expect a chocolate‑cherry flavor that reads as dark, tart, and cacao‑forward rather than frosting‑sweet; the brand avoids sugar alcohols, which many appreciate, but that means you get conventional sugars from fruit and syrups.
Nutrition‑wise, 12 grams of protein is solid for a seed‑based bar but won’t satisfy folks chasing 20 grams per serving. And yes, at 270 calories with 17 grams of fat, it eats like a mini meal—great if your 3 p.
m. snack needs to carry you to dinner, less ideal if you wanted something ultra‑light.
As for the occasional comments about seed ingredients, it’s worth remembering those seeds are doing heavy lifting on minerals like iron while delivering mostly unsaturated fats; if you’re philosophically anti‑seed, this bar won’t change your mind, but the nutrition case is strong.
What's the bottom line?
88 Acres Chocolate Cherry is the opposite of a chalky diet bar: it’s a seed‑centric, allergy‑friendly square that leans into real cherries and dark chocolate, brings 12 grams of plant protein, and quietly delivers a big dose of iron. It’s designed to keep you satisfied, not just busy your mouth for ten minutes. The payoff is steady energy and a clean ingredient list; the trade‑offs are a higher calorie count, a premium price, and a texture that skews chewy‑crunch rather than brownie‑soft.
If you want a vegan, nut‑free bar without sugar alcohols that actually holds you over, this is a thoughtful pick. If your non‑negotiables are 20 grams of protein, super‑sweet flavor, or a bargain‑bin price, you’ll be happier elsewhere. For everyone in the middle—especially chocolate‑cherry people and plant‑based eaters—this is a dependable, grown‑up snack that tastes like trail mix got dressed up for dessert.