88 Acres
Dark Chocolate Brownie
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A seed‑based, vegan, nut‑free bar built mostly from pumpkin seeds and real dark chocolate—no protein isolates, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners—plus a meaningful hit of iron.
When to choose 88 Acres Dark Chocolate Brownie
Best for vegan or nut‑free eaters who want a dessert‑leaning, satiating mini‑meal for hikes, travel, or the 3 p. m.
slump—not for strict keto or anyone chasing 20g of protein per bar.
What's in the 88 Acres bar?
Dark Chocolate Brownie, the 88 Acres way, is built on organic pumpkin seeds rather than protein isolates.
That choice sets the tone: 12g of plant protein bundled with minerals, a generous 21g of mostly unsaturated fats from seeds and expeller-pressed sunflower oil, and the brownie taste coming from real dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and a hint of vanilla.
Carbs are modest for a bar like this and come from traditional sweeteners—maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and the cane sugar inside the chocolate—so the energy skews quicker-burning, tempered by the high-fat, seed base.
The result is a calorie-dense, dairy-free bar with a standout micronutrient cameo: about 20% of your daily iron, thanks to those seeds and cocoa.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Calories
- 280
Protein
1215MIDThe 12g of protein comes almost entirely from organic pumpkin seeds, not from whey or soy isolates. That means a more whole‑food protein package with minerals in tow, but a little less protein per calorie than a typical whey bar. For dairy-free seekers who prefer a softer, less chalky bite, this seed base delivers.
Fat
219HIGHMost of the 21g of fat comes from pumpkin seeds and expeller‑pressed sunflower oil (predominantly unsaturated), with some saturated fat from the cocoa butter in the dark chocolate. It’s a rich, energy‑dense profile that tends to keep you full; if you’re aiming to balance omega‑6s, pair this with omega‑3 foods elsewhere in your day. Among protein bars, this sits on the high‑fat end by design.
Carbs
1520LOWCarbs here are mostly added sugars from maple syrup and brown rice syrup, plus a little cane sugar in the dark chocolate. Rice syrup is a highly processed, glucose‑heavy sweetener that hits fast, while maple brings flavor but still counts as added sugar—so the carbs lean more quick‑burn than slow and grain‑based. The hefty seed and oil base will blunt the rise somewhat, but expect a dessert‑like curve rather than steady, all‑afternoon fuel.
Sugar
74MIDThe 7g of sugar come primarily from maple syrup and the cane sugar in the dark chocolate, with additional glucose‑based sugars from brown rice syrup acting as the binder. There are no sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners here—just traditional sweeteners—so you get a classic sweetness without a diet‑style aftertaste. Because rice syrup is very high glycemic, those closely managing blood sugar may want to time this with activity or pair it with a meal.
Calories
280210HIGHAt 280 calories, this bar gets most of its energy from fat: roughly two‑thirds of the calories are from seeds, sunflower oil, and cocoa butter, with smaller shares from carbs and protein. That density makes it more of a mini‑meal than a light snack. It shines when you need staying power rather than something featherweight.
Vitamins & Minerals
You get 20% of daily iron, largely from pumpkin seeds with a boost from cocoa. That’s a helpful perk for plant‑forward eaters, since iron can be tougher to cover without meat. Other micros appear in smaller amounts, but iron is the clear standout.
Additives
The only true additive is sunflower lecithin, an emulsifier used in tiny amounts to keep chocolate and fats smooth and mixed; it’s refined, but sparingly used. The rest of the recipe is straightforward—seeds, cocoa, chocolate, maple, and brown rice syrup—plus expeller‑pressed sunflower oil for texture. It’s a short list compared with bars that lean on multiple gums, stabilizers, or artificial sweeteners.
Ingredient List
Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp.)
Maple tree sap
Sugarcane stalks
Cacao beans
Cocoa beans
Vanilla orchid beans
Brown rice
Defatted cacao bean solids
Sunflower seeds
Sunflower seeds
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
Three themes rise to the top.
First, allergy‑friendliness: editors at Men’s Health and EatingWell both flagged 88 Acres as a standout for nut‑free, vegan eaters, and Reddit threads in allergy communities repeatedly call the bars “totally safe.
” Second, the ingredient philosophy: multiple outlets and shoppers praise the short, recognizable list built around pumpkin seeds and real dark chocolate—no sugar alcohols, no artificial sweeteners—and several reviewers say that translates to a clean, steady flavor without a diet aftertaste.
Third, satiation: Amazon reviewers like Wooly Y.
note that the high healthy‑fat base leaves you full and even holds up better than chocolate‑coated bars in a warm car, which makes it a handy choice for hikes and long days out.
Main Criticism
Price comes up often; even fans admit it’s on the higher end for a daily habit.
Taste and texture can be polarizing: a few buyers expected “brownie” to mean fudge‑like and instead got a seed‑forward chew; others found some boxes chewier or oilier than others, with the occasional complaint of oil seeping into packaging.
Flavor expectations also split the room—one Redditor joked it “tasted like…a protein bar,” and an Amazon reviewer simply didn’t get brownie from it. Finally, availability can be spotty in brick‑and‑mortar stores depending on where you live.
The Middle Ground
So where does the truth land?
If your benchmark is a candy‑bar clone with a chocolate shell and 20g of protein, this will feel different—leaner ingredient list, softer texture, moderate 12g protein, and real‑food sweetness from maple and rice syrups.
That’s exactly what many fans love: a bar that eats like food rather than a chemistry set, and that keeps you full thanks to 21g of mostly unsaturated fats.
On the flip side, those avoiding seed‑heavy formulas or expecting fudge‑brownie intensity may feel let down; as Reddit user “unknown” quipped, it tastes like a protein bar—seed‑rich, chocolatey, but not a bakery brownie.
The macro profile backs that up: it’s more mini‑meal than nibble, with quick‑burning carbs tempered by a fatty seed base, and a useful iron boost for plant‑forward eaters. Even the critiques tell a story—reports of oily wrappers or variable chew suggest batch differences rather than a universal flaw, but they’re worth knowing before you commit.
In short: it’s a purposeful bar with a clear point of view; whether you’ll love it depends on whether that point of view matches yours.
What's the bottom line?
88 Acres Dark Chocolate Brownie is a thoughtful answer to a real need: a nut‑free, vegan bar that doesn’t lean on isolates or sugar alcohols to hit its numbers. It gives you 12g of plant protein, 21g of mostly unsaturated fats, classic sweetness from maple and rice syrups, and a short ingredient list that reads like a pantry. The result is satisfying and steady, with about 20% daily iron as a meaningful bonus for plant‑forward diets.
It’s not perfect for everyone. The price is premium, the seed‑forward taste and chewy texture won’t read as “brownie” for every palate, and a few buyers have seen oily packaging or batch‑to‑batch chewiness. But if you want an allergen‑friendly bar that feels like real food and keeps you genuinely full—on the trail, between meetings, or as a school‑safe snack—this is a strong contender.
Treat it like a mini‑meal, pair it with something fresh if you like (berries, a yogurt, or even a cold brew), and let it do what it does best: deliver simple ingredients, steady energy, and a chocolatey, seed‑centric bite. Condensed listicle take: A nut‑free, vegan, seed‑powered “brownie” with 12g protein, 21g satisfying fats, and real dark chocolate—great for hikes and afternoon slumps; pricier and more seed‑forward than a candy‑bar clone.