ALOHA
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
An organic, vegan bar that actually tastes like banana bread, skips stevia and sugar alcohols, and delivers about a third of your daily iron—rare for a protein bar.
When to choose ALOHA Banana Bread Chocolate Chip
Best for everyday snackers who want a clean, dairy- and soy-free bar with moderate protein and steady energy. Great for the 3 pm slump, travel, or a gentle post‑workout bite.
What's in the ALOHA bar?
ALOHA’s Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Protein Bar reads like a comfort‑food snack built for everyday eating: dried banana and banana powder set the banana‑bread profile, then petite chocolate chips (chocolate, cane sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla) do the dotting.
Underneath, a plant‑based protein blend—brown rice protein plus pumpkin seed protein—keeps it dairy‑ and soy‑free with a moderate 14 grams of protein. Carbs land on the higher side for a protein bar, coming from banana and a touch of cassava‑derived syrup, but soluble tapioca fiber and seed fats help smooth the rise.
Those seeds (and cocoa) also deliver a notably high iron value for a snack. Bottom line: it eats like a slice of banana bread with chocolate chips, yet is engineered for steadier energy than a bakery treat.
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 25 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Calories
- 230
Protein
1415MIDProtein comes from a plant blend—brown rice protein plus pumpkin seed protein—for 14 grams per bar. Rice protein is clean and allergen‑light but short on lysine; pumpkin seed helps round out the amino acids and brings minerals along for the ride. You get moderate protein by bar standards, with no whey or soy.
Fat
119MIDSunflower seed butter and roasted pumpkin seeds do most of the heavy lifting on fat, with cocoa butter from the chocolate chips and a touch of sunflower oil in support. That skews the profile toward heart‑friendly unsaturated fats, with some saturated fat from cocoa butter (largely stearic acid). The mix adds creaminess and staying power and helps blunt the glycemic punch of the syrups.
Carbs
2520HIGHThese carbs are a mix of whole‑food and refined sources. Dried banana and banana powder bring fruit sugars, while tapioca syrup—a refined cassava starch syrup—and a little rice flour add quicker energy; soluble tapioca fiber (a resistant dextrin) helps slow things down a bit. Expect a faster start than oat‑ or date‑based bars, tempered by fiber and seed fats.
Sugar
54MIDJust 5 grams of sugar, primarily from banana and the small amount of cane sugar in the chocolate chips. A light dose of tapioca syrup helps bind, and a little vegetable glycerin keeps things soft and mildly sweet without adding to the “sugars” line. There are no artificial or high‑intensity sweeteners; the sweetness is built from fruit plus carefully chosen binders.
Calories
230210MIDAt 230 calories, this sits on the higher‑energy side because it combines calorie‑dense seeds/oils with a sweet binder. Carbs from banana and tapioca syrup share the load with fats from sunflower and cocoa, while the plant proteins contribute the rest. It eats more like a small, portable slice of banana bread than a “diet” bar.
Vitamins & Minerals
One standout: iron at about 35% of daily value, likely coming from pumpkin seed ingredients and the cocoa solids in the chocolate. You also get a modest bump of potassium from the banana. It’s non‑heme iron, so pairing with vitamin‑C‑rich foods later in the day can help absorption.
Additives
Beyond the whole‑food pieces, the recipe uses a short list of functional helpers. Sunflower lecithin (a natural emulsifier) keeps chocolate and fats smooth, while vegetable glycerin acts as a moisture‑keeper; both are highly refined but used sparingly. Soluble tapioca fiber is a manufactured resistant dextrin that boosts fiber and helps rein in sugar while maintaining a soft bite.
Ingredient List
Brown rice grain
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower plant seeds
Sunflower seeds
Cassava root starch
Cassava starch
Cacao beans
Sugarcane stalks
Cocoa beans
Vanilla orchid beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“I LOVE ALOHA BARS and this flavor is tied for my favorite”
“I really like Aloha bars. Heat one up for 20 seconds in the microwave and they taste even better!”
“I love aloha bars so much! I had weight loss surgery so now, when I crave a candy bar, I eat an aloha bar instead. Absolutely delicious”
Main Praise
The fan club is loud about flavor. Bon Appétit and SELF both highlighted ALOHA for tasting like real food—chewy, moist, and free of that odd protein‑bar aftertaste—and many Amazon reviewers echo the same.
Several folks call it their current favorite, and one clever Redditor swears a 20‑second microwave turns it into warm banana bread vibes. The ingredient list earns trust: organic, plant‑based, and sweetened with banana plus a little cane sugar in the chips rather than sugar alcohols or high‑intensity sweeteners.
People also note it’s filling for its size and easy on the palate for kids. As a bonus, the iron content is a meaningful perk for a plant‑based bar.
Main Criticism
Not everyone clicks with the sweetness. A few Reddit users find ALOHA bars overly sweet, even though the sugars are modest; taste is personal, and banana plus syrup can read more dessert‑like to some.
Texture can divide the room, too: a handful of reviewers mention crumbly edges, chocolate flaking, or a slightly powdery chew, while others find it pleasantly soft. A small subset report digestive upset—likely from the refined tapioca fiber (a resistant dextrin) or glycerin, which keep the bar soft but can bother sensitive stomachs in larger amounts.
Finally, 14 grams of protein won’t satisfy heavy lifters chasing a 20‑plus‑gram bar, and 25 grams of carbs won’t fit strict low‑carb plans.
The Middle Ground
Here’s where the truth probably sits. If you like your bars minimally doctored and dessert‑adjacent, this lands in the sweet spot—literally and figuratively.
Major outlets praised the clean taste and texture, while some users called it too sweet; both can be true, especially with banana in the mix. One Redditor even called 2–5 grams of sugar “relatively high”—which says more about their palate than the label.
On the GI front, the same fibers that keep sweetness in check and texture moist are also the ones that can cause rumbling for sensitive folks; starting with half a bar and some water is a reasonable test.
And about protein: 14 grams is solid for a plant‑based, organic bar—but if you’re lifting heavy, pair it with a latte, yogurt, or a shake to hit your target. Taste tweaks help, too: that 20‑second microwave trick really does soften the chew and bloom the banana.
What's the bottom line?
ALOHA’s Banana Bread Chocolate Chip is a rare combo: organic, vegan, gluten‑free, and soy‑free with a short, understandable ingredient list—and it tastes like actual banana bread with chocolate chips. You get 14 grams of plant protein, 230 calories, 25 grams of carbs, 5 grams of sugar, and a standout iron boost. No sugar alcohols, no stevia, and a gentle, fruit‑first sweetness.
The trade‑offs are fair: some palates will find it a touch sweet, sensitive stomachs may need to gauge the refined fiber, and the protein ceiling sits below the 20‑gram crowd. If you want a clean, everyday bar that leans comfort over clinical—and you appreciate real banana over “banana flavor”—this is easy to recommend.
If you’re ultra‑sensitive to fiber or chasing maximal protein per bite, try half a bar first or reach for something heavier‑duty. In short: a genuinely tasty, organic, dessert‑leaning plant bar with moderate protein and no sugar‑alcohol aftershocks—excellent for the 3 pm slump, travel days, and post‑workout when you’re not hunting 20‑plus grams.