ALOHA
The Pa'akai Bar
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A salted dark‑chocolate, coconut, and macadamia flavor built on organic, vegan ingredients with no sugar alcohols—and an unusually high iron contribution for a bar.
When to choose ALOHA The Pa'akai Bar
Dairy‑ and soy‑free eaters who want a real‑chocolate, plant‑based bar that satisfies between meals; great as an afternoon tide‑you‑over or a post‑workout snack when 14g of protein is plenty.
What's in the ALOHA bar?
Pa‘akai means sea salt, and that’s the wink in this dark‑chocolate, coconut, and macadamia combo that eats more like a snack‑meal than a candy bar. The protein is fully plant‑based—a blend of brown rice and pumpkin seed proteins—so it’s dairy‑ and soy‑free, with an unexpectedly strong iron contribution from cocoa and seeds.
Carbs lean on cassava‑derived soluble fiber with just a nudge of syrup and sugar for flavor, while fats from nut butters, macadamias, coconut, and cocoa butter push calories higher but also keep you full.
If you crave a salted‑chocolate profile with tropical notes and staying power, this is that lane.
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Calories
- 240
Protein
1415MIDThe 14g of protein come from a plant blend of brown rice protein and pumpkin seed protein. Rice protein is gentle and dairy‑free but lighter in lysine; pairing it with seed protein helps round out the amino acid picture while bringing seed‑borne minerals. It’s a mid‑pack protein dose that suits a snack or light recovery without leaning on whey or soy.
Fat
129HIGHTwelve grams of fat arrive mostly from foods you recognize—sunflower and cashew butters, macadamias, and coconut—plus cocoa butter from the dark chocolate and a touch of sunflower and pongamia (PONOVA) oils. Expect a tilt toward heart‑friendly unsaturated fats (especially from macadamia and sunflower) with some saturated fat from coconut and cocoa butter that gives chocolate its snap. The mix helps satiety; if you watch saturated fat, note the coconut/chocolate contribution.
Carbs
2320MIDThe 23g of carbs are a split between fast and slow. Quick energy comes from a modest amount of tapioca syrup and the sugars in dark chocolate/brown sugar, while soluble tapioca fiber (a resistant dextrin made from cassava) and a bit of vegetable glycerin add bulk and help steady the ride. Paired with the bar’s fats, that points to steadier energy than a sugar‑first snack, though it isn’t a low‑carb choice.
Sugar
54MIDSugar stays modest at 5g, coming primarily from cane sugar in the dark chocolate and a little brown sugar. Sweetness is rounded out by cassava‑derived fiber and a bit of glycerin for texture, so there’s no need for artificial sweeteners. The sugars are refined rather than fruit‑based, but the fiber and fats help keep things from feeling like a sugar rush.
Calories
240210HIGHAt 240 calories, this sits on the higher side for a bar, driven mainly by nuts, seeds, and chocolate fats, with carbs next and protein third. That calorie mix trades “feather‑light” for staying power. It’s a better fit for a tide‑you‑over snack than a tiny bite between meetings.
Vitamins & Minerals
Iron is the standout—around 40% of daily value—likely coming from cocoa in the dark chocolate and the seed‑based proteins. Nuts and seeds add trace minerals too, but there’s no vitamin premix vibe here. Think naturally occurring iron rather than fortification.
Additives
A few helpers keep the bar soft and cohesive: soluble tapioca fiber for added fiber and structure, vegetable glycerin to hold moisture, and sunflower lecithin so chocolate and fats play nicely. These are common, highly refined ingredients used in small amounts, with no artificial sweeteners in the mix. If your gut is sensitive to fermentable fibers or polyols, note the tapioca fiber and glycerin.
Ingredient List
Brown rice grain
Pumpkin seeds
Cassava root starch
Cacao beans
Sugarcane stalks
Cocoa beans
Sunflower plant seeds
Sunflower seeds
Cashew tree kernel
Vegetable oils (palm, soy)
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
Taste and texture are the headline wins.
Food editors at Bon Appétit and SELF both singled out ALOHA for being chewy without the chalky, artificial aftertaste that haunts so many protein bars, and everyday reviewers echo that—several even microwave it for 20 seconds to make the chocolate a little melty.
Fans like that the sweetness comes from actual sugar rather than sugar alcohols or stevia, which can leave a bitter edge or cause stomach drama. The macros feel balanced for a snack: enough fat and fiber to keep you full, modest sugar, and a mid‑range protein hit that doesn’t lean on dairy or soy.
Add in the largely organic ingredient list and the candy‑bar‑adjacent flavor profile, and you can see why people call it their “swap” when cravings hit. A sleeper perk: the naturally occurring iron from cocoa and seed proteins, which is a useful bonus for many plant‑forward eaters.
Main Criticism
Not everyone’s smitten. A share of reviewers find the sweetness dialed up, even though the bar only brings 5g of sugar—dark chocolate and coconut can read “dessert” on the palate.
Texture divides the room too: some report a slight powdery feel or a crumbly chocolate coating that sheds on your desk. A handful of users mention digestive discomfort; that’s plausible if you’re sensitive to soluble tapioca fiber or glycerin, both common texture helpers in bars.
And if your target is 20+ grams of protein, 14g may feel like it tops out as a snack rather than a full recovery play.
The Middle Ground
So where does the truth land? If you like a real‑chocolate bar that eats like a treat but doesn’t blow out sugar, Pa‘akai is squarely in your lane.
That Reddit post calling 2–4 grams of sugar “relatively high” likely compares against ultra‑processed, artificially sweetened bars—apples to oranges. Here, you’re trading artificial sweeteners for a small amount of actual sugar, then leaning on fiber and fats to keep the ride steady.
The digestive complaints are worth noting, but they’re not universal; soluble fibers and glycerin are fine for many and fussy for some—start with half a bar if you’re cautious. On protein, the critics are right: 14g isn’t a heavy‑lifter’s trophy, but it’s a respectable snack dose, especially for a vegan, soy‑free formula.
And the mess factor? The chocolate coating can flake, yes.
The microwave trick a few fans mentioned neatly solves both the crumble and the chill‑day craving.
What's the bottom line?
ALOHA’s Pa‘akai Bar is the rare vegan option that tastes like something you’d actually reach for on purpose: salted dark chocolate meets coconut and macadamia, with 14g of plant protein and just 5g of sugar. It’s built from mostly organic, recognizable ingredients, skips sugar alcohols and stevia, and brings an unusually high iron boost—quiet strengths that matter once the novelty of a flavor wears off. It won’t please everyone.
If you’re chasing 20+ grams of protein or run sensitive to soluble fibers, this may not be your everyday bar. But if you want a satisfying, dairy‑ and soy‑free snack that feels indulgent without the sugar rush, Pa‘akai earns a spot in the bag. It’s a vacation‑by‑snack—only with macros that pull their weight.