Barebells
Cookies & Caramel
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A true candy-bar texture—chocolate shell, chewy center, cookie crunch—with 20g protein and 1g sugar, built on a whey/casein blend.
When to choose Barebells Cookies & Caramel
Dessert-lovers who want a satisfying, low-sugar, high-protein snack; ideal post-workout or as a 3 p. m.
sweet-tooth detour.
What's in the Barebells bar?
Barebells Cookies & Caramel is less bake sale, more smart engineering.
The chocolate-coated chew is built on a milk‑protein blend (casein plus whey), with soy protein and a touch of collagen helping the texture—one reason it lands near the 90th percentile for protein among bars.
The sweetness is kept low by swapping most sugar for sugar alcohols, glycerin, and a soluble fiber, while fats come mainly from cocoa butter and a little sunflower oil for that smooth chocolate bite.
The cookie‑and‑caramel notes are driven by cocoa/chocolate and flavorings rather than a sticky caramel layer. If you want a high‑protein, low‑sugar bar that leans modern over “whole‑food,” this is a clear example.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 21 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Calories
- 210
Protein
2015HIGHMost of the 20g of protein comes from a milk‑protein blend—calcium caseinate plus whey concentrate and isolate—supported by soy protein isolate and a bit of bovine collagen. Dairy proteins are complete and highly digestible (whey is fast, casein is slow), so you get both quick and sustained amino delivery; soy contributes complete plant protein too. Collagen improves chew but is incomplete, slightly diluting protein quality, though total protein sits high versus other bars.
Fat
79MIDFat is moderate and comes mainly from cocoa butter, sunflower oil, dry whole milk, and chocolate. Cocoa butter delivers that chocolatey melt and more saturated fat—largely stearic acid, which is relatively neutral for LDL—while sunflower oil adds unsaturated fats but can be higher in omega‑6. The result is a chocolate‑coating level of richness without feeling heavy.
Carbs
2120MIDThe 21g of carbs are driven by refined sweeteners, not oats or dates: glycerin (a plant‑derived syrup), maltitol (a sugar alcohol), and polydextrose (a low‑calorie soluble fiber), with a small lift from tapioca starch. This keeps blood sugar steadier than a sugar‑sweet bar and maintains that soft, chewy bite, but sugar alcohols can bother sensitive stomachs if you overdo it. Think engineered, lower‑glycemic energy rather than ‘whole‑grain’ fuel.
Sugar
14LOWSugar is just 1 gram, likely from residual lactose in the dairy ingredients and a bit from chocolate. Most sweetness comes from a sugar alcohol (maltitol) plus a tiny dose of an artificial sweetener (sucralose), with glycerin adding body—great for keeping sugars low, but more processed and potentially gassy for polyol‑sensitive folks. If you’ve had issues with sugar alcohols, start with one bar and see how you feel.
Calories
210210MIDAt 210 calories, it sits around the middle of the pack. With 20g protein and a modest 7g fat, calories are shared between protein and the chocolate/fat coating, while sugar alcohols and fiber supply bulk and sweetness with fewer calories than sugar would. It’s built to be satisfying for its size without an added‑sugar hit.
Vitamins & Minerals
You get about 10% DV calcium from the milk‑protein blend and dry whole milk. Iron (around 6% DV) and some potassium (about 4% DV) likely come from cocoa/chocolate and the dairy base. There’s no vitamin fortification—just the micronutrients that ride along with these ingredients.
Additives
Expect a modern, engineered formula: glycerin keeps it soft, polydextrose adds low‑calorie fiber and bulk, maltitol provides sugar‑like sweetness, sunflower lecithin smooths the texture, and sucralose gives a tiny, intense sweet lift. Alkalized cocoa deepens color and softens cocoa’s acidity, though it trims natural cocoa flavanols. Effective for taste and shelf life, yes—just know it leans more processed than a nut‑and‑date bar.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk casein
Cow's milk whey
Cow's milk whey
Fats and oils
Corn or wheat
glucose
Cattle hides, bones, connective tissue
Defatted soybean flakes
Cocoa beans
Cow's milk
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“I bought two of the cookies and cream protein bars for my boyfriend and I to try…. These protein bars are absolute FLAMES 🔥 they’re so delicious, they taste like a straight up chocolate bar… with barely any sugar and 20g of protein!!!!”
“Best protein bars out there. I’ll die on this hill.”
“Barebell protein bars are genuinely some of the only protein bars I can eat - I hate the weird flavors and bars that are disgustingly chewy - as someone who struggles with binge ed, I’ve been so grateful to have a brand of protein bars that can satisfy that sweet tooth and keep me full so I don’t gravitate towards all that junky food!”
Main Praise
Across Reddit, Amazon, and food publications, the chorus is the same: this tastes like a candy bar. Bon Appétit and SELF singled out Barebells for texture—the snap of the coating, the chew of the center, the crunch in between—and they’re right.
Reviewers who usually tap out after one gritty bite kept finishing the bar because the mouthfeel doesn’t scream “protein. ” The 20g of protein per bar is a genuine win, especially given the 210-calorie footprint.
Many buyers say it actually tides them over between meals, not just for 20 minutes. And unlike some novelty flavors, the core profiles (think cookie/caramel/chocolate) are consistently well-received.
Main Criticism
The flip side of the candy-bar experience is the lab work behind it. Sweetness leans on maltitol (a sugar alcohol) plus a tiny hit of sucralose; several Redditors report stomach grumbles if they eat these daily or in multiples.
If you avoid artificial sweeteners on principle, that sucralose speck is a dealbreaker. The formula isn’t “whole-food”—it’s engineered for taste and macros—so ingredient purists won’t be thrilled.
Dairy and soy show up in the protein blend, which rules this out for some. It’s also pricier than a lot of bars.
And while most flavors land, a few polarize hard—there are dramatic posts about certain limited editions that read like break-up letters.
The Middle Ground
Here’s the tension: you can’t get a bar that feels this close to a candy bar without some modern sweeteners and texture helpers. That’s the bargain Barebells strikes, and for many people it pays off beautifully.
One Redditor called them “the only protein bars I can eat,” praising the satisfaction without a sprint to the cookie jar; another swore the birthday-cake version was “the most vile thing” they’d tried.
Both can be true. If your gut plays nicely with sugar alcohols—and for many, one bar does—then you get 20g of milk-based protein, a chocolate shell, and a real-cookie vibe at 210 calories.
If you’re polyol-sensitive or aiming for short, minimally processed ingredients, this isn’t your lane. Texture-wise, if you prefer the crunchy, layered wafers of Fit Crunch, Barebells’ dense chew plus crisp bits may feel different—not worse, just a different dessert personality.
What's the bottom line?
If you want a dessert-adjacent protein bar that actually delivers on flavor and texture, Barebells Cookies & Caramel is near the top of the heap. It pairs a whey/casein core with 20g of protein, moderate fat, and very little sugar, wrapped in a candy-like bite that doesn’t taste like compromise. Know your tradeoffs: the sweetness relies on sugar alcohols and a micro-dose of sucralose, and the ingredient list reads engineered rather than pantry-simple.
save. If you want dates-and-nuts minimalism or you’re sensitive to polyols, steer elsewhere. Quick listicle blurb: Barebells Cookies & Caramel — candy-bar taste and texture, 20g protein, 1g sugar; engineered sweeteners (maltitol, sucralose) and dairy/soy are the tradeoffs.