Barebells
Cookies & Cream
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
Best-in-class texture for a protein bar—a crisp chocolate shell over a chewy center—while still delivering 20g of protein and only 1 gram of sugar.
When to choose Barebells Cookies & Cream
A dessert-like post-workout or afternoon sweet fix that actually contributes meaningful protein. Best for people who tolerate sugar alcohols and are fine with dairy.
What's in the Barebells bar?
Barebells’ Cookies & Cream Protein Bar leans into a dairy-forward protein blend and modern sweeteners to deliver dessert-like flavor with just 1 gram of sugar. The 20g of protein comes chiefly from milk proteins (calcium caseinate plus whey concentrate/isolate), with soy protein isolate and collagen peptides supporting texture and volume.
Carbs skew engineered rather than whole‑food—think sugar alcohols, a manufactured soluble fiber, and a touch of tapioca starch—while fats come from cocoa butter, sunflower oil, and a bit of milk fat.
Chocolate, alkalized cocoa, cocoa butter, dry whole milk, and a mix of natural and artificial flavors build the cookies‑and‑cream profile. Net effect: high protein, moderate carbs, lightish fat, restrained calories—and sweetness achieved with low‑sugar tools rather than dates or oats.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Calories
- 200
Protein
2015HIGHWith 20g of protein, this bar sits near the top of the category and gets most of that from milk proteins—calcium caseinate plus whey concentrate/isolate—renowned for a complete amino‑acid profile and solid digestibility. Soy protein isolate adds plant-based support, while collagen peptides help the bar’s chew; collagen isn’t a complete protein on its own, so the dairy backbone keeps the overall amino profile robust.
Fat
79MIDAt 7g, fat is on the lighter side and comes mainly from cocoa butter (the chocolate’s creamy, mostly‑stearic fat) plus refined sunflower oil and a bit of milk fat. That mix tilts toward saturated fat from cocoa butter with some unsaturated support from sunflower oil, giving moderate richness without a heavy, oily feel.
Carbs
2020MIDThe 20g of carbs come largely from formulation tools rather than whole grains: a sugar alcohol that tastes like sugar (maltitol), a plant‑derived moisture holder that’s lightly sweet (glycerin), and a manufactured soluble fiber (polydextrose), with a little tapioca starch for structure. Paired with the hefty protein, these tend to blunt sharp sugar spikes compared with a sugar‑based bar, though tapioca starch digests quickly and sugar alcohols can bother sensitive stomachs at higher intakes.
Sugar
14LOWOnly 1 gram of sugar because sweetness is supplied mainly by a sugar alcohol (maltitol), a small amount of glycerin, and a tiny dose of a zero‑calorie artificial sweetener (sucralose). These refined sweeteners lower sugar and usually blunt spikes versus table sugar, but sugar alcohols can cause bloating or urgency for some if portions stack up across the day.
Calories
200210MIDAt 200 calories, this is a restrained, high‑protein treat. Energy is roughly shared between protein and carbohydrate with a modest nudge from fat; swapping in low‑calorie sweeteners and fiber for sugar helps keep the total down. Good when you want meaningful protein without a big calorie commitment.
Vitamins & Minerals
You get about 15% of daily calcium, thanks to the milk protein blend and dry whole milk. Cocoa contributes small amounts of minerals like iron and potassium, but nothing else crosses the 10% daily value line.
Additives
To deliver cookies‑and‑cream flavor with minimal sugar, the recipe uses several modern additives: glycerin to keep it soft, maltitol for bulked sweetness, polydextrose for fiber and body, sunflower lecithin to emulsify, and a pinch of sucralose to round out sweetness. They’re effective and safe at food‑use levels—but highly refined—so this reads more like an engineered protein treat than a whole‑food bar.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk casein
Cow's milk whey
Cow's milk whey
Fats and oils
Corn or wheat
Cattle hides, bones, connective tissue
glucose
Cocoa beans
Defatted soybean flakes
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 thousands of ratings and professional taste tests, flavor and texture are the headliners. The crisp chocolate coating and layered chew read like a candy bar, not a supplement; outlets like Bon Appétit, SELF, and Allrecipes have all spotlighted Barebells for this exact reason.
The protein shows up without the chalky or gritty feel that sinks many bars, and several reviewers say it genuinely satisfies a sweet tooth while keeping them full. On Amazon, Barebells averages about 4.
4 stars across more than 17k ratings, and plenty of Redditors slot it at the top of their rotation. The 20 grams of protein at 200 calories makes it easy to use as a snack or a post-workout bite without blowing up your day.
Main Criticism
Most criticisms center on the sweeteners, not the protein.
Maltitol—a sugar alcohol—sits high in the ingredient list, and some people report bloating or urgency, especially if they eat more than one bar or stack other sugar alcohols the same day.
Sucralose is another point of pushback for those avoiding artificial sweeteners.
Taste is not universal, either: while core flavors like Cookies & Cream are widely liked, a few limited or specialty flavors are polarizing, and some folks prefer a wafer-crisp bar like Fit Crunch over Barebells’ denser chew.
The price can feel steep compared with simpler bars.
The Middle Ground
Strip away the extremes and a clear picture emerges: this is a deliberately engineered protein treat that nails the candy-bar experience while delivering real protein. The milk protein backbone provides a complete amino profile; the bit of collagen is more for texture than nutrition, and the dairy covers that.
The flip side of the very low sugar is modern sweeteners—great for some, a non-starter for others. One Redditor would die on the Barebells hill; another swore off a particular flavor entirely, which mostly proves the oldest truth in snacking: taste is personal.
If you want whole-food minimalism, this is not that bar; if you want dessert vibes with meaningful protein, it’s a standout. The most practical move is simple: try a single bar on a normal day and see how your taste buds—and your stomach—respond.
What's the bottom line?
Barebells Cookies & Cream is the rare protein bar that feels indulgent and still earns a spot in a high-protein routine. You get 20 grams of milk-derived protein at 200 calories, a crunchy chocolate shell, and a chewy center that many reviewers prefer to every other bar. The trade-off is an engineered ingredient list that leans on maltitol and a touch of sucralose.
For many, that’s a fine exchange for taste and texture; for others, especially those sensitive to sugar alcohols or avoiding artificial sweeteners, it’s a dealbreaker. If you tolerate those ingredients and want a dessert-like bite that actually pulls macro weight, this is an easy yes; if you want dates-and-nuts minimalism, look elsewhere.
Condensed listicle pick: Candy-bar crunch with 20g of dairy protein at 200 calories and 1 gram of sugar achieved with sugar alcohols. Great for a post-workout or afternoon sweet fix if maltitol agrees with you; pass if you avoid dairy or artificial sweeteners.