Built
Cherry Barcia
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
One of the leanest chocolate‑dipped bars you can buy—17g of protein for just 130 calories—built around whey isolate and real tart cherries beneath a dark‑chocolate shell.
When to choose Built Cherry Barcia
Best for a low‑calorie, gluten‑free protein treat that still feels like dessert, especially post‑workout when you want quick‑digesting whey and minimal fat—assuming you’re fine with sugar alcohols.
What's in the Built bar?
Cherry Barcia reads like a chocolate‑covered cherry truffle that went to the gym: real dried tart cherries and a dark‑chocolate layer wrapped around a whey‑isolate core.
The protein is a blend of whey protein isolate and a partially hydrolyzed version—low in lactose, fast‑digesting, and responsible for the bar’s strong protein‑to‑calorie showing—while the cherry tang is sharpened with a touch of citric acid and natural flavor.
What sets this bar apart nutritionally is how it keeps calories and sugars down: instead of leaning on cane sugar, it uses digestion‑resistant maltodextrin, erythritol, and glycerin for sweetness and softness, plus very little fat, making it one of the leanest chocolate‑coated options you’ll find.
- Protein
- 17 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Calories
- 130
Protein
1715MIDThe protein comes from a whey protein isolate blend (including a partially hydrolyzed form), a highly digestible, low‑lactose dairy protein with a complete amino acid profile. The hydrolyzed portion yields smaller peptides that help the bar stay soft and digest quickly—17g lands slightly above average for bars without feeling heavy.
Fat
39LOWFat is strikingly low and comes mainly from the dark‑chocolate layer’s cocoa butter and a touch of milk fat, with a little sunflower oil used to keep the dried cherries from sticking. That mix skews toward saturated fat from cocoa/dairy with a bit of unsaturated fat from sunflower, but the total is small per bar.
Carbs
1820MIDMost of the 18g of carbs come from digestion‑resistant maltodextrin—a refined, fiber‑like carbohydrate that isn’t fully absorbed—plus erythritol (a zero‑calorie sugar alcohol) and glycerin for softness. A smaller share comes from real sugar in the dark chocolate and the tart cherries, so expect a steadier rise in energy than a bar built on cane sugar alone.
Sugar
44MIDOnly 4g of sugar show up here, coming mostly from the dark chocolate’s sucrose and the natural sugars in the tart cherries. The sweetness is rounded out with erythritol (a zero‑calorie sugar alcohol) and glycerin, which keep blood sugar lower than an all‑sugar bar, though people sensitive to sugar alcohols may prefer to enjoy it alongside a meal.
Calories
130210LOWAt 130 calories, this is a notably light bar because much of the sweetness comes from low‑ or non‑digestible carbs (erythritol and resistant maltodextrin) rather than sugar, and the fat is minimal. Most of the calories you do get are from protein, with a modest contribution from carbohydrates and very little from fat.
Vitamins & Minerals
There aren’t standout vitamins or minerals above 10% Daily Value, but you do get small amounts of calcium from the whey and dairy coating, plus a touch of iron and potassium from the cocoa and cherries. Think of this as a protein‑and‑energy snack rather than a micronutrient delivery system.
Additives
The formula uses several modern food tools—resistant maltodextrin for fiber‑like bulk, erythritol for near‑zero‑calorie sweetness, glycerin to keep the bar soft, soy lecithin to stabilize the chocolate, and a pinch of citric acid to brighten the cherry note. These are fairly refined ingredients that trade some whole‑food simplicity for low sugar, lower calories, and a shelf‑stable texture.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk whey
Sugarcane and sugar beet
Roasted cacao nibs from cocoa beans
Cocoa beans
Cow milk cream
Soybeans
Vanilla orchid seed pods
Corn, tapioca, potato, or rice starch
Fats and oils
Corn or wheat starch
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“I just discovered Built protein bars, specifically the Puffs ones, and they're delicious! PSA for anyone looking for tasty protein bars.”
“The puff ones are surprisingly delicious. Recommend.”
“The chocolate raspberry legit tastes like a candy bar, it's so good.”
Main Praise
Fans love that Built makes protein bars taste like candy. Cherry Barcia hits that brief: the dark‑chocolate coating plus tangy dried cherries reads like a cherry cordial, not a chalky gym snack.
The macro math is generous—17g of protein for 130 calories and only 4g of sugar—so you can scratch a sweet itch without turning a snack into a full meal. The whey isolate base is low in lactose and tends to sit lighter than milkier blends for many people.
Reviewers who enjoy other fruity Built flavors even say they “taste like a candy bar,” and Cherry Barcia follows the same playbook with a clearer cherry note than most bars manage.
Main Criticism
Texture is the lightning rod. Detractors describe it as taffy‑like, tooth‑sticking, even “nearly impossible to eat in public,” while others find some batches oddly dry yet still sticky—so consistency can vary.
Several shoppers call out an artificial‑sweetener aftertaste, which isn’t surprising given the use of erythritol and glycerin; those can also bother sensitive stomachs.
Coverage has also noted formula tweaks over time and even referenced a past recall at the brand level—not specific to this flavor, but it’s a reminder to read labels if you track ingredients closely.
Lastly, the bar contains dairy and soy and uses gelatin, so it’s not vegetarian or vegan.
The Middle Ground
So where does the truth land? Cherry Barcia earns its candy‑bar compliments honestly: real cherries, real dark chocolate, and a flavor profile that’s more indulgent than most 130‑calorie bars.
But that experience is built with modern food tools—resistant maltodextrin for bulk, erythritol and glycerin for sweetness and softness—which explains both the low sugar and the polarizing aftertaste. The chewy, sometimes tacky bite comes with the territory; a brief chill or a quick slice‑and‑share can make it neater to eat.
Reddit user “unknown” handing it “0 out of 10” probably met a tough batch—or just isn’t a chewy‑bar person—while plenty of fans keep buying precisely because it doesn’t eat like a dry brick.
If you love Built’s Puffs for their marshmallow softness, note this is a classic chewy bar, not a Puff; flavor is spot‑on, texture is the make‑or‑break.
What's the bottom line?
Cherry Barcia is a candy‑adjacent, macro‑efficient protein bar that trades whole‑food simplicity for taste and numbers: 17 grams of whey isolate, 130 calories, and a dark‑chocolate‑and‑cherry profile that feels like a treat. If you tolerate sugar alcohols and enjoy a chewy texture, it’s an easy win as a post‑workout bite or a low‑calorie dessert swap.
If you want a short, minimally processed ingredient list, a softer marshmallow texture, or vegetarian‑friendly ingredients, this isn’t your bar. But for a gluten‑free option that punches above its calorie class and actually tastes like cherry‑and‑chocolate, Cherry Barcia is one of Built’s most distinctive plays.