CLIF
Cookies 'N Cream Flavor Protein Bar
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A rare combo of 20g of complete soy protein and genuinely crowd-pleasing, candy‑bar‑adjacent taste—without artificial or high‑intensity sweeteners. It’s sturdy, chocolatey, and designed to feel like a treat while still delivering serious protein.
When to choose CLIF Cookies 'N Cream Flavor Protein Bar
Reach for it post‑workout or as a small meal on the go when you want fast energy and a sweet bite alongside plant-based protein. Skip it if your top priority is minimal added sugar or avoiding palm‑based saturated fats.
What's in the CLIF bar?
CLIF’s Cookies ’N Cream Protein Bar leans into plant protein and dessert-level flavor: 20g of soy-based protein (from soy protein isolate and concentrate) meets a chocolatey cookie profile built from cocoa, alkalized cocoa, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa butter, with natural flavors rounding out the “cream.
” The sweetness and most of the energy come from cane sugar/cane syrup and brown rice syrup, while rice flour and rice starch give structure.
Fats are a mix of palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and sunflower/soybean oil, making this a higher-calorie, higher-carb bar that behaves more like quick fuel—think post‑workout or a small meal—than a minimalist snack.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Calories
- 280
Protein
2015HIGHMost of the 20g of protein comes from soy—chiefly soy protein isolate and soy protein concentrate—supported by soy flour and roasted soybeans. Soy isolate is a highly refined, complete plant protein with good digestibility (typically a notch below whey), and blending isolate with concentrate helps texture and amino acid delivery. If you want a vegan bar with serious protein, this sits near the top of the category.
Fat
109MIDAbout 10g of fat comes from palm kernel oil and cocoa butter (both give that firm, creamy bite) balanced by sunflower and/or soybean oil, with a little from the soybeans themselves. That translates to a mix of saturated fats (higher in palm kernel and cocoa butter) and polyunsaturated fats (from the seed oils)—more refined-oil-based than nut-butter-based. If saturated fat is on your radar, note the tropical-fat contributors here.
Carbs
3020HIGHThe 30g of carbs are driven by cane sugar/cane syrup and brown rice syrup, with rice flour and rice starch adding refined starches for structure—so expect fast energy rather than slow burn. Chicory root fiber syrup adds some soluble fiber and can soften the spike a bit, but the overall mix is more dessert-like than whole-grain. Great for a lift before or after training; less ideal if you’re chasing long, even energy.
Sugar
174HIGHThe 17g of sugar comes primarily from cane sugar, cane syrup, and brown rice syrup—refined sweeteners rather than fruit. There are no artificial or high‑intensity sweeteners; a bit of chicory fiber syrup and vegetable glycerin (a plant‑derived syrup) add body and mild sweetness without counting as “sugar.” Expect a sweeter bite and a quicker glucose rise than you’d get from a fruit‑sweetened or low‑sugar bar.
Calories
280210HIGHAt 280 calories, this lands in the higher‑energy tier for bars. Those calories are split across protein, fat, and especially the sweeteners and starches, so it functions more like a small meal or post‑workout refuel than a light snack.
Vitamins & Minerals
Minerals are the bright spots: iron at about 20% Daily Value and phosphorus around 15%, largely thanks to soy proteins and cocoa. Vitamin E appears modestly (4% DV), likely from sunflower/soybean oil. Not a multivitamin bar, but it does contribute minerals many people underconsume.
Additives
To keep the bar soft and cohesive, it uses vegetable glycerin (a moisture‑holding syrup), chicory root fiber syrup (a refined, soluble prebiotic binder), and soy lecithin (an emulsifier), plus natural flavors. These are common, highly processed helpers that create the familiar cookies‑and‑cream chew and stable texture. If you favor bars built mostly from nuts and fruit, this one sits further along the engineered spectrum.
Ingredient List
Defatted soybean flakes
Sugarcane juice
Sugarcane stalks
Brown rice
Oil palm fruit
Vegetable oils (palm, soy)
Milled soybeans
Rice grain (Oryza sativa)
Chicory root
Cacao beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Another vote for builders bars. They are so so good. Definitely the best I've tasted, and I have tasted a lot.”
“Builder bars are THE BEST! I love them.”
“Oh the cookie dough is my fav! I like that it has a little caffeine boost too.”
Main Praise
Taste is the drum CLIF Builders keeps beating, and it’s not just marketing noise. In head-to-head tests (Business Insider placed it near the top), Builders gets credit for real chocolate flavor, a satisfying crunch, and none of the odd aftertastes common in low‑sugar bars.
The 20g of protein from soy isolate and concentrate offers a complete amino acid profile—an easy win for people steering clear of dairy. Many users also report it’s genuinely filling, functioning more like a small meal than a nibble.
And the texture is travel‑tough: more than a few buyers say it survives days in a backpack and still eats well. Add modest mineral support (notably iron), and it’s a convenient, protein‑forward option that doesn’t feel like a compromise.
Main Criticism
The tradeoff for that candy‑bar experience is obvious: roughly 17g of added sugar and about 280 calories per bar. That’s a better fit for refueling than for a low‑sugar, afternoon “keep me steady” snack.
Saturated fat shows up via palm kernel oil (a tropical oil used for snap and structure), which some readers avoid on principle. Texture can divide people, too—some call it dense or dry; one Redditor joked you might “drool trying to bite it.
” And flavors aren’t universally loved (Mint gets both fan mail and hate mail). If you want ultra‑simple ingredients and slow-burn carbs, this bar’s engineered sweetness and refined starches won’t be your favorite.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right: the folks who call it the best‑tasting protein bar, or the camp that flags the sugar and palm oil? Both.
If your goal is to recover from training, Builders’ playbook makes sense: fast carbs and 20g of complete protein help replenish and repair, and the old‑fashioned sugars are easy on the palate—no cooling effect or bitterness from alternative sweeteners.
If your goal is long, even energy on a desk day, the same sugar that delights taste buds can feel like too much. The texture feedback is also contextual: that firm chew is partly why it travels so well, but it can read as dense if you expect nougat.
And while the ingredient list is more “engineered treat” than “kitchen pantry,” the additives here (like chicory root fiber syrup and glycerin) are standard binders that create the familiar cookies‑and‑cream bite.
The truth sits in the use case: post‑workout or small meal? It shines.
Low‑sugar, slow‑release snack? Not its lane.
What's the bottom line?
CLIF Builders is a protein bar with a point of view: make it taste great, keep the protein high, and let regular sugar do the sweetening. You get 20g of complete soy protein, a crunchy chocolate‑cookie bite, and the kind of satiety that makes it a credible stand‑in for a small meal—especially right after training. If you prefer bars sweetened with dates or dotted with nuts and seeds, this will read more like an intentional treat.
If you want a dairy‑free protein hit that actually satisfies, and you’re okay with the sugar‑and‑calorie trade, it’s an easy recommendation. Use it where it excels—post‑workout refuel, long commute, or a late shift—and it delivers exactly what it promises.