Exo
Blueberry Vanilla (Classic)
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A sustainable, complete protein source—crickets—wrapped in a short, real‑food ingredient list, with Blueberry Vanilla singled out by mainstream reviewers as genuinely tasty.
When to choose Exo Blueberry Vanilla (Classic)
Choose this if you want a clean, fruit‑and‑nut snack with a modest, high‑quality protein boost and you’re open to insect protein. It fits paleo and gluten‑free patterns and works best for hikes, travel, and between‑meeting energy rather than a post‑workout 20g hit.
What's in the Exo bar?
Meet Exo’s Blueberry Vanilla (Classic): a fruit-and-nut bar that leans on cricket flour for a sustainable protein boost and real blueberries plus vanilla extract for its namesake flavor.
It’s more trail mix than gym shake—modest protein, a higher-fat backbone from almonds, coconut, and flax, and sweetness that comes from fruit, a touch of honey, and fruit-derived apple juice concentrate used in the berries.
If you want clean, recognizable ingredients and steady, stick-with-you energy, this is that kind of bar.
- Protein
- 10 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 23 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Calories
- 260
Protein
1015LOWMost of the 10g of protein comes from cricket flour—an animal protein that’s complete and high quality—backed up by smaller contributions from almonds and flax. It’s lower than the typical “20-gram” gym bar, but the protein you do get is efficient, with bonus minerals naturally present in crickets. Think fruit-and-nut bar first, with a smart protein upgrade rather than a protein bomb.
Fat
169HIGHThe 16g of fat is driven by whole foods: almonds (mainly heart-friendly monounsaturated fats), coconut (saturated fats that add richness), and flaxseed (plant omega‑3 ALA). This mix makes the bar more filling and blunts blood-sugar swings, though those watching saturated fat should note coconut’s contribution. A little fat may also come from the cricket flour, depending on how defatted it is.
Carbs
2320MIDCarbs here are mostly fruit-based—apricots and mixed berries—plus a drizzle of honey and fruit‑derived apple juice concentrate that sweetens the berries. That means cleaner, familiar ingredients, with a blend of quick energy (honey/concentrate) and slower release from fruit fiber and the fat-rich nut-and-seed matrix. Expect steadier energy than a candy bar, but quicker uptake than, say, oats or brown rice.
Sugar
144HIGHThe 14g of sugar comes naturally from honey and fruit, with extra sweetness from apple juice concentrate used in the blueberries and strawberries. That concentrate behaves like added sugar nutritionally, even though it’s fruit-sourced. There are no artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols here—just a sweeter, fruit‑forward profile balanced by nuts and seeds.
Calories
260210HIGHAt 260 calories, this is a heartier snack or a light mini‑meal. Most of those calories come from whole‑food fats (almonds, coconut, flax), with the rest from fruit and a modest protein contribution. The payoff is satiety and sustained energy rather than a quick sugar rush and crash.
Vitamins & Minerals
Iron lands at about 15% Daily Value, likely thanks to the cricket flour (naturally rich in iron) with help from nuts. You’ll see only small amounts of vitamin C from the fruit and a modest calcium contribution from nuts and seeds. The bar focuses more on whole-food macros than fortified micronutrients.
Additives
The ingredient list is short and recognizable—nuts, fruit, honey, flax, coconut, vanilla, and sea salt. The most refined item is apple juice concentrate, a fruit‑based sweetener used to infuse the berries; vanilla extract is present in tiny, flavor-level amounts. No emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, or sugar alcohols—minimal processing for a commercial bar.
Ingredient List
Almond tree seeds
Apricots
Blueberries
Apples
Strawberries
Farmed house crickets
Honey bees collect floral nectar
Flax plant seeds
Coconut palm fruit flesh
Vanilla orchid beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Depends on your preferred source of protein here, but I enjoy Exo. They're made with crickets and pea protein. No, you don't taste either, and they're decently nutritious. 3g of sugar, too.”
“Additionally, I haven’t had them in a while but I remember liking the exo cookie dough one when I tried it.”
“Cricket protein is cheap to produce so it's a huge markup for sure. Exo protein is much better and cheaper anyway, and has more protein too”
Main Praise
Across reviews, the love clusters around taste, simplicity, and the feel‑good sustainability story.
Business Insider singled out Blueberry Vanilla as one of the best bars they’d tried—fruity, balanced, and not heavy—while Bon Appétit described Exo’s texture as soft and chewy without the cloying sweetness that plagues many bars.
NPR’s tasters called it slightly sweet and notably filling, which tracks with the almonds, coconut, and flax delivering slow, steady energy. Buyers who click with Exo also like the lack of a chocolate coating (no melty hands) and the short, recognizable ingredient list.
A recurring theme: it doesn’t shout “protein bar,” it just eats like a better trail snack with a smart protein upgrade.
Main Criticism
The knocks are real. Price comes up again and again; for some, the eco story doesn’t offset a higher per‑bar cost.
Texture polarizes: a handful of Reddit and Amazon notes describe certain flavors as dry or as that sticky, pull‑at‑your‑teeth chew you either tolerate or avoid; a few even mention an odd aftertaste in other flavors.
This specific Blueberry Vanilla flavor fares better on taste, but it still isn’t a “light and crispy” experience. And if you want 20g of protein or you’re vegetarian or vegan, a 10g cricket‑based bar simply won’t fit your needs.
Finally, the “ick factor” is a hurdle for some—no amount of nutrition talk changes the word cricket for them.
The Middle Ground
How do you square rave notes with the meh ones? Start with expectations.
If you walk in hoping for a high‑protein candy bar, Exo will feel underpowered and a little rustic; it’s a fruit‑and‑nut bar with a complete‑protein assist, not a coated, wafered confection.
Texture criticism also reflects preferences across flavors and palates: one Redditor compared the chew to RXBAR, while outlets like Bon Appétit found it soft and pleasantly chewy; both can be true depending on what you like.
On sugar, Blueberry Vanilla is naturally sweet—14g from fruit and a touch of honey—so it lands sweeter than a keto bar but avoids sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners. The sustainability angle isn’t flavor—fair—but it is a reason some reviewers keep buying, even at a premium.
What’s left is a surprisingly tasty gateway into insect protein that shines when you want real‑food ingredients and slow, steady energy more than raw protein bragging rights.
What's the bottom line?
Exo’s Blueberry Vanilla (Classic) is best understood as a clean, fruit‑and‑nut bar with a clever twist: complete protein from crickets. It’s satisfying at 260 calories, balanced by healthy fats, and flavored with real fruit and vanilla rather than a lab’s worth of add‑ins. Taste‑wise, this flavor has the strongest track record in press and buyer notes, and the ingredient list stays refreshingly short.
The trade‑offs are clear: moderate protein (10g), a fruit‑forward 14g of sugar, a chew some will call sticky or dense, and a price that reflects its still‑novel protein source. Quick take for the list: A chewy, blueberry‑forward bar with 10g complete cricket protein, 260 calories, and no sugar alcohols—great for hikes and busy days when you want real‑food ingredients and steady energy. Skip it if you need 20g of protein, are vegan, or avoid nuts, coconut, or the very idea of insects.