Gatorade
Chocolate Chip
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
Few bars lean this hard into candy‑bar flavor—chocolate chips, caramel, and a smooth coating—while still delivering 20g of fast‑digesting whey and no artificial sweeteners.
When to choose Gatorade Chocolate Chip
Best right after a tough workout or practice when quick carbs plus protein are the goal, or for people who want a dessert‑leaning bar without low‑calorie sweeteners.
What's in the Gatorade bar?
Gatorade’s Chocolate Chip Protein Bar is a whey‑based recovery treat dressed up like dessert: a chocolate‑flavored coating, real chocolate chips, and a ribbon of caramel with vanilla. The 20g of protein sits well above most bars and comes from whey isolate, crispy whey concentrate, and milk protein concentrate—complete, fast‑digesting dairy protein that’s popular after training.
The macros skew sweet and substantial: carbs are near the very top of the category and most of them are refined sugars/syrups (think sugar, corn/glucose syrup, invert sugar, brown sugar), with 29g of sugar.
Fat runs higher too, driven by palm‑based coating oils, cocoa butter in the chips, and a touch of butter in the caramel. Translation: quick refuel energy and a rich bite, but not the slow‑burn profile you’d get from whole‑food carbs and nut‑based fats.
The “Chocolate Chip” flavor comes from semisweet chocolate chips, alkalized cocoa, and vanilla, plus that chewy caramel layer.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 41 g
- Sugar
- 29 g
- Calories
- 350
Protein
2015HIGHTwenty grams of protein here come almost entirely from dairy: whey protein isolate in the coating, crispy whey protein concentrate, and milk protein concentrate. That combo delivers complete, fast‑digesting amino acids; the isolate is quite low in lactose, though the bar also includes whey and nonfat milk in the caramel, which may matter for very lactose‑sensitive folks. At 20g, it sits well above the category average.
Fat
139HIGHMost of the 13g of fat comes from the chocolate‑flavored coating built on palm kernel oil and palm oil, plus cocoa butter in the chips and a little dairy butter in the caramel. These are largely saturated fats (palmitic/lauric from palm; stearic in cocoa butter), great for a firm snap and shelf stability but not the heart‑healthy profile you’d get from nuts or olive oil. It’s on the higher‑fat side relative to other bars, with fat serving texture as much as nutrition.
Carbs
4120HIGHCarbs are driven by refined sugars and syrups—sugar, corn/glucose syrup, invert sugar, brown sugar—and a caramel layer, with some cornstarch as binder. Expect quick, high‑glycemic energy rather than slow‑release fuel; there’s little whole‑food carbohydrate or fiber here to steady the rise. No surprise it ranks near the top of the category for total carbs.
Sugar
294HIGHSweetness comes almost entirely from refined sources—sugar, corn/glucose syrup, invert sugar, brown sugar, and a caramel layer—with a bit of natural milk sugar from whey/nonfat milk. That totals 29g of sugar, near the very top of the category, so expect a swift rise in blood sugar unless you pair it with a meal. There are no artificial or low‑calorie sweeteners; it’s classic confectionery sweetness.
Calories
350210HIGHAt 350 calories, this is one of the more energy‑dense bars. Roughly half of the calories come from carbohydrate (especially sugars), about a third from fat, and the rest from protein, making it more of a dessert‑leaning recovery snack than a light nibble. Great when you need fast replenishment; hefty for casual grazing.
Vitamins & Minerals
You get about 15% Daily Value of calcium, largely from the dairy proteins (milk protein concentrate, whey) and a small boost from calcium carbonate in the whey crisps. Iron lands around 10% DV, typical of cocoa‑rich products, and potassium is modest (4% DV). There’s no meaningful vitamin fortification—minerals ride in with the dairy and chocolate.
Additives
Expect standard confectionery helpers: soy lecithin and mono‑/diglycerides to emulsify, sorbitan tristearate and glycerin to keep texture moist and smooth, and antioxidants (mixed tocopherols, TBHQ) plus citric acid to protect the oils. These are highly refined processing aids that improve shelf life and mouthfeel and are widely regarded as safe. If you prefer minimally processed bars, note that the additive list is on the longer side.
Ingredient List
Sugarcane and sugar beet
Oil palm fruit
Vegetable oils and sorbitol
Cow's milk whey
Cacao beans treated with alkali
Soybeans
Cow's milk whey
Corn (maize) endosperm
Limestone and chalk
Roasted cacao nibs from cocoa beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“gatorade chocolate protein bars are so crispy and covered in a layer of really nice chocolate. does not have that protein bar taste or mouth feel at all.”
“Another great option are the Gatorade bars. All flavors taste great.”
“They’re not the most healthy for some, but I love Gatorade whey protein bars, the peanut butter flavor. They have 20 grams of protein each and taste like a better Whatchamacallit candy bar.”
Main Praise
Taste is the headline. Reviewers repeatedly call out the crispy texture, the smooth chocolate coating, and the fact that it “doesn’t taste like a protein bar.
” If you’re burnt out on chalky bites or the aftertaste of zero‑sugar sweeteners, this is a welcome change: classic confectionery flavor, no artificial sweeteners, and a bar that’s genuinely easy to finish after training.
The 20g of whey‑based protein is solid for recovery, and the dairy combo (whey plus milk protein) brings a complete amino acid profile. It’s also consistently well‑reviewed—Amazon averages land around 4.
5 stars across thousands of ratings—suggesting dependable flavor and texture batch to batch.
Main Criticism
The flip side of that great taste is sugar—29g of it—and a calorie count that climbs to 350. Critics often call it “a candy bar with whey,” and they’re not wrong about the numbers: more sugar than protein, little fiber, and a higher saturated‑fat profile than nut‑based bars.
If you want a minimally processed, slow‑burn bar for everyday snacking or weight‑loss goals, this isn’t it. Some also point to the long, confectionery‑style ingredient list and prefer simpler options or a shake.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right—the dessert lovers or the skeptics? Honestly, both.
After hard training, fast‑digesting carbs plus about 20g of protein can be useful for topping up glycogen and kick‑starting muscle repair, and this bar nails palatability—something Bon Appétit joked about even while conceding it works post‑lift.
On the other hand, if your “workout” was an inbox marathon, the same sugar that helps on the field becomes an unnecessary spike at the desk. Reuters even highlighted a lawsuit claiming the bars create a health halo despite the sugar load; the facts (high sugar, solid protein) aren’t in dispute—only how they’re framed.
The middle path is to use it intentionally: right after tough sessions, when you’ll actually use the quick fuel. If you’re snacking, pair it with a meal or a little fiber and healthy fat to steady things—or pick a different bar that’s built for slow release.
What's the bottom line?
Gatorade’s Chocolate Chip Protein Bar is the rare protein bar that wins on taste and texture without the usual protein‑bar aftertaste. It brings 20g of fast‑digesting whey and a candy‑bar experience that many people actually look forward to eating—no small feat after a grueling workout. But it earns that flavor with 29g of sugar and 350 calories, so it’s best treated as a targeted recovery snack, not an everyday “healthy” nibble.
If you want quick energy plus protein right after training and prefer real sugar over artificial sweeteners, it fits the brief. If you’re after a minimally processed, lower‑sugar, slow‑burn bar or have to avoid dairy or soy, look elsewhere. Use it like a tool: great when the job is fast refuel, less great when the job is gentle, steady energy.