Maximuscle
Dark Chocolate Coconut
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A convincingly chocolate‑coconut bar with near‑zero sugar and just 182 calories, built like a confection but anchored by milk proteins for a legit 14g of protein.
When to choose Maximuscle Dark Chocolate Coconut
Sweet‑tooth moments after a workout or during the afternoon slump when you want chocolate‑coconut flavor, steady energy, and moderate protein — and you’re fine with sugar alcohols and dairy.
What's in the Maximuscle bar?
Dark chocolate meets coconut in a bar that leans confectionery in technique yet keeps nutrition in check.
Maximuscle’s Dark Chocolate Coconut builds flavor from real cocoa mass and cocoa butter, fat‑reduced cocoa, coconut flakes, and coconut cream, with a touch of hazelnut nougat for a rounded, dessert‑like bite.
Under the hood, the protein is a milk‑protein duo (calcium caseinate for slow release, whey isolate for fast support) backed by a smaller dose of collagen peptides. The macros land in snack territory—14g protein, very low sugar, and modest calories—achieved by swapping most table sugar for maltitol and a pinch of sucralose.
Fats come from chocolate and coconut (more saturated) balanced by hazelnuts and sunflower oil (more unsaturated). Here’s how those choices translate into what you’ll feel—and what you won’t.
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Calories
- 182
Protein
1415MIDProtein comes mainly from milk proteins—calcium caseinate for slow, steady release and whey isolate for fast, leucine‑rich support—rounded out with some collagen peptides. That mix delivers 14g per bar, squarely mid‑pack: the dairy proteins are complete and high quality, while collagen helps texture but isn’t a complete protein, so think solid snack rather than full shake replacement.
Fat
99MIDThe 9.2g of fat are largely confectionery fats—cocoa butter and shea butter—plus coconut pieces/cream, which skew saturated, balanced by hazelnuts and sunflower oil for some unsaturated fats. Stearic‑rich cocoa/shea are more neutral for cholesterol than many saturated fats, while coconut’s lauric acid is more LDL‑raising; together they create a creamy bite and decent satiety. If you’re actively limiting saturated fat, note this chocolate‑and‑coconut profile leans that way.
Carbs
1520LOWMost of the 15g carbs don’t come from oats or dates; they come from maltitol, a sugar alcohol that provides sweetness and bulk, and glycerin, a moisture‑holding syrup, with a little help from rice flour and cocoa/coconut. This setup generally yields steadier energy than a sugar‑sweetened bar, because polyols raise blood sugar less than sucrose. The trade‑off: some people get GI rumblings from sugar alcohols at higher intakes, so start with one bar and see how you feel.
Sugar
04LOWSugar is strikingly low at 0.4g because sweetness comes from maltitol (a lower‑calorie sugar alcohol) and a tiny amount of sucralose rather than table sugar. Expect a gentler glycemic impact than a sugar‑based chocolate bar, though polyols can bother sensitive stomachs if you stack them across the day.
Calories
182210LOWAt 182 calories, this sits on the lighter side for protein bars. Most of the energy comes from fat and protein, while using maltitol trims carb calories versus sugar—keeping the total lower without sacrificing sweetness.
Vitamins & Minerals
No standout vitamins or minerals are declared above 10% Daily Value, but a few ingredients contribute small amounts: milk ingredients add some calcium, hazelnuts and sunflower oil bring vitamin E, and cocoa offers modest magnesium and iron. Consider these pleasant bonuses, not the reason to buy the bar.
Additives
This formula uses a few refined helpers typical of sugar‑reduced chocolate bars: maltitol and glycerin for sweetness and softness, lecithins (sunflower and soy) to keep the chocolatey layers smooth, and sucralose for an extra pop of sweetness at tiny doses. They’re effective for taste and shelf life; the main practical watch‑out is digestive tolerance to sugar alcohols if consumed in larger amounts.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk casein
Cow's milk whey
Corn or wheat
Sugar cane and sugar beet
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Bovine, porcine, fish, chicken tissues
Shea tree kernels
Corylus avellana tree nuts
Defatted cacao bean solids
Cow's milk
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“I recently discovered maximuscle high protein bars and I love them!! Only £1 a pop at sainsburys but I think they were on sale hehe”
“I like the Maxi Nutrition creamy core protein bars. My fav is the peanut caramel; 181 cals, 15g protein, and gives me that sugar hit without being loads of sugar.”
Main Praise
Taste is the headline. Across independent reviews and Reddit chatter, the Dark Chocolate Coconut profile is consistently described as genuinely dessert‑like rather than chalky or “protein‑y.
” The layers help: a soft, chewy center with a proper dark‑chocolate coating gives you the bite you expect from a treat.
Convenience is another win — Cyclist and Gymtalk both highlight how easy it is to keep a bar in your kit for post‑ride or post‑gym when mixing a shake isn’t happening.
Redditor animalwitch captured the appeal neatly: it scratches that sugar itch without leaning on lots of sugar. Add in the modest 182 calories and you get a satisfying, low‑sugar chocolate fix that still tops you up with 14g of protein.
Main Criticism
The sweetness can be intense for some. Even reviewers who like the flavor note it skews sweet, which makes sense given the maltitol and sucralose doing the heavy lifting.
Value comes up too: powders are cheaper per gram of protein, and Promax bars are rarely the budget option unless you catch a sale. Protein per bar is moderate at 14g, so heavy lifters may find they want more and end up pairing it with yogurt or a shake.
There’s also the practical watch‑out that sugar alcohols can cause digestive grumbling for some people, and a few Reddit threads flag occasional confusion around calories varying by flavor. Finally, it contains milk, soy, tree nuts, and coconut — and because it includes collagen, it isn’t vegetarian.
The Middle Ground
Put the praise and the caveats side by side and a clear picture emerges.
If you want a low‑sugar bar that actually tastes like chocolate and coconut, this one is unusually convincing — Jack Elton‑Walters at Cyclist likened it to a chocolate‑bar treat, and Gymtalk’s Will Kennard raved about the soft, chewy texture.
That’s the upside of a confectionery build.
The trade‑offs live in the details: 14g of protein is solid for a snack but not a meal replacement, and part of that protein is collagen, which helps texture but isn’t a complete protein.
The sweetness profile is gentler on blood sugar than regular sugar, but maltitol can bother sensitive stomachs, so maybe don’t stack three bars in a day. Fat skews toward chocolate‑and‑coconut saturated fats, which help satiety and mouthfeel; if you’re actively trimming saturated fat, note the lean.
And for those chasing the absolute best cost‑per‑gram of protein, powders still win — Reddit user animalwitch won’t argue with that — but bars win on portability and the not‑needing‑a‑shaker factor.
What's the bottom line?
Maximuscle’s Dark Chocolate Coconut is a polished, dessert‑leaning protein snack: real cocoa and coconut flavor, almost no sugar, and 14g of high‑quality dairy protein in a tidy 182‑calorie package. It’s at its best when you want a sweet chocolate moment that won’t spike and crash your afternoon, or a post‑session bridge to dinner. If you’re training hard and aiming for 25–30g of protein, treat this as a tasty half‑step and add a glass of milk or some Greek yogurt.
The main reasons to skip are straightforward: you’re sensitive to sugar alcohols, you need vegetarian‑friendly (there’s collagen), or you want maximal protein per bar. Otherwise, this is one of the more convincing low‑sugar chocolate bars out there — the kind that feels like a treat but behaves like a snack.
Condensed listicle take: Dessert‑level dark‑chocolate coconut flavor with almost no sugar, 14g of milk‑based protein, and 182 calories. Great for post‑workout or afternoon cravings if you’re fine with sugar alcohols; not vegetarian due to collagen and contains milk, soy, and nuts.