Maximuscle
Dark Chocolate Orange (Vegan Creamy Core)
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A vegan chocolate-orange bar with a genuinely creamy center and near-zero sugar, achieved with sugar alcohols—more candy-bar experience than minimalist “whole food” bar, with 10g plant protein at 168 calories.
When to choose Maximuscle Dark Chocolate Orange (Vegan Creamy Core)
Best for a dairy-free, low-sugar treat that scratches the chocolate-orange itch while adding a modest protein bump. Not ideal if you need 20g+ protein per bar, avoid sugar alcohols, or eat strictly gluten-free.
What's in the Maximuscle bar?
Maximuscle’s Dark Chocolate Orange Vegan Creamy Core leans into clever food science: a plant‑protein trio (soy isolate leads, with pea and almond in support), a chocolate-orange profile built from cocoa mass, cocoa powder and cocoa butter with real orange extract, and a soft, creamy center kept that way by moisture-holding agents and fibers.
The sugar is strikingly low because sweetness comes from sugar alcohols rather than table sugar. Fats from rapeseed (canola), cocoa butter, and a touch of coconut create the chocolate snap-and-melt you expect.
Most carbs are engineered—polydextrose (a low‑calorie soluble fiber) and refined starches—so the texture is candy-like without a sugar surge. If you’re sensitive to polyols, pace yourself.
The orange hue and aroma come from orange extract with a nudge of natural paprika and vanilla.
- Protein
- 10 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Sugar
- 0 g
- Calories
- 168
Protein
1015LOWProtein comes from a blend led by soy protein isolate, with pea protein and almond protein rounding it out. Isolates are highly refined but deliver a complete, dairy‑free profile; blending pea and almond helps balance amino acids and soften flavor. At 9.6g per bar, it’s on the lighter side for a “protein” bar, so pair it with another protein source if you aim for 20 grams or more.
Fat
99MIDFat is supplied by rapeseed (canola) oil plus chocolate fats—cocoa butter and a bit of coconut oil. Canola brings mostly heart-friendly unsaturated fats, while cocoa and coconut add structure and that melt-in-the-mouth feel with more saturated fat. At 9.2g, the total lands around the middle of the pack.
Carbs
1320LOWThe 13g of carbs are mostly engineered: polydextrose (a low‑calorie soluble fiber) and refined starches like tapioca, wheat dextrin, and modified starch provide bulk and chew, while sugar alcohols deliver the sweetness. This skews lower‑glycemic than straight sugar for many people, though refined starches do digest quickly. If polyols bother your stomach, start with half a bar.
Sugar
04LOWOnly 0.2g of sugar because sweetness is driven by sugar alcohols (maltitol and sorbitol), with glycerin and polydextrose adding body. These ingredients help keep blood sugar steadier than regular sugar for many people, but larger amounts can cause bloating or laxative effects in sensitive folks. If you’re polyol‑sensitive, pace your portions.
Calories
168210LOWAt 168 calories, this reads as a lighter snack. Most energy comes from the oils and chocolate fats (rapeseed, cocoa butter, coconut), with a smaller share from protein; sugar alcohols and polydextrose keep sugar low while still contributing some calories. It’s more of an afternoon pick‑me‑up than a meal replacement.
Vitamins & Minerals
No standout vitamins or minerals are listed above 10 percent of daily value. You’ll get trace amounts of minerals from cocoa and almond protein, but this bar is designed for taste, protein, and low sugar rather than micronutrient density.
Additives
Expect a modern recipe: humectants (glycerin) to keep it soft, sugar alcohols and polydextrose for sweetness and fiber, refined starches for structure, and emulsifiers like soy lecithin, mono‑ and diglycerides, and sucrose esters to keep everything stable. These are common in low‑sugar chocolate-style bars, but they are highly processed. If you prefer short-ingredient lists, this one may feel more engineered than pantry-simple.
Ingredient List
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Corn or wheat
glucose
Defatted soybean flakes
Yellow pea seeds
Fats and oils
Rapeseed
apples and pears
Cocoa beans
Wheat grain endosperm
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 and texture lead the applause.
Independent reviews of Maximuscle bars often say they eat like a real chocolate bar, and Redditor animalwitch even singled out the Creamy Core line for satisfying a craving without a big sugar dump.
This flavor leans into that promise: dark chocolate snap, real orange extract, and a soft center that feels like a truffle. Convenience is a close second—you get that dessert-like experience without mixing a shake or carrying a tub of powder.
At 168 calories and about 10g of protein, it slides neatly between meals without hijacking your appetite. And for dairy-free eaters, finding a vegan bar that delivers convincing chocolate-bar pleasure is a genuine win.
Main Criticism
The compromises are clear. Protein is modest at 10g, so if your benchmark is a 20g “gym bar,” this won’t reach it.
Sweetness can read intense for some palates, a common side-effect of sugar alcohol formulas, and those polyols (here maltitol and sorbitol) can cause bloating in sensitive folks—especially if you double up.
It isn’t gluten-free (wheat dextrin is in the mix) and it contains soy and almonds, so allergens narrow the audience. Price also varies by retailer; Redditor autecouture nabbed bars for £1 on sale, but that’s not guaranteed every time.
The Middle Ground
Put simply, this bar is less “muscle builder” and more “smart dessert. ” Cyclist and Gymtalk raved about Maximuscle’s flagship Promax bars for being sweet-tooth friendly with 20g protein; this vegan Dark Chocolate Orange borrows the indulgence, not the protein.
If you’re expecting the same macro punch, you’ll be disappointed; if your goal is a dairy-free treat that, for many people, won’t spike blood sugar like a regular chocolate bar, you’ll likely be pleased.
Reddit’s split take captures it well: animalwitch loved the Creamy Core trick of craving satisfied with minimal sugar, while another user shrugged the brand off as simply “okay. ” Both can be true—taste is personal, and flavor fatigue is real.
The biggest wildcard is digestive tolerance: polyols are fine for some and fussy for others. A low-drama test is to start with half a bar and see how you feel.
What's the bottom line?
Maximuscle’s Dark Chocolate Orange Vegan Creamy Core is a dessert-first protein bar: bold chocolate-orange flavor, an authentically creamy center, vegan credentials, and almost no sugar at 168 calories. It’s built with modern sweeteners and fibers (think maltitol, sorbitol, and polydextrose) to deliver candy-bar texture without a high sugar load, and it uses a plant-protein trio for a modest 10g boost. Reach for it when you want a dairy-free, low-sugar treat that still helps your snack pull its weight.
It’s not your heavy hitter post-workout—pair it with another protein source if you’re aiming for 20g+—and it’s not for polyol-sensitive stomachs or anyone who needs gluten-free. But if chocolate orange is your love language and you want something that feels indulgent without the usual sugar bill, this bar makes an easy upgrade over a standard sweet. Your taste buds get the win; your macros get a nod of respect.