Optimum Nutrition
Chocolate Brownie Crunch
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
The texture: real, rice‑crisp‑style crunch from soy‑protein crispies, paired with a dairy‑plus‑soy blend that delivers 20g of protein and very low sugar at 213 calories.
When to choose Optimum Nutrition Chocolate Brownie Crunch
Choose it if you want a crunchy, lower‑sugar protein hit for post‑workout or the 3 p. m.
slump. Skip if soy or sugar alcohols don’t sit well with you.
What's in the Optimum Nutrition bar?
Chocolate Brownie Crunch earns its name with a cocoa‑rich coating and those snappy soy‑protein crispies running through the bar. Under the hood, it’s a blended‑protein formula: soy protein isolate for the crunch, plus whey isolate, whey concentrate, and milk protein concentrate for a complete amino acid profile.
You get a high‑end 20g of protein (top decile among bars), very low sugar, and moderate calories—made possible by modern sweeteners and soluble fibers rather than old‑school sugar. Translation: big chocolate flavor with a lighter sugar load, a leaner fat tally, and a longer ingredient list to make it all work.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Calories
- 213
Protein
2015HIGHProtein comes from a dairy‑plus‑plant blend: soy protein isolate in the crispies, backed by whey protein isolate/concentrate and milk protein concentrate. Whey brings fast, leucine‑rich protein; milk protein contributes slower‑digesting casein; soy rounds it out with a complete plant profile. The 20g total is robust for a bar, and the mix should cover both quick and steady recovery, with usually low lactose thanks to the isolates.
Fat
79LOWMost fat traces to the coating’s palm and palm kernel oils, with a little from cocoa and dairy. These refined tropical oils skew more saturated—not inherently “bad,” but different from the unsaturated fats you’d get from nuts or olive oil. At 6.7g total, the bar sits on the leaner side for fat, with the coating delivering that chocolate snap and shelf stability.
Carbs
1620MIDCarbs are built from refined, low‑glycemic building blocks rather than whole‑food starches: soluble fibers (like polydextrose and chicory‑root FOS), an IMO syrup (a starch‑derived oligosaccharide), a sugar alcohol (isomalt), plus a touch of starch in the crispies. This combo aims for steadier energy and very low sugar impact. The tradeoff: some people get gas or bloating if they overdo these fibers and polyols.
Sugar
24MIDOnly 1.8g of sugar, likely from naturally occurring lactose in the dairy proteins and a touch from cocoa. Sweetness instead comes from a sugar alcohol (isomalt) for bulk and sucralose for intensity, with IMO and FOS contributing mild sweetness. That keeps blood sugar impact low, but sensitive stomachs may prefer smaller servings due to polyols and rapidly fermented fibers.
Calories
213210MIDAt 213 calories, this sits near the middle of the protein‑bar pack. A large chunk comes from the 20g protein, a modest share from coating fats, and the rest from carbs—many of which are partly non‑digestible fibers and polyols. Net effect: a satiating bite for the calories, especially compared with sugary bars.
Vitamins & Minerals
No standout vitamin or mineral fortification is listed. You’ll get small, incidental amounts—think a bit of calcium from the milk proteins and trace minerals from cocoa—but likely not over 10% of daily value for any nutrient.
Additives
To pull off low sugar with real chocolate flavor, this bar leans on modern helpers: sucralose for high‑intensity sweetness, isomalt for sugar‑like bulk, glycerol to keep it soft, and emulsifiers (soy lecithin, PGPR) to smooth the coating, plus tocopherols to protect fats. These are highly refined but common in low‑sugar bars; if you prefer minimalist labels, this one isn’t it.
Ingredient List
Defatted soybean flakes
Sugar beet or cane sugar
Sugar cane and sugar beet
Defatted cacao bean solids
Soybeans
Castor oil fatty acids, glycerol
Chicory root
glucose
Cow's milk whey
Cow's milk whey
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“First time trying this one, and it’s become a favorite already! I love the new granola/puff type of protein bar! It’s so much different than the classic soft and chewy chocolate ones! I can definitely recommend this! Macros are on the last picture! I also are yet to try their Marshmallow White Chocolate and Nutty Caramel! 🤤🤤🤤”
“Just had the marshmallow crunch and it was excellent. Very different from most bars I've tried. Similar to fitness bars.”
“- Optimum Nutrition Marshmallow crunch. Tastes extactly like a marshmallow rice crispy bar with some white chocolate.”
Main Praise
Texture is the star. Across Reddit and specialty sites, people keep calling out how different this is from the usual dense, chewy bars—think “puffed,” “crunchy,” and easy to eat, not jaw‑workout.
One Redditor who tried ON’s crunchy line said it was “excellent” and unlike most bars they’d had, while Stack3d has long praised ON bars for playful textures that go down effortlessly.
The macros also earn nods: roughly 20g of protein with very low sugar and moderate calories make it an easy yes for post‑workout or a pre‑meeting holdover. Flavor-wise, fans describe Chocolate Brownie Crunch as chocolate‑forward without being syrupy, which some prefer over candy‑bar sweetness.
Main Criticism
If you’re expecting a bakery‑style brownie, temper the fantasy. A Reddit comment summed it up neatly: it “tastes more like chocolate milk than brownie”—good, but not a dead‑ringer for the name.
Stack3d has echoed that the flavor intensity in ON bars can run mild; this one leans more cocoa‑crisp than fudge. The other common complaint: digestive blowback for some.
This bar keeps sugar low with a blend of fibers and a sugar alcohol, which can cause gas or urgency if you’re sensitive or eat several in a day. Finally, ON’s range varies by flavor and format, so experienced buyers suggest double‑checking labels if you’re chasing specific macros.
The Middle Ground
So where does that leave Chocolate Brownie Crunch? Squarely in the “engineered treat” camp that actually eats like a snack.
The praise for texture is well‑earned—crispies make each bite light, and that alone separates it from a crowded field of dense, nougat‑style bars. The critiques are fair too: the name says brownie, the tongue says chocolate‑crisp cereal bar.
If you want frosting‑level sweetness, this isn’t that.
As for stomach concerns, a r/snacking commenter who said “my stomach did NOT like this at all” is a useful reminder, not a universal rule—polyols and rapidly fermented fibers are great for some, dicey for others.
And while a long‑ago Reddit post cheered “5g net carbs,” ON’s own lineup varies and this flavor lands at 16g carbs with most sweetness coming from modern sweeteners and fibers; whether that’s a plus depends on your body and your goals.
In short, the truth sits in the middle: a smartly built, low‑sugar crunch bar that trades maximal brownie richness for easy eating and solid protein.
What's the bottom line?
Optimum Nutrition’s Chocolate Brownie Crunch is for people who want their protein bar to feel like a snack, not a chore. You’re getting 20g of protein from a dairy‑plus‑soy blend, 213 calories, and just 2g of sugar, wrapped in a legitimately crispy, cocoa‑coated bite. It’s vegetarian and gluten‑free, and it keeps sweetness in check without tasting hollow.
The tradeoffs are clear: flavor reads more “chocolate cereal treat” than “fresh brownie,” and the low‑sugar formula leans on fibers and a sugar alcohol that can bother sensitive stomachs—especially if you stack it with other fiber‑heavy foods. If you’re cool with that, this is a reliably satisfying post‑workout or mid‑afternoon option that delivers protein with personality. If you want whole‑food minimalism or big, fudgy sweetness, look elsewhere; if you want crunch, control, and an easy 20g of protein, you’ll likely be happy here.