Optimum Nutrition
Nutty Chocolate Caramel
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A candy‑bar build—milk chocolate, caramel, roasted peanuts, and a few raisins—wrapped around a whey‑and‑soy core that delivers 20g of protein with an airy, crisp texture instead of the usual brick‑chew.
When to choose Optimum Nutrition Nutty Chocolate Caramel
Best for a post‑workout or afternoon sweet‑tooth moment when you still want 20g of protein. Skip it if sugar alcohols don’t sit well with you or if you avoid milk or soy.
What's in the Optimum Nutrition bar?
Optimum Nutrition’s Nutty Chocolate Caramel reads like a dessert but delivers upper‑tier protein thanks to a whey‑and‑soy blend.
Whey protein (concentrate and isolate) is layered into the milk‑chocolate coating, and soy protein isolate forms the crunchy nuggets and crisps—so you get highly digestible dairy protein with extra crunch and support from soy.
Carbs sit in the middle of the pack and come from a mix of raisins and dairy lactose plus modern binders and sweeteners that keep sugar modest. Fat comes largely from chocolate and caramel fats (cocoa butter and coconut oil) balanced by rapeseed (canola) oil and peanuts.
Flavor-wise, the chocolate, caramel layer, roasted peanuts, and a handful of raisins create the “nutty chocolate caramel” profile you taste first.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Calories
- 256
Protein
2015HIGHThe 20g of protein is powered by a dairy‑and‑soy team: fast‑digesting whey (concentrate and isolate) wrapped into the chocolate, plus soy protein isolate in the crisps and nuggets. Whey brings top‑tier amino acid quality, while soy contributes additional complete protein and that satisfying crunch. The blend is effective for muscle repair, though it does introduce both milk and soy allergens.
Fat
109MIDMost fat comes from the chocolate and caramel layers—cocoa butter and coconut oil give that firm snap and quick melt—while rapeseed (canola) oil and peanuts add more heart‑friendly unsaturated fats. Expect a meaningful saturated‑fat component from cocoa butter and coconut oil, tempered somewhat by the canola and peanut oils. If you track saturated fat, consider how this bar fits alongside the rest of your day.
Carbs
2020MIDCarbs are a mixed bag. You get some from whole ingredients like raisins and from lactose in the milk components, and the rest from refined binders and sweeteners—think a sugar alcohol for sweetness, glycerol for softness, and fiber‑type carbohydrates (such as polydextrose and IMO) to hold it all together, with a touch of maltodextrin. Energy release should feel steadier than a sugar‑heavy candy bar, though not as slow and even as bars built primarily on oats or dates.
Sugar
64MIDSugar stays moderate because most sweetness comes from non‑sugar systems: a sugar alcohol plus fiber‑based sweeteners and glycerol, rather than a lot of table sugar. The sugars that are present mainly come from raisins and dairy lactose. If you’re sensitive to sugar alcohols, doubling up on bars can be tough on digestion, so start with one and see how you feel.
Calories
256210HIGHCalories skew higher for the category, largely driven by the chocolate coating, caramel layer, added oils, and nuts. Protein and carbohydrate contribute roughly equally, with the fat from chocolate and caramel pushing totals up. It eats like a small meal or a robust post‑workout snack rather than a light bite.
Vitamins & Minerals
There’s no vitamin or mineral fortification highlighted here, and nothing jumps above 10% of daily value. You’ll pick up small amounts of calcium and B vitamins from milk ingredients and a bit of magnesium from cocoa and peanuts, but this bar is built around macros and flavor, not micronutrients.
Additives
This is a modern, layered bar that leans on functional ingredients to deliver taste and texture. Emulsifiers and humectants keep it soft and cohesive, while refined fibers and alternative sweeteners reduce sugar and maintain chew. The trade‑off is a longer, more processed ingredient list than you’d see in a simple nut‑and‑fruit bar.
Ingredient List
Cocoa beans
Cow's milk
Corn or wheat
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Vegetable oils and animal fats
Corn, tapioca, potato, or rice starch
Chicory root
Coconuts
Soybeans
Defatted soybean flakes
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
The love starts with texture. Reviewers keep calling out the bar’s light, marshmallow‑like center and rice‑crispy crunch—“very different from most bars”—which makes it surprisingly easy to eat.
That’s a big deal in a category where many bars are dense and sticky. The macros also land in the sweet spot for a snack‑sized protein fix, with 20g of protein in this flavor.
Flavor variety earns nods too: fans of marshmallow or white chocolate often find a near‑candy experience, and Runner’s World even singled out the coconut version for Bounty‑bar devotees. The overall vibe: a treat‑leaning bar that doesn’t forget why you bought a protein bar in the first place.
Main Criticism
The most common knock is flavor accuracy and intensity. Several tasters say certain varieties taste milder than their names suggest—Chocolate Brownie leaning more chocolate‑milk than brownie; Chocolate Caramel reading as butterscotch.
Nutrition isn’t uniform across the range, either; calories and sugar can swing depending on flavor, so label readers should double‑check.
And as with many modern bars that keep sugars modest by using sugar alcohols and fiber‑type sweeteners, a few folks report stomach rumblings if they eat more than one or are sensitive.
The Middle Ground
So where does that leave Nutty Chocolate Caramel? Squarely in the middle of a Venn diagram: part candy bar, part recovery tool.
Stack3d praised the brand’s marshmallow‑soft bite while noting the flavors run gentle; that tracks with how this bar keeps sugar moderate by leaning on fiber‑based sweeteners and a sugar alcohol—sweet enough, not syrupy.
On Reddit, one person said their brownie bar tasted like chocolate milk; another said the marshmallow version nailed a Rice Krispies vibe. Both can be true: a lighter sweetness and crisp texture are features, not bugs, and they won’t please every palate.
Nutrition‑wise, 20g of protein from a whey‑and‑soy team is rock solid, while the chocolate and caramel layers push calories up—great if you want a satisfying snack or post‑lift bite, less ideal if you’re chasing the lowest‑cal option.
The only real wild card is your gut’s tolerance for sugar alcohols; that’s personal, so start with one bar and see how you feel.
What's the bottom line?
Optimum Nutrition’s Optimum Protein Bar (Nutty Chocolate Caramel) is a convincing bridge between candy cravings and protein goals. You get 20g of high‑quality protein, a crisp‑meets‑marshmallow bite that’s genuinely fun to eat, and sweetness that stays in check without leaning hard on table sugar. The trade‑offs are clear: calories trend higher than minimalist nut‑and‑date bars, flavors can read softer than their names, and sugar alcohols will be a non‑starter for some.
If you’re comfortable with a modern, more processed ingredient list and you want something that feels like dessert but acts like recovery, this is an easy bar to keep in the rotation. Condensed listicle blurb: Candy‑bar look, marshmallow‑crisp bite, and 20g of protein. A satisfying post‑workout or dessert‑y snack if you tolerate sugar alcohols; skip if milk/soy or ultra‑simple ingredient lists are your hard lines.