PhD Nutrition
White Chocolate Blondie
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A true candy‑bar build—coating, caramel, crunch—paired with 20g of mixed proteins and surprisingly low sugar for how indulgent it tastes.
When to choose PhD Nutrition White Chocolate Blondie
Dessert‑leaning snackers who want a post‑workout reward or 3 p. m.
sweet fix that still brings 20g of protein.
What's in the PhD Nutrition bar?
PhD Nutrition’s White Chocolate Blondie reads like a dessert first, protein bar second—and that’s exactly the charm.
The blondie flavor comes from a white-chocolate style coating (cocoa butter, milk powder, vanilla), a caramel layer, and crunchy soy crisps, while the protein backbone is a blend of milk proteins (casein and whey), soy isolate, and a little collagen for chew.
Macros lean confectionery: carbs sit high for the category, sugar stays low thanks to alternative sweeteners, and fats come mainly from cocoa butter with a supporting role from rapeseed oil. If you want a sweet, bakery‑leaning bite with a serious protein hit, this is firmly in that lane.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 26 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Calories
- 259
Protein
2015HIGHThe 20g of protein comes from a blend: calcium caseinate and whey concentrate (both dairy), soy protein isolate, and a smaller dose of collagen peptides. Dairy and soy are complete proteins—great for muscle repair—while collagen is incomplete and here mainly helps texture, so the milk and soy do the heavy lifting. It lands on the high end for protein versus other bars, with a mix of slower‑digesting casein and faster whey for a satisfying, sustained hit.
Fat
109MIDMost of the fat comes from cocoa butter in the white‑chocolate and caramel layers, with rapeseed (canola) oil in support and a little from milk powder. Cocoa butter skews toward stearic (a saturated fat that’s relatively neutral for LDL) and oleic (monounsaturated), while rapeseed adds heart‑friendly unsaturated fats. Overall, the fat level is moderate for a bar and more ‘chocolate‑like’ than ‘nut‑butter‑rich.’
Carbs
2620HIGHThese are mostly refined carbs engineered for sweetness and texture rather than whole‑food energy. The bar leans on maltitol (a sugar alcohol with fewer calories than sugar), isomaltooligosaccharides (a tapioca‑derived syrup that often behaves like digestible carbs), glycerol (a plant‑based humectant), plus a little tapioca starch and some dairy sugars from condensed milk. Expect a gentler spike than straight sugar because of the sugar alcohol and glycerol, but not the slow, steady burn you’d get from oats or dried fruit.
Sugar
24MIDSugar is low because sweetness comes primarily from sugar alcohols and starch‑derived syrups rather than cane sugar. You’ll get small amounts of sugar from condensed milk and lactose in the dairy components, but most sweetness is driven by maltitol (a sugar alcohol) and IMO syrup. That keeps sugar grams down, though a subset of people may notice digestive rumbling if they overdo polyols.
Calories
259210HIGHThe calories come from all three macros: meaningful protein, a chocolate‑style fat layer, and a sizable share of carbohydrate from bulk sweeteners and starches. Using sugar alcohols lowers sugar but doesn’t make this a low‑calorie bar; it still sits on the higher side for the category. Think of it as a dessert‑leaning protein treat rather than a minimalist training fuel.
Vitamins & Minerals
There aren’t any standout vitamins or minerals listed over 10% of daily value here. You may get small contributions of calcium and B‑vitamins from milk powder and a touch of minerals from cocoa, but this bar isn’t positioned as a micronutrient source.
Additives
To create that candy‑bar experience with low sugar, the formula uses several modern helpers: sugar alcohols (for bulked sweetness), glycerol (to keep it soft), and lecithin (to keep chocolate smooth). These are highly refined ingredients used for texture and stability rather than nutrition. It’s a confectionery‑style build—polished and palatable—just know sensitive stomachs can react to higher intakes of polyols.
Ingredient List
Cow's milk
Cow's milk whey
Cattle hides, bones, connective tissue
Defatted soybean flakes
Corn or wheat
Cocoa beans
Cow's milk
Soybeans
Vegetable oils and animal fats
Sugarcane and sugar beet
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“Smart PhD bars are fantastic and the one I ate in the video. Comes in a variety of different flavours. You can also get these in plant / vegan editions.”
“I loved the mini phd smart blondie bars for a season, they were so so good.”
“PhD smart plant is my go to if I want something more filling, 21g of protein and definitely satisfies the hunger craving”
Main Praise
Across UK fitness outlets and plenty of comment threads, Smart Bar earns steady applause for taste and satisfaction. Men’s Fitness says it squarely covers post‑workout needs, Coach calls it a reliable everyday option, and Muscle Plus gushes over flavor variety.
The Blondie flavor hits the candy‑bar note convincingly—sweet, creamy, and actually crunchy—while still delivering a meaningful protein dose. It feels indulgent without a sugar dump, which makes it a popular swap for dessert or that afternoon chocolate moment.
The layered build also breaks up the monotony you get with many dense, single‑texture bars.
Main Criticism
Not everyone is smitten. A few Redditors flat‑out called certain flavors “disgusting,” a reminder that Smart Bar can be polarizing and quite sweet depending on the flavor.
The formula leans on sugar alcohols, which some stomachs don’t love; reviewers flag occasional rumbling if they overdo it. Texture can run chewy, with the odd gritty bite.
And compared with super‑lean bars, carbs and fats sit a touch higher, so strict cutters or keto diehards won’t crown it their macro king. Muscle Plus also points out that if you want the fastest, fuss‑free recovery right after training, a whey shake still wins.
The Middle Ground
So, which is it—genius dessert swap or over‑engineered candy bar? The truth lives in the middle.
If you enjoy a sweet, layered bar, Blondie is one of Smart Bar’s more convincing “treat” experiences, and that’s exactly why many people love it. But taste is personal: a commenter who found a toffee popcorn flavor “rank” may have bumped into the wrong flavor for their palate (or just had a bad day).
The sweetness strategy matters, too—keeping sugar low via polyols helps some people avoid a crash but can annoy sensitive guts.
And while Coach notes it’s not the bar to tame a raging sweet tooth, the Blondie profile is among the richer, creamier options in the lineup—so both takes can be true.
One more clarification: folks on Reddit sometimes praise PhD’s “keto” bars; that’s a different line from the standard Smart Bar. If you want the candy‑bar experience with a real 20g protein backbone, Blondie delivers; if you want minimal ingredients and oat‑or‑nut‑based carbs, this isn’t that.
What's the bottom line?
PhD Smart Bar White Chocolate Blondie is for people who want their protein to show up dressed like dessert. It brings 20g of mixed proteins, genuinely fun texture, and low measured sugar, making it a satisfying post‑gym treat or a smarter stand‑in for a candy bar. The trade‑offs are straightforward: more processed sweeteners, a chewier bite, slightly higher carbs and fats than ultra‑lean rivals, and potential GI grumbles if polyols don’t agree with you.
It also contains collagen, so it’s not suitable for vegetarians, and it’s dairy‑ and soy‑based. If you’re cool with that, it’s a delicious way to keep protein high when cravings hit.
If you want short‑ingredient simplicity or polyol‑free sweetness, look elsewhere—or check the brand’s plant line. Either way, start with a single bar, see how your stomach feels, and enjoy the candy‑bar moment without the sugar crash.