PROBAR
Peanut Butter Chocolate
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A plant‑based bar that pairs 20 grams of soy protein with real‑sugar sweetness and a candy‑bar bite, delivering quick energy without high‑intensity sweeteners.
When to choose PROBAR Peanut Butter Chocolate
Best for pre/post‑workout or long afternoons when you want fast carbs plus protein and prefer real sugar over sugar alcohols. Less ideal if you’re strictly limiting sugar or avoiding soy.
What's in the PROBAR bar?
PROBAR’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Protein Bar leans on soy protein isolate for its 20 grams of protein, keeping things vegan while peanuts and peanut flour add a little extra lift (and real peanut taste).
Carbs sit on the higher end for a protein bar, largely from tapioca syrup and sugar, with soluble tapioca fiber and a modest 9 grams of fat (from peanuts and palm kernel oil) helping with texture and satiety.
At 290 calories, it eats more like a small meal or pre‑workout boost than a light snack. Flavor is built the straightforward way—peanut butter, cocoa (including some dutched), and a touch of peanut extract—so it tastes like what it says on the wrapper.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbohydrates
- 32 g
- Sugar
- 14 g
- Calories
- 290
Protein
2015HIGHMost of the protein comes from soy protein isolate, a highly refined yet complete plant protein that keeps the bar dairy‑free. Peanuts and partially defatted peanut flour contribute a bit more. Compared with whey, soy’s amino acid score is a notch lower, but 20 grams still lands this bar on the high side for protein.
Fat
99MIDFat is mainly from peanut butter (rich in monounsaturated fats) plus palm kernel oil, a saturated fat that helps the bar hold its shape. The peanut fats add creaminess and staying power, while palm kernel oil tilts the mix more saturated than nut‑only bars. At 9 grams, total fat sits roughly mid‑pack.
Carbs
3220HIGHCarbs are driven by tapioca syrup and table sugar, with a bit of tapioca starch—refined sources that deliver quick energy. Soluble tapioca fiber is added for binding and to blunt the spike a touch, but this still skews faster‑burning than bars built on oats or dates. Expect a prompt lift rather than slow‑and‑steady fuel.
Sugar
144HIGHThis is one of the sweeter protein bars: 14 grams of sugar mainly from tapioca syrup and cane sugar. There are no artificial sweeteners; glycerin adds moisture and mild sweetness, and soluble fiber tempers things slightly. If you’re watching blood sugar, know the sweetness leans toward quick‑absorbing forms.
Calories
290210HIGHAt 290 calories, most of the energy comes from carbohydrates, with protein and fat contributing nearly equal shares behind them. It performs like a small meal or pre‑workout bridge, not a dainty snack. Protein and peanut fat help with fullness, but sugars do much of the heavy lifting calorie‑wise.
Vitamins & Minerals
Micros aren’t the headline, but you do get about 15% DV iron and 10% DV calcium. With no mineral salts listed, those likely reflect intrinsic contributions from soy protein isolate (and a bit from cocoa and peanuts). Think modest bump, not a fortified bar.
Additives
Expect modern bar staples: vegetable glycerin to keep it soft, soluble tapioca fiber as a refined binder/fiber, and tiny amounts of sunflower/soy lecithin to emulsify. Natural flavor and peanut extract round out taste at very low doses. Overall, it’s more processed than a date‑and‑nuts bar, but it avoids high‑intensity sweeteners.
Ingredient List
Defatted soybean flakes
Cassava starch
Groundnut plant seeds
Cassava root starch
Sugarcane and sugar beet
Vegetable oils (palm, soy)
Oil palm fruit
Cacao tree seeds
Cassava root
Roasted peanuts
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“ProBar (peanut butter) is delicious and uses only real sugar”
“Also ProBar is outstanding.”
“I love probar!!!!”
Main Praise
Taste and satisfaction lead the love letters. Reviewers across Reddit and Amazon keep coming back to the fact that Base eats like a treat—several call it candy‑bar‑good—while still delivering 20 grams of protein.
Healthline’s tester singled out the rich chocolate profile and smoother‑than‑expected texture, and The Manual praised the bar’s ability to actually keep you full rather than just occupied. Vegans appreciate a dependable, dairy‑free option that doesn’t lean on stevia or sucralose for sweetness.
And for people who get stomach drama from sugar alcohols, the use of regular sugar is a feature, not a bug.
Main Criticism
The sweetest praise comes with a sweet caveat: 14 grams of sugar (about 11 grams added) is a sticking point for some buyers who want lower‑sugar bars. Texture is divisive, too.
While some find it smooth, others call certain flavors dense, a bit dry, or even chalky; one Amazon reviewer noted the Coffee Crunch variety tended to crumble. The soy base is another line in the sand—great if you want plant protein, not great if you avoid soy.
A few Redditors also mentioned it’s not always easy to find, and the calorie load reads more like a small meal than a light snack.
The Middle Ground
So which is it—dessert in disguise or smart fuel? The answer is both, depending on intent.
If you’re lifting, hiking, or just slammed between meetings, the 290 calories and quick‑burning carbs make sense; they’re not an accident, they’re the point. That’s why The Manual called the bars “big, beefy,” and why Healthline’s tester found the Chocolate Brownie flavor satisfyingly rich.
On the flip side, Redditor casipera wrote they’re “kinda gross,” while others shouted “outstanding,” which mostly tells us the texture and sweetness swing by flavor and personal threshold. The sugar critique is fair—this isn’t a low‑sugar bar—but it also avoids the sugar‑alcohol aftertaste and digestive roulette that turn some people off other brands.
If you want slow, oat‑based energy or a super‑lean snack, keep walking; if you want a tasty plant‑protein bar that actually powers a session, Base makes a strong case.
What's the bottom line?
PROBAR Base (Peanut Butter Chocolate) is a treat‑forward protein bar that earns its stripes. You get 20 grams of soy‑based protein, real‑sugar sweetness, and enough calories to matter—more small meal than small bite. That combo explains why fans call it delicious and filling and why detractors flag the sugar and density.
If you’re fueling activity, prefer to skip sugar alcohols, and want vegan protein that tastes like, well, peanut butter and chocolate, this is an easy yes. If you need low‑sugar or soy‑free, it’s not your bar.
Listicle take: A candy‑bar‑tasty, vegan bar with 20g protein and real sugar—great for workouts and long days, less so for strict low‑sugar goals. Think satisfying fuel, not a dainty snack.