Stars + Honey
Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A collagen‑first, gluten‑free bar that leans dessert—sprinkles and chocolate chips—while holding the line at 170 calories and 2 grams of sugar. Chewy texture; tastes bigger than its macro numbers.
When to choose Stars + Honey Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip
Best as a sweet, between‑meal snack or post‑workout bridge when you want protein without a heavy bar. Great for gluten‑free eaters who want collagen; not a fit for vegans/vegetarians or folks who dislike allulose/monk fruit.
What's in the Stars + Honey bar?
Stars + Honey’s Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip bar plays the birthday-cake card without the sugar bomb: 13 grams of protein built from collagen with a supporting cast of pea protein, a lighter‑than‑average 170 calories, and just 2 grams of sugar.
Most of the sweetness comes from modern, low‑impact sweeteners (allulose and monk fruit) plus plant‑derived glycerin, while the carbs lean heavily on soluble and insoluble fibers from cassava (tapioca fiber), oats, and acacia.
Fat comes from real foods—almonds for monounsaturated fats—plus chocolate‑adjacent cocoa butter and a touch of coconut oil for structure. The “cake” comes from natural flavors and cheerful, plant‑colored sprinkles (spirulina, radish, turmeric), and the “chip” is real cocoa (cocoa beans, cocoa powder, cocoa butter).
It’s gluten‑free and designed to taste like a treat while keeping sugar and calories in check.
- Protein
- 13 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Calories
- 170
Protein
1315MIDProtein here is led by collagen peptides, with pea protein backing it up and a small assist from almonds. Collagen is easy to digest but not a complete protein, so it can’t carry muscle repair on its own; the pea protein helps round out the amino acids. At 13 grams, it’s a solid snack‑level dose—consider pairing with another complete protein at your next meal if you’re chasing higher targets.
Fat
79MIDThe 7 grams of fat are a blend of nut fats from almonds (mostly heart‑friendly monounsaturated) and confectionery fats—cocoa butter and a bit of coconut oil—to help the chocolate chips hold their shape. That means some saturated fat in the mix; cocoa butter’s stearic acid is relatively neutral for LDL, while coconut oil is more LDL‑raising. Overall the amount is moderate and helps with fullness without making the bar heavy.
Carbs
1720MIDCarbs come mostly from fibers and low‑calorie sweeteners rather than big starches: tapioca fiber (a resistant dextrin from cassava), oat fiber/bran, and a little acacia provide bulk, while allulose and monk fruit deliver sweetness with minimal blood‑sugar impact. There’s a small amount of refined rice flour and a touch of coconut sugar for structure and flavor, but only 2 grams of sugar total. Expect steadier energy than a sugar‑forward bar, though very sensitive guts can notice gurgles if they overdo allulose or added fibers.
Sugar
24MIDOnly 2 grams of sugar, largely from a little coconut sugar and what’s naturally present in inclusions, yet it tastes sweet because allulose (a low‑calorie sugar) and monk fruit pick up the slack. That keeps the glycemic hit small, but note these are refined sweeteners by design. If you’re sensitive, pay attention to how your stomach feels with allulose‑sweetened products.
Calories
170210LOWAt 170 calories, this sits on the lighter end for protein bars. Most of those calories come from the protein and the modest fat, while many of the “carbs” are fibers or low‑calorie allulose that don’t contribute much energy. It’s an easy between‑meal option when you want a sweet bite without committing to a full‑size bar’s calorie load.
Vitamins & Minerals
There’s no vitamin or mineral on the label topping 10% of daily value. You’ll still get small, naturally occurring bits—vitamin E from almonds and trace minerals from oats and cocoa—but this bar isn’t fortified, so consider it a protein‑and‑fiber snack first.
Additives
To keep the bar soft, sweet, and stable with very little sugar, it leans on a modern toolkit: allulose and monk fruit for sweetness, vegetable glycerin for moisture, sunflower lecithin to keep fats and fibers playing nicely, and acacia/tapioca fibers for bulk. These are refined ingredients used in small amounts, while the colors in the sprinkles come from familiar plants (spirulina, radish, turmeric). The net effect is a dessert‑like texture with fewer traditional sugars.
Ingredient List
Bovine, porcine, poultry, or fish skins/bones
Almond tree seeds
Cassava root starch
Corn or beet fructose syrups
Yellow pea seeds
Vegetable oils (palm, soy)
Sunflower seeds
Rice grain (Oryza sativa)
Oat hulls
Oat grain
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“ordered the Peanut butter and jelly one and really like it”
“I’ve only tried the Cacao Salt Caramel Peanut, which is fairly tasty. The texture is kind of chewy, sort of like caramel. I like that it is low sugar, lower carb than some bars and has a decent amount of protein plus collagen”
“The limited edition (cherry chocolate waffle cone) was pretty good - but I should mention I don't really have a sweet tooth.”
Main Praise
Fans call out the texture first: not a jaw workout, more chewy and caramel‑like, which makes a dessert‑style flavor actually enjoyable rather than cloying. The macro profile earns respect—13 grams of protein, 170 calories, and only 2 grams of sugar—so you get a sweet bite without a sugar bomb.
Several lifters on Reddit singled out certain flavors as genuinely tasty, with the Birthday Cake family riding that same chew and chip combo.
A Medium review praised the ingredient story and macro balance, and Trustpilot has plenty of people saying they feel satisfied for hours without the chalk or grittiness they expect from typical protein bars.
Add that it’s gluten‑free and dairy‑free, and you’ve got a treat‑leaning snack that still works on a Tuesday afternoon.
Main Criticism
Taste is polarizing across the brand’s lineup, and this flavor won’t be immune. A handful of Redditors complain about a chalky vibe or a weird aftertaste, and some say the dessert‑y names don’t match reality once you bite in.
Others think the bars are fine but not special—‘no better or worse’ than the rest—and question the price relative to the experience. A few critics also flag customer‑service hiccups and the difficulty of sampling single bars before committing, which colors perception even if the nutrition checks out.
Finally, because the protein is collagen‑forward, purists who want a complete protein may wish it leaned whey or soy instead.
The Middle Ground
So where does the truth land? Somewhere between ‘surprisingly good’ and ‘depends on your palate.
’ If you enjoy chewy, nougat‑to‑caramel textures and you’re fine with modern sweeteners, you’ll likely find this satisfying; Reddit’s SubstantialLocal9437 liked the chew and called a sister flavor tasty. If you’re sensitive to allulose or monk fruit, or you expect bakery‑case frosting in bar form, you might side with chsmi’s ‘weird flavor’ complaint.
Nutrition‑wise, the trade‑offs are clear: 13 grams of protein is a snack—not a full meal—because collagen isn’t a complete protein, though the added pea protein helps round things out. The 2 grams of sugar and fiber‑heavy carbs mean a gentler blood‑sugar impact for many people, but very sensitive guts can notice gurgles if they overdo allulose or added fibers.
Texture tends to be consistent (chewy, a little bendy), though one commenter found certain flavors drier or crumbly; that’s common with low‑sugar confectionery. Call it a dessert‑leaning, collagen snack that works best when you meet it where it lives: sweet but not sugary, protein‑forward but not a shake replacement.
What's the bottom line?
Stars + Honey’s Birthday Cake Chocolate Chip is a clever compromise: the fun of sprinkles and chips with macros that won’t bulldoze your day. It’s chewy, not chalky, when it hits right, and the 170 calories/13 grams of protein/2 grams of sugar combo is easy to fit into a snack routine. The collagen‑led formula will appeal to people who want that particular protein type (and don’t mind that it isn’t complete), while the pea protein and almonds add a bit more substance.
Will everyone love the taste? No—and that’s the honest read from Reddit to Trustpilot. If you’re sweetener‑sensitive or expect full‑on birthday cake frosting, you might shrug.
But if you like low‑sugar bars that still feel like a treat, want gluten‑free and dairy‑free, and prefer chewy over crunchy, this is a strong contender. Watch allergens (almonds, coconut), pair it with another protein source when you need a bigger hit, and enjoy the small victory of a dessert‑leaning bar that acts like a grown‑up.
Condensed listicle take: A chewy, collagen‑first birthday cake bar with sprinkles and chocolate chips—13 grams of protein, 170 calories, 2 grams of sugar. Best for gluten‑free snackers who like low‑sugar sweetness; skip if you’re vegan/vegetarian or sensitive to allulose/monk fruit.