Stars + Honey
The Raspberry Donut
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A dessert‑inspired, gluten‑free bar that keeps sugar at 2 grams and calories at 170, using a plant‑first protein base plus a little collagen to nail a chewy, donut‑like texture without going candy‑bar sweet.
When to choose Stars + Honey The Raspberry Donut
Best for an afternoon sweet‑tooth fix or a gentler post‑workout snack if you prefer plant protein, are okay with collagen, and want something chewy and satisfying without a sugar spike.
What's in the Stars + Honey bar?
The Raspberry Donut from Stars + Honey is built on a plant-first protein blend (pea) teamed with collagen, tucked into a base of almonds and oats, and sweetened mostly with modern low‑calorie sweeteners rather than sugar.
Real raspberries and a touch of coconut sugar give the donut‑shop vibe, while cocoa butter adds that creamy, frosting‑like finish.
At 170 calories—lighter than many bars—it leans on 14 grams of protein and moderate fat for staying power, with carbohydrates coming from a mix of whole grain oats, added fiber, and small amounts of refined starches.
If you’re curious how it all plays out—clean energy or sugar rush, complete protein or not—let’s unpack what each ingredient contributes.
- Protein
- 14 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Calories
- 170
Protein
1415MIDProtein here comes primarily from pea protein, with support from collagen and pea‑protein crisps. Pea is a high‑quality, complete plant protein, so it does the heavy lifting on amino acid balance; collagen, while useful for texture, is incomplete on its own. With 14 grams total (mid‑pack among bars), you’re getting a meaningful boost that skews more plant‑based than animal‑based, though not vegetarian because of the collagen.
Fat
79MIDMost of the 7 grams of fat come from almonds and a bit of cocoa butter. Almonds bring heart‑friendly monounsaturated fats and natural vitamin E; cocoa butter contributes stearic and oleic acids—the former is a saturated fat that’s relatively neutral for LDL in studies. It’s a moderate fat load overall, more from nuts than from highly processed seed oils.
Carbs
1820MIDCarbs in this bar are a blend of whole and refined sources: oats provide slow‑digesting, viscous fiber; tapioca fiber adds soluble fiber; and the pea‑protein crisps include rice starch, a more rapidly available carb. Sweetness largely comes from allulose (a low‑calorie rare sugar) plus a little glycerin and monk fruit, which help keep blood sugar steadier than a bar sweetened mainly with regular sugar. Net effect: more sustained energy than a candy‑like bar, though very sensitive guts may notice the combination of added fibers and low‑calorie sweeteners.
Sugar
24MIDOnly 2 grams of sugar, because sweetness leans on allulose (a low‑calorie rare sugar) and monk fruit (a high‑potency plant sweetener), with modest help from coconut sugar and raspberries. That keeps the glycemic hit low, but it also means the sweetness is largely from refined, calorie‑light ingredients rather than fruit alone. Most people tolerate these well, though larger single servings of low‑calorie sweeteners can bother sensitive stomachs.
Calories
170210LOWAt 170 calories, this sits on the lighter side for protein bars. Most of the energy is split between protein and fat (from pea protein, collagen, and almonds/cocoa butter), while part of the carbohydrate side is tempered by low‑calorie allulose and non‑digestible fiber. You get a solid snack without the heft of a meal‑replacement.
Vitamins & Minerals
There aren’t standout vitamins or minerals above 10% DV on the label. Almonds contribute some natural vitamin E, oats bring small amounts of minerals, and raspberries add a touch of vitamin C; the added vitamin C and E here function mainly as antioxidants to help keep the fats fresh, not as high‑dose nutrients. Think steady basics rather than fortified mega‑hits.
Additives
A short list of functional helpers keeps the bar tasty and stable: allulose and monk fruit for low‑calorie sweetness, vegetable glycerin for moisture, tapioca fiber for body and fiber, sunflower lecithin to keep textures smooth, and rosemary extract to protect the fats. These are refined ingredients doing specific jobs, paired with recognizable foods like almonds, oats, and raspberries. It’s a modern formulation that balances whole‑food elements with a few well‑chosen processing aids.
Ingredient List
Almond tree seeds
Yellow pea seeds
Bovine, porcine, poultry, or fish skins/bones
Rice grain endosperm
Corn or beet fructose syrups
Cassava root starch
Vegetable oils (palm, soy)
Sunflower seeds
Coconut palm sap
Raspberries
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
Among the brand’s lineup, Raspberry Donut is the flavor people single out as daily‑repeat good — one Reddit commenter (ConfettiBowl) said they’d eat this one every day. Fans like the chewy, caramel‑adjacent texture; SubstantialLocal9437 compared another flavor’s bite to soft caramel, and Raspberry Donut lives in that same lane.
The macro profile hits a friendly middle: 170 calories, 14 grams of protein, and very low sugar, which many appreciate for steady energy rather than a crash. On Trustpilot, happy customers call out clean ingredients, minimal protein aftertaste, and feeling satisfied for hours — exactly the behavior you want from a keep‑in‑the‑bag bar.
And for folks trying to avoid whey, the plant‑first protein with a bit of collagen is a welcome change of pace.
Main Criticism
Not everyone tastes a donut in this donut bar. Some reviewers report a chalky or odd aftertaste and say flavor names overpromise compared to what’s in the wrapper; a few found certain flavors dry or bland.
Several comments point to price and the difficulty of sampling singles as friction — fair critiques when taste is subjective. Outside reviewers, like Jennifer Trepeck on Medium, also push back on fuzzy marketing language and metabolism‑ish buzzwords.
And while the sweetness is low in sugar, it relies on modern low‑calorie sweeteners, which a small slice of people find noticeable in flavor or feel.
The Middle Ground
So where does the truth land?
If you enjoy chewy bars and like the idea of a pastry‑inspired flavor without syrupy sweetness, Raspberry Donut sits solidly in the win column — it’s the flavor even mixed reviewers kept, and those caramel‑like, bendy textures get repeated praise.
The macros are built for a light snack rather than a meal, and the plant‑first protein helps it feel clean for people avoiding whey.
On the flip side, if dessert‑named bars set you up to expect a literal donut, you might side with vinoveitas_88 — fine, a bit chalky, no better or worse than the pack.
Sweeteners like allulose and monk fruit help keep sugar down and blood sugar steadier than regular sugar, but a subset of folks do notice their taste or get mild GI grumbles if they overdo them.
And while one Redditor (Saviche888) went full scorched earth on the brand, that take seems more dramatic than representative — Raspberry Donut, specifically, has real fans.
What's the bottom line?
Stars + Honey’s The Raspberry Donut is a thoughtfully built, pastry‑leaning snack that keeps things light — 170 calories, 14 grams of protein — and leans on plant protein plus a bit of collagen to deliver a soft, donut‑ish chew with very little sugar. It’s gluten‑free, avoids whey, and uses modern low‑calorie sweeteners to create sweetness without a big spike. Taste is the swing factor.
If you like chewy bars and want a sweet‑leaning flavor that isn’t syrupy, this is a strong contender and one of the brand’s better‑loved options. If chalky notes or sweetener flavors bother you, or you expect a Krispy Kreme in bar form, temper expectations.
Practical tip: pair it with coffee or a piece of fruit for a more rounded snack, and note the caveats — it’s not vegetarian due to collagen, and it contains almonds and coconut. For the right eater and moment, Raspberry Donut delivers the donut daydream with fewer strings attached than most.