TREK
Millionaire Shortbread
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
It rebuilds millionaire shortbread entirely from plants—date-sweetened cocoa top, coconut-milk caramel, and a soy-protein core—without artificial sweeteners and with largely recognizable ingredients.
When to choose TREK Millionaire Shortbread
Choose it when you want a vegan, gluten-free bar that tastes like a real treat, gives you 15g of protein, and favors fruit-first sweetness over stevia or sucralose. Great for hikes, commutes, or that 3 p.
m. sweet-tooth window.
What's in the TREK bar?
TREK’s Millionaire Shortbread Protein Bar rebuilds the classic cookie–caramel–chocolate stack entirely from plants.
The chocolatey top is a date‑sweetened blend of cocoa mass and cocoa butter with a touch of tigernut (a small, fiber‑rich tuber) and rice flour for snap; the caramel is set with coconut oil and sweetened with glucose syrup and cane sugar; and a soy‑protein core carries the lift.
Nutrition‑wise, it leans on soya protein isolate to reach about 15 grams of protein, then layers in fats from cocoa, coconut, peanuts, and cashews. Carbs are modest in total, but a large share of them are sugars coming from dates, fruit concentrates, and the caramel.
You also get a notable pop of manganese naturally from the nuts and cocoa. In short: plant‑based ‘millionaire’ flavor, average‑for‑the‑category protein, a sweeter profile than many bars, and a creamy fat mix that makes it feel like a treat.
- Protein
- 15 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Calories
- 225
Protein
1515MIDMost of the 15.4g of protein comes from soya protein isolate (26% of the bar), a concentrated, neutral‑tasting plant protein that blends smoothly. Peanut butter and cashews contribute a little extra, but soy does the heavy lifting. The result is an all‑plant protein profile that sits around average for the category.
Fat
109MIDFats come from cocoa butter and coconut oil in the chocolate and caramel layers, balanced by softer, unsaturated fats from peanut butter and cashews. That means a mix of creamy saturated fats (coconut and cocoa) alongside oleic‑rich nut fats—tasty, but not all unsaturated. At 9.9g, the fat lands mid‑range and helps with satisfaction and texture.
Carbs
1520LOWWith 15g of carbs, the load is modest, but the sources skew sweet: dates and date syrup, concentrated grape juice, and a caramel made with glucose syrup and cane sugar, plus a touch of rice starch. That’s a blend of fruit‑derived sugars and refined binders—expect quick energy more than slow‑burn fuel. Chicory root fiber and the bar’s fats/protein help soften the rise, but the emphasis is still on readily available sugars.
Sugar
114HIGHThere are 11g of sugar here—higher than many protein bars. The sweetness comes first from fruit (dates and grape juice concentrate) and then from conventional sugars in the caramel (glucose syrup and cane sugar), with no artificial sweeteners. Expect a clearly sweet bite and a quicker energy lift, tempered somewhat by the bar’s fiber and fat.
Calories
225210MIDAt 225 calories, this is a solid snack or small meal bridge. Those calories are split across soy protein, quick sugars from dates and syrups, and fats from cocoa, coconut, and nuts—so you feel it. It isn’t a ‘light’ bar, but the balance of macros makes it satisfying.
Vitamins & Minerals
Manganese lands at about 22% of daily value, likely courtesy of cashews and cocoa, with a nudge from rice‑based ingredients. There’s no vitamin fortification—micronutrients are coming naturally from those whole‑food components. You may also pick up small amounts of minerals like magnesium and copper from the nuts and cocoa, though they aren’t listed on the panel.
Additives
To pull off that millionaire‑shortbread texture, the recipe leans on a few helpers: sunflower lecithin (a natural emulsifier) to keep layers smooth, glycerol (a plant‑derived moisture holder) to keep caramel soft, and rice starch to set structure. Chicory root fiber adds prebiotic fiber and body, while glucose syrup doubles as a binder/sweetener. It’s more engineered than a minimalist date‑and‑nut bar, but still anchored by recognizable foods like dates, cocoa, peanuts, and cashews.
Ingredient List
Date palm fruit
Cocoa beans
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Tubers of Cyperus esculentus
Rice grain (Oryza sativa)
Sunflower seeds
Corn, wheat, potato, tapioca starches
Sugarcane stalks
Coconuts
Vegetable oils and animal fats
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“girlies this thing was so good. Definitely worth a try.”
“God I love Trek”
“Trek Cocoa Oat protein flapjacks. GF, GM free, and vegan. Discovered these when doing a lot of hiking, but they're always with me now; car glovebox, backpack, jacket pocket. At 227 Calories a bar, if you get hungry then you don't have to risk an unknown snack, meal. I buy in bulk.”
Main Praise
Taste leads the parade.
Independent testers at The Independent (IndyBest) crowned TREK’s Millionaire Shortbread their favorite plant-based pick, and the consensus across Reddit threads and Amazon reviews is that it’s genuinely enjoyable, not just “good for a protein bar.
” The texture—layered chocolate and caramel over a soft, nutty base—scratches a dessert itch while staying vegan and gluten-free. Fans appreciate that the sweetness comes from dates and fruit concentrates rather than artificial sweeteners, which also dodges the metallic aftertaste some bars carry.
At 225 calories with 15g of protein, many find it satisfying enough to bridge a long afternoon or fuel a hike; one Redditor keeps TREK bars in the glovebox for exactly that reason.
For plant-based eaters who want something closer to food than lab candy, this bar hits a sweet spot.
Main Criticism
The most consistent knock is the macro math: 15g of protein for 225 calories isn’t as lean as the gym-rat staples with 20g+ protein and very low sugar. Some Reddit users called out the protein-to-calorie ratio specifically, and others flagged the price as a sticking point.
A few found the texture claggy or a bit dry, and a small subset reported digestive grumbles—possibly from chicory root fiber or the tigernut element—though plenty of others had no issues.
If you’re avoiding soy or nuts, it’s a non-starter. And if your bar criteria begins with “lowest sugar possible,” the 11g here will feel like a compromise.
The Middle Ground
Here’s where the truth lands: TREK’s Millionaire Shortbread is designed to taste like a bakery bar first and a muscle bar second. The flavor and texture win real praise—IndyBest didn’t gush by accident—and for people who avoid artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols, the fruit-forward sweetness is a feature, not a bug.
But Reddit user after Reddit user isn’t wrong that the protein-per-calorie ratio trails the hard-core options; 15g at 225 calories is squarely middle-of-the-pack. The sweetness is noticeable, and while 11g isn’t wild in the world of snack bars, it’s higher than the ultra-lean crowd prefers.
Digestive responses to chicory fiber are highly individual: some feel fine, others feel… aware of it. And those “claggy” comments?
Texture is subjective; if you like a dense, fudgey chew under a chocolate top, you’ll likely be happy—if you want crisp and airy, you won’t.
What's the bottom line?
If you’re hunting for a vegan, gluten-free bar that actually tastes like a treat—and you’re okay with a moderate protein hit—TREK’s Millionaire Shortbread is easy to recommend. It delivers 15g of soy protein with no artificial sweeteners, a dessert-like layered bite, and enough calories to keep you going on a walk, commute, or late meeting. If your priority is maximum protein per calorie or ultra-low sugar, look elsewhere.
But if you want a plant-based bar that trades a little macro efficiency for flavor, recognisable ingredients, and a satisfyingly indulgent chew, this is a smart, happy choice. Condensed listicle take: A vegan, gluten-free riff on a bakery classic with 15g of soy protein and no artificial sweeteners. Sweet, satisfying, and closer to “real food” than most bars at 225 calories and 11g sugar—best for hikers, commuters, and sweet-tooth snackers; not for ultra-lean macro hunters or anyone avoiding soy/nuts.