TRUBAR
Strawberry Shorty Got Cake
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A dessert-forward, strawberry-shortcake flavor delivered in a vegan, gluten-free bar with no sugar alcohols and a soft, cake-like chew—powered by a brown rice and pea protein combo.
When to choose TRUBAR Strawberry Shorty Got Cake
Best for a sweet-tooth snack or light pre/post‑workout bite when you want plant-based protein without sugar alcohols. Especially appealing to dairy‑free and peanut‑free households (note: contains cashews).
What's in the TRUBAR bar?
Think strawberry shortcake, built for a snack break.
TRUBAR’s Strawberry Shorty Got Cake leans on a plant-protein duo—brown rice protein and pea protein crisps—for 12g of dairy‑free protein, then creates that tender, cake‑like bite with cassava and rice flours, a creamy cashew spread, and a bit of palm kernel oil for structure.
Sweetness comes from organic cane sugar and real freeze‑dried strawberry powder, with tapioca‑based binders helping keep labeled sugars moderate while still delivering a dessert‑style chew.
Expect carbs on the higher side for quick energy, fats in the middle, and calories on the lighter end for a bar, with the strawberry character driven by freeze‑dried berries and natural flavors.
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Calories
- 190
Protein
1215MIDProtein here comes from brown rice protein and pea protein crisps (pea protein isolate bound with pea starch and rice flour). The rice‑and‑pea pairing is a classic complement: rice runs low in lysine and pea runs low in methionine, so together they round out the amino acids for a solid plant‑protein profile. At 12g, it’s a moderate, dairy‑free lift—more snack than full post‑workout replacement.
Fat
89MIDMost fat comes from two places: cashew spread, which brings mostly heart‑friendly unsaturated fats, and palm kernel oil, a refined tropical fat high in saturates that keeps the bar firm and frosting‑like. At 8g overall, the fat is middle‑of‑the‑road, skewing more saturated because of the palm kernel oil, with cashews softening the profile.
Carbs
2420MIDThe 24g of carbs are driven by cassava- and rice‑based ingredients—tapioca dextrin fiber and tapioca isomaltooligosaccharides (a mildly sweet cassava‑derived binder), plus rice and cassava flours—along with a touch of fruit and cane sugar. This leans more toward refined carbs than whole‑food grains, so expect quicker energy; the added soluble tapioca fiber can take a little edge off the rise. If you’re after slow‑burn fuel, this is more dessert‑inspired than oat‑and‑seed.
Sugar
74MIDThe 7g of sugar mainly comes from organic cane sugar and real freeze‑dried strawberries. Additional sweetness and chew are carried by tapioca isomaltooligosaccharides—refined, mildly sweet carbohydrates that help lower labeled sugars but still count toward total carbs and can raise blood sugar for many people. No artificial sweeteners here, but it’s not purely fruit‑sweetened either.
Calories
190210MIDAt 190 calories, it’s lighter than many bars while still feeling satisfying. Most of those calories come from the carbohydrate blend, with a meaningful assist from fats and a moderate contribution from protein. The use of fiber‑like binders helps keep label calories and sugars in check for the style.
Vitamins & Minerals
The label lists about 17% Daily Value for iron, which likely comes naturally from the pea and brown‑rice proteins. Beyond that, there’s no added vitamin premix and minerals are modest; a small amount of calcium carbonate in the crisps contributes only a little calcium.
Additives
To deliver a soft, cake‑like bite without piling on sugar, the bar uses a few refined helpers: tapioca dextrin fiber and isomaltooligosaccharides for binding and chew, sunflower lecithin for smooth texture, and natural flavors for the shortcake note. It’s a concise, “clean‑processed” toolkit—fewer ingredients than a candy bar, but more engineered than a simple nuts‑and‑dates bar.
Ingredient List
Cassava root starch
Brown rice grain
Cashew tree kernel
Cassava starch
Sugarcane stalks
Oil palm fruit
Yellow peas
Yellow and green peas
Rice grain (Oryza sativa)
Limestone and chalk
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“The comments on this are wild, I really really loved these! Most protein bars taste too artificial and have sugar alcohols, and these dont. I eat a high fiber diet already being vegetarian and these didnt bother my stomach. Not very sweet, nice and chewy. I plan on stockingggg up on these at this price!”
“Not popular but I kinda like them, the donut one in particular hits in a way that feels “close enough.””
“They are good!”
Main Praise
Taste and texture lead the compliments. Fans call out a soft, fudgy chew that reads more “treat” than “chalky gym bar,” and the strawberry flavor feels playful without veering into artificial aftertastes.
Several reviewers appreciate that TRUBAR skips sugar alcohols—fewer reports of that telltale cooling effect or gut fireworks—and still keeps sugars moderate for a dessert‑leaning profile.
EatingWell’s testers praised the brand’s smooth, non‑sticky bite, and The Washington Post flagged TRUBAR as a smart pick in the broader landscape thanks to solid protein and high fiber without artificial sweeteners.
On balance, people who like dessert‑inspired bars find this hits the “close enough” mark for a strawberry shortcake craving at 190 calories.
Main Criticism
Sweetness is polarizing. A handful of buyers say it’s simply too sweet, and one Redditor noted a waxy “coating” sensation, which likely comes from the bar’s frosting‑like fats doing their structural job.
Texture isn’t perfectly consistent across every experience either—occasional reports mention a bar that’s drier or firmer than expected.
From a nutrition lens, 12 grams of protein is a snack‑level lift (not a heavy hitter), and the carbs lean refined—cassava and rice‑derived binders plus a bit of cane sugar—so this isn’t your slow‑burn oats‑and‑seeds type of bar.
If you avoid palm‑based fats or prefer strictly whole‑food ingredient lists, you may bristle.
The Middle Ground
Here’s where the truth lands between “yum” and “meh. ” If you like dessert flavors, the strawberry‑shortcake profile and cake‑soft texture are exactly what happy reviewers describe—and yes, that’s unusual in a vegan, sugar‑alcohol‑free bar.
The flip side is that the same glaze‑and‑fat matrix that keeps the bar tender can feel a little waxy to some; Reddit user THEtek4 called it a “coating,” while others didn’t notice it at all.
Sweetness perception splits the room too: floral‑vision loved the chewy, not‑too‑sweet vibe, and Ok‑Wasabi2873 thought it was over the top—palates differ, and neither is wrong.
Nutritionally, it’s more treat‑leaning fuel than marathon meal replacement: moderate protein, moderate calories, and carbs that are more quick energy than slow release (tapioca‑derived binders keep labeled sugars down, but they’re still carbs your body recognizes).
In other words, it’s a smarter dessert‑style bar, not a monkish, minimally processed one. Know which lane you want, and this either hits the bullseye or misses by design.
What's the bottom line?
TRUBAR Strawberry Shorty Got Cake is a cheerful, strawberry‑shortcake moment that also happens to be vegan, gluten‑free, and sugar‑alcohol‑free. It delivers a soft, tender bite with 12 grams of plant protein and a reasonable 190 calories, leaning on real strawberry powder for flavor and a cassava/rice toolkit for structure. If your goal is a sweet, satisfying snack that won’t feel like a sugar bomb—and you’re okay with a dessert‑leaning ingredient mix—this is a strong pick.
If you want 20+ grams of protein, ultra‑minimal processing, or you’re sensitive to glaze‑style textures, you’ll likely be happier elsewhere. For everyone else, it’s a fun, tidy way to scratch the strawberry‑cake itch without derailing your day.