Unreal
Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A candy‑bar experience made with familiar ingredients (no sugar alcohols or high‑intensity sweeteners) that tastes like the classics but reads lighter at 160 calories. It blends pea protein and grass‑fed whey, yet stays unapologetically chocolate‑first.
When to choose Unreal Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat
Best as a cleaner candy‑bar swap for a sweet tooth or afternoon pick‑me‑up, especially if you avoid sugar alcohols and want gluten‑free. Not for anyone chasing a 15–20g post‑workout protein hit.
What's in the Unreal bar?
Unreal’s Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat reads like a nostalgic candy bar—roasted peanuts under a dark chocolate shell with a soft caramel‑nougat center—then quietly folds in a blend of pea protein and grass‑fed whey.
The nutrition profile leans snacky: a lighter 160 calories, mid‑range fat from peanuts and cocoa butter, and carbs driven by cassava syrup and cane sugar, which means quick, classic sweetness rather than slow‑burn fuel.
Protein is modest compared with typical protein bars, and the sugar skews sweeter than many. The flavor is exactly what it sounds like: peanuts, cocoa beans and cocoa butter, cane sugar, vanilla, and a little palm oil to keep that caramel plush.
- Protein
- 3 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 19 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Calories
- 160
Protein
315LOWProtein shows up as a cameo here: a blend of pea protein and grass‑fed whey, but only 3g per bar. Both are high‑quality proteins, yet the amounts are modest, making this more of a chocolate‑caramel snack than a post‑workout protein source.
Fat
89MIDMost of the 8g of fat comes from peanuts, cocoa butter in the dark chocolate, and a touch of palm oil in the caramel layer. Peanuts bring mostly monounsaturated fats, while cocoa butter and palm oil contribute more saturated fats (cocoa butter is rich in stearic acid, which is relatively cholesterol‑neutral). The result is a creamy, satisfying bite with a mid‑range fat load.
Carbs
1920MIDCarbs come mostly from cassava syrup—a glucose‑rich syrup made from cassava starch—plus cane sugar and confectioners’ sugar to build the caramel and nougat. These are refined, quick‑burning carbohydrates, so expect fast energy; the fat from peanuts and chocolate will blunt the spike a bit but won’t turn this into slow‑release fuel.
Sugar
114HIGHThe 11g of sugar come from classic sources: cane sugar (including in the dark chocolate and powdered sugar), cassava syrup, and a small contribution from milk sugar in the whey. There are no sugar alcohols or high‑intensity sweeteners here—just traditional sugars—so the sweetness tastes familiar and delivers quick energy. It lands on the sweeter side compared with many protein‑focused bars.
Calories
160210LOWAt 160 calories, it’s lighter than many bars and reads more like a treat‑sized snack. Most calories come from sugars (cassava and cane sugars) and fats (peanuts and cocoa butter), with protein playing only a small role.
Vitamins & Minerals
No standout micronutrients rise above 10% of daily value. You get a small nudge of iron from the cocoa and a little potassium from the peanuts, but this bar isn’t aiming to be a vitamin delivery system.
Additives
Additives are minimal and familiar: sunflower lecithin helps the dark chocolate stay smooth and the caramel hold together, and vanilla extract rounds out flavor. The sweeteners (cassava syrup, cane sugar, powdered sugar) and the protein ingredients (pea protein, whey) are refined rather than whole‑food sources, but there are no artificial colors, sugar alcohols, or high‑intensity sweeteners.
Ingredient List
Cassava root starch
Groundnut plant seeds
Cacao tree seeds
Sugarcane stalks
Cocoa beans
Sunflower seeds
Vanilla orchid seed pods
Sugarcane and sugar beet
Yellow pea seeds
Vanilla orchid beans
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
Main Praise
Taste is the headline here. Independent tasters repeatedly note that Unreal’s chocolate tastes like chocolate, not a lab project, and that the sweetness is more restrained than mainstream bars.
Candy Blog loved the soft nougat, stringy caramel, and fresh‑tasting peanuts, calling the overall bite a winner. The Kitchn’s take on the broader Unreal line echoes that theme: less cloying, closer to real ingredients, and kid‑approved.
Tasting Table went full swoon on Unreal’s coconut minis, which, while a different product, signals a consistent house style: rich chocolate, simple flavors, crowd‑pleasing textures. Add to that the absence of sugar alcohols or high‑intensity sweeteners, and you get a treat that tastes familiar without the aftertaste or GI roulette some alternative‑sweetened bars bring.
Main Criticism
It is not a protein bar in the conventional sense. With 3g of protein, you’re getting a cameo, not a headliner.
The sweetness comes from cassava syrup (a syrup made from cassava root) and cane sugar — classic, quick‑burn carbs — so this is fast energy, not long‑lasting fuel. Candy Blog also flagged palm oil and some labeling transparency concerns; while the bar calls the palm oil sustainably sourced, that’s a point some shoppers scrutinize.
Finally, it contains peanuts and milk, so it’s off the table for those allergens.
The Middle Ground
If you judge this against a 20g protein bar, you’ll be disappointed — and that’s not the bar’s fault. Unreal makes candy with cleaner ingredients, not sports nutrition, and this bar behaves accordingly.
Candy Blog’s line sums it up: if there was extra protein enhancement in the nougat, they didn’t catch it — and your muscles won’t either. On the flip side, the taste accolades are real: the chocolate reads dark and balanced, the peanuts taste fresh, and the caramel has that satisfying pull.
The Kitchn reminds us that candy isn’t kale, and this bar doesn’t pretend otherwise; it simply swaps in familiar ingredients and skips sugar alcohols, which many stomachs appreciate. So the truth sits neatly in the middle: as a better‑made candy bar, it’s excellent; as a protein source, it’s a whisper.
What's the bottom line?
Unreal’s Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat is a delicious, cleaner‑ingredient candy bar that moonlights in the protein aisle. It delivers nostalgic flavor — dark chocolate, real peanuts, chewy caramel — without sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners, in a tidy 160‑calorie package. But the protein is minimal at 3g, and the sugars are classic and quick, so think treat, not fuel.
If you want a sweet, gluten‑free, soy‑free dessert bar with familiar ingredients and zero aftertaste drama, this is a great pick. If you need serious protein, pair it with something substantial (Greek yogurt, a shake, or an actual protein bar) — or choose a different tool for the job.
Condensed listicle take: A candy‑bar‑level bite with real dark chocolate and peanuts, no sugar alcohols, and 160 calories. Fantastic as a thoughtful treat; not your post‑lift protein fix.