USN
Cookies & Cream
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A candy-bar build—crunchy layers, milk-chocolate coating—with 20g of protein and very low sugar, achieved with refined fibers and sugar alcohols rather than cane sugar.
When to choose USN Cookies & Cream
People who want a dessert-like protein hit after training or a sweet afternoon snack without a big sugar bump—and whose stomachs do fine with sugar alcohols and chicory-root fiber.
What's in the USN bar?
USN’s Cookies & Cream Protein Bar leans on a trio of proteins—milk protein first, then soy, with a supporting dose of collagen peptides—to deliver 20g per bar, which lands it in the top decile for protein among bars.
The sweetness and chew don’t come from sugar and oats so much as confectionery craft: a milk‑chocolate coating sweetened with maltitol, plus sucralose, glycerol for softness, and a blend of soluble fibers (polydextrose and chicory‑root–derived oligofructose).
Fats are modest and come mostly from cocoa butter, a touch of butterfat, and sunflower oil, while the “cookies & cream” character is built from the chocolate, cocoa ingredients, and flavoring.
Big picture: high protein, very low sugar, and carbs that skew toward refined fibers and polyols—great for keeping sugars down, but something to note if your stomach is sensitive to those ingredients.
- Protein
- 20 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 17 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Calories
- 214
Protein
2015HIGHProtein here comes primarily from milk protein and soy protein, with collagen peptides rounding out the texture and grams. Milk and soy are complete proteins, helpful for muscle repair and satiety; collagen is incomplete, so it’s best viewed as a supportive add-on rather than your only protein source. At 20g, this bar sits near the top of the category, but its quality leans on the dairy and soy components, not the collagen.
Fat
89MIDMost of the 8.4g of fat comes from chocolate fats—cocoa butter—and a bit of butter fat, with sunflower oil adding unsaturated fats. Cocoa butter is rich in stearic (a saturated fat that’s relatively neutral for LDL) and oleic acid, while sunflower oil brings omega‑6s; there are no nut or olive oils here. The total is moderate, more confectionery than “nut‑butter bar,” and should feel reasonably light for a dessert‑style bar.
Carbs
1720MIDThe 17g of carbs are built from refined helpers rather than whole grains: polydextrose (a synthetic soluble fiber), oligofructose from chicory root (a prebiotic fiber), a little tapioca starch, and maltitol in the chocolate coating. This mix generally hits steadier than straight sugar, but prebiotic fibers and sugar alcohols can cause gas or bloating for some. Think “engineered low‑sugar carbs” more than oats or dates—good for keeping sugars low, less about long‑lasting whole‑food energy.
Sugar
24MIDSugar is low at 1.7g because sweetness comes mostly from sugar alcohols (maltitol), a plant‑derived humectant (glycerol), and an artificial sweetener (sucralose), rather than fruit or cane sugar. Expect a smaller blood‑sugar bump than a sugary bar, though some people find polyols and prebiotic fibers laxating at higher intakes. The small sugar present likely comes from dairy lactose and trace sugars in ingredients like oligofructose.
Calories
214210MIDAt 214 calories, it sits around the middle of the pack, with energy spread roughly across protein, confectionery fats, and carbs. Because several carbs are fibers or polyols (lower energy than sugar), the total calories stay moderate despite the chocolate coating. If you’re after a satisfying snack that won’t blow the budget, this strikes a middle ground.
Vitamins & Minerals
There aren’t standout vitamins or minerals above 10% DV. You may get small amounts of calcium and B vitamins from the dairy proteins and a touch of vitamin E from sunflower oil, but nothing here is fortified or meaningfully high.
Additives
This bar uses several modern additives to achieve a low‑sugar, candy‑bar texture: polydextrose and oligofructose for fiber and body, glycerol for softness, maltitol for bulked sweetness, sucralose for an intense sweet lift, and lecithins to keep fats and solids playing nicely. These are highly refined ingredients chosen to reduce sugar while preserving taste and chew. The trade‑off is potential GI sensitivity in some people, especially to polyols and prebiotic fibers.
Ingredient List
Corn or wheat
Cocoa beans
Cow's milk
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Cow's milk
Soybeans
Animal skins and bones; fermentation
Vegetable oils and animal fats
glucose
Chicory root
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
“A little late to the discussion, but I love USN trust crunch protein bars. They are 214kcal and 20grams of protein per bar. They also taste really good.”
Main Praise
Fans come for the taste and texture and stay for the macros. The bar nails that “treat” feeling—chocolate coating, a crisp bite, and a creamy center—while still delivering 20g of protein at 214 calories.
Several reviewers describe it as surprisingly satisfying for a low-sugar bar, the kind you actually look forward to after a workout. The protein blend (mostly dairy and soy) supports recovery better than collagen-heavy formulas, and the low sugar means it won’t boomerang your energy.
Even a Redditor chimed in to say it “tastes really good,” which, while not a lab result, is exactly what you want from something you’ll eat often. In short: it scratches the dessert itch without wrecking your day’s numbers.
Main Criticism
The same sweetness some love can read as over-the-top for others, with the occasional whey-and-sweetener aftertaste. One blogger flat-out advised skipping it, pointing to a noticeable aroma and calling out higher saturated fat and salt compared with competitors.
Texture isn’t universally adored either; a few tasters mention a gritty or powdery bite beneath the crunch. Because the sweetness leans on sugar alcohols and prebiotic fibers, people who are sensitive to those may get bloating or an urgent reminder to read labels.
And value-wise, multiple reviewers slot it into the “treat, not staple” category if price is a factor. Finally, sugar varies by flavor; some versions run a bit higher than rivals, even if Cookies & Cream stays low.
The Middle Ground
How can one bar be called “almost too indulgent” by a fitness mag and “avoid” by a blogger? Taste is subjective, and this formula is deliberately candy-forward—great if you want dessert energy with protein, not so great if you prefer a dates-and-nuts kind of clean.
The nutrition sits in a middle lane: 20g of protein is excellent, calories are reasonable, but the carb sources are engineered (think refined fibers and sugar alcohols) rather than whole-food starches.
That trade-off keeps sugar at 1. 7g but asks your gut to cooperate.
A Reddit commenter praising the flavor isn’t a randomized trial, but it lines up with a broader chorus that the crunch and chocolate coating deliver on enjoyment. If you avoid dairy or soy, or you know maltitol and chicory fiber don’t love you back, the decision is easy.
For everyone else, the truth is simple: it tastes like a candy bar, fuels like a protein snack, and sits best as an occasional go-to rather than an every-single-day habit if you’re price- or ingredient-sensitive.
What's the bottom line?
USN’s Trust Protein Bar (Cookies & Cream) is a dessert-style protein bar done with intent: 20g of protein in a crunchy, chocolate-coated format, 214 calories, and very low sugar achieved via refined fibers and sugar alcohols. The protein quality leans on dairy and soy, with collagen mainly supporting texture, and the flavor pulls more candy-bar than health-food. If you want a sweet, satisfying post-workout bite or a late-afternoon save that won’t spike sugar, it makes sense.
If you prize short, whole-food ingredient lists or you’re sensitive to polyols or chicory-root fiber, this isn’t your match. Verdict: a delicious, low-sugar, high-protein treat with modern sweeteners. Keep it for moments you want candy-bar joy alongside a solid protein hit, not for those days you’re chasing minimal processing or you need your stomach on its best behavior.
7g sugar. Great taste and macros—just know the sweetness comes from sugar alcohols and refined fibers, not fruit or cane sugar.