Yes
Dark Chocolate Chip
TL:DR
In 2 Sentences
A short, real‑food ingredient list—nuts, seeds, real dark chocolate, maple syrup, and coconut nectar—without sugar alcohols or emulsifiers, yet it still eats like a chocolate‑chip cookie. It’s vegan, paleo, and gluten‑free, which is a rare combo for a chocolate‑forward bar.
When to choose Yes Dark Chocolate Chip
Choose this if you want a clean‑ingredient, sweet‑but‑not‑cloying snack that avoids artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols, and fits vegan/paleo/gluten‑free eating. Skip it if you need a true high‑protein bar or a full meal replacement.
What's in the Yes bar?
Yes Protein Bar’s Dark Chocolate Chip flavor is built like a gourmet nut-and-seed cluster studded with real dark chocolate—think almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, plus tahini—held together with coconut butter and gently sweetened with maple syrup and coconut nectar.
The chips themselves are classic chocolate made from cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and coconut sugar, rounded out with cinnamon and vanilla.
Protein here is plant-based and modest; the bar leans on heart-friendly nuts and seeds for substance, so fat sits on the higher end while carbs stay moderate and come from tree-sap sweeteners rather than lab-made sugar alcohols.
- Protein
- 5 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 14 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Calories
- 220
Protein
515LOWProtein comes solely from whole plants—nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamias, pecans), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), and ground flax—without any whey, soy, or pea isolates. That mix brings fiber and minerals along for the ride, but at 5g it’s deliberately snack-level, not a shake replacement. If you want more protein, pair it with yogurt or a latte, and let the bar bring the crunch and cocoa.
Fat
169HIGHMost of the fat is the good, naturally occurring kind from nuts and seeds (monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated fats). There’s also a notable saturated component from coconut butter and the chocolate’s cocoa butter, which adds that luscious snap and set. The result is a rich, satiating bar—great for steady energy—without any refined seed oils.
Carbs
1420LOWCarbs come mainly from maple syrup and coconut nectar, plus a touch of coconut sugar in the dark chocolate—simple, kitchen-familiar sweeteners rather than maltodextrin or sugar alcohols. Expect a gentle lift in energy that’s smoothed out by all the fat and fiber from nuts and seeds, so it’s less “spike and crash” than a cookie. Overall carbs sit on the lower side for a sweetened bar, with much of the non-sugar portion likely being fiber from seeds and flax.
Sugar
84HIGHThe sweetness reads real because it is—primarily maple syrup and coconut nectar, with coconut sugar inside the chocolate chips. At 8g sugar, it’s not a zero‑sugar bar, but it also avoids artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols that can upset some stomachs. The nut-and-seed matrix helps buffer the sugar for a steadier ride than a conventional candy-like bar.
Calories
220210MIDMost of the calories are carried by the nuts, seeds, coconut butter, and cocoa butter—fat is doing the heavy lifting here. A smaller share comes from the sweeteners, with protein contributing the least. That fat-forward design makes 220 calories feel satisfying relative to size, especially if you’re between meals.
Vitamins & Minerals
There’s no vitamin or mineral superstar here (nothing over 10% Daily Value), but you do get small, natural contributions. Almonds and sunflower seeds bring vitamin E; pumpkin seeds and cocoa contribute minerals like iron and magnesium; and nuts and seeds add some potassium. Think of it as a whole‑food sprinkle of micronutrients rather than a fortified bar.
Additives
This is a short, recognizable ingredient list: whole nuts and seeds, real chocolate, spice, sea salt, and a bit of vanilla extract. The more processed elements—chocolate and extract—are standard pantry items used for flavor and structure. No emulsifiers, no sugar alcohols, and no artificial sweeteners; just lightly refined sweeteners and classic baking ingredients.
Ingredient List
Almond tree seeds
Cashew tree kernel
Maple tree sap
Ground roasted cocoa bean nibs
Coconut palm sap
Cocoa beans
Sunflower plant seeds
Pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita spp.)
Coconut meat
Macadamia tree seeds
What are people saying?
Sources
Range
Main Praise
Fans keep coming back to three things: ingredients, flavor, and portability. Amazon reviewers like Martina R.
call out the “all natural ingredients” and say the bar satisfies a chocolate craving without feeling like junk. Valhalla, whose dietician recommended it, applauds the clean label, gluten‑free status, and the chewy texture.
Others echo that it’s an easy, toss‑in‑your‑bag snack for busy days, with an overall 4. 3 average across nearly five thousand ratings—a strong signal that the experience lands for many.
Independent roundups (like POPSUGAR) also highlight the recognizable ingredients as a major plus. In short, if you care more about real‑food construction than maxed‑out macros, you’ll likely feel seen.
Main Criticism
The pushback centers on two themes: nutrition expectations and texture.
If you come looking for a protein powerhouse, 5g can feel underwhelming for 220 calories; Human Food Bar’s review goes so far as to frame it as a treat dressed up as health food.
Taste and texture are polarizing: some testers at IMBHO said it reads “fruitcake‑like,” while a few Amazon reviewers described it as soft or mushy, and one (siggy26) felt the look and portion didn’t match the website photos or price.
A handful of buyers simply didn’t find the flavor compelling. And if you equate “protein bar” with a firm, high‑protein bite, this softer, nut‑and‑seed cookie style may miss the mark.
The Middle Ground
So who’s right: the fans praising real ingredients or the skeptics calling it a cookie? Both have a point.
On paper, this is a fat‑forward, plant‑based snack with 5g protein, 14g carbs, 8g sugar, and 16g fat in 220 calories—closer to a refined trail‑mix cookie than a gym bar. That doesn’t make it “junk”; the sweeteners are kitchen‑familiar (maple and coconut nectar), the chocolate is real, and there are no sugar alcohols or emulsifiers.
But if your goal is 15–20g of protein from a bar, this isn’t your lane—pair it with a yogurt or a protein coffee if you love the flavor. Texture gripes are fair game: it’s soft‑chewy with visible nuts and seeds, not a chunky bakery cookie, and expectations set by glossy photos can amplify disappointment.
One extra note: some outside critiques mention “sunflower oil,” but this ingredient list shows sunflower seeds—not oil—so aim your criticism at what’s actually in the wrapper.
What's the bottom line?
Yes Bar Dark Chocolate Chip is best understood as a clean‑ingredient, dessert‑adjacent snack that happens to contain a little protein—not a protein supplement that happens to be tasty. It trades isolates and sugar alcohols for nuts, seeds, real chocolate, maple syrup, and coconut nectar, which many people prefer for both flavor and simplicity. If your checklist starts with vegan, paleo, gluten‑free, and no artificial sweeteners, this bar checks out.
If your checklist starts with 20g of protein, it doesn’t. The practical move: enjoy it when you want a sweet, steady nibble that won’t feel like a candy bar, and tack on extra protein elsewhere if you need it. Think of it as the bar for people who read ingredient lists first and macros second—because here, the story is in the pantry, not the protein number.
Condensed listicle blurb: A real‑food, vegan/paleo, gluten‑free snack that tastes like a chocolate‑chip cookie and skips sugar alcohols. At 5g protein and 220 calories, it’s a treat‑leaning bar—great for a clean, sweet snack, not for hitting high protein targets.