Best Keto-Friendly Protein Bars (2023 Update) | 14 Low-Carb Options [Review]

Keto-friendly bars with protein cost a lot. That shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re getting duped.

Read this article to make sure you’re buying something that works. I’m a Keto adept, and I have spent years searching for the perfect supplements, and I’m always researching stuff.

After a bad health spell, my nutritionist, my GP, and I decided keto was the best option to improve my health. And it worked!

But as I progressed, I wanted to read more and more about keto benefits, including getting fitter, leaner, and stronger.

That’s why I spent a lot of time and money on them.

The list below is comprised of my favorite keto protein snacks, which I eat for different purposes during different periods.

You can read all their pros and cons to get the ones that fit your needs.

As a bonus, I added three of my favorite recipe and answered some essential questions.

Review Summary:

• Perfect Keto – #1 Choice
• Quest Nutrition
• RXBar
• Bulletproof Keto Diet
• Onnit
• KetoSlim
• InstaKetones Keto Protein Bar
• SlimFast
• Keto Crave
• Are KIND Bars
• Stoka Bars
• No Cow Vegan Keto
• Orgain Organic
• Grenade Carb Killa

14 Best Keto Bars (Delicious & Full of Flavor)

Although they’re all keto-friendly and have good amounts of protein, not all these bars are the same. Some contain a lot of healthy fats. Some are packed with fibers.

Some are organic. Some are vegan. What are you after? Keep that in mind when you’re reading my reviews:

1. Perfect Keto Protein Bars (With Stevia) – Best Choice for Ketogenic Diet

Perfect Keto prides itself on using only natural ingredients for its products. They are made with organic almonds, and cocoa butter and contain 19g of fat per serving.

The 10g of protein comes from grass-fed collagen protein, and the bars pack just 3 grams of net carbs per serving.

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2. Quest Nutrition (100 Calorie)

Quest Nutrition is another reputable brand in the keto industry. These bars come in a variety of flavors; they pack 20-21g of dairy-based protein per serving along with 13-16g of fibers to keep you satiated. They’re delicious, satiating, and help you lose weight.

Are quest bars keto? Sure, even if they have 4-5g carbs/ serving, you can always make these fit your macros.

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3. RXBar (Healthy Breakfast) – Best Tasting

RXBar is the perfect choice if you want a keto meal replacement because it’s made with whole-food ingredients such as peanuts, dates, nuts, egg whites, almonds, cashews, and chocolate or fruit. One bar has about 200 calories, and it’s satiating for hours.

Although this is a clean, high-quality product that packs 12g of protein, it can contain up to 25g of net carbs per serving.

I recommend these bars for keto-ers who do a lot of high-intensity cardio to bump up their carb macros.

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4. Bulletproof Keto Diet

Bulletproof Keto Diet Bars have quality protein derived from collagen to bump up your amino acids.

Collagen in bulletproof protein bars keeps your bones and joints healthy so you can exercise intensely, while amino acids repair broken muscle tissue and improve the health of your immune system.

The 14g of fats from rain Octane oil and XCT oil are healthy and transform quickly into ketones.

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5. Onnit (Low Sugar)

Onnit contain 16g of protein and 11g of fiber per serving. You can eat them between your main meals or after your workout to replenish the lost carbs because these bars have about 4-5g of sugar.

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6. KetoSlim

These best protein bars are better suited for people with diabetes because they don’t raise your glycemic index. The 21g quality proteins come from a combination of whey and a patented mix of rice, pea, and soy. These bars contain important minerals and vitamins, plus substances that improve your metabolism.

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7. InstaKetones Meal Replacement

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8. SlimFast Keto Bar – Great For Weight Loss

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9. Keto Crave – Good Source of Energy

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10. Are KIND Bars

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11. Stoka Bars (High Protein)

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12. No Cow Vegan Keto

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13. Orgain Organic

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14. Grenade Carb Killa

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What is Keto-Friendly Bar?

A protein bar helps you stick to your keto diet because it contains the right proportion of nutrients. The low carbs, medium proteins, and high fat allow you to maintain ketosis.

Remember that not all keto bars are equally good. Apart from the high-fat, low-carb content, you need enough fiber and protein.

Some bars can contain sugar and alcohol. While this substance doesn’t add to your total carb count, it can cause abdominal pain and cramping.

Choose a product with natural ingredients, especially plant-derived healthy fats that are better for your cardiovascular health, and look for FDA-approved products.

Nutrition Facts / Main Ingredients

As you’ve seen from the products I’ve reviewed above, these products are manufactured with different ingredients.

The nutrition facts have to resemble what you need for your keto diet. Look for them that contain about:

• 70% fat
• 20% protein
• 10% carbs or less

Check the vitamins and minerals added to your protein bar because keto-ers are one step away from malnutrition if they don’t use vitamin supplements.

If you need a bar high in protein, it probably means you’re working out.

The most important vitamins and minerals to fuel your workout and improve your focus are calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex.

Regarding the ingredients, you need:

• A quality source of healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, seeds, nuts, or cold-pressed coconut oil
• Natural, whole-food ingredients for the protein such as grass-fed cattle, eggs, wild fish, or even collagen protein powder from bone broth
• Medium-chain triglycerides that convert quickly into ketones to give you a quick energy boost
• Limited or no preservatives, processed fats, or artificial aromas and colors

When to Eat Keto Protein Bars?

The best time depends on your purpose. So ask yourself this: why do I want a protein bar?

• I don’t have time to eat breakfast. You can use your protein bars in the morning instead of your breakfast at home, although you’ll probably need to eat a more comprehensive meal later on during the day.
• I want something to munch on between meals that don’t throw me off ketosis. Keto bars are healthy and satiating, so they keep you full until it’s time to have your next meal. With their perfect proportion of fats, protein, and carbs, they will give you a lot of energy too.
• I want to lose weight. Then you can replace one of your meals entirely with a protein bar. Because these bars are satiating and lower in calories than a normal keto meal, you can use them to reduce your daily caloric intake with no hunger pangs.
• I want to get fit. These bars will boost your energy, and therefore increase your endurance in the gym if you eat them about an hour before your workouts. If you want to help your muscles heal faster, so you can work out again quickly, eat a bar after your workouts.

How to Make DIY Protein Bars Recipes:

Homemade bars aren’t difficult to make. You’ll need quality, ketogenic-friendly ingredients that pack healthy fats and are low in carbs. Focus on seed or chocolate peanut butter, almond or coconut flour, and organic protein powders.

Low Carb Peanut Butter Protein Bars

These delicious bars have two layers. Both of them require these ingredients:

• 0.5 cups of unsweetened peanut butter
• 1.5 tablespoons of coconut flour
• 1 tablespoon of protein powder
• 1.5 tablespoons of Erythritol

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Pour the ingredients for the two layers in different bowls.
3. Stir them with a fork, and, when the mixture gets too dense, use your hands.
4. Cover a tray with baking paper.
5. Use a spoon or your hands to place the base layer.
6. Add the top layer.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the bars when the top starts to get brown on the sides.
8. Let the baking cool at room temperature.
9. Cut it with a sharp knife in rectangular shapes.

Homemade Bars

You will need:

• 4 cups almond butter
• 1 cup of sugar-free maple syrup
• 1.5 cups coconut flour
• 4 tablespoons almond flour

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl. Add more syrup if the texture is too crumbly or too thick.
2. Place liners in about forty muffin tins.
3. Fill these tins three quarters up.
4. Refrigerate the mixture until it becomes firm.

No Bake Protein Bars

You will need:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 2 cups seed or nut butter you like
• 4 tablespoons granulated sweetener
• 12 tablespoons keto-friendly syrup
• 0.5 cups chocolate chips

Instruction:

1. Mix the coconut flour with the granulated sweetener in a big bowl.
2. Mix the nut butter with the syrup in another bowl. Heat it in the microwave until it melts.
3. Pour the melted mixture from step 2 over the dry mixture at step 1 and mix. Add more flour if you have a sticky batter or milk over a thick one.
4. Line a 16 x 16-inch pan with parchment paper.
5. Pour the mixture.
6. Sprinkle chocolate chip on top.
7. Refrigerate it until it becomes firm.

Are Low Carb Protein Bars Good for You?

The short answer is yes, but the long answer depends on several factors. Here’s what you should consider:

• Your daily caloric limit. If you’re on a calorie-restriction diet to lose weight, remember that bars pack a lot of them, so you should probably stick to one or two each day. If you’re trying to gain weight, you can eat three or four, depending on your other macros.
• Your daily carb limit. Count your carbs because you need to eat very few of them if you want to keep up with your ketosis. While protein is great after a strenuous workout to restore your muscles, and high-intensity cardio activities can burn some of the extra carbs, you still need to count your macros.
• Your daily protein limit. Keep in mind that the best keto bars for weight loss will have twice as much protein as carbs.
• Allergenic ingredients. Check that the product you’re getting doesn’t have anything you’re allergic to, such as peanuts or dairy. Some people have a bad response to a sugar alcohol, which triggers abdominal cramping and gas.
• Eco-friendly ingredients. Look for eco-friendly ingredients to protect your health and the environment — products like ProSource that use palm oil damage tropical forests.

What Exactly Low-Carb protein bars Are For?

Low-carb snacks help you stick to your keto diet because it contains the right proportion of nutrients. The low carbs, medium proteins, and high fat allow you to maintain ketosis.

Remember that not all keto bars are equally good. Apart from the high-fat, low-carb content, you need enough fiber and pea protein.

Some can contain sugar or alcohol. While this substance doesn’t add to your total carb count, it can cause abdominal pain and cramping.

Choose the best with natural ingredients, especially plant-derived healthy fats that are better for your cardiovascular health, and look for FDA-approved products.

Marigold Protein Bars

Marigold is made with almond flour and coconut oil, the authors report. The protein bar contains 26.5 grams of protein per bar, and a team of scientists estimates that the benefits of the bars for health and weight management range from 21 to 26 percent. The bars also contain walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, goji berries, pomegranate seeds, blueberries, and strawberries. The powder bars come in a variety of flavors and contain fewer calories than other bars. Marigold cookie dough, for example, has just 72 calories per bar and 2 grams of sugar per bar. The researchers warn that Marigold isn’t ideal for individuals with a strict diet, such as those with anorexia or restriction on grains.

To see whether the protein bar’s benefits may be due to factors other than nutrition, the researchers conducted a food diary study. They examined the bars in people with a different protein, carbohydrate, and sugar intakes. The results showed that they didn’t affect body weight or metabolism. But those who ate the bars did report eating less of other foods. In addition, the study found that people who ate Marigold for about three weeks also had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood, and higher levels of the amino acid tryptophan in their urine. The authors conclude that people should not replace meals with Marigold bars. Instead, they should use Marigold as an occasional treat.

Keto Protein Bars

If you’re in ketosis, the brain signals your body to stop burning fat for energy and start burning carbohydrates. This sets off a major metabolic shift, which makes for big gains. As insulin levels fall and leptin levels rise, you lose the fat stores in your body. Your new energy level and metabolism changes get you at least 50 percent leaner and 9 times stronger than before. You can maintain ketosis if you’re eating clean. Unfortunately, many are not. For one thing, it can be difficult to stay consistent when the change is dramatic.

Since fat is the most stored energy when your body starts burning carbs, it needs an extra source of energy in the form of carbohydrates. So many times, I see clients tell me that they want to get into ketosis but they’ve gone a month without consuming carbs at all,” says Timothy Cripe, Ph.D., R.D. author of Nutritarian Nutrition. The problem with the practice is that carbs in their natural form are the preferred fuel for your muscles, and that means you’ll feel sluggish when you resume eating them. Don’t do it.

Are Atkins Bars Keto Friendly?

A majority of Atkins’ products are specifically designed to provide both natural and effective results. As long as you don’t choose those packaged Atkins products with artificial ingredients that tend to have a shorter shelf-life, you should be all set in terms of your Atkins diet. Do you ever feel that all you ever did was eat to satiate your hunger? Are you sometimes in a dilemma about whether you should eat carbs or not? Well, this is where Atkins bars come to the rescue. They have fiber and protein which is good for your digestive system. Apart from that, they have a great number of carbs in them and are also easy to digest.

You don’t have to worry about bloating or an upset stomach if you opt for Atkins bars because they have a great amount of protein in them which is necessary for muscle building. What are the Pros of Atkins Bars? The number of carbs that you consume can be very low. They help you burn fat in a jiffy. They contain enough protein and fiber for your daily nutrition. They are cost-effective and help in weight loss.

Do Keto Bars Have Carbs?

Now you may be wondering if some bars aren’t fully vegan (just like Snickers), how can they be keto-friendly? They can! There’s an exception, however: protein bars aren’t exactly keto-friendly. They tend to have a fair bit of carb per bar, but they’re keto-friendly in that they don’t have anything you’re not supposed to eat, so you can eat it.

You’ll want to avoid bars that contain coconut or milk (like almond milk or soy milk) because both are common ingredients that could cause negative issues. There are plenty of keto-friendly protein bars (even with birthday cake flavor) on the market, and one of the biggest advantages of eating them is that they’re a relatively low-carb option for those who want to lose weight. It’s easy to feel worried about switching to a keto diet, or for that matter, any diet. But just think of it like the way you’d drink a daily commitment. We have to check and see what works for us, in our bodies, in our lifestyles, and decide what we can stick with and what we can’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Have Protein Bars While Doing Keto?

Yes, you can include protein bars in your ketogenic diet, but it requires careful consideration of the nutritional content and ingredients. While on a keto diet, the primary goal is to maintain a state of ketosis, wherein the body uses fat as its primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates. Protein bars can be a convenient snack option, but many commercial varieties contain high amounts of carbohydrates, particularly sugars and other additives, which can potentially kick you out of ketosis.

To ensure the protein bars align with the ketogenic principles, look for options that are specifically designed for low-carb diets. Check the nutrition label for the net carbohydrate content, which is calculated by subtracting the dietary fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbohydrates. A good rule of thumb is to aim for protein bars that contain around 2-5 grams of net carbs per serving.

Moreover, prioritize bars that use quality protein sources like whey, collagen, or plant-based proteins. Avoid bars with maltitol or high-glycemic sweeteners that can spike blood sugar levels. Opt for natural sweeteners like stevia or erythritol instead.

It’s essential to view protein bars as occasional treats rather than a staple in your ketogenic diet. Whole, nutrient-dense foods should form the foundation of your meals, supplying essential vitamins and minerals for overall health.

Lastly, remember that individual responses to protein bars may vary, and some people might experience digestive discomfort or other adverse effects. Listening to your body and making informed choices will contribute to a successful and sustainable keto journey. Always consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian if you have any concerns or unique dietary needs.

Can You Eat Dates on Keto?

No, dates are generally not recommended on a ketogenic diet due to their high carbohydrate content. While dates are a natural and healthy fruit, they are relatively rich in sugars, primarily fructose and glucose. A single date can contain about 16 grams of net carbohydrates, making it challenging to fit into a low-carb, high-fat ketogenic eating plan.

The main objective of a ketogenic diet is to induce and maintain a state of ketosis, where the body relies on ketones produced from fats as its primary source of energy. Consuming dates can lead to a significant increase in blood sugar levels and may disrupt ketosis, potentially hindering the benefits of the ketogenic diet, such as improved insulin sensitivity and fat burning.

For those following a keto diet, it is crucial to prioritize low-carb, non-starchy fruits and vegetables to meet their nutrient needs without compromising their macronutrient ratios. Avocados, berries (like raspberries and blackberries), and olives are excellent choices for incorporating small amounts of fruit while staying within the confines of ketosis. Always consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to personalize your ketogenic diet and make sure it aligns with your health goals and individual needs.

Final Thoughts

All these keto bars above are really good for different purposes. For instance, Quest Nutrition is the cleanest, healthiest choice for gym rats, RXBar snacks are good meal replacements, Bulletproof gives you instant energy, and Orgain Organic Bars are the best for vegans.

But read those negative points about these bars, and you’ll see things related to their carb content, the use of artificial ingredients, or low fibers, fat, or protein.

Perfect Keto Bar is the best choice because it has all the pros and none of the cons, except some complaints about the taste. And we all know how subjective the matter of taste is.

Remember that Perfect Keto uses only natural, clean ingredients, it’s a fat-bomb, it keeps you satiated, it doesn’t cause glucose spikes, and it’s improved with tapioca fiber.

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What is tapioca fiber all about, you ask? This superfood is proven to improve your digestion and heart health, which is why you need it on keto.

You can find protein bars, including Perfect Keto Bars, at stores like Costco, Walmart, Amazon, Sprouts, Target, Publix, Whole Foods, and GNC, but the price might scare you off.

That’s what friends are for, right? Click on the link below, and you’ll get my 15% limited available discount.