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.
- Moderate protein content
- Low-carb to continue ketosis
- Plenty of healthy fats to keep you full
- Tasty thanks to the quality ingredients and added stevia
- No sugar alcohols
- No glucose spike
- Added tapioca fiber to improve digestion and assist cardiovascular health
- Portable and convenient
- Clean, with no fillers and additives
- Some people don’t like the taste of stevia and complain about the oily texture
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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.
- Quality ingredient list
- Flavors galore
- Fibers to aid digestion and keep you satiated
- No gluten
- Soy-free
- Voted GNC’s 2012 and 2013 Bar of the Year
- 4-5g of carbs/ serving
- Low in fat (around 6g/ serving)
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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.
- Whole-foods ingredients
- Quality protein (about 12g/ serving)
- No gluten
- 18 flavors
- Paleo and Whole30-friendly
- Convenient and portable
- Just 5g of fiber
- Low in fat
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4. Bulletproof Keto Diet
Bulletproof Keto Diet Bars have quality protein derived from grass-fed 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.
- Quality ingredients
- For bone health
- Increase your muscle mass
- Shorten recovery times
- Quality MCTs for reduced hunger pangs, more energy, and focus
- 13g of protein/ serving
- Six good-tasting flavors
- No fiber
- Crumbly texture
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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.
- High in protein and high in fiber
- 60+ vegetables, plants, herbs and fruit for a complete micronutrient profile
- Assist your immune system
- Satiating
- Replenish your muscles
- Contain some artificial ingredients like rice maltodextrin and xanthan gum
- You can only buy them from the Onnit website
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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.
- 21g quality protein
- Good for diabetics
- Patented mix to increase your metabolic rate (carnitine, taurine, citrus mix, and apple cider vinegar)
- Prebiotic enzyme mix for improved digestion
- Delicious
- Essential vitamins and minerals from 45+ fruits and veggies
- Limited fat intake
- Contains 18g sugar alcohol that can cause cramps
- Some artificial ingredients
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7. InstaKetones Meal Replacement
- 15g protein
- 0g sugar
- 11.7g BHB salts to increase your blood ketone levels and energy
- No caffeine
- Low in calories
- A high fiber content for improved digestion
- It Covers 100% of your daily calcium needs for bone health
- Contains prebiotics for digestive health
- Contains an essential mix of amino acids for muscle strength and immunity (L-Taurine, L-Tyrosine, and L-Leucine)
- Just 8g of healthy fats
- 55% RDV sodium
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8. SlimFast Keto Bar – Great For Weight Loss
- It contains quality protein from whey and collagen for muscle strength
- The collagen improves your bone and joint strength
- It contains coconut oil MCTs, which improve your energy levels, focus, and reduce hunger pangs
- No gluten
- No artificial sweeteners or colors
- 36% RDV fibers
- 22% RDV healthy fats
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- Low in calories
- Good for weight loss
- Lower protein content than other bars (7g/ serving)
- Not everyone appreciates the taste and crunchy texture
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9. Keto Crave – Good Source of Energy
- Natural and organic ingredients
- 16 fats for reduced hunger pangs and more energy from cacao butter, organic almond butter, and MCT oil
- Quality grass-fed whey protein for increased energy
- No Gluten
- Good choice for athletes and people who need a lot of energy
- No sugar alcohol
- Covers 33% of the RDV of fibers
- No artificial ingredients
- Low in protein as compared to other products on the list
- Low in vitamins and minerals
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10. Are KIND Bars
- Gluten-free
- Heart-healthy almonds
- No artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or aromas
- 15g total fat for satiety and energy from healthy vegetable sources, like nuts and cocoa butter
- Good vegan option
- Just 6g protein
- 5g sugar
- Added sugar and glucose syrup
- Palm kernel oil
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11. Stoka Bars (High Protein)
- Tasty
- Low in carbs
- High in protein
- You can use them as a dessert topping
- Portable
- Natural ingredients
- Plenty of flavors
- 22g total fat for more energy and satiety
- Vegan
- 9g protein/ serving (lower than other bars)
- Not everyone likes the taste
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12. No Cow Vegan Keto
- Good for dieters
- Vegan
- Soy-free
- Sugar-free
- GMO-free
- Packed with antioxidants for improved immunity
- Plant-based protein (about 21g) for bodybuilding
- Packed with vitamins and minerals for increased energy
- Plenty of fiber (17g) for improved digestion
- Can feel too sweet
- Just 5g fat
- 4g sugar alcohol
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13. Orgain Organic
- All-natural certified organic and vegan ingredients
- No gluten, soy, artificial aromas, preservatives, or colors
- Four delicious flavors
- Clean protein
- Good for weight loss
- Safe energy
- Low in sugar (3g)
- High in fiber (10g) for added digestion
- Moderate in protein (10g)
- Affordable
- Some people don’t like the sweet taste
- Limited vitamins and minerals, except some notable iron
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14. Grenade Carb Killa
- 23+g of protein for bodybuilding and muscle repair
- 1.4g sugar to keep your glycemic index steady
- Delicious
- Satiating
- Plenty of fibers
- Curb sugar cravings
- Some artificial flavors and sweeteners
- Low in fat
- Expensive
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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 nut 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:
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Pour the ingredients for the two layers in different bowls.
- Stir them with a fork, and, when the mixture gets too dense, use your hands.
- Cover a tray with baking paper.
- Use a spoon or your hands to place the base layer.
- Add the top layer.
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the bars when the top starts to get brown on the sides.
- Let the baking cool at room temperature.
- 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:
- Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl. Add more syrup if the texture is too crumbly or too thick.
- Place liners in about forty muffin tins.
- Fill these tins three quarters up.
- 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:
- Mix the coconut flour with the granulated sweetener in a big bowl.
- Mix the nut butter with the syrup in another bowl. Heat it in the microwave until it melts.
- 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.
- Line a 16 x 16-inch pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the mixture.
- Sprinkle chocolate chip on top.
- 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 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 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.
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.