Clif protein and energy bars are a house hold name since launching on the market back in 1992. The company has grown from creator’s, Gary Erickson, vision of creating a nutrition bar that sustained his energy and tasted good along the way to creating several other athlete inspired products.
Not all Clif products are vegan, but fortunately the Clif Builder’s 20g Protein Bars are! This is huge news in the land of vegans as most vegan nutrition and protein bars have anywhere from seven to fourteen grams of protein per serving – twenty grams is a landslide!
The plant-based and high-protein content is why I (like many others) first gravitated towards Clif Builder’s Bar but today we’re going to see if this vegan Clif Builder’s Protein Bar tastes as good as I hope and is as nutritionally dense as the package makes them out to be.
Clif Builder’s Protein Bars are available in seven vegan flavors including Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream, Crunchy Peanut Butter, Vanilla Almond, and Cinnamon Nut Swirl. All flavors contain soy as the company uses soy protein isolate as the protein source but some flavors are nut free including the Chocolate and the Chocolate Mint flavor. The vegan protein bars are not labeled gluten-free as there may be cross contamination during production but the bars do not clearly contain a source of gluten, which may be helpful for someone who is trying to limit his or her gluten consumption. If you have a true gluten allergy, Clif Builder’s Vegan Protein Bars may not be an ideal option for you.
Ok, so are you ready to dive into this convenient high-protein vegan bar? I’m going to try the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor because chocolate and peanut butter is the greatest combination out there. Keep reading to check out my review or head over to Amazon to try the Clif Builder’s Protein Bar in Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor today.
Taste Experience – 9 out of 10
I opened the package to be greeted with a real chocolate looking and smelling coating. It’s so real that it looks like a chocolate candy bar.
First bite and I am pleasantly surprised. Surprised that it’s not heavy on the protein chalkiness side and surprised that it tastes so good for having 20 grams of protein! The top peanut butter flavored nougat layer is more chewy than creamy and balances out the airy and dry protein crisp bottom layer. The encapsulated chocolate helps balance out the overall taste. It tastes more salty than sweet to me but I am salt sensitive. It was so salty for me personally that I needed a drink of water afterwards. However, I get pretty burnt out on overly sweet vegan protein bars and the saltiness was a nice way to change things up.
You know what else I get sick of with other high-protein nutrition bars? So many of them add milk, whey, or another dairy/animal derivative at the last second. I’ll be scanning a label going “yes, yes, yes, NOOOO!” It’s the most frustrating thing when looking at protein bars. Clif Builder Bars are at an appropriate price point and easy to find on Amazon but also 100% vegan. Happy, happy day!
The bar is filling though. A few bites in and I can tell this bar packs the punch. This is great though; so many vegan energy and protein bars are less than satisfying and leave me hungry an hour later. If you are looking for an incredibly tasty chocolate and peanut explosion while boosting your protein intake or replacing a meal, check out Clif Builder’s 20g Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter bars – vegans and non-vegans will appreciate the taste!
Nutrition – 9.5 out of 10
Clif Builder’s Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar taste great and the company uses non-GMO ingredients. The plant-based bars are a low glycemic, high-protein vegan nutrition bar. Each large bar (2.4 oz or 68 grams) contains 280 calories with only 90 calories coming from healthy nut sources of fat. The bar contains 10 grams of total fat with half of those being saturated fat.
The bar is marketed towards athletes as a recovery food with 20 grams of protein to help repair and build muscle. This would also be appropriate for athletes given the 340 milligrams of sodium per bar. The large amount of sodium is added so the protein powder does not become too bitter but this is a large amount of sodium compared to other plant-based protein and vegan nutrition bars. If you have high blood pressure or have been told by a physician to monitor your sodium intake, keep in mind this amount. Granted, if you are active and sweating a lot or consume only half or a fraction of the bar at a time, the sodium amount is less significant.
With only two grams of fiber per bar, Clif Builder’s Protein Bar in Chocolate Peanut Butter is unlikely to cause GI upset post workout or at any time of the day. This can be a great protein source without worrying about bloating that comes from other vegan protein sources high in fiber like beans and legumes.
The twenty grams of protein comes from the first ingredient, soy protein isolate. The jury is still out on soy but some sources will suggest choosing soy that is not in an isolate form to minimize cancer risk. I feel like if you are consuming few processed foods in general, choosing this bar to help meet your protein needs and provide nourishment is absolutely a great choice. There are some vegans and non-vegans that are soy intolerant and if that is you, then I would suggest a different vegan protein bar. Otherwise, this bar has an incredible amount of protein to help sustain your energy and repair/build muscle if that’s your goal too.
The plant-based high-protein bar adds several vitamins and minerals to increase the nutritional density but this was not affected in the overall taste. Clif Builder’s Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter bar has so many vitamins and minerals added in different amounts that it makes more sense for you to check out the nutrition and ingredient label below than for me to rattle off all of the vitamins and minerals. However, I will say for a protein bar, having over 25% daily value for four vitamins and minerals including Calcium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E can significantly increase the nutritional quality of a product. Interested in increasing your protein and vitamin/mineral intake in a convenient package? I thought so (cause I am too!)…head over to Amazon and check out these inexpensive vegan protein bars.
The Non-Vegan Review – 11 out of 10!
These Clif Builder Bars are deeelicious! Not too sweet and they have a great peanut butter nougat flavor. I’ve always been a big fan of the Clif Builder’s bars because of the high protein and the low glycemic index. They make for a great breakfast meal replacement that will take you all the way to lunch. They’re also great for long hikes or any time you need a meal replacment. Just a powerhouse of a bar. And, I actually prefer a plant-based protein bar versus a whey protein bar. Sure, the whey bar may be cheaper, by a few cents, but the plant-based protein bars just taste better. To me, whey has a nasty aftertaste and doesn’t always settle well in my stomach. These Clif Builder’s bars are affordable, good for you, and packed with all the plant-power you vegans need to save the world. Get them here, from my wifey’s links, and help support this site. Non-vegan husband out.
Parting Thoughts
Clif Builder’s Protein Bar in the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor is a great vegan plant-based protein packed punch in a convenient package. The chocolate peanut butter combination is as timeless and delicious as ever. The bar is so tasty and more salty than sweet that it’s hard to imagine there are twenty grams of protein in this gem – like where is it all hiding?? I strongly recommend buying the bars on Amazon, helping a fellow vegan out while supporting your own nutrition. I suggest eating Clif Builder’s Bars as a breakfast, a small lunch on the go, or as a post long workout recovery mini-meal. If you’re feeling more creative, chop the vegan protein bar into pieces and top smoothie bowls, desserts, and other foods with this high-protein vegan chocolate and peanut butter goodness!