Square Organics started when a young woman, Sarah turned to a plant-based diet to manage her lifelong severe asthma. While she had great results, she missed indulgent treats that were often dairy based or filled with processed sugars. S was determined to find an indulgent treat that was still vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and without processed sugars. After much experimenting, she created chocolate coated protein bars that were cut into a square …so began Square Organics.
Today, Square Organics still has chocolate coated protein bars along with nut butter and popped grain protein crisp bars, and protein popcorns. Square Organics continues to use high quality, whole food ingredients to create a delicious and plant-based snack.
I’ve tried all of the varieties of the Square Organic products (because I love them so much), but we’re going to review the nut butter and popped grain based plant-based protein bar in the Toasted Coconut Crisp flavor. You can also find the nut butter and popped grain protein bars in Vanilla Cashew Crisp and Chocolate Sea Salt Crisp. All three of the Square Organic protein crisp bars are highly rated and highly reviewed. I encourage you to not necessarily take our word for the Toasted Coconut Crisp flavor but also see what others are saying.
Taste Experience
The Square Organic Toasted Coconut Crisp Protein Bar looks like the inside of a fig newton bar – it’s kind of crazy how similar it looks! Deep earthy brown from the organic coconut nectar and organic whole grain brown rice protein with off white and beige specks of brown rice crisps, organic unsweetened coconut, and organic amaranth. After opening up the package, I’m amazed at how it literally smells like I just toasted some coconut in the oven. Not the tropical kind of pina colada coconut but that deep toasted warm and cozy kind of coconut.
At first bite, I’m surprised at how light, airy, and crispy the bar is! I thought it was going to be heavy, dense, and chewy like most vegan nut based protein bars but it’s quite refreshing and light. There’s a nutty toasted quality to the taste, likely from the popped grains, cashew butter, and toasted coconut. The coconut nectar provides a hit of sweetness but with a unique depth to the taste. Similar to how molasses adds a rich depth to baked goods, the coconut nectar adds complexity buuuut unlike other sweeteners, coconut nectar is a low glycemic food! This complexity is yet another tastefully pleasant surprise as I was expecting it to be more of a thick chewy Clif type plant-based nutrition bar but instead it’s nutty and wholesome but without being overpowering. The Square Organic Toasted Coconut Crisp is an adult rice krispie treat that has coconut added – it’s an awesome and unique way to elevate your snacking experience! I definitely recommend trying out Square Organics (and definitely try one of the nut butter and popped grain protein bars!).
Nutrition
Each Square Organics Toasted Coconut Crisp Protein Bar has 230 calories with about half of those calories coming from healthy fat in the cashew butter. There are 13 grams of total fat and five grams of saturated fat. The fat sources are the cashew butter, coconut flakes, and coconut oil. The saturated fat is plant-based (from the coconut oil) and is an appropriate amount in a healthy diet.
There are 110mg (5%) of sodium per Square Organics Vegan Protein Bar and 170mg (5%) of potassium per bar to support electrolyte balance and healthy nutrition.
The protein bar has 22 grams of total carbohydrates with only one gram of fiber and nine grams of low glycemic sugar as Square Organics uses coconut nectar as the sweetener. This makes Square Organics Toasted Coconut Crisp Vegan Protein Bar a great choice for anyone with glucose sensitivity. The bar is also gluten-free (like other Square Organics products) for any gluten-sensitive individual or those looking for plant-based protein on a Celiac gluten-free diet.
There is a whopping 10 grams of plant-based protein (organic whole grain brown rice protein) in this tiny square of a nutrition bar! The protein bar is soy-free and gluten-free plus brown rice protein tends to be a highly digestible plant-based protein source to prevent digestive dilemmas.
Square Organics does not add vitamins and minerals to the plant-based protein bars but the wholesome ingredients provide 6% of your total iron needs for the day, 8% of your phosphorus needs for the day, and 10% of your magnesium needs for the day.
If you’re ready to satisfy your taste buds and up level your snacking and protein bars, check out Square Organics bars.
The Non-Vegan Review
Many of the plant-based snacks and vegan nutrition bars my wife feeds me taste the same or very similar. That same protein chalkiness. That same grassy quality that my wife tells me “is natural” and that distinct sweetness of brown rice syrup. The Square Organics Protein Bar in the Toasted Coconut Crisp variation is a breath of fresh air and super unique. It’s crispy and crunchy but yet airy with a “popped” quality. The vegan nutrition bar is a hybrid of a dessert and a snack and a breakfast bar and a nutrition bar. It doesn’t fit into 1 category, which means it’s easy to eat them all the time! As someone who isn’t a fan of the incesscent chocolate and peanut butter nutrition bar varieties, Square Organics Toasted Coconut Crisp Protein Bar is seriously a breath of fresh air that you will want to buy again and again. Better yet, you may want to buy and stock pile Square Organics for yourself because sharing is a challenge with this vegan bar – you’ll want to keep it all to yourself!
Parting Thoughts
Square Organics creates insanely delicious and highly nutritious vegan plant-based gluten-free protein bars and decadent protein treats. The unique taste and texture of the nut butter and popped grain bars are my favorite and the Toasted Coconut Crisp flavor does not disappoint! The Square Organic Toasted Coconut Crisp Protein Bar has a light crisp with just enough sweetness to satisfy but doesn’t weight you down like heavy protein bars. The best part (aside from the taste of course) is that the taste is not compromised despite insane nutrition including a whopping 10 grams of protein! Get yourself some happy plant-based protein snacks with Square Organic Crisp Protein Bars! Happy Noshing!