Reviewing and ranking all the flavors from best to worst of the Promix Protein Puff Bars that I can find!
Overall Review & Verdict
These all look like Rice Krispies treats, but a little fancier! Even their outside texture feels a bit sticky and sugary, albeit definitely not marshmallow!
Nonetheless, they are different. They feel a little drier, less chewy, and definitely less sweet than your typical Rice Krispies treat, but they’re still moist and soft enough to provide a satisfying, crispy crunch. Most of the bars have this same texture, aside from the Matcha flavor, which came out a bit softer.
All the flavors are more or less accurately represented, although there is a slight off taste with most of them–is it the addition of protein? I’m not sure, but either way, it’s there, though I didn’t find it off-putting or too eyebrow-raising. The flavors, their mild to moderate sweetness levels, and the composition can quickly override this, making these bars unique-tasting and interesting in the protein bar landscape.
Overall, these are interesting bars. They won’t blow you away, but they aren’t dissatisfying either. These are a decent enough take on traditional Rice Krispies treats, where I think that trying one or two of the flavors would be worth your while.
Flavor Ranking
1. Snickerdoodle
The flavor profile of this is so well-rounded. You get a clear, mild to moderately sweet snickerdoodle flavor, accentuated by the crispiness, which gives it a buttery cookie vibe. I can taste the warm cinnamon, sugar, and creamy butter, all mixed together. If anything, I wish this bar were sweeter to help boost the flavors even more, because as it is, while it’s a decent enough snickerdoodle-tasting bar, it could be so much more.
2. Matcha
Interestingly, the softest and stickiest of all the flavors. It pulls apart surprisingly easily and has a noticeable sticky texture. And indeed biting in, it’s noticeably softer while still containing a light crunch.
In terms of flavor, it leans toward a sweeter matcha than a more traditional, bold, bitter one. The bar as a whole feels a tad sweeter than some other bars in this list, which I really appreciate because it brings out this sweet, smooth, and almost creamy matcha flavor. I wouldn’t expect anything super authentic matcha-tasting here; as I said before, this is more of a sugar-based matcha.
3. Birthday Cake
Well, it has a few colorful sprinkles in it, so it must be a birthday cake, right? Well, sort of. Its flavor is about as typical as vanilla-birthday-cake flavor gets. The bar as a whole is about moderately sweet, though it could use more since it’s supposed to be birthday cake. Going back, it doesn’t exactly nail the birthday cake flavor, but it isn’t explicitly vanilla either; it’s somewhere in between, which I think would be good enough for people seeking birthday cake flavor.
4. Banana Bread
I like the dark chocolate chips embedded throughout this; it makes it look like a very chocolatey bar. And, interestingly, when I opened it, there was definitely a very sweet chocolate-and-banana smell.
In terms of taste, to me, it’s an off-brand chocolate with a lighter banana background. It’s not artificial, just a different-tasting milk chocolate that doesn’t taste premium, not necessarily cheap either. I’m disappointed the banana wasn’t too strong, though it did complement the chocolate enough to work okay.
5. Coconut
I like the little white coconut flakes on the bar; they add a nice touch, but do they add flavor or anything else?
Truth be told, the coconut sprinkles don’t add anything to the texture. Then, in terms of flavor, it comes across as a combination of a synthetic coconut and a more sugary, candy-like one. It’s not a bad coconut; it’s definitely not organic-tasting either. It falls around a moderate sweetness.
6. Mexican Hot Chocolate
The first few bites in, I thought this was just an off-brand semi-dark chocolate flavor, then it hit me. There’s a noticeable spice to it, like spicy cinnamon. However, since this bar is more mildly sweet, it’s spicier to my liking. Definitely packs a punch, though, not super overbearing. I’m not sure if the flavors work well enough together; the bar simply isn’t sweet enough in my opinion.