A flavor comparison and tier list of all the Clif regular ZBars and their Protein versions I could find!
First, I found Clif’s ZBARs variety pack, which includes their ZBARs and Protein ZBARs. The regular ZBar comes in flavors of Chocolate Chip, Iced Oatmeal Cookie, and Chocolate Brownie, and while one of their protein variants also includes Chocolate Chip, they differ by instead having flavors of Cookies ‘N Creme and Chocolate flavored Mint. Then, finally, I was able to find other flavors outside of the variety pack to further this list!
Overall Review & Verdict
On first glance, I find that they look obviously like many oaty, granola, and rice bars you find from other brands. The protein versions resemble a Rice Krispies treat with a layered bottom, while the regular ones look like they were made with oats infused with different mixins and flavors, as well as having a drizzle at the top of each one. Needless to say, both versions are different, especially in their compositions.
To me, both versions range from mildly to moderately sweet. They ‘re all especially creamy, as if Clif put together a candy bar and either an oat bar (regular ZBAR) or threw it with a Rice Krispies treat (protein version). Notably, the protein versions are thicker and a bit shorter compared to their counterparts as well.
Going with the protein version first, it’s like a softer, less thick version of a Rice Krispies treat. This isn’t bad, it has a great mouthfeel overall, offering an even softer crunch and a pleasant bottom smooth shell.
The regular version pretends to be an organic oat bar but throws you for a loop with what seems to be an infused candy-bar-like texture. It isn’t gritty, and instead, it’s soft, moist, and dense, especially for how thin they are! If you were curious, these feel much more premium and less cheap than their direct competition bars, such as Quaker Oats bars.
Between both versions, and I can’t emphasize this enough, they’re especially creamy, offering a great bite and flavor that blows away many other oat or rice-based bars I’ve had! Needless to say, none of them feel or taste cheap, artificial, off-putting, or weird–and most interestingly, the protein bars don’t taste like a simple rice bar or have a ricey-ish taste, and the regular ones absolutely don’t have that strong, earthy, organic flavor.
With that in mind, these all roughly come across as the same level of sweetness, something between mild to moderate, nothing too punchy, and at the same time, offering enough sugar to be enjoyable by those with and without sweet teeth. The flavors, again, are all fairly well-represented accurately. None of them come across as too bold or overly pronounced, though, coupled with similar sweetnesses and textures, means none stick out; they’re all very enjoyable, and I bet you’ll end up liking any flavor you decide to chew on!
Flavor Tier List
1. Chocolate Brownie (Regular)
Score: 7.75 / 10
The chocolate brownie was similar to the other non-protein ones; however, it had significantly darker oat pieces, as if they infused chocolate inside the oat pieces, as well as an additional dark chocolate drizzle layered on top. The entire bar was fairly dark and chocolately with an oaty background. Nothing bitter, and for a dark chocolate, it was pretty sweet, perhaps one of the sweeter ones on this list. This helped bring out its chocolatelyness, and notably, I also really enjoyed how creamy it was too, reminding me of a smooth and creamy light dark chocolate bar, consisting of thick chewy parts from the oats—yum! Lastly, I even noticed some soft, dark chocolate cookie bits embedded throughout—a wonderful addition that made it feel more chunky, though, didn’t add much of a crunch!
2. Cookies ‘N Creme (Protein)
Score: 7.5 / 10
The Cookies and Cream protein bar features a thick, dark top resembling an almost black Rice Krispies treat with embedded white chocolate chips, complemented by a further white chocolate bottom. Biting in, I’m met with a thick and pleasantly chewy, yet lightly crispy, genuine cookies-and-cream flavor. It could be creamier and have more of that traditional white chocolate/cream flavor, as the primary flavor here is a darker cookie-like taste. The sweetness is about right, resembling a sweeter dark chocolate cookie; however, again, more of that cream flavor and even a touch more sweetness would definitely elevate this to a more authetic cookies and cream flavored bar.
3. Iced Oatmeal Cookie (Regular)
Score: 7.5 / 10
Like its non-protein counterparts, is moist, oaty, and has a mild to moderate sweetness that resembles a creamy oatmeal cookie! You can really taste the authetic, sweet oatmeal and the essence of an actual, creamy buttery cookie that tones down its sweetness just enough to better emphasize its nuance of flavor. This oatmeal isn’t just oats, either; it clearly has a touch of blended cinnamon and sugar, too. Interestingly, I was mistaken a few times and thought this slightly resembled a cinnamon roll.
I also appreciate the white chocolate bits scattered throughout the bar, which enhance the experience, particularly in terms of its creaminess and smoothness, as they’re nearly identical to the texture of the bar itself. If you want a creamy and reasonably sweet oatmeal with a touch of a candy bar identity, you’ll enjoy this!
4. Chocolate Chip (Regular & Protein — TIED)
Score: 7.25 / 10
The protein one was definitely thicker and resembled a much softer Rice Crispies-like treat. It has a soft chocolate bottom, and on top of that was the Rice Krispies treat-like part, which was mildly dark and had bits of mini chocolate chips inside. The mouthfeel was really great because it was soft and lightly chewy, with a pleasant amount of soft-crispness from the entire thing.
Overall, it’s mild to moderately sweet, with a predominantly regular chocolate flavor and a hint of rice. It’s a little tame in terms of sweetness, but still gets its point across–mostly. I wouldn’t have minded something sweeter, though; chocolate chip-flavored treats tend to be pretty mild overall.
Its non-protein counterpart is obviously thinner and has a more oat-like texture and composition. It feels a little more moist, made with oats, and has a drizzle of topping on top. Notably, there is no layer at the bottom. The flavors are about the same, mild to moderately sweet regular milk chocolate, but instead of a tiny rice-ish taste here, more of a light, non-overpowering oat.
Overall, both are similar in flavor but differ in texture. They are both satisfying in their own subtle ways.
4. Chocolate Mint (Protein)
Score: 7 / 10
The chocolate mint protein bar appears like a slightly lighter version of the Cookies ‘N Creme version. Similarly, it has a mostly dark rice krispy top but also with a milk chocolate layered bottom instead. Of course, this has a chocolate flavor, as well as the advertised mint. Is it toothpaste? Nope. The chocolate is the dominant flavor and, coupled with the creaminess, the mint taste is milder and favors a lighter taste overall. This, with an equal semi-dark and milk chocolate flavor combo, ends up giving you a nuanced and flavorful bar that will surely please even those who despise mint!
?. Cookies N’ Cream (Regular)
Score: ? / 1o
Review coming soon!
?. Cinnamon Roll (Regular)
Score: ? / 1o
Review coming soon!