Raising the Bar
Nowadays, new food products are popping up left and right, and snack and breakfast bars are no exception. We went to the table and tasted a TON of innovative snack and breakfast bars to find the best, so when you hit that afternoon slump at the office, are on the run in the morning, or need a little energy boost, you can just turn to our list to find the best.
Best Berry: LÄRABAR Cherry Cobbler
“Super nutty, slightly sweet, and sticky like a dessert,” one taster noted, this bar is both crunchier and chewier than the original LÄRABAR Cherry Pie bar. Full of dried cherries, almonds, pecans, cashews, raisins, dates, sea salt, and natural sweeteners, this bar “has substance,” another taster said.
Best Fruity: 18 Rabbits Haute Diggity Date
Beyond being tasty, this bar might win overall for best name! All joking aside, 18 Rabbits Haute Diggity Date is a certified organic and kosher granola bar with dates and raisins. Nutty, slightly sweet, and chewy, a few tasters noted that this bar tasted like an oatmeal cookie – nothing wrong with that! Made with 18 Rabbits’ Gracious Granola, which is full of toasty coconut and pecans, we’ll go on a second, third, and fourth date with this bar!
Best Chocolate: 18 Rabbits Cheeky Cherry Chocolate
18 Rabbits also took the win for best bar with chocolate! Also organic and using the Gracious Granola, the Cheeky Cherry Chocolate bar features organic chocolate as well as Bing cherries and dried cranberries. Subtley sweet and with a more granola-like texture, tasters agreed that this bar also tasted like a cookie and had a good aftertaste.
Best Banana: The Pure Bar Banana Coconut
Certified organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegan, Pure Bar’s Banana Coconut bar won for best in banana. Made with organic coconut, banana, dates, agave nectar, cashew butter, walnuts, and more, one taster noted that it “tastes like banana bread – very sweet.” Full of fiber and protein, this bar will keep you satiated on those days you’re crazed at the office or running around. Plus, check out a guest blog post from The Pure Bar’s founder, Veronica Bosgraff on making time for breakfast and her three go-to breakfast recipes for when she’s on the run!
Best Nut/Seed: Tie! Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch & Rise Bar Crunchy Cashew Almond
This category had two contenders go neck-to-neck as the tastiest and best nut and/or seed bar. Reminiscent of a traditional “granola bar, yum,” as one taster noted, the Kashi Roasted Almond Crunch comes with two crunchy bars per package for a total of 170 calories and 6 grams of fat. Tasters agreed that this bar was “the best of the bunch,” and one said she “could eat it anytime of day.” The Rise Crunch Cashew Almond contains only seven ingredients, and boy did they shine. Featuring almonds, cashews, honey, dates, amaranth, crisp rice, and salt, one taster said this bar was “sweet and salty with a good aftertaste,” and others really noted the “nice honey and nut flavor.” The Rise Bar is also gluten free!
