I Tried 5 Protein Bars and This One Tasted Like Dessert

A protein bar is a tricky snack to get right. On the one hand an easy, portable source of protein sounds like a great thing. But if you've tried enough protein bars you know that looks (and wrappers) can be deceiving. Sometimes a so-called protein bar is really just candy in disguise (high in sugar and fat but with very little protein) while other bars are high in protein and look delicious – but end up tasting strange, or chalky, or syrupy or just too chewy.

Finding a protein bar that's actually nutritious and tastes good is a challenge. In order to find one that tasted so good I'd want to eat it for dessert, I purchased five protein bars and taste-tested them. The bars were judged on their looks and taste and ranked from worst to the very best. While some of them missed the mark, others were yummy – and there was one that was a bite above the rest.

Read on to see which protein bars are giving dessert vibes – and which ones you should leave on the shelf.

Power Crunch – Triple Chocolate

These are made of a protein blend featuring High-DH hydrolyzed whey protein in a crème filled wafer bar. The package says it's "protein worth craving."

The Look: This "bar" looked like a thick, chocolate-covered wafer cookie. It definitely did not look like a typical protein bar.

The Taste: Biting in, this bar was super dry with a weird after taste. Since it was a wafer, its texture was super light and not at all substantial. After a second bite, I noticed the wafer had a sour aftertaste. This bar was just bad.

Trader Joe's Energy Bar – Chocolate Chip

This Trader Joe's brand bar is made of oats and brown rice syrup.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The Look: Pulling it out of the wrapper this bar was extremely sticky, blobby and brown. Although the flavor was chocolate chip, there were not a lot of chips to be seen.

The Taste: This bar tasted bland and sticky. It wasn't sweet or chocolatey, and it made my mouth dry. Overall, this bar was just not craveable. It was also the most caloric bar I taste-tested.

Misfits – Cookie Butter

This plant-based protein bar is advertised as "new and softer" on the label. It's touted as "protein, but make it candy" on the company's website.

The Look: This bar looked just like a chocolate-dipped Rice Krispie Treat. I liked that the chocolate was dark and that it looked very crunchy and substantial.

The taste: This bar lived up to its promise of tasting like candy – it was sweet and chocolatey. Unfortunately, the texture was a turn-off – it had a very sticky, almost gluey consistency and stuck to the roof of my mouth. The chocolate dip gave it points, though. I'd try this one again in another variety!

Think! Delight Protein Bar – Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

These bars, part of the "Delight" line of Think! bars, are high in protein, low in sugar and have peanut butter flavor and peanut pieces.

The Look: This slightly misshapen bar looked like a small candy bar. The chocolate coating was enticing and the inside looked light and airy.

The Taste: This bar had a delicious, strong peanut butter flavor and I liked the crunchy bits of peanut which gave it a nice texture. The classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter worked well here. The only drawback was how airy and light it tasted – just not as substantial or thick of a bar that I'd want in a snack.

Fulfil – Chocolate Peanut Caramel

This bar's peanut-flavored nougat center is topped by a caramel-flavored crème layer covered by a double layer of chocolatey goodness and topped with real peanut pieces. "We swear it's a protein bar," promises the label.

The Look: This chocolate dipped bar was smaller in size and almost cookie-like in appearance.

The Taste: While the caramel was way too chewy for my dental work, the peanut butter flavor was strong and good. This bar had the texture of a candy bar but still felt a bit like a traditional protein bar due to its thickness and mix of ingredients. It's hard to believe something this good is so low in calories and sugar (and tied for highest in protein). While I'll personally pass on the caramel, I'm excited to try the other flavors in this line – and have them for a snack on the go, or yes, even as dessert.