Aloha Cookie Dough Plant-Based Protein Bar: Nutrition & Labelgrade B+ (83/100)
B+ 83 / 100 — Vegan + organic + plant-based protein bar that doesn't compromise on macros. 14g protein, 10g fiber, 4g added sugar per 56g bar — no artificial sweeteners, no sugar alcohols, no stevia. The protein blend (brown rice + pumpkin seed) provides a complete amino-acid profile. The trade-off vs Quest is higher fat (11g) and modestly higher sugar.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Aloha Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Plant-Based Protein Bar delivers 14 g of protein and 10 g of fiber per 56 g bar at 240 calories (USDA FDC 2631109). The protein is a blend of organic brown rice protein and organic pumpkin seed protein — two incomplete plant proteins that, combined, cover all nine essential amino acids without leaning on soy. It earns a B+ (83 / 100). The headline distinction: this bar hits respectable protein-bar macros while using no sugar alcohols, no stevia, and no artificial sweeteners — the formulation choice that, for a lot of people, is the difference between a bar they can digest and one they can’t.
Why the B+
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A- | 88 / 100 | 25 g per 100 g — strong for a plant-based bar, and the brown rice + pumpkin seed blend is a complete amino-acid profile, not padded filler |
| Ingredient quality | B | 78 / 100 | Whole-food-forward: sunflower seed butter is the #2 ingredient, real chocolate chips and cocoa nibs follow. Tapioca fiber and tapioca syrup are processed but mild — the panel stays recognizable |
| Sugar load | B+ | 84 / 100 | 5 g total / 4 g added, all from real sugars (tapioca syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar). Far below RXBAR’s 13 g; the price of using no sugar alcohols to hit zero |
| Sodium load | B+ | 81 / 100 | 105 mg per bar — genuinely low for the category, less than half what RXBAR or Quest carry |
| Saturated fat | B- | 73 / 100 | 2.5 g per bar, from the cocoa butter in the chocolate chips — the one number a leaner formula would improve |
| Fiber | A+ | 100 / 100 | 10 g per bar — exceptional, almost all from tapioca fiber |
The B+ is an honest “good, with one real trade-off.” The protein and fiber are excellent and the sodium is low; the only score holding it back from an A is saturated fat (2.5 g of real cocoa butter). The sugar grade is also a deliberate cost — Aloha could have scored a sugar A+ like Quest by using erythritol, but chose not to, which is the whole point of the bar.
The no-sugar-alcohol decision is the real story
Every other “cookie dough” protein bar in our database hits its low-sugar number with a sugar alcohol or an artificial sweetener: Quest leans on erythritol plus stevia plus sucralose. Aloha refuses all three. That’s not a marketing footnote — sugar alcohols are one of the most common reasons protein bars cause bloating, gas, and that laxative effect at higher doses. By sweetening with real tapioca syrup, brown sugar, and the cane sugar in its chocolate chips, Aloha accepts a higher sugar number (5 g vs Quest’s 1 g) in exchange for a bar that digests like food. If you’ve ever felt wrecked an hour after an “engineered” bar, this is the formulation difference that explains it.
How it compares
| Product | Protein per bar | Calories | Fiber | Total sugar | Sweetener | Vegan? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aloha Cookie Dough (this product) | 14 g (56 g) | 240 | 10 g | 5 g (4 g added) | Real sugars only | Yes |
| Quest Cookie Dough | 21 g (60 g) | 200 | 14 g | 1 g | Erythritol + stevia + sucralose | No (milk + whey) |
| RXBAR Chocolate Chip | 12 g (52 g) | 220 | 5 g | 13 g (0 g added, from dates) | Dates | No (egg whites) |
| Kind Fruit & Nut Delight | 6 g (40 g) | 200 | 3 g | 9 g | Honey + glucose | No (honey) |
Read down the last two columns and Aloha’s niche is obvious: it is the only bar here that is both fully vegan and free of artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. Quest beats it decisively on protein-per-calorie (21 g at 200 cal) but uses sucralose and dairy protein. RXBAR matches its clean-sweetener stance but is built on egg whites and carries more than double the sugar. Kind is a different animal entirely — a 6 g snack bar, not a protein bar.
Whole-food equivalent
One Aloha bar’s 14 g of protein is roughly what you’d get from 45 g of cooked chicken breast (about 1.6 oz) — or, since this is the plant-based bar, about ¾ cup of cooked lentils plus a small handful of pumpkin seeds. The practical read: it’s a legitimate protein contribution for a vegan snack, not a token few grams, and it travels in a wrapper.
Ingredients
Protein blend (brown rice protein, pumpkin seed protein), sunflower seed butter (roasted sunflower seeds, sunflower oil), tapioca fiber, tapioca syrup, chocolate chips (cane sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla powder), vegetable glycerin, brown sugar, cocoa nibs, brown rice crisps (brown rice, brown rice syrup, salt), natural flavor, vanilla extract, sea salt, sunflower lecithin.
Reading it top to bottom: protein leads, a real-food fat (sunflower seed butter) is second, the fiber and sweeteners sit in the middle, and the bottom is flavor and lecithin. There’s no sugar alcohol, no stevia, no sucralose, and nothing you’d need a chemistry degree to parse. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2631109.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 bar (56 g)
842096152221Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 bar (56 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 240 |
| Protein | 14g |
| Total Fat | 11g |
| Saturated Fat | 2.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 25g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10g |
| Total Sugars | 5g |
| Added Sugars | 4g |
| Sodium | 105mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 36mg |
| Iron | 6mg |
| Potassium | 111mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Aloha Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Plant-Based Protein Bar (9.88 oz (280 g) — 5-bar pack) · UPC 842096152221. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in an Aloha Cookie Dough bar?
14 g of protein per 56 g bar (USDA FDC 2631109) — about 25 g per 100 g. The protein comes from a blend of organic brown rice protein and organic pumpkin seed protein. The full 5-bar pack holds 70 g of protein.
Why does a vegan bar use brown rice AND pumpkin seed protein instead of just one?
Because neither is complete on its own, but together they are. Brown rice protein runs low in the amino acid lysine; pumpkin seed protein is short on a couple of others but covers lysine well. Blended, they fill each other's gaps and deliver all nine essential amino acids — which is why Aloha leads its ingredient list with both rather than a single plant source. Notably, it does this without soy, the usual vegan shortcut to a complete profile.
What's the deal with no sugar alcohols — why does Aloha make a point of it?
Most 'low-sugar' plant bars hit their macros with erythritol, maltitol, or another sugar alcohol, and those are exactly what can cause the bloating and GI upset some people get from protein bars. Aloha skips them entirely. The 5 g of sugar here is real sugar — tapioca syrup, brown sugar, cane sugar in the chocolate chips, brown rice syrup in the crisps — plus tapioca fiber for the fiber line. No erythritol, no maltitol, no stevia, no sucralose. That's the anti-bloat selling point, and it's the main reason the bar tastes like cookie dough rather than cooling-sweet.
Aloha vs Quest — which should I buy?
Different philosophies. Quest packs more protein into fewer calories (21 g at 200 cal vs Aloha's 14 g at 240 cal) and runs 1 g sugar, but it gets there with milk and whey protein (not vegan) plus an erythritol/stevia/sucralose sweetener stack. Aloha gives up some protein density to stay fully plant-based, organic, and free of all artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols. If you want maximum protein-per-calorie, Quest wins. If you avoid dairy or artificial sweeteners, Aloha is the better-built bar.
Aloha vs RXBAR — both avoid artificial sweeteners?
Yes, both skip artificial sweeteners, but they sweeten very differently. RXBAR uses dates, which pushes it to 13 g of (naturally occurring) sugar per bar with 12 g protein. Aloha keeps total sugar to 5 g and lands 14 g protein. The bigger split: RXBAR is built on egg whites, so it is not vegan, while Aloha's brown rice + pumpkin seed base is fully plant-based.
Is Aloha 'high in protein' by FDA rules?
Yes. 14 g per bar is 28% of the FDA's 50 g Daily Value for protein, comfortably above the 20% threshold required to make a 'high in protein' claim.
Where does the 10 g of fiber come from, and will it upset my stomach?
Mostly from tapioca fiber, a fiber isolated from cassava root (the same plant as tapioca pudding). It adds the fiber line without much taste impact — similar in function to the soluble corn fiber Quest uses. 10 g in one bar is generous, so if you're sensitive to added fibers, eat it with water and don't stack several bars in a day; for most people it's well within comfortable tolerance.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-28, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2631109 and Aloha's product page. We re-verify top pages monthly and update within 7 days of any reformulation.