Barebells Caramel Cashew Protein Bar: Nutrition & Labelgrade B+ (83/100)
B+ 83 / 100 — Swedish-brand engineered protein bar. 20g protein at 200 cal is on-par with Quest. Trade-offs: maltitol as the bulk sweetener (higher glycemic impact than erythritol — keto practitioners often avoid), plus sucralose. Bovine collagen hydrolysate adds incomplete protein to the mix.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Barebells Caramel Cashew delivers 20g of protein for 200 calories in a single 55g bar, with just 1g of sugar (USDA FDC 2643091). At 36g of protein per 100g it sits at the very top of the protein-bar density chart — tied with Quest. It earns a B+ (83/100): protein density and sugar are maxed out, sodium is impressively low, and the score is held back by an engineered, 19-ingredient formula built around maltitol and sucralose. This is the bar you buy when you want a protein hit that genuinely eats like a candy bar — and the maltitol is the reason it tastes that good and the reason strict-keto eaters skip it.
Why the B+
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A+ | 100 / 100 | 36g per 100g — pinned at the formula ceiling, level with Quest |
| Ingredient quality | B- | 71 / 100 | 19 ingredients; maltitol + sucralose and a collagen top-up drag it down |
| Saturated fat | C+ | 68 / 100 | 3g per bar, mostly from cocoa butter and whole milk — the texture’s price |
| Sugar | A+ | 100 / 100 | 1g sugar, 0g added — sweetness comes from the sugar alcohol and sucralose instead |
| Sodium | A- | 85 / 100 | 80mg per bar — genuinely low for a candy-style bar |
| Fiber | C+ | 68 / 100 | 3g, supplied by polydextrose; fine, but a fraction of Quest’s 14g |
The honest read: the macros that matter most to a protein shopper — grams of protein, sugar, sodium — are excellent. What costs Barebells its A is everything it does to make the bar enjoyable. The maltitol, the sucralose, the cocoa butter and whole milk that push saturated fat to 3g: those are deliberate choices in service of taste, not nutritional shortcuts. You’re trading a cleaner label for a better eating experience, and the grade reflects exactly that trade.
The candy-bar bar, and what that costs you
Most “high-protein” bars ask you to tolerate them. Barebells is built on the opposite premise: a layered nougat-caramel-cashew construction under a chocolatey coating that reviewers consistently compare to a real confectionery bar rather than a supplement. That’s a legitimately different product category from the dense, fiber-packed Quest format, and if texture is what’s kept you off protein bars, this is the one to try first.
The catch shows up on the ingredient line. Hitting that mouthfeel takes glycerin and maltitol to keep things soft, cocoa butter and dry whole milk for richness (which is where the 3g of saturated fat comes from), and sucralose to finish the sweetness without sugar. None of it is alarming, but it’s why the label runs 19 items deep instead of the half-dozen on a minimalist bar. Barebells is upfront that this is an engineered, indulgence-first product — and judged on that goal, it succeeds.
The maltitol question — and the Quest comparison
The single most important thing to understand before buying is the sweetener. Barebells leans on maltitol as its bulk sweetener; Quest uses erythritol. That one swap drives most of the real differences between the two bars:
- Glycemic impact. Maltitol’s glycemic index runs around 52 — close enough to sugar that it can move blood glucose and, for strict keto, potentially stall ketosis. Erythritol is essentially inert. By the standard net-carb math (18g carbs − 3g fiber = 15g net), Barebells looks borderline; subtract the maltitol and it drops into keto range — but whether you’re allowed to subtract it is the whole debate.
- GI tolerance. Maltitol is notorious for bloating and digestive upset past roughly 10-15g. If sugar alcohols already bother you, Barebells is more likely to than an erythritol bar.
- Taste. This is where maltitol wins. It’s the reason Barebells stays soft and candy-like while erythritol bars can taste cooling and turn gritty.
Net: Barebells and Quest are within a rounding error on protein (20g vs 21g) and identical on calories (200) and sugar (1g), but Quest brings 14g of fiber to Barebells’ 3g and the safer sweetener, while Barebells brings the better taste. Pick on that axis — flavor versus fiber-and-keto-friendliness — not on the protein number, which is effectively a tie.
Ingredients
Milk protein blend (calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate), glycerin, bovine collagen hydrolysate, maltitol, polydextrose, water, cocoa butter, dry whole milk, roasted cashew pieces, sunflower oil, unsweetened chocolate, peanut paste, cocoa processed with alkali, natural and artificial flavors, salt, sunflower lecithin, sucralose. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2643091.)
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 bar (55 g)
850000429611Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 bar (55 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 200 |
| Protein | 20g |
| Total Fat | 8g |
| Saturated Fat | 3g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g |
| Total Sugars | 1g |
| Added Sugars | 0g |
| Sodium | 80mg |
| Cholesterol | 5mg |
| Calcium | 160mg |
| Iron | 0.6mg |
| Potassium | 150mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Barebells Caramel Cashew Protein Bar (7.76 oz (220 g) — 4-bar pack) · UPC 850000429611. 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 meat, fish, or gelatin
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in a Barebells Caramel Cashew bar?
20g per 55g bar, for 200 calories — that's 36g of protein per 100g (USDA FDC 2643091), which puts it at the top of the protein-bar density chart. The package is a 4-bar pack, so one box holds 80g of protein. The blend is calcium caseinate plus whey concentrate and whey isolate (a complete protein), topped up with bovine collagen hydrolysate.
Does it actually taste like a candy bar?
That's the whole reason Barebells exists, and it's the most consistent thing reviewers say about it. The layered build — a soft caramel-style nougat, real roasted cashew pieces, and a chocolatey coating over cocoa butter — eats more like a Snickers or Twix than the dense, chalky 'protein brick' format Quest popularized. You pay for that texture with a longer ingredient list, but the indulgence is genuine, not marketing.
Why maltitol instead of the erythritol Quest uses?
Texture and cost. Maltitol stays soft and chewy and is cheaper per unit of sweetness, which is exactly how Barebells gets the candy-bar mouthfeel. The catch is that maltitol has a real glycemic impact (GI around 52, not far off table sugar) and causes bloating or GI distress for a lot of people once you get past ~10-15g. Quest sidesteps both with erythritol, which is nearly inert but can taste cooling and turn gritty. It's a deliberate flavor-vs-tolerance trade.
Is it keto-friendly?
Borderline, and it depends on your math. The label shows 18g total carbs and 3g fiber, so 15g net carbs by the standard formula. Subtract the maltitol fraction and net carbs fall into low-single-digits — technically keto. But strict keto eaters don't subtract maltitol, because its glycemic hit can stall ketosis. By the strict reading this is not a keto bar; the erythritol-sweetened Quest is the safer pick if ketosis is the goal.
Barebells vs Quest — which should I buy?
Macros are nearly a wash: Barebells is 20g protein / 200 cal / 1g sugar / 3g fiber; Quest is 21g / 200 cal / 1g sugar but 14g fiber. Quest wins on fiber and sweetener choice; Barebells wins decisively on taste and texture. Buy Barebells if you want a protein hit that feels like a treat; buy Quest if you want maximum fiber or you're serious about keto.
Is the collagen a problem for the protein quality?
It's a minor footnote, not a flaw. Bovine collagen hydrolysate is incomplete protein (it's missing tryptophan), so the few grams it contributes don't count for muscle synthesis the way whey does. But the bulk of the 20g comes from the caseinate/whey blend, which is complete and high-quality, so the bar still delivers a full amino-acid profile. Collagen is there mostly to firm up texture and pad the gram count cheaply.
Is it vegan or gluten-free?
Not vegan — the protein is milk-derived (caseinate and whey) and it also contains bovine collagen and dry whole milk. It contains cashews and peanut paste, so it's a no for tree-nut and peanut allergies too. Caramel Cashew is generally listed as gluten-free, but Barebells runs shared equipment, so anyone with celiac should check the specific batch.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-28, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2643091 and Barebells' own product page. We re-verify top pages and update within days of a reformulation.