Pure Protein Birthday Cake Bar: 20g Protein, Labelgrade B- (72/100)
B- 72 / 100 — A budget high-protein bar that hits 20g protein at 40g per 100g with only 3g sugar. The catch is how it stays low-sugar: maltitol and maltitol syrup do the sweetening, the panel runs ~38 ingredients deep with artificial colors (Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1) in the sprinkles, fiber is zero, and saturated fat is moderate from palm kernel oils.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Pure Protein Birthday Cake delivers 20g of protein per 50g bar at 200 calories, with just 3g of sugar (USDA FDC 2666642). At 40g of protein per 100g the density earns a perfect A+, and the price-per-bar is the real draw — Pure Protein exists to undercut Quest and Barebells, typically landing near $1–1.50 a bar. It earns a B- (72/100). The whole story behind that grade is how the sugar stays at 3g: maltitol and maltitol syrup do the sweetening, which keeps the sugar line low but brings the classic sugar-alcohol downsides. Stack on six artificial dyes in the sprinkles and zero fiber, and a genuinely strong protein number gets pulled down to a B-.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A+ | 100 / 100 | 40g per 100g — capped at the formula ceiling. Milk + whey isolate blend, listed first by weight |
| Ingredient quality | C- | 57 / 100 | ~38 ingredients: maltitol (×3), hydrolyzed gelatin, soy isolate, and six dyes (Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2) in the sprinkles. The single biggest drag on the grade |
| Sugar load | A+ | 98 / 100 | 3g sugar — but low because maltitol replaces sugar, and there is added sugar (sprinkles, icing sugar). Grade reflects quantity, not a sugar-free formula |
| Sodium load | C+ | 66 / 100 | 160mg per bar — moderate, not a real concern for most people |
| Saturated fat load | C | 60 / 100 | 3.5g per bar (~7g per 100g) — moderate, from the fractionated palm kernel oil in the coating |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0g — none at all. Notable because the carbs are maltitol, not fiber |
The honest read: protein density is maxed out and sugar is genuinely low, but the bar buys those two A+ scores with a 38-ingredient panel, a sugar alcohol that doesn’t agree with everyone, and a dye list. The C- on ingredient quality is the number doing the most work to keep this out of B+ territory.
The maltitol math behind “3g sugar”
The 3g sugar figure is the headline, and it’s earned honestly on the label — but it’s engineered, not incidental. Maltitol appears four times in the panel (the coating’s first ingredient, then maltitol syrup, then maltitol again twice more). Sugar alcohols are listed separately from sugar by FDA rules, so a bar that tastes like frosting can still post a single-digit sugar number. That’s the trick, and it has consequences worth knowing before you buy a six-pack: maltitol carries a higher glycemic load than most sugar alcohols (erythritol is near-zero; maltitol is not), and it’s the sugar alcohol most associated with gas, bloating, and a laxative effect once you go past one serving. For a bar designed to taste like a treat — the kind you might eat two of — that’s the trade-off hiding behind the clean-looking sugar line.
What the sprinkles cost it
Birthday Cake is the flavor that pays a penalty for its own gimmick. The rainbow look comes from sprinkles built on six synthetic dyes — Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 6, and Blue 2 — plus a second hit of icing sugar. These are FDA-approved and present in tiny amounts, but they’re a real ingredient-quality knock, and they’re the reason this flavor grades a full tier below Pure Protein’s own Chocolate Deluxe. The comparison is unusually clean: same brand, same maltitol base, same ~20g protein, but Chocolate Deluxe skips the dyes and lands at B+ (81) versus this bar’s B- (72). If you’re buying Pure Protein for the price and don’t care about the flavor theatrics, the plain chocolate bar is the better-graded sibling.
How it compares
| Product | Protein per bar | Sweetener system | Fiber | Artificial dyes | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Protein Birthday Cake (this product) | 20g (50g bar) | Maltitol + sucralose | 0g | Yes (6) | 200 |
| Pure Protein Chocolate Deluxe | 21g (50g bar) | Maltitol + sucralose | 2g | No | 180 |
| Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | 21g (60g bar) | Erythritol + stevia + sucralose | 14g | No | 200 |
| Premier Protein Chocolate PB | 30g (72g bar) | Sugar + sucralose | 3g | No | 290 |
On protein-per-dollar, Pure Protein holds its own against any of these — that’s the case for buying it. What separates it from the better grades is the supporting cast. Quest delivers the same protein with 14g of fiber and a gentler sweetener blend, the cleanest label of the group. Premier packs 30g but spends 290 calories and 440mg of sodium to get there. Even Pure Protein’s own Chocolate Deluxe edges it out by carrying the same protein at fewer calories (180 vs 200) with no dyes. The pattern is consistent: Pure Protein competes on cost, not formulation, and the Birthday Cake flavor specifically gives back ingredient-quality points for its sprinkles.
Who it’s for
A convenient, dessert-flavored protein hit at the lowest price in the category — best for people who tolerate sugar alcohols well and want 20g of protein without paying Quest money. The 20g is real dairy-isolate protein, the sugar is genuinely low, and one bar is a fine, cheap way to close a daily protein gap. Skip it if your stomach reacts to maltitol, if you’re avoiding synthetic dyes, or if you want fiber in your bar — in any of those cases, Quest is the upgrade and Pure Protein’s own Chocolate Deluxe is the cheaper compromise.
Ingredients
Protein blend (milk protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate), yogurt flavored coating [maltitol, fractionated palm kernel oil, calcium caseinate, milk protein concentrate, nonfat milk, yogurt powder (nonfat milk and lactic acid), soy lecithin, natural flavor], maltitol syrup, hydrolyzed gelatin, glycerine, soy protein crisps (soy protein isolate, tapioca starch, salt), water, soy protein isolate, sprinkles (sugar, cornstarch, confectioner’s glaze, Yellow 5, Red 3, carnauba wax, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), icing sugar (sugar, cornstarch), canola oil (with tocopherols added to protect flavor), natural flavors, maltitol, fractionated palm kernel and palm oil, soy lecithin, salt, sucralose. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2666642.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 bar (50 g)
749826763316Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 bar (50 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 200 |
| Protein | 20g |
| Total Fat | 5g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 18g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0g |
| Total Sugars | 3g |
| Sodium | 160mg |
| Cholesterol | 10mg |
| Calcium | 150mg |
| Iron | 0.72mg |
| Potassium | 80mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Pure Protein Birthday Cake Bar (10.56 oz (300 g) — 6 bars) · UPC 749826763316. 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 Pure Protein Birthday Cake bar?
20g per 50g bar (USDA FDC 2666642) — 40g per 100g, which earns a perfect A+ on density. The protein is a milk-and-whey blend (milk protein isolate, whey concentrate, whey isolate) backed by soy protein isolate and soy crisps. Unlike some budget bars, the dairy isolates are listed first, so the 20g is real muscle-building protein, not padded out by the hydrolyzed gelatin that appears lower on the panel.
Is this the cheapest protein bar per bar?
It's the value pick here. Pure Protein's whole reason for existing is roughly $1–1.50 a bar versus $2–3 for Quest or Barebells, so on raw protein-per-dollar it usually wins. The catch is calorie efficiency: at 200 calories for 20g, it spends 10 calories per gram of protein — looser than its own Chocolate Deluxe (8.6 cal/g) and Quest (9.5 cal/g). It's the cheapest bar, not the leanest.
Why does the Birthday Cake flavor score lower than Chocolate Deluxe?
Same brand, same maltitol base, nearly identical macros — but the Birthday Cake B- (72) sits below Chocolate Deluxe's B+ (81), and the gap is almost entirely the sprinkles. The rainbow sprinkles add six synthetic dyes (Yellow 5, Red 3, Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2) plus extra icing sugar, which drags ingredient quality to a C- where Chocolate Deluxe earns a B-. If you like Pure Protein but want a cleaner label, the plain chocolate bar is the smarter buy.
What is maltitol and why does it matter here?
Maltitol is the sugar alcohol doing most of the sweetening — it's the first ingredient in the coating and shows up three separate times in the panel, plus maltitol syrup. That's how a sweet, frosting-flavored bar shows only 3g of sugar: maltitol is listed apart from sugar on the label. The trade-off is real: maltitol has a meaningful glycemic impact (higher than most sugar alcohols) and a well-earned reputation for gas, bloating, and a laxative effect in quantity. One bar is usually fine; two in a sitting is where people get into trouble.
Does it actually contain added sugar?
Yes — despite the low 3g total. Sprinkles (sugar) and icing sugar (sugar) are both on the ingredient list, so this is a low-sugar bar, not a no-added-sugar bar. The total stays at 3g only because maltitol carries the sweetness instead of sugar. Worth stating plainly because the 3g number can read as 'barely any sugar added,' which isn't quite the truth.
Is it keto-friendly?
Partially. Total carbs are 18g with maltitol making up a large share, and strict keto does NOT fully discount maltitol the way it discounts erythritol, because maltitol raises blood glucose. Counted honestly, one bar is borderline-to-over for a tight keto budget — it fits low-carb eating better than strict ketogenic eating. Fiber is 0g, so there's nothing to subtract.
How does it compare to a Quest bar?
Pure Protein is cheaper and nearly as protein-dense (20g vs Quest's 21g), but Quest wins on everything that drives the grade: 14g of fiber to Pure Protein's zero, an erythritol/stevia/sucralose blend that's gentler on digestion and blood sugar than maltitol, and no artificial dyes. Pure Protein's only edge is price. Budget shoppers will find it fair; anyone prioritizing digestion or a clean label should pay up for Quest.