When’s the last time you got to enjoy a tasty, chewy granola bar?
Keto protein bars are nothing new, but making a low-carb granola bar that’s keto-friendly can be a challenging pursuit. Luckily, a handful of companies were up to the task and created flavorful bars that will take you back to your youth while keeping you in ketosis.
In this article, we’ll highlight the top 6 keto-friendly granola bars on the market today.
Top 6 Keto-Friendly Granola Bars
1. Perfect Keto Granola Bars (nola bars)
Perfect Keto Granola Bars are a top pick for a number of reasons.
First off, they’re dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free, which means they work not only for keto dieters but also fit into a vegan or paleo lifestyle.
Second, they’re made with zero added sugar. In fact, they’re entirely sugar-free. This is a big one as many granola bars (even the low-carb versions) have at least some sugar added. Instead, the Perfect Keto bar uses a combination of monk fruit and stevia to create a perfectly sweet profile.
Third, only the highest quality ingredients were selected when formulating the Perfect Keto bar, with the addition of medium-chain triglycerides to support ketogenesis. In addition, the only preservative used is vitamin E, from mixed tocopherols.
And finally, with only three net carbs, you can enjoy these bars as a snack any time of the day without concern that you’ll kick yourself out of ketosis.
Macros:
Example Bar: Peanut Butter Bar
Calories: 140kcal
Fat: 12 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 12 grams
Dietary Fiber: 5 grams
Allulose: 4 grams
Net Carbs: 3 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Ingredients:
Peanuts, Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Allulose, Medium Chain Triglycerides Oil (From Coconut), Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Stevia Extract [REB A], Monk Fruit Extract, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E to preserve freshness).
Perfect Keto Nola bars come in two flavors, Peanut Butter or Coconut Chocolate Chip.
2. Munk Pack Bar
Munk Pack offers certified gluten-free keto-friendly bars that are 100% plant-based. They have a great set of ingredients, and the macros fit perfectly into a keto diet with only two grams of net carbs.
The only downfall of Munk Pack bars is the inclusion of vegetable glycerine. Vegetable glycerine is a GRAS-certified ingredient, so it’s regarded as safe by the FDA, but from a keto perspective, there is debate as to whether or not it may convert to glucose in your body[*].
Although these bars only include a small amount of vegetable glycerine, it’s a good idea to veer on the side of caution if you are easily kicked out of ketosis and start slow.
Macros:
Example Bar: Almond Butter Cocoa Chip Bar
Calories: 140kcal
Fat: 12 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 12 grams
Dietary Fiber: 4 grams
Allulose: 5.5 grams
Glycerine: 0.5 grams
Net Carbs: 2 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Ingredients:
Almonds, Allulose, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seeds, Coconut, Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Flaxseeds, Vegetable Glycerine, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E), Monk Fruit Extract
Munk Pack granola bars come in a variety of flavors, including: Coconut Almond Dark Chocolate, Honey Nut, Caramel Sea Salt, Blueberry Almond Vanilla, and Macadamia White Chocolate.
3. Ratio Keto-Friendly Bar
Ratio bars are keto-friendly, with only two grams of net carbs and no added sugars. These bars are a little more substantial than most other granola bars, with 220 calories per bar along with 17 grams of fat, and 12 grams of protein.
If you’re looking for a bar that will hold you over for a while, this bar will likely do the trick. The downside, however, is that Ratio Bars include soy protein isolate and chicory root. Soy protein is a common allergen, and some people choose to avoid it as there is conflicting research concerning its impact on hormonal health[*].
Most people tolerate chicory root just fine, but there are some people that have a hard time digesting this ingredient. If you tend to have any digestive issues, best to steer clear of chicory.
Macros:
Example Bar: Toasted Almond Crunchy Bar
Calories: 220 kcal
Fat: 17 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Dietary Fiber: 3 grams
Sugar alcohol: 4 grams
Net Carbs: 2 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Ingredients:
Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Soy protein Isolate, Coconut Oil, Erythritol, Whey protein Isolate, Chicory Root Extract, Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract, Natural Flavor, Almond Extract.
Ratio Bars come in two flavors, Toasted Almond Crunchy Bar and Lemon Almond Crunchy Bar.
4. Love Good Fats Chewy Nutty Bars
The whole story behind Love Good Fats is that they’ve found a way to pack healthy fats into traditional snacks — like granola bars.
These chewy, nutty bars are a fresh take on their traditional bars, with only four net carbs and eight grams of protein.
The downside to these bars are just a few questionable ingredients. The brown rice protein takes them out of the running for our paleo friends, and the glycerine presents the potential to convert into glucose. These bars also include chicory, which is only an issue if you have digestive problems.
Macros:
Example Bar: Chewy Nutty Peanut Chocolatey Bar
Calories: 180 kcal
Fat: 13 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Dietary Fiber: 11 grams
Net Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Love Good Fats Chewy Nutty Bars come in three flavors; Chewy Nutty Peanut Chocolatey, Chewy Nutty Dark Chocolatey Sea Salt & Almond, and Chewy Nutty Salted Caramel.
Ingredients:
Fats Blend (peanuts, peanut oil, coconut oil, medium-chain triglycerides), Tapioca Fiber, Dark Chocolate Flavored Coating (chicory root fiber, palm kernel and palm oil, brown rice protein, cocoa processed with alkali, sunflower lecithin, salt, stevia leaf extract), Glycerin, Peanut Flour, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Sunflower Tocopherol, Sunflower Lecithin.
5. Hungry Buddha Keto Bars
Hungry Buddha Keto Bars are Keto Certified, plant-based, and soy-free. They offer a great option for plant-based or keto folks and still contain nine grams of protein. Much like the Perfect Keto Granola bars, Hungry Buddha includes some MCTs to assist in ketone production as well.
The downside to Hungry Buddha is that they contain rice and peas, which means they aren’t paleo-friendly. They also contain a small amount of cane sugar and chicory root, which may not be a complete deal-breaker, but it’s not ideal.
Macros:
Example Bar: Hungry Buddha Bar – Chocolate Chip
Calories: 170 kcal
Fat: 11 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 16 grams
Dietary Fiber: 11 grams
Net Carbs: 5 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Ingredients:
Sunflower seed butter, Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Chicory Root Fiber, Pea Protein Isolate, Sunflower Seeds, Pea Protein Crisps (pea protein, brown rice flour), Semi-sweet chocolate (cane sugar, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), Water, Cocoa Butter, Brown Flaxseeds, Medium Chain Triglyceride Coconut Oil (coconut oil, acacia fiber), Coconut Oil, Natural Flavors, Agar, Monk Fruit Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt.
Hungry Buddha Keto bars come in three flavors, including Chocolate Chip, Coconut Cocoa, and Espresso Brownie.
6. Quest Keto Snack Bar
Quest Snack Bars resemble a KIND bar, minus the maple syrup and honey. They’re certified gluten-free, high protein, and they net out to four net carbs. In addition, Quest Bars are the most affordable of the bars on this list, at only $1.75 per bar.
Unfortunately, the ingredient list isn’t quite as clean as the other bars on this list. In addition to glycerine (a potential source of glucose), Quest also contains soluble corn fiber, which is questionable due to its potential to contain GMOs, and sodium caseinate, which is a known allergen for some people and has been linked to inflammation[*].
Macros:
Example Bar: Cranberry Trail Mix Bar
Calories: 210 kcal
Fat: 15 grams
Total Carbohydrates: 14 grams
Dietary Fiber: 7 grams
Sugar alcohol: 3 grams
Net Carbs: 4 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Ingredients:
Almonds, Peanuts, Soluble Corn Fiber, Pistachios, Whey Protein Isolate, Palm Kernel Oil, Erythritol, Glycerin, Milk Protein Isolate, Sodium Caseinate, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, contains less than 2% of the following: Water, Natural Flavors, Sea Salt, Stevia Sweetener, Sunflower Lecithin.
Quest bars come in four flavors; Cranberry Trail Mix, Peanut Chocolate Crunch, Chocolate Mixed Nuts, Sea Salt Caramel Almond.
Takeaway
Following a low-carb diet may mean that you have to plan ahead every now and then. That’s where snacks like high-fat sugar-free granola bars come in handy.
You can use your keto granola bar to replace breakfast bars as a healthy keto snack or as a part of a small meal when you don’t have any prep time. Just throw a bar in your purse, backpack, or lunch box, and you’re good to go.