It can be a little daunting when you walk by the granola bar section in the grocery store. Not only are there several brands to choose from, but once you’ve picked a brand there are often seemingly infinite different flavor options.
Our Spoon chapter had the pleasure of hosting the University of Virginia KIND Rep at our last general body meeting. She brought 30 different flavors of their traditional style KIND bar for us to sample.
We tasted a wide variety of bars containing a range of flavor combinations from sweet to savory, and everything in between. Then, we did a quick evaluation of each bar that we tasted
We ranked each bar on a scale of 1 to 5, taking into account flavor, texture, sweetness versus savoriness, and whether we would buy them again. While all of KIND’s bars are a healthy snack, we preferred the “Nuts and Spices” collection, which boasts only 5 grams of sugar or less.
Here’s what we found, along with some of the highlights from individual Spoon members.
Fruit and Nut Bars
1. Almond Coconut Cashew Chai: 4/5
We decided that this tasted like a sweet chai latte cookie with chunks of decadent cashew. Definitely would buy again for a healthy treat.
2. Apple Cinnamon Pecan: 3/5
Tasted like home with “nostalgic apple pie flavor.” We loved the cinnamon spice that lit up this nutty bar. The distinct flavor won high marks among tasters, but we prefer it as a seasonal snack.
3. Almond & Apricot: 3/5
Sweetened with honey and crunchy. A simply satisfying bar, but it was missing a little something…
4. Almonds & Apricots in Yogurt: 5/5
We loved the addition of a creamy yogurt drizzle on this classic KIND bar. Hints of honey and coconut complement the tart apricot flavor. The texture was well-balanced with crunch and soft fruit.
5. Almond & Coconut: 4/5
Coconut lovers rejoice, this bar is for you. Light and flaky coconut flakes plus pure almond chunks equals a bar we would keep as a staple snack any day of the year.
6. Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew: 5/5
Bonus points for tasting just like our favorite blueberry muffin. Extra bonus points for the vanilla sweetness. We ate up the entire bar, which has a nice chewy texture and pops of fresh blueberry flavor.
7. Raspberry Cashew & Chia
“Delicious!” This bar’s fruity raspberry flavor was not too sweet, filled with crunchy cashews, almonds, and fiber-rich chia.
8. Peanut Butter & Strawberry: 5/5
This bar was a crowd pleaser, getting some of the highest rankings. “Just like peanut butter and jelly.” The PB&J taste is on point, but this is a difficult bar to find in stores. “So good!”
Plus+ Bars
9. Almond Cashew with Flax + Omega 3: 4/5
The healthy serving of flax seeds and Omega-3 fatty acids had us feeling extra heathy with this nut-packed crunchy bar. The vanilla spices smell great and taste even better.
10. Almond Walnut Macadamia with Peanuts: 4/5
Peanuts, almonds, macadamias, walnuts, cashews, brazil nuts… wow! We loved the nutty density of this crunchy bar, but the honey coating was a bit on the sweet side. Packed with 10 grams of protein, this snack will definitely sustain you through a busy afternoon.
11. Blueberry Pecan + Fiber: 3/5
KIND cannot go wrong with blueberry bars. The sweetness of the fresh blueberries complemented the pecan crunch. This bar tasted like sweet vanilla energy, but we preferred the nut content of the Blueberry Vanilla and Cashew bar.
12. Cranberry Almond + Antioxidants with Macadamia Nuts: 4/5
This bar also filled us with some holiday spirit. Tart cranberries and sweet honey combined with the soft crunch of the macadamia nuts to create a pleasing texture. The antioxidant dose from Vitamins A, C, and E is something we can snack happy about.
13. Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants: 4/5
Sweet cherry and chocolate make this bar taste more like a dessert than a snack, but we loved the flavor. Bonus vitamins and antioxidant nutrients leave us satisfied.
14. Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio + Antioxidants: 5/5
Delicious savory taste for this antioxidant-packed bar. We were excited to try a KIND bar with pistachios and pomegranates. “My new favorite nutrition bar!”
15. Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate: 5/5
Decadent and rich, this sweet bar still has a hearty crunch from nutrient-providing nuts. Replace your candy bar craving with this melt-in-your-mouth protein-packed snack
Nuts & Spices
16. Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Nut: 5/5
The salted caramel trend is well-executed by KIND. These chocolatey-sweet and nutty-salty bars are so decadent that it’s hard to believe they only have 5 grams of sugar.
17. Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt: 4/5
“My go-to KIND bar.” These bars combine all we love from KIND: simple chocolate, almonds, peanuts, and walnuts. Zesty sea salt balances out the sweet flavor. And these bars are less chewy than most.
18. Madagascar Vanilla: 2/5
Nuts on nuts! This bar had all of our favorite crunchy bits: almonds, walnuts, cashews, and peanuts. The rich vanilla flavor was tasty, but a bit basic compared to the other exciting KIND varieties.
19. Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan: 3/5
Tastes like pecan pie! The cinnamon spice elevates these nutty-chocolate bars to the next level. We loved the pecan-heavy nut blend and how crunchy the healthy bars are.
20. Caramel Almond & Sea Salt: 4/5
Sea salt caramel cravings satisfied with a healthy bar under 5 grams of sugar? Is it too good to be true? The sweet caramel drizzle complements the savory nut bar for a perfect balance of flavor. Another favorite!
21. Dark Chocolate Almond Mint: 5/5
Mint chocolatey chip goodness in the form of a nutrition bar. This snack tastes like a healthy spin on Thin Mints. Flavored with real peppermint leaves and natural Madagascar vanilla, and under 5 grams of sugar, we could eat this decadent bar on the daily.
22. Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond: 5/5
This energizing and low-sugar bar tastes just like your indulgent Starbucks order. Made with real dark roast coffee and whole almonds, this bar is a superb afternoon pick me up. The sweet dark chocolate drizzle and coffee flavors have us addicted. “Tastes like a real mocha!”
23. Black Truffle Almond & Sea Salt: 1/5
Nope. To this savory bar we said “do less.” The truffle tastes like it should be a gourmet mac and cheese topping, not a protein bar. Too salty and too complex a flavor for us to buy again.
24. Honey Roasted Nuts & Sea Salt: 3/5
A perfect combo of sweet and salty. This bar was reminiscent of those airplane peanuts you ate as a little kid. We liked the crunchy whole roasted almonds, peanuts, and cashews rolled in honey goodness.
25. Dark Chocolate Chili Almond: 4/5
The hint of chili spice on this decadent chocolate almond bar hit the spot. We much preferred the spiced chocolate to an overly sweet KIND bar. “Surprisingly delicious flavor, yum!”
26. Cashew & Ginger Spice: 5/5
The zesty ginger flavor was a fun and fresh twist on our classic favorite KIND bars. Not too sweet and just chewy enough. This bar was an unexpected favorite for ginger lovers but we wouldn’t recommend this bold flavor to an anti-ginger palate.
27. Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt: 4/5
A prime balance of sweet and salty, this bar is the perfect dessert -like snack for someone who doesn’t like chocolate on their KIND bars. The maple glaze is distinctively sweet and tasters preferred it to KIND’s typical honey glaze.
We found that there truly is a flavor of KIND bar for everyone. The brand works hard to satisfy diverse health and flavor preferences while maintaining a social enterprise business model. Take our advice and bring healthy KINDness to work, school and play—every day. Try a new flavor if you’re feeling bold.