The 6 Best Vegan Protein Bars of 2023

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Dr. Jennifer Hughes, MD
Medical Reviewer

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With plant-based eating on the rise, the days of eating chalky store-bought vegan protein bars or spending endless time in the kitchen making homemade vegan snacks are behind us.

There are now endless options of vegan protein bars that taste like desserts but contain nutritious, satiating ingredients. 

As opposed to traditional protein bars that contain whey protein or egg whites, vegan protein bars typically get their protein punch from hemp, brown rice, pumpkin seed, or pea protein.

Healthy plant-based protein bars will ideally contain high amounts of fiber and protein, low sugar levels, and a majority of ingredients from whole food sources. 

Check out our list of six of the best vegan protein barsโ€”from our top pick, ALOHA Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, to five others, including the best keto, high-protein, high-fiber, and nut-free options.

Top 6 Vegan Protein Bars

Protein BarKey PointsProtein SourceSugar Cost*
ALOHA Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip10g fiber; USDA Organic and Non-GMO; Gluten-free; No artificial sweeteners or preservatives14g (brown rice and pumpkin seed)5g$32.99 for 12 bars ($2.75 per bar)
Evo Hemp LemonSustainable ingredients; Hemp seeds from small family farms in Colorado; Low sugar12g (hemp and brown rice) 4g$36.99 for 12 bars ($3.08 per bar)
Good! SnacksKeto; 3g net carbs; No sugar; Allulose-sweetened; Gluten- and soy-free10-11g (pea)0g$25.99 for 12 bars ($2.17 per bar)
AMRITANo added sugar; Sweetened with dates; Fruity flavors; High in protein15g (brown rice)9g $29.99 for 12 bars ($2.50 per bar)
R.E.D.D. Mint Chocolate Contains maca, turmeric, functional mushrooms, superfoods, and probiotics; 15g fiber10g (pea, hemp, quinoa, and pumpkin seed)2g$57.99 for 12 bars ($4.83 per bar)
GoMacro Chocolate and Sunflower ButterNut-free; Organic and gluten-free; Higher in sugar 10g (brown rice and flax)11g$31.50 for 12 bars ($2.63 per bar)
*Prices are accurate at time of publication, based on suggested retail price, and subject to change.

Best Overall Vegan Protein Bar: ALOHA Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

ALOHA Vegan Protein Bar
  • Pros
  • Affordable
  • High in fiber and protein
  • Certified USDA Organic and non-GMO
  • Cons
  • Not nut-free (contains peanuts)

Best for: Vegans wanting an affordable, organic, tasty, high-fiber and high-protein snack that tastes like a candy bar. 

With its delicious flavor and top-rated texture, the ALOHA Peanut Butter and Chocolate bar is our top pick for the best overall vegan protein bar. 

This bar has 10g of fiber and 14g of protein to support satiety, with 5g of sugar per bar.

All of their bars are also Certified USDA Organic, non-GMO, soy- and gluten-free, and do not contain artificial sweeteners, dyes, or preservatives.

In addition to the much-loved Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip flavor, ALOHA carries almost a dozen others, including Lemon Cashew, Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Caramel Sea Salt.

Best Hemp Protein Bar: Evo Hemp Lemon

Evo Hemp Lemon
  • Pros
  • Great taste and texture
  • Sustainably sourced ingredients
  • High protein and low sugar
  • Cons
  • More expensive

Best for: Vegans looking for a hemp-based protein bar; people wanting a sustainable and environmentally friendly bar. 

Hemp is a great source of sustainable protein as the plants use very little water and donโ€™t need any fertilizer or pesticides to grow, and the Evo Hemp Lemon bar is one of the best to offer this protein source. 

Made from hemp seeds grown at small family farms in Colorado, Evo Hemp bars provide 12g of proteinโ€”and only 4g of sugarโ€”per bar.

Evo Hemp also utilizes regenerative farming practices to restore soil quality, and all of their products are third-party tested for consistency, quality, purity, and potency.
In addition to their fan-favorite Lemon flavor, Evo Hemp also offers Double Chocolate Brownie, Cookie Dough, Birthday Cake, and more.

Best Keto Vegan Protein Bar: Good! Snacks

good! snacks vegan protein bar
  • Pros
  • Affordable
  • Zero-sugar, keto bar
  • High in protein and healthy fat
  • Cons
  • Allulose can cause digestive problems in some people

Best for: Keto vegans; people wanting a zero-sugar protein bar. 

Although โ€œvegan ketoโ€ sounds like an oxymoron, there are plenty of people out there who follow both a plant-based and low-carb/high-fat dietโ€”and Good! Snacks are the perfect fit. 

With 13g of fat from almond butter and 10-11g of pea protein, these bars provide energy without any potential blood sugar crash. 

The Good! Bars are sweetened with allulose and have zero sugarโ€”but while allulose is considered a safe sugar substitute, some people can have digestive issues after eating it.

Some of the flavors you can enjoy with these bars include Keto Coconut Almond, Keto Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter, and Keto Chocolate Fudge.

Highest Protein Vegan Protein Bar: AMRITA

AMRITA plant-based protein bar
  • Pros
  • High protein
  • No added sugar
  • Unique flavors
  • Cons
  • Higher in total sugar (9g from dates)

Best for: Vegans needing a bar high in protein; people looking for a healthy post-workout snack.

With 15g of protein from brown rice per bar, AMRITA is a great option for people wanting a more satiating protein bar or needing a post-workout snack.

AMRITA has several unique flavors, including Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Maca, Dark Chocolate Quinoa, Mango Coconut, and Pineapple Chia.

All of the AMRITA bars are made from whole-food ingredients, such as dates, brown rice protein, mango, quinoa, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, and chia or flax seeds.

Highest Fiber Vegan Protein Bar: R.E.D.D. Bars

R.E.D.D. Bars
  • Pros
  • 15g of fiber and 10g of protein
  • Low sugar
  • Contains probiotics, adaptogens, superfoods, and functional mushrooms
  • Cons
  • Expensive

Best for: People looking to splurge on a protein bar; vegans looking for a high fiber and low sugar protein bar. 

For those wanting a high-fiber vegan protein bar with low sugar, R.E.D.D. has an excellent selection of nutritious and delicious flavors. 

Each bar contains a beneficial blend of probiotics, adaptogens like maca and turmeric,  superfoods like acai and goji berry, and the functional mushrooms chaga, cordyceps, and reishi.

As their name suggests, R.E.D.D. bars are โ€œRadiant Energy Deliciously Delivered.โ€

With up to 16g of fiber, 10g of protein, 2g of sugar, and tasty flavors like Mint Chocolate and  Oatmeal, R.E.D.D. bars are a great plant-based protein bar choiceโ€”the only downside is their high price point. 

Best Nut-Free Vegan Protein Bar: GoMacro Sunflower Butter and Chocolate

GoMacro Sunflower Butter and Chocolate
  • Pros
  • 100% nut-free
  • Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and Certified Gluten-Free
  • Low-FODMAP
  • Cons
  • Higher in sugar (11g)

Best for: Vegans with nut allergies; people on a low-FODMAP diet. 

Whereas many vegan protein bars utilize nuts to increase their protein and fat content,  GoMacro Sunflower Butter and Chocolate instead uses sunflower seed butter, brown rice protein, and flax.

Although many of GoMacroโ€™s other flavors do contain nuts, they have two other nut-free flavors that use sunflower seed butter, including the Maple Sea Salt and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Plus, this GoMacro flavor is FODMAP-friendly, allowing people on low-FODMAP diets to enjoy this bar.

However, GoMacroโ€™s bars are higher on the sugar side, with an average of 11g of sugar per bar from organic brown rice syrup and organic coconut sugar. 

FAQs About Vegan Protein Bars

What Is the Best Vegan Meal Replacement Bar?

With an average of 200 calories per bar, vegan protein bars should typically be considered a snack rather than a meal replacement. 

However, many vegan protein bars are higher in protein and fiber, which would make them more suitable for replacing a small meal. 

Examples of high-protein and high-fiber vegan protein bars include AMRITA, R.E.D.D., and ALOHA bars.

Are Vegan Bars Healthy?

Like all protein bars, vegan protein bars can be healthy or unhealthy.

Healthy vegan protein bars will contain lower amounts of sugar (ideally less than 6-8g per bar from natural sources), good amounts of fiber and protein, and minimally processed ingredients. 

Unhealthy vegan protein bars may include artificial sweeteners or preservatives, high amounts of sugar, or too-low amounts of fiber and protein to be satiating. 

Are CLIF Protein Bars Vegan?

Most CLIF bars are vegan. 

However, some CLIF products are not vegan, including: 
โ— CLIF Whey Protein
โ— LUNA Protein
โ— Zbar Protein
โ— CLIF Recovery Protein Drink Mix

Are Larabars Vegan?

Yes, all Larabars are vegan, including the Original Fruit and Nut Bars, Protein Bars, and Fruits and Greens bars.

Which ONE Bars Are Vegan?

The original ONE protein bars are not vegan as they primarily contain milk protein.

However, they now have a new line of plant-based protein bars called ONE PLANT that are vegan-friendly.

Key Takeaways

  • There are plenty of healthy vegan protein bars on the market, which ideally contain high amounts of fiber and protein with low sugar content. 
  • Healthy vegan protein bars include ALOHA, Evo Hemp, Good! Snacks, AMRITA, R.E.D.D., and GoMacro.


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