Firstly, wow. We made it. It’s 2021 and we’re in the middle of Resolution season. Like many of you, I always ramp up my fitness routine pretty aggressively in January, and with increased workouts comes an increased need for protein. Can you eat sufficient protein from whole foods sources? Absolutely, but sometimes you just want a quick hit of protein on the go or without having to actually make anything.

If you would rather make your own, I have a ton of vegan keto homemade protein bar recipes here on this blog, but I don’t always have the time, ingredients or desire to make my own. I also like to keep shelf-stable bars in my backpack and car in case hunger strikes when I’m out and about, and it’s so much easier to just toss a box of any of these in my car and forget about them until I actually need them!

So, this list is pretty short, and that’s mostly because there just isn’t a lot out there for vegan ketoers in terms of protein bars that taste good, have good ingredients and have decent macros. This is also a work in progress, because I’m always trying out new things! So, I’ll be sure to add new bars that I like as I find them.

Hungry Buddha Keto Bars

What I love: I think these bars have to be my absolute favorite right now. They’re super tasty, made with great ingredients, and not too sweet. I really do not like overly-sweet things. I don’t have a favorite of the three flavors they offer. They’re just all delicious. The bars offer up 9g of protein and 4g of net carbs each. They’re also gluten-free, peanut- and nut-free, and contain zero palm oils or sugar alcohols. I just truly love them.

What I don’t love: With these bars? Nothing. They’re a little spendy, but so are all protein bars, and with the quality of the ingredients list, I kind of expect it. Like I mentioned before, these bars are very lightly sweetened, which I like, but I know is not for everyone.

Keto Brick

What I love: Okay, so this isn’t strictly a protein bar, but Keto Bricks function in the same capacity. These definitely have the best macros of any bar I’ve found. They also taste delicious and most flavors are totally vegan. The bars themselves are HUGE (1,000 calories each), so I usually eat them over 4-5 sittings, although, I have been known to eat a whole one on a full day hike in the mountains! Almost every flavor is vegan (with the exception of the malt flavor!), which is also really nice.

What I don’t love: I know that the fact that they’re huge is kind of the whole concept, but I’d love if they were easily broken down into smaller bits. Definitely not a deal breaker, though. Also, the cost can trigger some sticker shock, but keep in mind that each one of these bars is the equivalent of 4-6 “regular” protein bars!

Raw Rev Glo Bars

What I love: Raw Rev Glo bars are soft, chewy and delicious with great ingredients. I think of all the types of bars I’ve tried, these are definitely the best-tasting. I actually started eating these long before starting to eat a ketogenic/low carb diet and was happy to be able to squeeze them into my macros from time to time. They also come in a bunch of different flavors, like chocolate peanut butter, mint chocolate, birthday cake, mocha and more!

What I don’t love: So, these bars are not strictly keto, and as a result, they contain about 6g of net carbs each, so these are nice for a post-workout snack or higher carb (“medium carb,” as I like to say) days. They are also really tasty, and at times I can find it to be challenging to limit myself.