Quest vs Barebells Protein Bars
Quest and Barebells both promise around 20g of protein with barely any sugar, and the label tells you where they part ways. Quest carries far more fiber and sweetens mainly with erythritol, which is why it reads as the more filling, more clinical bar. Barebells is the taste benchmark, but the softer texture comes with trade offs on the label: maltitol as the bulk sweetener, less fiber, and collagen padding out the protein blend in most flavours. Every number below is transcribed from the manufacturer’s nutrition label and verified by hand, then compared across every flavour we have checked.
The numbers, side by side
Values are shown as the range across every flavour we have verified (11 Quest Bar flavours, 18 Barebells Protein Bar flavours). Winner is decided on the median flavour.
| Per bar | Quest Bar | Barebells Protein Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Protein per bar | 20–21g | 20g |
| Calories per bar | 170–190 kcalWinner | 200–220 kcal |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 11.1–11.8gWinner | 9.1–10g |
| Sugar per bar | 0.5–2g | 1–2g |
| Fiber per bar | 12–15gWinner | 2–4g |
| Fat per bar | 6–9gWinner | 6–9g |
| Bar size | 60g | 55g |
| Sugar alcohols | Erythritol | Maltitol |
| Other sweeteners | Sucralose, Stevia | Sucralose |
| Protein sources | Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Caseinate | Caseinate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Collagen |
Ingredients worth noting
Quest Bar
- Erythritol: A sugar alcohol that is close to zero calorie, does not raise blood glucose, and is better tolerated digestively than most polyols.
- Palm Oil: Palm oil is pressed from the fruit of the oil palm; palm kernel oil comes from the seed inside that same fruit.
Barebells Protein Bar
- Glycerin: Chemically a sugar alcohol, used to keep bars soft and moist rather than to sweeten.
- Maltitol: A sugar alcohol that does raise blood glucose, with a glycaemic index around 35 where most polyols are near zero.
- Seed Oils: Refined oils high in omega-6 linoleic acid.
- Artificial Colours: Synthetic dyes.
Where they rank
Quest Bar
- #2 of 6 in Best Protein Bars for GLP-1 Users
- #2 of 6 in Best Protein Bars for Ozempic Users
- #2 of 6 in Best Protein Bars for Mounjaro & Zepbound Users
- #2 of 10 in Protein Bars Without Sugar Alcohols
- #3 of 10 in High Fiber Protein Bars
- #3 of 10 in Low Sugar Protein Bars
- #3 of 10 in Protein Bars Without Maltitol
- #3 of 10 in Protein Bars Without Seed Oils
- #4 of 10 in Best Protein Bars
- #4 of 42 in Highest Protein Bars Per Calorie
Barebells Protein Bar
- #8 of 42 in Highest Protein Bars Per Calorie
- #8 of 10 in Protein Bars Without Seed Oils
- #9 of 10 in Best Protein Bars
- #9 of 10 in Low Sugar Protein Bars
Frequently asked questions
- Which has more protein per calorie, Quest Bar or Barebells Protein Bar?
- Quest Bar, with 11.1g of protein per 100 calories against 9.5g for Barebells Protein Bar (median across all verified flavours).
- Which has more fiber, Quest Bar or Barebells Protein Bar?
- Quest Bar, with 12–15g of fiber per bar against 2–4g for Barebells Protein Bar.
- Do Quest Bar and Barebells Protein Bar contain sugar alcohols?
- Quest Bar: Erythritol. Barebells Protein Bar: Maltitol. This comes from the verbatim ingredient list of every flavour we have verified.
Every Quest Bar flavour we have verified
Birthday Cake20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Blueberry Muffin20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Chocolate Brownie20g protein · 170 kcal · 11.8g / 100 kcal
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough21g protein · 190 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Cookies & Cream21g protein · 190 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Double Chocolate Chunk20g protein · 170 kcal · 11.8g / 100 kcal
Lemon Cake20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Mint Chocolate Chunk20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
S'mores21g protein · 190 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcal
White Chocolate Raspberry20g protein · 180 kcal · 11.1g / 100 kcalEvery Barebells Protein Bar flavour we have verified
Banana Bread20g protein · 220 kcal · 9.1g / 100 kcal
Birthday Cake20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Brownie Batter20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Caramel Cashew20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Chocolate Dough20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Coco Caramel Almond20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Cookies & Caramel20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Cookies & Cream20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Creamy Crisp20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Key Lime Pie20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Lemon Cheesecake20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Mint Chocolate Crisp20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Orange Creamsicle20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Peanut Butter20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcal
Peanut Butter & Jelly20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Salty Peanut20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
White Chocolate Almond20g protein · 200 kcal · 10g / 100 kcal
Wild Cherry20g protein · 210 kcal · 9.5g / 100 kcalAll numbers on this page are transcribed from each manufacturer’s published nutrition label and verified by hand, then compared across every flavour in our database. If you are tracking a daily protein target, the Protein Pal app lets you scan either bar and log it in seconds. See everything from Quest Bar and Barebells Protein Bar, or browse all rankings and brands.
