Taste Test: Which Quest Bar Flavors Are the Best?

Quest protein bars are superstars in the fitness world. With 20 grams of protein per bar and huge selection of flavors, it’s no surprise. Quest Nutrition has managed to keep up with the fitness world’s changing desires and keeps inventing new protein bar flavors. Each flavor, however, still contains the same general nutrition profile.

If you’ve been thinking of buying Quest bars, but don’t know which Quest bar flavors are the best, keep reading to get an overview of all the flavors together with some insights to the best Quest bar flavor.

Which Quest Bar Flavors Are Available?

Quest Nutrition tries to keep fans on their toes with a variety of different protein bar flavors. Today, there are 17 different Quest Far flavors available, some of which are highly unique.

Here’s a quick list of all the Quest bar flavors you can currently try:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip
• Pumpkin Pie
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Double Chocolate Chunk
• White Chocolate Raspberry
• Lemon Cake
• Cookies & Cream
• S’Mores
• Blueberry Muffin
• Dipped Cookies & Cream
• Chocolate Brownie
• Mint Chocolate Chunk
• Caramel Chocolate Chunk
• Birthday Cake
• Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Chocolate Sprinkled Doughnut

And what’s more, some of these Quest protein bar flavors are available in mini-size of just 23 grams, each mini bar packing around 8 grams of protein and 80 calories.

In addition to these traditional Quest protein bars, the company has a whole another product line called Hero Bars. Hero protein bars are a little different: though these still pack a good amount of protein (15-18 grams per bar), their texture is crispier and chewier.

There are 5 Hero protein bar flavors available:

• Blueberry Cobbler
• Chocolate Caramel Pecan
• Chocolate Coconut
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• Cookies & Cream

As you see, there are more flavor varieties in their traditional mix (and many fun flavors that wouldn’t even cross your mind).

If you’d like to try all the flavors more easily, there’s a special Quest Nutrition Ultimate Variety Pack available on Amazon, containing 10 different Quest bar flavors.

Taste Test: Which Quest Bar Flavors Are the Best?

Our team at Wellness Patron tried three classic Quest bar flavors that come the closest to your good-old protein bars: Chocolate Brownie, Blueberry Muffin, and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

While we expected the textures and flavors of Quest bars to be rather similar (as that tends to be the case for many brands, including Barebell whose protein bars are almost identical in taste), we were surprised to find huge differences even between the Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate Peanut Butter flavors.

Each flavor has a distinctly different taste and texture, which means there’s a suitable flavor variety for each taste, no matter your preference.

#1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Out of the three tested, the best Quest bar flavor turned out to be the peanut butter variety.

Thanks to real peanuts, these protein bars have a nice crunchy texture. Combined with the chewyness, hint of chocolate and a strong peanut butter flavor, these actually resemble a Snickers bar. Why not grab one of these protein bars instead of a Snickers next time you crave something sweet?

What really made this flavor come out on top is the lack of any sweetener taste: the chocolate and peanut butter take the lead and there’s not even any aftertaste.

#2 Chocolate Brownie Protein Bars

Chocolate or brownie flavors are the most common protein bar flavors with almost every brand offering at least one variety.

Quest Nutrition’s Chocolate Brownie bars did, in fact, resemble a brownie, but only slightly. The sticky and chewy texture makes it more toffee-like and due to the sweetener, there’s a hint of liquorice. If toffee and liquorice sound like your cup of tea, then this flavor may be the best.

Since there aren’t any nuts or crunchy bits, this flavor may be the best for those who prefer a softer protein bar. However, compared to some other protein bar brands, it’s still a bit tougher to chew – it’s not exactly a “soft” protein bar.

#3 Blueberry Muffin Protein Bars

A protein bar that tastes like a blueberry muffin? Sign us up!

Unfortunately, our team’s taste buds didn’t quite catch the muffin vibe, so this flavor variety definitely doesn’t get the reward for being the best Quest bar flavor. The texture, though, was nice – small cookie-like chunks are wonderful surprises that amp up the whole experience.

While these protein bars get high grades for their texture, we can’t say the same for its flavor. The erythritol taste is more than noticeable: it even leaves an aftertaste. In fact, you can feel the sweetener by just taking the bar out of the wrapper and smelling it. This strong erythritol taste may not be up to everyone’s preference.

We also couldn’t quite distinguish any blueberry flavor. Even as a blind taste test, you may not catch any blueberries in this one.

Best Quest Bar Flavors According to Reviews

Quest protein bars, in general, are phenomenally popular – there are over 59,000 reviews on Amazon, with an average of 4.3. Plus, Quest bars are classified as the #1 best sellers in the protein bar category.

But if we’d have to pick the best flavor of Quest bar, which one deserves the top position according to online reviews?

Now, flavors are always a matter of personal preference: some prefer peanuts, some prefer chocolate, and some like a funkier taste. If you have any doubts, you may want to try the variety pack mentioned above to get a well-rounded experience and figure out which flavors work the best for you.

However, here are the five best Quest bar flavors generally highlighted by many fans online.

#1 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars

“Decadent and indulgent, making it feel like you’re enjoying a dessert rather than a protein bar.” That’s how one Amazon reviewer described the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor.

Most online reviews agree that the best Quest bar flavor is, by far, the Cookie Dough variety, which really knocks it out of the park. If you enjoy cookie dough, this flavor will likely be your cup of tea.

There are tens of people saying how the Cookie Dough version is their favorite, even after regular consumption over long periods of time. Cookie dough fans: this protein bar may become your newest obsession!

#2 S’mores Protein Bar

The S’mores variety turns out to be good not just in theory. There are raving reviews calling the S’mores flavor “transcendent”. One reviewer even said this bar may be the best Quest bar flavor in general.

The bar combines gram crackers, little marshmallow squares, and chunks of chocolate – what’s not to love?

Pro tip: many reviewers recommend microwaving the S’mores protein bar for 10-15 seconds (without the wrapper), so it would turn gooey – just like an actual S’mores!

#3 Birthday Cake Protein Bars

Though many Quest bar flavors tend to have the sweetener’s aftertaste, several reviewers say the Birthday Cake variety is nice and sweet without any aftertaste. One reviewer claims the bar really nails the ‘birthday cake’ flavor and has a great coating that adds a little creaminess.

“Before I had ever tried it, I thought about how Quest could make a protein bar with a white birthday cake flavor. Then, I tried it and thought, “Wow! They really did it,” said one online review. Of course, the texture won’t resemble anything of a cake, but the taste is supposedly all there.

Now, be aware that Quest changed its Birthday Cake formula at some points, and several reviewers have pointed out that this new formula isn’t quite the same. Birthday Cake flavor, thus, may be a hit or miss, depending on your preference.

#4 Cookies & Cream Protein Bars

What could be better than biting into a chewy cookie? The Cookies & Cream Quest bar is said to taste exactly like you would imagine, with some reviews calling the flavor an “absolute heaven”.

Some people have consumed these protein bars for years, and many say these don’t taste like your regular protein bars. Little cookie pieces and the regular chewiness of Quest bars: that’s the magic formula that makes these ones of the best Quest bar flavors.

#5 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Protein Bar

Oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips – these are universally loved by everyone, so no wonder why these Quest bars are so popular. Like the S’mores flavor, many people microwave the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip protein bar for a few seconds to make it warm and chewy. Thanks to that, the result really does resemble an actual oatmeal cookie.

Most fans of these protein bars have especially highlighted the nice crunchiness of oats, but they still have the regular chewiness that Quest bars are known for. If you like oatmeal cookies or oats, in general, these protein bars are your go-to choice.

Final Verdict: Do Quest Bars Taste Good?

It should be noted that protein bars are not meant to be meal replacements but rather small nutrient-packed snacks you can enjoy every now and then to vamp up your protein intake.

Or if you crave something sweet, a Quest bar may be a better option due to its high protein content. What’s more, the protein in Quest bars is highly bioavailable and contains all the necessary amino acids.

But it should still be noted that Quest protein bars are heavily processed, and some Quest bar ingredients may not be the best for your general health. While research is still debating, there are some doubts about the safety of artificial sweeteners such as erythritol.

Taste-wise, Quest bars can be a hit or miss and largely depend on your taste preference. Hundreds of people online claim Quest bars to be the best-tasting protein bars, whereas others say they find these bars downright disgusting, especially due to some flavor varieties having a strong aftertaste.

If you’d like to give some of the Quest bar flavors a try, trying the variety pack may be a good option, so you’d get a first-hand experience with all of the popular Quest bar versions. Just remember that protein bars don’t replace an entire meal, and these should still be treated as any other sweet treat or dessert.