I reached out to Bearded Brothers after hearing about their raw, vegan, gluten/soy free energy bars and I am so thankful that they were able to send some for me to try out! I also found out that their bars are organic and made in small-batches, and even the wrappers are compostable which makes them perfect to enjoy on-the-go!

The Bodacious Blueberry Vanilla has a sweet but light, natural blueberry taste with just a hint of vanilla. These also have dates but luckily they didn’t have too strong of a flavor either. The only raw bar that I have had besides this one that was blueberry-flavored was a Larabar and to be honest I really didn’t care for it. These Bearded Brothers bars have a much better balance of flavors, and due to their added brown rice protein, chia seeds, and almonds they actually keep you full for a decent amount of time.

Next, I chose the Fabulous Ginger Peach made with almonds, walnuts, dates, peaches, ginger, chia seeds, and sea salt. The bar did have a fabulous flavor with fresh ginger, sweet peach and a slightly nutty taste. I loved the fact that the ginger wasn’t too overpowering, because while I love ginger, I think it should still allow for the other flavors to come through. This seemed to have really unique flavor combos that you don’t typically find in a vegan energy bar. I think this would be a great option to have if you’re not feeling too well but you’re in need of some added nutrients in the form of an easy snack.

Speaking of unique flavors, this Mighty Maca Chocolate got me really excited. If you know me, you’d know that I LOVE chocolate and maca together in smoothies and desserts for the chocolate-malt flavor. While this wasn’t quite a candy bar, its cocoa and maca flavor are just apparent enough that they don’t take over the flavor of the other ingredients. This bar also has cinnamon, cashews, cacao nibs, and coconut palm nectar in addition to the other base ingredients that are found in most of the other bars. I love the fact that this wasn’t too chocolately also because 1) I can be very sensitive to too much cocoa and 2) it doesn’t melt in the package like a chocolate-coated bar would. Oh and 3) it’s much healthier that way!

The name of this Radical Raspberry Lemon bar speaks for itself. This one’s a little different with ingredients including sun butter (one of my favorite non-nut butters), figs, raspberries and lemon. I also found that this bar was a lot softer than the others, probably because there weren’t any nuts here. This is also a very allergen-friendly bar because of that! The texture reminded me of the filling of a fig newton, yet it wasn’t overly sweet and the raspberries and lemon extract really came out. If you’re looking for a lower-calorie option among these bars, this is a fantastic option! 

Another bar that is lower in fat and calories is the Outrageous Orange Kale. This bar is also nut-free, and made with hemp and chia seeds, figs, dates, and dried beets. This is one of the first bars I have tried with dried kale or beets, but I could hardly even taste them! The orange extract is a nice touch, and I got just the right amount of flavor from it. Did I say the Radical Raspberry Lemon bar tasted like a fig newton? This one tasted even more like the infamous cookie’s filling. It was wonderfully soft and chewy. Don’t be turned away by the name of this bar, it’s actually one of my favorites!

Lastly, the Colossal Coconut Mango bar with dried mango, almonds, dates, chia seeds and shredded coconut. Personally, I love the tropical feeling of eating coconut and mango together and this did not disappoint! The dried mango added a nice sweetness and I loved the fact that I got a good taste of the coconut as well. For a bar with so few ingredients, this one still tastes like a sweet coconutty, fruity treat!

Have you tried any of these bars before? Let me know what you thought of them in the comments! Or, if you haven’t tried them before, which flavor sounds the most exciting to you? If you’re interested in trying them, you can visit the Bearded Brothers Webstore to buy yourself a variety pack of each flavor!