Keto bars are an easy, accessible snack for those who are on the keto diet. Most keto bars have meager carbohydrate count if they contain carbohydrates at all. This feature makes them perfect for those trying to stay in ketosis.
But not all keto bars are made equal. We ranked the best keto bars on the market in this article. Here, you’ll find bars that are extremely low in carbohydrates but also created with high-quality ingredients.
Research
Rankings
1. The Original Keto Snack Bar
These ketogenic bars are the original keto snack bars. They have no added sugar and are rich in ketogenic fat to support your diet. They are also dairy-free and gluten-free.
In total, these bars include up to 21g of fat, only 3g net carbs, and moderate protein. For these reasons, these bars are Bodynutrition’s #1 keto bar.
2. IQBAR Brain + Body Protein Bars
These bars are not explicitly advertised for keto, but they work magnificently for those on a diet. There are three flavors, and each only contains 3g of net carbohydrates.
These bars contain no sugar and are made with non-GMO plants. They are paleo and vegan as well.
3. Munk Pack Peanut Butter Keto Granola Bars
If you like peanut butter, these bars are a reliable option. They contain only 2g of net carbs, which is less than most other options on the market. However, they also contain only 5g of protein.
There are multiple flavor options available besides peanut butter if you want to check them out as well.
4. SlimFast Keto Meal Replacement Bar
These bars are designed to replace a whole meal. They combine whey protein with collagen to give you the right balance of nutrients.
There are quite a few flavors available, including whipped peanut butter chocolate.
5. Perfect Keto Bar
These bars are some of the cleanest available. They contain things like organic almonds, cocoa butter, stevia, and grass-fed collagen. Many flavors are available, so there is sure to be something you like.
These bars contain little carbohydrates, but they are quite high in fat and protein.
6. Atkins Endulge Treat Bars
With only 2g of net carbohydrates and 1g of sugar, these bars are perfect for keto. They contain quite a bit of fiber, which can help you stay full.
There are also tons of different flavors available. If you have a craving, these bars will probably be able to help.
7. BulletProof Collagen Protein Bars
BulletProof, known for their MCT-enhanced coffee, makes a great keto bar that’s one of the few keto-oriented protein bars that provides a high dose of MCT oil.
On top of that, it uses keto-friendly collagen protein to provide its amino acids, making it a very solid all-around pick.
8. Quest Nutrition Protein Bars
Quest protein bars can be the right choice for those on the keto diet as well. They contain 4g of net carbohydrates and tons of protein. The exact nutritional information depends on the flavor you choose, but almost all of them are suitable for keto.
None of their bars contain added sugar, and most are a complete source of protein while still being dairy-free.
9. Kiss My Keto
These bars are designed explicitly for keto. They include 3g of net carbs and 20g of fat, as well as 9g of protein. They don’t contain any added sugar, but many customers reported that they were quite good.
These bars do need to be stored in a cool place, or they will melt. They are not a great option if you’re looking for something to carry around with you.
10. Dang Keto Bars
These bars contain 5g of net carbs each, which is a bit higher than most other options. They are entirely plant-based and non-GMO. Three different flavors are available, including chocolate and lemon matcha.
We found the flavors of these bars much more diverse than some other options.
Category winners
Best keto bar overall: The Original Keto Bars
The Original Keto Bars take our top spot, since they’re still at the top of the game when it comes to delivering fat and protein in a tasty, low-carb package. By using simple ingredients like peanuts, chocolate liquor, coconut, and non-caloric sweetening, they are a simple and versatile keto bar that’s a great choice for just about everyone.
Best keto bar with MCT oil: BulletProof Collagen Protein Bars
MCT oil is one of the best fuels to burn on the keto diet, and BulletProof Collagen Protein Bars are loaded with MCT oil powder from refined coconut oil as one of their primary ingredients. These are the perfect pick if you’re looking for an easy way to boost your MCT intake with keto bars.
Best keto bar for athletes: Munk Pack Keto Granola Bar
Munk Pack makes a keto bar that’s perfect for athletes thanks to its all-natural sources of protein and fat (which come from almonds and peanuts), and the fact that it doesn’t rely on sugar alcohols for non-caloric sweetness. Sugar alcohols can cause gastrointestinal problems during vigorous exercise, which makes them a poor choice for athletes. Munk Pack’s use of monk fruit extract solves this problem, making
Best keto bar for weight loss: IQBar Brain and Body Keto Bars
IQBars use tapioca fiber and almonds to deliver a hefty dose of protein and fiber with virtually no sugar content. The high protein and fiber content makes these an excellent choice for weight loss, as both ingredients suppress appetite and reduce hunger cravings.
Best keto bar for diabetics: IQBar Brain and Body Keto Bars
Keto bars have been a great development for diabetics, who want healthy, high-quality low-sugar snacks for when they’re on the go. For diabetes, the zero-added-sugar bars from IQBar Brain and Body Keto Bars are our recommendation thanks to their high fiber content and lack of any sugars, added or otherwise.
Best high-protein keto bar: Perfect Keto Bars
At 13 grams of protein per bar, Perfect Keto Bars deliver a lot of protein for very little net carbohydrates. Though high-protein keto bars aren’t for everyone, Perfect Keto is the way to go if keeping protein intake high is a priority.
Who should buy keto bars?
Keto bars are designed for those who are currently on the keto diet. If you’re trying to sustain or reach ketogenesis, you have to keep your carbohydrate intake very low. Sadly, most snacks, sweets, and on-the-go foods contain quite a few carbohydrates.
The average American diet is very high in carbs, so you almost always have to search for something that is designed specifically for the keto diet when choosing your food.
Luckily, this is where keto bars come in. They’re designed specifically for keto, so they are deficient in carbs. They are also quick and easy, which is perfect for those on the go.
While you could always make your keto snacks, this isn’t always practical. For those situations where you just don’t have time to cook, keto bars can be a useful option to have around.
Plus, many keto bars are designed to be a meal replacement as well. So, if you accidentally miss a meal or suddenly remember that you forgot to pick up a key ingredient at the store, these keto bars will have your back.
If you have a keto bar nearby, you may increase your chances of splurging on something high in carbohydrates. We highly recommend that anyone on the keto diet have one or two of these bars close by – just in case.
How we ranked
When deciding which bars to include on our top 10 list, we first looked at which bars were supportive of the ketogenic diet.
Surprisingly, not all bars claiming to be “keto” are low in carbohydrates. We found some “keto bars” that had over 10g of net carbs – not keto in the least. (Another lesson on why reading nutritional labels is essential!)
We aimed only to include bars that were low in carbohydrates, but high in fat. The ratio of fat or carbohydrates is the main clue we looked at.
An important note: bars designed for meal replacement are going to have more carbs than those only designed for snacking. However, the meal replacement bars will also have more fat, protein, and calories. It’s the ratio that is the most critical factor, not necessarily the number of net carbs alone.
Secondly, we also considered taste. Bars are not going to be helpful if they taste bad, and you never want to eat them.
We carefully considered taste when ranking each bar. Some are quite tasty, like The Original Keto Snack Bar, while others aren’t.
Thirdly, convenience was outstanding. The main point of a keto bar is so that you can grab them. If they need refrigerated or require some form of preparation, they likely aren’t going to be eaten often.
Finally, we considered the quality of the ingredients each bar was made with. When possible, we gave preference to organic, non-GMO options without added sugar.
Benefits
Keto bars can help you stay on your diet. These bars provide a very convenient option when other keto meals and snacks aren’t available. We all know that you’re more likely to break from your diet when you’re hungry or experiencing cravings. Keto bars tackle that directly by providing a keto-safe, fast option for when you’re on the go.
Furthermore, many are packed with things like fiber to help keep you full. So, when you eat a bar, you should stay full for a while. This prevents snacking on non-keto food options or running through your local Taco Bell.
Keto bars may reduce your appetite. Typically, when you’re on a diet, you are often hungry. But this is not the case when you eat keto bars.
This is because of two reasons. Firstly, eating low-carb is associated with an automatic reduction in appetite. Studies have shown that those who eat fewer carbs and high levels of fat and protein end up eating fewer calories automatically (1).
Likely, this is because fat and protein take longer to digest. They stick around in your stomach longer, which makes you feel full for a more extended period. Because of this, you don’t feel the need to snack on other foods or eat your next meal early.
Keto bars may make it easier to lose stomach fat. There are two main types of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is located underneath your skin, while visceral fat accumulates in your abdominal cavity.
Visceral fat also tends to find its way to your organs, where it can cause all sorts of problems. Visceral fat is the type of fat that causes most of the health problems associated with being overweight. For example, excessive visceral fat causes inflammation and insulin resistance. It may also cause metabolic dysfunction that is extremely common in the west today (2).
Luckily, studies have also shown that low-carb diets can significantly reduce the amount of harmful abdominal fat. A higher proportion of those on a low-carb diet lost fat around their waist than those on other diets (3).
Over time, this should also reduce the risk of adverse health effects this fat brings.
Keto bars may lead to higher amounts of short-term weight loss. Studies have found that a low-carb diet leads to faster weight loss than a low-fat diet. This fact is actual even when those on the low-fat diet consciously restricted their food intake (4).
There is some debate on why this is, but it may be because low-carb diets are better at getting rid of excess water weight and reducing your insulin resistance.
Many studies have replicated this finding. Some have even found that those on a low-fat diet lost 2 to 3 times more weight than those on a low-fat diet (5).
However, it appears this only works for about six months. After that, participants using both diets tend to lose about the same amount of weight (6). Studies following participants for a year or more generally find that the diets have about the same amount of effectiveness (7).
Keto bars may increase your levels of good cholesterol. There are two main types of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is the “good” kind that you want, while LDL is the “bad” kind. You want more HDL than LDL. This ratio lowers your risk of heart disease according to a plethora of studies (8, 9).
The best way to increase your good cholesterol is to eat lots of fat. Keto bars almost always contain high amounts of fat. When paired with an overall low-carb diet, they may be able to improve your cholesterol ratios. (10, 11).
Studies have found this exact thing. Multiple studies have reported that those on low-carb diets have dramatically higher HDL levels than those on low-fat diets (12).
Keto bars may lower your triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are fat molecules that circulate in your blood. They’re your blood fat level, in other words.
If you have too many of these molecules in your bloodstream, they can cause heart disease later on (13).
Triglycerides are typically high in people who are inactive and eat plenty of carbohydrates. This is especially true if they eat tons of sugar and other simple carbs (14). However, if you cut these carbs, their blood fat level tends to decrease considerably in a short time (15).
Since keto bars contain almost no carbohydrates, they may have a similar effect when combined with a low-carb diet. If they help you stay on a healthy, low-carb diet, then this might be just the thing you need to reduce your blood fat levels.
Keto bars may be effective against metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a disease that increases your risk for a variety of illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease. The rate of this syndrome is rising rapidly in the west – likely because of our diet.
Symptoms include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol. In other words, all the things that increase your rate of heart disease and diabetes.
Luckily, a low-carb diet can help control these symptoms (16). This diet can practically “cure” this disorder.
Keto bars can be a vital part of a low-carb diet so that they can be helpful as well.
Keto bars may lower blood sugar and insulin levels. Studies have shown that a low-carb diet may be helpful for those with diabetes and insulin resistance (17, 18). This is likely because you need to produce less insulin when you’re at fewer carbohydrates. If your body has a hard time keeping up with your insulin needs, reducing the amount of insulin it needs to make can help substantially.
Some studies have found significant reductions in people with diabetes who start a low-carb diet. In some instances, their insulin dosage decreased by 50% almost immediately (19).
Another study showed that some people with type 2 diabetes had a 95% reduction in their glucose-lowering medications. Some could even stop using their medication altogether (20).
Keto bars can help because they are incredibly low-carb. When combined with a keto diet, they can play a role in lowering your blood sugar in insulin levels.
Side effects
Keto bars may contribute to the “keto flu.” If you’re using keto bars as a part of a more substantial keto diet, they may contribute to the “keto flu.” This occurs as your body is adapting to your new low-carb diet. Because your body is not used to using fat for food, your energy can be severely affected.
Symptoms commonly include reduced energy, lack of focus, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, digestive discomfort, and decreased exercise performance.
Luckily, this usually only lasts for a few days before your body figures it out. You may be able to reduce symptoms by adding more potassium and sodium to your diet. Part of the “keto flu” is likely caused by an electrolyte imbalance (21).
Keto bars may stress your kidneys. For those eating keto bars alongside other high-fat foods, you may be at a higher risk of kidney stones. This is because a high intake of animal fat can cause your blood to become more acidic. In turn, this can lead to increased excretion of calcium from your urine (22, 23).
Various studies have also suggested that the keto diet may reduce the amount of citrate in your urine. Citrate binds to calcium and prevents it from forming kidney stones. Without high enough levels of citrate, kidney stones are going to be more common (24).
Recommended usage
You should not live off of keto bars. They do not contain all the nutrients you need to survive.
However, eating them otherwise should not be a problem. One or even two a day is fine, as long as you’re eating a varied diet otherwise.
These bars are more for those times when you can’t make a meal or locate another keto-friendly snack. You’re always going to be better off cooking your keto meal. We understand that this isn’t always possible, though, and that life tends to get in the way. In these cases, a keto bar can be beneficial.
FAQ
What bars are keto-friendly?
There is a large variety of bars available on the market today that are keto-friendly. As the keto diet has become more and more popular, more companies have come out with keto-friendly bars, so you have many different options today.
We reviewed many of the best keto bars above, so check there before making your purchasing decision.
We need to point out that not everything that labels itself as “keto-friendly” really is. While reviewing keto bars, we discovered quite a few that weren’t keto. Remember to always read the nutrition label to double-check before making your purchase.
Are SlimFast keto bars keto?
Yes, as far as we could tell, these bars are keto. They contain only 3g of net carbs but contain over 14g of fat and 7g of protein. That is an excellent ratio for anyone looking for a meal replacement. Their bars are also free of gluten, artificial sweeteners, and artificial flavors. In other words, they’re quite right for you!
Are KIND bars keto?
No. This is one of the bars that are often thought to be keto. However, when we took a closer look, we found that they weren’t. All KIND bars contain added sugar, which knocks up the carb content quite a bit. We recommend choosing a different keto bar instead.
How many carbs are in a keto bar?
Most keto bars are between 2g to 5g of net carbs. In keto, most people try to stay below 15g to 30g of carbohydrates a day. This means that keto bars can easily be fit into your overall diet, especially if you’re using them as a meal replacement.
Bars with more calories and fat also tend to have higher amounts of carbs, so it all balances out in the end. Try not to focus on the net carbs of each bar in isolation. Instead, compare it to the calories and fat each bar contains.
Are keto bars a tasty keto snack?
There are two main types of keto bars: those made to be eaten as a snack, and those made to be eaten as a meal. The bars designed to be a small snack are an excellent option for those on-the-go. They’re low in carbohydrates but very high in fat. If you can’t get another keto snack, these bars are a great option. They are also suitable for those on the go who need a small snack to take with them.
On the other hand, you should not eat keto meal replacement bars as a snack. These bars are going to contain more food than you should eat for a snack. But, they’re suitable for replacing a meal if you’re on the go and cannot cook.
What protein bars are keto-friendly?
There is a large variety of keto-friendly protein bars. We reviewed a few different options above, so head to our ranking session for a complete review of our top ten picks.
Most protein bars are keto-friendly, even if they don’t label themselves as such. Check the nutritional label for information on the exact amount of carbohydrates and fat in each bar before making a decision.
At the same time, not all bars that label themselves as keto-friendly are. Once again, you must check the nutritional label to ensure that you don’t purchase a bar that has a high amount of net carbs in it. To be safe, you may also want to purchase a bar off of our rankings list individually. We’ve already checked them to ensure they fit in a keto diet.
Where can you buy keto bars?
Keto bars are likely going to be found at nearly every grocery store, especially those that are focused on health. However, you’ll have a higher number of bars to choose from if you shop online. Amazon often has the lowest prices online, and often even beats the prices in-store as well. For this reason, we link to them for many of our products.
Are IQ Bars keto-friendly?
Yes. We rated IQ Bars as the second-best keto bar you can purchase. They’re also paleo-friend, vegan, kosher, and non-GMOs. They also come in a wide variety of flavors, including chocolate, fruit, lemon, and even matcha.
We particularly liked that these bars included a higher level of protein than most other keto bars. They are also high in prebiotic fiber, making them a solid choice for those with digestive discomfort. They contain only 3g of net carbs in most cases, though the exact nutritional information can vary based on the flavor.
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Recap
Keto bars are the perfect on-the-go snack for those who are currently on a ketogenic diet. They’re very low in carbs while remaining high in protein and fat. This ratio makes them perfect keto meal replacements or snack bars.
When paired with a ketogenic diet, keto bars can help you lose weight and may even lower your risk for certain diseases like diabetes.
For BodyNutrition’s #1 keto bar, click here.
