Is no cow protein bar also no BS?

Chocolate Fudge Brownie, no cow Protein Bar

I am not a vegan yet the majority of chocolate that I love would be called vegan because it is dark chocolate. A lot of folks out there don't seem to understand that dark chocolate is naturally free of all animal ingredients (or it isn't dark chocolate). When I was offered this free bar from no cow via my Kroger loyalty card, I decided to give it a chance and share the results with all of you today. This protein bar also boasts that it is dairy free, high protein, non-GMO, vegan, gluten free, low sugar, soy free, and "no bull" so let's see how much of that is true.

When I open the wrapper I see a fairly typical "brownie" bar -- smooth, rectangular, with some hints of something inside the bar that is probably nuts and cocoa nibs that are listed on the bar. The smell really puts me off -- too sweet, no hint of cocoa or chocolate, just blah, but I'll take a bite simply so I can reveal it all to you, Sisters and Brothers in Chocolate. The bar is weird when I take a bite, the bar bends yet the bite comes off smooth. The immediate flavor is not sweet (wonderful so why all that sweet scent?) but also not chocolatey; it is rather undefinable until I chew several times. With each chew a light cocoa flavor builds up but it also becomes more sweet after a while. Each chew is crunchy because the tiny pieces of nibs and nuts are spread throughout and that is a pleasant surprise. As I take as second bite I am reminded of this chocolate flavored pea "milk" that I tried last year (or the year before).

The label's list of ingredients is quite difficult to read -- it is a pale color against the white label. So I go to the brand's website to see the label more clearly. This is what I find.

That super sweet and not chocolate scent I get must be from the brown rice and other "non sugar" ingredients (erythritol, stevia leaf, REB M, and monk fruit) that add sweetness to the bar. Seriously, just have less sweeteners over all so you have a dark bar, all of these non-sugar sweeteners really affect the fragrance and flavor of products and not in a way that improves their chocolateness. Not only do these ingredients affect the flavor in a negative way but they also limit who could enjoy these bars, whether they are vegan or not.

The pea "milk" flavor must be from the pea protein on the label. For all the "good" claims this bar makes, I'm shocked to see palm oil listed sustainably sourced or not, I just can't get behind that practice of using palm oil when there are many other types of oils available for use in food products that have chocolate not the least of which would be cocoa butter.

This just isn't a protein bar I could see myself buying in the future.