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Kind bars have long been my favorite brand of bars.
The flavors are unique and pack lots of taste without being loaded with sugar. The labels are cleaner than many other bar brands and, as a nut lover, I love the crunch and taste.
In my quest to taste test the best flavors of every major bar brand, I sat down one afternoon with a variety pack of 16 of the best Kind bar flavors. I then spent the next couple hours tasting, comparing, and ranking.
Behold the best and worst.
To see how Kind bars compare to options from other top brands, check out our guide to the best energy bars.
16. Almond & Apricot
I’ve tried apricot-flavored bars from a number of brands now (e.g. Clif, Greenbelly), and they always end up towards the bottom of my lists. Apricot is just not that pleasant of a flavor.
Hard pass.
15. Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew
All in all the Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew Kind Bar is solid. The flavor is a little muted compared to the others to come and it has a slight aftertaste, but I wouldn’t be upset if it were the only option.
The blueberry flavor isn’t as strong as in other blueberry-containing Kind bars on this list, and the vanilla flavor is hit or miss depending on the bite.
14. Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio
Another flavor that isn’t bad, just not as good as those to come. The tartness of the pomegranate flavor is balanced well by the sweetness of the blueberries, and your sweet tooth gets satisfied by the bar’s eight grams of sugar.
I didn’t taste much pistachio, however.
13. Cranberry Almond
Cranberry Almond is one of the most classic Kind bar flavors. It embodies Kind’s motto: “Ingredients you can see & prnounce.” You can truly see the ingredients in the bar, an intriguing experience for first timers used to bars with uniform consistency like PowerBar.
I tend not to like cranberries in my bars, but Kind does a good job of not making this flavor overly tart. The almonds and macadamias provide a nice crunch.
12. Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan is the first of the chocolate-containing flavors to appear on this list, and it’s measurably better than those listed so far. It has chocolate, after all.
The incredible thing about this flavor is that it has just five grams of sugar — despite it having chocolate! Some Kind flavors have so little sugar they make your wonder where all the flavor comes from. This is one of those flavors.
The cinnamon isn’t too strong and the pecans are mostly drowned out by the dark chocolate, but I wasn’t too upset.
11. Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond
Taste testing Probars with my coffee-loving roommate showed me how much some people love mocha — a lot.
If you’re a coffee lover yourself, you’re bound to love this flavor. It might be your personal top flavor.
If you’re like me and you like but don’t love coffee, it’ll be a middle-of-the-road flavor for you.
10. Madagascar Vanilla Almond
Though the name has just “Almond” in it, this flavor also contains peanuts and cashews. Be prepared for a nutty experience.
The Madagascar vanilla has a milder, less alcoholic flavor than other vanilla-containing bars I’ve tried in the past (e.g. Almond Crunch Probar).
This flavor has just four grams of sugar yet tastes quite good. Here’s yet another Kind bar that somehow satiates your sweet tooth without being too sweet. I just don’t get it.
9. Almond & Coconut
For whatever reason, bar brands are quick to make their coconut bars some of the sweetest in their lineup. I’ve seen this when tasting bars from Clif and Larabar.
Kind is no exception. The Almond & Coconut has 13 grams of sugar — a large amount compared to your typical Kind bar.
Yet the sweetness is a welcome change of pace if that’s what you’re craving. The coconut flavor takes center stage and the almonds provide a nice crunchy texture. Coconut lovers rejoice. Coconut haters keep moving.
8. Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut
Like the above flavor but it contains dark chocolate. Think Mounds in Kind bar form. It’s tasty.
Weirdly, the Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut has one gram of sugar less than the Almond & Coconut flavor. I thought dipping a bar in chocolate added sugar, but apparently I’m wrong. Or Kind has found a glitch in the universe.
7. Blueberry Pecan
Unlike the Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew (#15), this bar has a strong blueberry taste. Like many other top Kind bar flavors, it has no unpleasant aftertaste and is gluten-free.
It’s a good flavor to start your day with. You feel a little like you’re eating a blueberry muffin when you take a bite.
6. Dark Chocolate Almond Mint
Thin Mints are my least favorite Girl Scout cookies, yet this Thin Minty flavor took home the sixth spot because it is just that good. If you normally like mint and chocolate this might be your favorite flavor.
Despite this flavor tasting like a chocolaty cookie, it has only five grams of sugar — the same amount in just two Thin Mints. Indulge to your heart’s content.
5. Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt
The Maple Glazed Pecan is an excellent mix of sweet and savory flavors. The maple, typically an overpowering flavor, is kept in check and followed up nicely by the sea salt. Impressively, the flavor has only five grams of sugar and 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
4. Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew
Over the past month I’ve been buying this flavor more often when I go to the grocery store. It’s one of the best.
It’s also one of the chewier flavors in Kind’s lineup. Fewer almonds and chewy cherries are why.
It might be in my imagination, but the this flavor’s dark chocolate tastes creamier than that of other flavors. It has a certain indulgent edge to it that I like a lot.
While, at 11 grams, it does have more sugar than most Kind bars, I consider it a worthwhile treat from time to time.
3. Caramel Almond & Sea Salt
This flavor has been my go-to for the past few months. I love its unique taste.
Unlike any other flavor, it’s dipped in a caramel coating which imparts a creaminess and mild sweetness. The sea salt on the finish helps balance everything out.
It has just five grams of sugar yet satisfies even my virtually insatiable sweet tooth. It also has a respectable six grams of protein.
2. Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
The Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt is like the chocolate version of the Caramel Almond & Sea Salt. It has a dark chocolate coating rather than a caramel one but almonds is its first ingredient, it has just five grams of sugar, and it has six grams of protein.
The dark chocolate flavor is strong and the sea salt kick at the end perfectly balances it out. Once again, you’ll take a bite and wonder how Kind packed so much flavor into it.
1. Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate
Peanut butter and dark chocolate are going to be at the top of any of my lists. No two flavors go together better.
I love the chewiness of this bar. It has a candy bar taste and feel to it yet only has nine grams of sugar and comes with eight grams of protein. It’s also gluten-free. Pick one up and treat yourself.
Rankings Summary
Here are the best Kind bar flavors:
- Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
- Caramel Almond & Sea Salt
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew
- Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt
- Dark Chocolate Almond Mint
- Blueberry Pecan
- Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut
- Almond & Coconut
- Madagascar Vanilla Almond
- Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond
- Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan
- Cranberry Almond
- Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio
- Blueberry Vanilla & Cashew
- Almond & Apricot
Our Overall Thoughts After Trying 16 Different Kind Bar Flavors
Prior to taste testing Kind bars I did taste tests of Clif bars, Luna bars, Larabars, RxBars, and Probars.
After each of those taste tests my stomach was a little upset. It turns out eating 1000+ calories of energy and nutrition bars in a sitting isn’t the best thing for you.
Accordingly, I was slightly dreading this taste test. I expected to finish with another upset stomach.
However, after eating a preposterous amount of Kind bars my stomach felt no worse for wear. I didn’t have an energy crash either. Take that how you want — all I can say is I was grateful.
Where Kind bars stand out in my opinion is in the sugar department. Most Kind bars flavors have fewer than eight grams of sugar and a handful have less than five. For the amount of flavor they pack that’s downright impressive. It’s one of the main reasons Kind is my go-to bar brand, even after having tried virtually every flavor from the other main contenders.
From talking with friends I know some people wince at the price of each Kind bar. The bars are tiny and shelling out a couple bucks for each feels excessive.
I can’t justify the price to you, but I will say that they’re worth it to me. I can’t afford to eat them every day despite my strong desire to do so, but I pick up a few each time I go to the grocery store and have them as mid-afternoon snacks throughout the week. Biting into one is always a highlight of the day.
