Taste Test: ‘Filling’ Boosts New Clif Energy Bars

Bite into a new Clif Bar and you get a gooey center filled with nut butter. Beyond good taste, the company touts a ‘category-first’ kind of energy resulting from the combination of consistencies.

New this fall, the all-organic CLIF Nut Butter Filled Energy Bars come in four flavors, including two with peanut butter, one with hazelnut, and an almond-butter option.

The bulk of the bar tastes like a traditional Clif product. But the flavor is complimented by the creamy core, making these bars unique.

Review: CLIF Nut Butter Filled Energy Bars

The bars are certified USDA organic. They are a non-GMO food and contain no partially-hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, or high-fructose corn syrup.

Clif touts the nut-butter product helps “slow the release of carbohydrates” to muscles, and it brings together two kinds of energy foods (meaning the bar part and the nut butter inside).

This combo gives the body fat and carbs associated with the bar, plus a dose of plant-based protein. And while there are other ways to pack in the protein, this one happens to be delicious.

As opposed to energy gels or similar foods for aerobic exercise, the brand markets the bars for lower-intensity adventures like hiking and camping.

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I found them to be appetizing and energizing on hikes. They are easier to eat than a normal energy bar, as the filled center goes down quick.

Taste Test: Clif Nut-Filled Energy Bar

Clif brings a nice upgrade with this product. I will now reach for them on the shelf before a tried-and-true original Clif bar, both because they taste good and since I have eaten a lot (probably too many) of the original variety over the years.

They are good enough to eat at home or as a part of a lunch, too. I tried all the flavors — Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Coconut Almond Butter, and Peanut Butter — and was impressed.

The bars have about 230 calories each and about 7 grams of plant-based protein. There is no chalky taste, which sometimes plagues protein-fortified bars.

The CLIF Nut Butter Filled Energy Bars cost about $1.79 per bar. Try them if you’ve eaten one too many energy bars in your day.

The buttery center offers a new taste, texture, and a modified way to get protein and energy into your system while on the move.