Price: $20 for 6 bags ($3.33 per bag)
Nutrition Facts (Per Bag): 200 Calories, 7g Fat, 16g Carbs (10g Fiber, <1g Sugar), 28g Protein
Pretzels might be my single favorite snack on the planet. It doesn’t really matter what shape they come in, or if they’re fresh-baked and soft or snackable and crunchy; if pretzels are an option, I’m reaching for them.
So when a protein pretzel lands on my desk with 28 grams of protein per bag, I was equal parts excited and scared. If it has that much protein, surely it cannot taste like regular pretzels. But if the pretzels taste remotely close to the real thing, this could easily become my favorite protein snack of all time.
Naturally, I lowered my expectations going in that one, because there’s no world where something with that much protein tastes like an actual pretzel… right?
Spoiler: I was wrong.
Power Crisp protein pretzels come in individual bags at 200 calories, 26-28 grams of protein (depending on flavor), and 10 grams of fiber. Plant-based, keto-friendly, and honestly one of the most impressive nutrition labels I’ve seen on a protein snack in a long time.
The protein source is wheat gluten, which is worth mentioning because it’s not a complete protein the way dairy-based snacks are. If pretzels were your only protein source all day, that would be a problem. But as part of a well-balanced diet, it’s a completely reasonable way to hit your numbers, and I’m not going to penalize a snack for that.
When you’re looking strictly at the numbers, there isn’t much more you could ask for here. But the numbers don’t matter if the snack is terrible, so let’s get into it.
The Flavor Reality Check
Before getting into individual flavors, there’s one thing you need to know going in: all of them have an identifiable wheat protein undertone. It’s consistent across every flavor, and if you’ve never had wheat protein before, it might take a bite or two to adjust to.
Luckily, it’s not off-putting the way pea protein can be. It’s just different from a regular pretzel, which has basically a neutral base. Once you get used to it, it becomes background noise, and I don’t think it’s anything to truly concern yourself with.
Especially once you experience the crunchy, because it’s absolutely incredible. The serving size is also legitimately impressive for a protein snack (check the photo below to see how many pretzels came out of the bag), which makes a huge difference in overall satisfaction, and makes it easy to look past the subtle wheat protein flavor.
Flavor Review: Sea Salt
Basic sea salt is the perfect place to start to see how these compare to regular pretzels.
Overall, the flavor is solid, and using actual pretzel salt gives it a recognizable flavor that works well. The wheat protein flavor is noticeable enough here that you’re not going to mistake these for a regular pretzel, but the crunch carries it.
If you find yourself craving pretzels but you’re in dire need of something that’s either very high in protein or low in carbs, these are going to absolutely satisfy that craving.
As far as flavors go, this is the perfect starting point if you want to keep things simple.
Flavor Review: Cinnamon Crunch
Knowing that these have no sugar added, I wasn’t sure what to expect in a cinnamon pretzel flavor.
It’s certainly not a cinnamon sugar situation, so don’t go in expecting something sweet. Their website does advertize this one as a sweet flavor, but I’d have to push back on that one, although I do understand the premise that cinnamon is inherently sweet… sort of.
The cinnamon is balanced and subtle rather than hitting you over the head, which is nice. It does add warmth and a little complexity without making you feel like you’re eating a dessert pretzel, so it still eats like a delicious pretzel snack, but it’s not going to curb your sweet tooth.
All that being said, I loved the flavor. If you want a basic pretzel with a little kick of flavor, this more than satisfies.
Flavor Review: Flamin’ Crunch
I genuinely love this one, and I’d push you toward it if you have any tolerance for heat at all.
It’s got legitimate heat, so consider yourself warned, but it’s not just “pretzel with hot pepper powder dumped on it.” The flavor profile reminds me a lot of a hot Cheeto or Dorito, which means it actually tastes like something rather than just burning your face off.
The heat also does a solid job masking that subtle wheat protein flavor a bit, so you can really appreciate the hot seasoning.
Flavor Review: Cheddar
For a completely plant-based cheese flavor, this one is surprisingly convincing.
The “cheese” is yeast-derived, which I usually don’t enjoy, but it’s balanced with enough other spices that it doesn’t lean too hard into that “fake cheese” territory. You can tell it’s not real cheddar, but if you’re someone who craves cheesy snacks, this actually scratches the itch.
My only complaint is that I want more coating. The best cheesy snacks are the ones that leave your fingers looking like you committed a crime. These stop short of that.
Flavor Review: Everything
The everything flavor delivers exactly the flavor you want, and the everything seasoning is evident, but the salt is a little heavy-handed for me. The individual components are all there, but they aren’t quite balanced the way the other flavors are.
Not bad by any means, just the weakest of the bunch in my opinion.
Flavor Review: Sesame
It tastes like sesame. If you like sesame, you’ll like these. Not much else to report here.
The Verdict
Here’s the most important aspect of these pretzels: they actually fill me up. That sounds like a low bar, but for a protein snack, it’s actually a pretty huge deal.
Quest bars have 10 grams of fiber and 20 grams of protein, and I’m still looking for my next snack 45 minutes later. These pretzels, between the large serving size, the crunch, and that fiber content, keep me satisfied for hours in the middle of the day. As someone with a pretty massive appetite, I don’t say that lightly.
Are they expensive? Yes, most certainly (right now, a bag is around $3). But everything is expensive right now, especially protein snacks. The price is well worth it, especially when you’re staring down mediocre protein bars at the same price point.
Plant-based or not, I’m recommending Power Crisp to everyone. The macros are nearly impossible to beat, the crunch holds up, and they’ve quietly become one of my favorite protein snacks I’ve ever tried.
There is 100% a noticeable flavor difference between these and regular pretzels, and a blind taste test wouldn’t fool you, but that doesn’t matter here. If you’re a pretzel person even a little bit, these are worth your money.
