I’ve had MUSH overnight oats before, and I always thought they were pretty good. The problem is that I could never justify paying for prepackaged overnight oats when they’re so easy and cheap to make at home, so I’m not a regular customer.
But when I spotted MUSH’s new refrigerated protein bars at the grocery store, I was intrigued. I love the taste & experience of overnight oats, so if that can be packaged into an enjoyable protein bar, I’ll be all about it.
What really sold me was the ingredients list. The main ingredients are basically oats, honey, protein, almonds, and dates. Throw in some vanilla extract, coconut oil, cocoa or cinnamon, and salt, and you’ve got yourself a really straightforward bar.
As I get older, sugar substitutes and added fiber don’t always agree with me. A short ingredient list with no sugar alcohols or chicory root? I’m in.
We do need to discuss the macros, though. Generally speaking, minimal ingredients come with a caloric tradeoff. At 260-270 calories and 15 grams of protein, these aren’t going to compete with your favorite protein bar if you’re used to 200 calories and 20 grams of protein.
That’s not a knock on MUSH, though. These lean much more toward a meal replacement than a protein bar. I mean, they are basically overnight oats, after all. When you view them through that lens, 15 grams of protein is great.
Because of the minimal ingredients, I kept my expectations relatively low going in. “Whole food” bars tend to be a little underwhelming in the taste department, so I wanted to be realistic.
But I use oat flour in almost all of my baking, and I love overnight oats, so I was still hopeful. If anyone can make an oat-based bar taste good, it should be an overnight oats company.
Flavor Review: Cinnamon Swirl
These bars are a great size, which is what you hope for in a bar with 270 calories.
Right away, the vanilla stands out way more than the cinnamon. I’m not sure I would have named this one cinnamon swirl, because that sets the expectation of a cinnamon roll. I hardly taste any cinnamon in this bar, but certainly the vanilla.
The base is mostly oat flavor, but when it’s combined with the vanilla, it creates a cookie dough-like experience. Not what I was expecting, but I’m certainly not complaining about eating a bar of cookie dough.
The bar is soft overall, and the whole oats inside the bar give it some nice contrast instead of being one uniform texture throughout. It seems like every bar out there today is trying to be a candy bar with a chocolate coating and nougat center, so it’s really refreshing to experience something different.
The sweetness is at the perfect level, and it tastes really good overall. I love using oats as a base in cookies and other baked treats, so this hit that same spot for me.
The catch is that it’s refrigerated, so it’s pretty dense when you eat straight out of the fridge. It gives your jaw a little workout, not in a chewy protein bar way, but just in a thick, dense way.
I definitely advise letting it sit out for a few minutes before eating it, although that won’t be an issue if you’re bringing it on-the-go or to work for an afternoon snack. If you’ve had other refrigerated bars like Perfect Bar, that thicker texture won’t surprise or bother you, though.
A quick side note: I went back to the store to grab the Maple Cinnamon flavor, only to find out it’s the exact same bar as Cinnamon Swirl. MUSH renamed it to be more true to the flavor, apparently.
That was a smart move, because the maple doesn’t really come through. But then again, neither does the cinnamon. To me, this is really a vanilla cookie dough base. If they bumped up the cinnamon, it could easily be a snickerdoodle bar, and if they added chocolate chips, it could be a great cookie dough bar.
Moving away from maple makes sense. I just don’t think Cinnamon Swirl is quite the right name either.
Flavor Review: Double Chocolate
The double chocolate bar is where MUSH really won me over. This bar is incredible.
It has the flavor of a brownie, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve made oat flour brownies before, and these are shockingly similar.
You get a deep, rich chocolate flavor that truly resembles brownie batter. The dates come through slightly as the sweetener, but they actually work well paired with the dark chocolate flavor.
This one was also a little softer than the Cinnamon Swirl. Maybe that was just dumb luck with my batch, but it made a big difference to really elevate the experience.
And while the bar was soft, the whole oats and chocolate chips layered throughout the bar gave it an awesome contrast. Every bite felt like a spoonful of brownie batter with a little extra texture. Again, I don’t say that lightly. This truly reminds me of brownie batter.
If you only try one flavor, make it this one.
MUSH Protein Bars: Final Thoughts
At 270 calories, you’re probably expecting more than 15 grams of protein. But these bars are absolutely delicious for what they are.
I’ve seen plenty of bars over the years built on that same oats, honey, nut butter, and protein combo. MUSH nailed the execution better than any of them.
If I had to guess, it’s because they didn’t try to cram as much protein as possible into the bar and focused on flavor instead. But whatever the reason, it just works here.
If you’re looking for a low-calorie, high-protein snack to hit your macros, these probably aren’t for you. There are better options if your only goal is protein per calorie.
But if you view these as a true meal replacement, they’re a slam dunk. They’re filling, they taste great, and there’s nothing on the ingredients list you need to Google.
If you love the taste of oats or oat flour, or you’re looking for a bar with simple, minimal ingredients, these are worth it. You really can’t go wrong with any of the flavors, but double chocolate gets my vote.
