Price: $22 for 10 count on Amazon ($2.20 each)
Nutrition: 190 Calories, 12g Fat, 23g Carbs (9g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 12g Sugar Alcohols), 10g Protein
Quest has recently released its brand new “Bake Shop” line, offering both protein muffins and protein brownies, likely with more to come.
Having just tried their blueberry muffin (which was surprisingly decent), I was eager to see if the brownies could match up.
Spoiler alert: they don’t quite hit the mark.
Each brownie contains 190 calories, 12g of fat, 2g net carbs (with 12g of sugar alcohol), and 10g of protein.
At 190 calories and 10 grams of protein, the macros of these brownies aren’t particularly impressive. It’s almost identical to the muffins, but it feels like you get more bang for your buck with the muffins.
10 grams of protein isn’t a ton, but if the brownies could deliver stellar taste, it’s something I could look past.
When it comes to brownies, I’m firmly in the chewy, fudgy camp. Quest’s protein brownies fall into an interesting middle ground between fudgy and cakey, however.
They have a good density to them, but the texture is more what I’d expect from a muffin than a brownie. It’s not quite cakey, not quite fudgy – it’s stuck in a texture limbo.
On the bright side, like the muffins, these brownies aren’t dry. Quest has managed to keep a good amount of moisture in them, which is often a challenge with protein baked goods. The texture is soft when you bite into it, which is a plus.
There are also chocolate chunks inside that enhance the experience when you get a bite of them. These chunks are probably the best part of the brownie, adding some much-needed authentic chocolate flavor.
While the blueberry muffin had a solid overall flavor, the brownie’s taste is… well, let’s just say it’s not winning any awards. The artificial taste is overwhelming, much more so than in other Quest products I’ve tried, including the new muffins.
The sugar alcohol is front and center here, leaving a lingering aftertaste that’s hard to ignore. I’m not overly sensitive to artificial sweeteners, but it is prominent here.
Instead of tasting like an indulgent, chocolatey brownie, it comes across as an overly sweet, fake chocolate flavor.
If you’re familiar with Fiber One brownies, the texture is similar, but the artificial taste is even more pronounced in these Quest brownies. It’s definitely not what I was hoping for (or expecting) from these.
I couldn’t help but think that if Quest had aimed for a flavor closer to their chocolate frosted cookies (which remind me of cake pops), these brownies would be significantly better.
The muffins managed to strike a better balance with their flavoring, making the brownies feel like a step backward.
One thing I’ll give Quest credit for is their honesty in packaging. The photo on the package accurately represents what the brownie looks like in real life- I don’t think they’re particularly appetizing to look at in either case, but I appreciate the honesty.
They resemble an underbaked loaf of chocolate bread more than a classic square brownie. I’d love to see Quest work on the shape and presentation to make these more visually appealing if they make improvements down the line.
I appreciate Quest’s effort to create a protein-packed, low-carb brownie to complement their new muffin line, but this one misses the mark. The artificial taste is too strong, the texture isn’t quite right for a brownie, and the macros aren’t impressive enough to make up for it.
If you’re on a strict keto diet and desperate for something resembling a brownie, these might be worth a try. But for most people, including those of us who regularly enjoy Quest’s other products, these brownies are likely to disappoint.
Quest has shown they can make great-tasting protein products with their bars, cookies, and now muffins. Here’s hoping they can improve these brownies in the future. Until then, I’ll be sticking with my Quest Chips and Hero Bars.
