Flavors Tried: Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Cup
Price: $40 for box of 12 ($3.33 per bar)
Nutrition: 280 Calories, 12g Fat, 29g Carbs (1g Fiber, 15g Sugar), 20g Protein
Gorilla Mind is known for its supplements, especially their “Gorilla Mode” preworkout and protein, but now they’ve jumped into the protein bar game.
As a reviewer of every protein bar under the sun, I had to give these new(ish) bars a try.
I grabbed a Cookies & Cream and Peanut Butter Cup flavor at Vitamin Shoppe to try, but note that other flavors are available as well. These bars look almost identical to Anabar and other nut butter-based bars that have been hitting the market in recent years. Anabar was decent, but didn’t live up to the insanely high hype surrounding it, so my hope is that Gorilla Mind may be able to improve on those a bit.
Each bar costs about $3.33 and comes in at 280 calories, with 12g fat, 29g carbs (including 15g of sugar), and 20g protein. For this high of a price and sugar count, we need to hope that the flavor is worth it.
Flavor Review: Peanut Butter Cup
First up, the Peanut Butter Cup flavor. If you’re expecting a Reese’s-style experience, prepare for something different.
The taste is a blend of peanut butter, sweetener, and protein powder, similar to what you’d get with Anabar. It’s very thick but not nearly as chewy as a lot of protein bars out there.
Inside, you’ll find whey protein crisps, which add a slight crunch and break up the otherwise dense texture. The texture is thick, and while it’s not super chewy, it doesn’t exactly melt in your mouth the same way many peanut butter bars will.
Interestingly, peanut butter isn’t the star of the show in this bar; IMO syrup and protein are listed before peanut butter on the ingredient list, and that reflects in the taste.
Instead of a strong peanut butter punch, you get a mix of honey-like sweetness and protein that lacks the depth of an actual peanut butter cup. If you’re a fan of nut butter-heavy bars like Anabar, where the peanut butter flavor is bolder, you may find this flavor falls short.
Flavor Review: Cookies & Cream
The Cookies & Cream flavor features cashew butter instead of peanut butter, but it is way down in the ingredients so it doesn’t add to the flavor or texture much.
It leans heavily on the white chocolate side, with a texture that can be borderline chalky as you chew. There are cookie pieces in the bar, but they’re mostly overpowered by the white chocolate and syrupy base, making this more of a white chocolate bar with a very subtle hint of cookie.
The bar is also a bit chewier than the Peanut Butter Cup flavor, and the IMO syrup combined with honey really kicks the sweetness up in this one. I’m not sure what makes this bar feel chalky, but there is a definite chalky aftertaste here.
On the plus side, the white chocolate coating doesn’t taste overly artificial, which is a win in the protein bar world. But overall, the combination of sweetness and the chalky texture doesn’t quite land, especially if you’re hoping for a true cookies-and-cream experience.
Gorilla Bar: Final Thoughts
Comparing Gorilla Mind’s protein bars to Anabar is inevitable, as they share virtually the same macros, similar packaging, and a nearly identical look.
But where Anabar uses nut butter as the primary ingredient, Gorilla Mind leans on syrup and protein powder, which shows in the texture and taste. The IMO syrup in Gorilla Mind bars adds a noticeable sweetness that, while not overwhelming, doesn’t really elevate the flavors or the texture.
Anabar’s softer, smoother texture, thanks to its nut butter base, makes it a more enjoyable experience overall.
At over $3 per bar, Gorilla Mind’s protein bars are pricey, and the macros don’t exactly stand out. With the high sugar content and average calorie-to-protein ratio, you might expect a more impressive flavor or texture.
While these bars aren’t necessarily bad, they don’t stand out enough to warrant the premium price tag. If you’re already an Anabar fan, you might find Gorilla Mind’s bars a bit of a letdown in comparison. For me, I’d skip these in favor of other protein bars that deliver more on flavor and texture.
