The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that’s associated with several health benefits, including weight loss .
For those following this diet, protein bars can be a convenient, grab-and-go option when you need a quick meal or filling snack. However, finding a keto-friendly bar can be difficult because most protein bars are either too high in carbs or too low in fat.
Plus, even protein bars that meet the right criteria aren’t always healthy options, as they often contain large amounts of artificial ingredients, additives, and preservatives.
Still, if you look carefully, you can find protein bars that are both keto-friendly and nutritious. Alternatively, you can make them on your own.
Here are 10 healthy keto-friendly protein bars.
1. Perfect Keto bars
Specifically formulated for the keto diet, these protein bars come in five flavors, including cinnamon roll, salted caramel, and chocolate chip cookie dough.
Perfect Keto designs its bars to provide just 2–3 net carbs per bar, along with around 17 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein.
Keto-friendly bars like these regularly contain fiber and sugar alcohols, which your body can’t fully digest and absorb. Therefore, subtracting the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols from the total carbs gives you the number of net (digestible) carbs.
You’ll often see the number of net carbs highlighted on the packaging — though this value is likely lower than the number of total carbs listed among the nutritional information.
Perfect Keto bars have a relatively short ingredient list, which includes almond butter, tapioca fiber, cocoa butter, cashews, medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, grass-fed collagen, and stevia.
While more research is needed, the fatty acids found in MCT oil may improve exercise performance and promote weight loss by reducing body fat (2 , 3 ).
If you can’t find Perfect Keto bars in your local health food or supplement store, try looking online.
2. MariGold protein bars
MariGold protein bars come in seven flavors and are renowned for their homemade taste and texture.
Each bar offers 2–3 grams of net carbs, 5–8 grams of fiber, 16–18 grams of fat, and an impressive 20–21 grams of protein. They’re made with just a few ingredients, including grass-fed whey protein powder.
Whey powder is a popular supplement because its protein can be quickly absorbed by your body. As a result, it may promote significant increases in strength, muscle mass, and even fat loss.
The bars are also free of sugar alcohols, which are natural or manufactured carbs that taste sweet yet have half the number of calories as sugar. Some people may wish to avoid sugar alcohols because they can sometimes cause digestive distress.
Instead, these bars are sweetened with stevia, monk fruit extract, or a combination of the two. Both are zero-calorie, natural sugar alternatives.
Additionally, some MariGold bars are low in short-chain, undigestible carbs called FODMAPs, which may cause digestive side effects like bloating, gas, and constipation in some individuals .
Your supermarket may offer Marigold bars, but it may be easier to shop for them online.
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3. DNX bars
If you love jerky, DNX bars may be right up your alley.
Made from free-range chicken or grass-fed bison or beef, DNX bars are free of added sugars. Additional ingredients include egg whites, dates, dehydrated vegetables, nuts, seeds, and spices.
For an extra boost of nutrition, the bars boast sacha inchi oil. Also called sacha peanut, sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) is a plant that produces seeds rich in calcium, vitamin A, and essential omega-3 fatty acids, which may reduce inflammation.
DNX bars offer comparable amounts of nutrients. For example, their bar made from grass-fed beef, uncured bacon, and jalapeños provides 140 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of net carbs, 1 gram of sugar, and 14 grams of protein.
Consider buying these bars online if you can’t find them locally.
4. Keto Bars
Founded in 2012, Keto Bars was one of the first companies to create protein bars specifically for the keto diet. In addition to being high in fat and low in net carbs, their bars are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.
All four of their flavors have short ingredient lists and are made with a base of unsweetened chocolate, coconut, and nut butter. To keep them sugar-free, Keto Bars use two alternative sweeteners — stevia and erythritol.
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in some fruits like watermelon and grapes, as well as fermented foods like cheese and wine. However, it can also be manufactured .
Although erythritol appears to be very safe, one study found that consuming 50 grams of it resulted in digestive side effects, including nausea and stomach discomfort .
As one Keto Bar contains just 5 grams of this sweetener, it’s highly unlikely to result in these side effects.
While the bars vary slightly in calorie count and macronutrient content, they generally provide around 230 calories, 20 grams of fat, 3 grams of net carbs, 7 grams of fiber, and 6 grams of protein.
You can find Keto Bars in some supermarkets, as well as online.
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5. Atlas protein bars
With 6 dessert-inspired flavors and a cookie dough consistency, Atlas protein bars offer approximately 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein, and 5 grams of net carbs each.
Unlike many competitors, Atlas doesn’t use any artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Instead, each bar is lightly sweetened with monk fruit extract — a natural, zero-calorie sweetener.
Furthermore, the bars include two herbs considered to be adaptogens — ashwagandha extract and maca root powder. Research suggests that adaptogens may help manage stress, boost energy levels, and ease anxiety .
Keep an eye out for Atlas protein bars online or at your local grocery store or health food market.
6. BHU keto bars
BHU’s keto-friendly protein bars have a fudgy texture and are made without any artificial sweeteners or preservatives. As a result, they need to be kept refrigerated.
While all 5 flavors vary in nutrient content, each bar packs 200–270 calories, 15–18 grams of fat, 2–3 grams of net carbs, 8–11 grams of protein, and an impressive 9–12 grams of fiber.
One unique ingredient in these bars is organic tapioca flour, which contains prebiotic fiber. This nondigestable fiber helps feed beneficial bacteria in your gut, supporting proper digestion, a strong immune system, and heart health .
You can find BHU keto bars in some stores and online.
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7. Dang bars
Many of the ingredients in Dang bars are instantly recognizable as nutritious and keto-friendly, such as nuts, pea protein, and chia and sunflower seeds.
Each bar has 4–5 grams of net carbs, 14–16 grams of fat, and 9–10 grams of protein.
Notably, Dang’s products are also vegan.
Plus, these bars contain chicory root fiber, which is an excellent source of gut-healthy prebiotic fiber. Yet, it’s also high in FODMAPs, so some individuals may not tolerate these bars particularly well (19 , 20 ).
If FODMAPs aren’t a concern for you, you can shop for Dang bars locally or online.
8. Primal Kitchen protein bars
While you may know Primal Kitchen from their avocado oil or minimal ingredient salad dressings, the company also offers a line of keto-friendly protein bars.
All of the current five flavors are made from a base of nuts, egg whites, coconut oil, and various spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. They’re then sweetened with monk fruit extract and a touch of honey.
Many of the bars also contain flax seeds, which are an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids. In addition to reducing inflammation, omega-3s are important for your heart, brain, and immune system .
Each bar provides approximately 200 calories, 16 grams of fat, 8–9 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of net carbs.
If these bars aren’t available at your local supermarket, you can find them online.
9. Homemade low carb protein bars
Homemade keto bars are ideal if you want to carefully control the ingredients used or simply enjoy the craft of concocting your own foods.
This recipe makes bars with 319 calories and 7 grams of protein each. Furthermore, each bar provides a whopping 28 grams of fat and only 4 grams of net carbs.
In addition to a handful of other whole ingredients, these bars are rich in almonds, pecans, and almond butter. Research has shown that regular nut intake may aid weight loss and help reduce chronic inflammation .
10. Homemade no-bake peanut butter bars
Anyone who loves peanut butter cups will enjoy these no-bake peanut butter protein bars that take under 10 minutes to make.
All you need are five low carb ingredients — coconut flour, a protein powder of your choice, peanut butter, a sticky sweetener of your choice, and chocolate chips.
To keep these bars keto-compliant, the recipe recommends using monk fruit syrup because it’s carb-free. You may want to double-check that both your protein powder and chocolate chips are keto-friendly as well.
How to choose a healthy keto protein bar
There are several versions of the keto diet, though the most popular one encourages you to get at least 70% of your daily calories from fat, 20% from protein, and no more than 10% from carbs .
Thus, you’ll want to stick to this macronutrient breakdown as closely as possible when choosing a keto protein bar .
For a 200-calorie bar, this ratio would equal 16 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein, and no more than 5 grams of carbs.
Try to avoid bars with a long list of ingredients you don’t recognize, such as artificial sweeteners or preservatives, as these indicate that the bar is heavily processed.
Diets high in processed foods are linked to an increased risk of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and obesity .
Instead, choose bars made mostly from real foods, such as oils, spices, natural sweeteners, nuts, and seeds. As the keto diet is high in fat, you should also look for healthy fats like nuts and nut butters, MCT oil, avocado oil, and flax, chia, or hemp seeds.
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The bottom line
Numerous low carb, high fat protein bars align with the keto diet to keep you full between meals or provide a quick and easy breakfast.
It’s important to look for ones that pack a decent amount of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and other nutritious ingredients.
Of course, whipping up a batch of homemade bars is a great option as well.
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