With an extreme love for bananas – seriously, they really do prevent calf cramps – I marked the Barnana booth as high priority at an expo many years ago. I had heard word of their goodness, and couldn’t wait to get a sample. And to my pleasant surprise, they had two varieties: original and chocolate-covered. Since that day, they’ve tested many other bite-sized products, and have settled on an array of peanut butter and chocolate covered snacks.
Tasting Notes for Barnana Banana Bites
Overall, Barnana offers a great way to enjoy bananas on the go without worry of bruises or smooshing. They also have a guaranteed level of yummy, ripe sweetness. I’ve included tasting notes with the two varieties that we’ve tried, and basic information on the newer peanut butter-covered flavors.
Original
Don’t be put off by the natural browning (shown in the picture below)! These chewy, dried banana chunks have an intense, but completely natural banana flavor. Not surprising, since the only ingredient is organic bananas. Unlike other dehydrated bananas, Barnana keeps them thick for a tender bite rather than a flat, overly chewy texture. Once I opened 3.5 ounce package (about 3 dehydrated bananas), I had trouble stopping. Each bite had such an amazing pure taste.
Ingredients: organic bananas, organic banana powder.
Nutrition (per 1.4 ounces): 115 calories, 0g fat, 27g carbs, 4g fiber, 17g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 2g protein.*
Chocolate
These smooth, dark chocolate coated bananas have a thick bittersweet robe with a definite dark aftertaste. Dessert-like, but with a healthy, rich, adult-like flavor. I liked these, but didn’t love them. They use a food glaze to give each bite a polished finish, and though it looks pretty, that’s where they lost my taste buds just a little. The coating had a slightly artificial taste that I had trouble getting past. I just loved the taste of the Original so much, and the chocolate seemed to mask some of that flavor rather than fully complimenting. I’d love to see them dump the glaze and actually make the chocolate layer a touch less hefty. Nonetheless, they were good, and as you can see, they look amazing.
Ingredients: organic fair trade dark chocolate, organic bananas, organic tapioca syrup, organic gum arabic, natural glaze.
Nutrition (per 1.4 ounces): 180 calories, 8g fat, 23g carbs, 4g fiber, 15g sugars (includes 3g added sugars), 2g protein.*
Peanut Butter
Ingredients: organic peanut butter coating (organic dried cane syrup, organic peanut flour, organic certified sustainable palm kernel oil, sea salt, organic soy lecithin), organic bananas, organic tapioca maltodextrin, natural glaze.
Nutrition (per 1.4 ounces): 180 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs, 2g fiber, 16g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 3g protein.*
Peanut Butter Cup
Ingredients: peanut butter cup coating* (dried cane syrup*, cacao beans*, certified sustainable palm kernel oil*, peanut flour*, cacao butter*, sea salt, sunflower lecithin*, soy lecithin*), bananas*, peanut flour*
Nutrition (per 1.4 ounces): 185 calories, 8g fat, 25g carbs, 3g fiber, 14g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 2g protein.*
The Facts on Barnana Banana Bites
Price: $4.99 per 3.5-ounce bag
Availability: Barnana Banana Bites are sold at Whole Foods and CVS stores. You can also order them online from Amazon.
Certifications: Barnana Banana Bites are Certified Organic and Non-GMO Verified.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Barnana Banana Bites are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, tree nut-free, vegan, and vegetarian.*
For More Product Information: Visit the Barnana website at www.barnana.com.
*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy.
The bananas are so thick and flavorful
I love the tenderness and sweet natural taste of the pure banana chunks. The concept of the chocolate-covered is great, but the glaze made them taste a bit waxy to me. I’d like to try the PB, but am not sure if it would have the same glaze issue.
1 Comment
Dried bananas are a favorite treat, no matter how odd they may look. They’re just so sweet and chewy! Add chocolate into the mix and you’ve got yourself and instant winner. I must track these treats down.