I love the fresh, homemade vibe of Simply Chopped Snack Bars. Each healthy bite offers delicious date bar meets granola bar goodness. It looks like one bar, but each package has two squares per pack and they are hefty! Nevertheless, I can easily eat both. Together they are a hearty, filling, energizing 220 to 240 calories.
Tasting Notes for Simply Chopped Snack Bars
Simply Chopped snack bars appear a touch high in sugars, but this is mostly from fruit – all are made with dates as the first ingredient and have other produce add-ins to fit the variety. They use just a touch of added honey to spike the sweetness and elevate the overall flavor.
These aren’t protein bars, but they are packed with both natural quick carbohydrates and a good dose of fiber (about 5g per square) from the oats and nuts for lasting energy. The founder of Simply Chopped Snack Bars actually created the recipe in the late 1980’s, and has used them to fuel her as a cyclist, through active military duty, and again for long training days over the decades.
We taste-tested the following flavors of Simply Chopped snack bars:
Cranberry Pineapple
Sweet, intense, citrus-y, and super fruity! These chewy, oaty Simply Chopped snack bars are literally a chopped up jumble of healthy ingredients! The pineapple was surprisingly unsweetened, while the cranberries were sweetened with just apple juice and were sulphite-free. They furthered the fruitiness with raisins, orange juice and zest, and added an extra pop of honey for good measure. Really tasty, but almost a little too fruity, tropical and sweet for my snacking palate.
Blueberry Cocoa
Mmm-mm-mm! This flavor is just right. The cocoa isn’t sharp, bitter or overpowering, but rather a mellow and lightly sweet undertone that perfectly compliments the fruit-sweet bar and smattering of dried blueberries (sweetened with apple juice and sulphite-free!). The simplicity of this bar really shines through – it contains just dates, blueberries, oats, coconut, honey, cocoa, and cinnamon. I thought this was my hands down favorite of the Simply Chopped snack bars until I tasted the …
Pistachio & Almond
Oh my heavens … I detected warm, blissful spices with every bite, and wasn’t the least bit surprised to see cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla in the ingredients. The touch of honey with a gently nutty and ever-present raisin background melded so perfectly with the earthy flavors. A delightful combination that teeters on the snack-treat barrier.
Peanut Butter & Honey
This variety was the loosest and most granola bar-like of the bunch with a deeper honey flavor. It does taste almost like toast with peanut butter and honey. A little too sweet for mornings or regular snacking for me, but really darn good for the trail or as a treat with tea!
The Facts on Simply Chopped Snack Bars
Price: $2.50 to $2.99 per 2.1 to 2.6-ounce package
Availability: Simply Chopped Snack Bars are available through their website below and on Amazon.
Certifications: Simply Chopped Snack Bars are labeled as gluten-free, but we did not note a certification.
Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Simply Chopped Snack Bars are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegetarian. They are also plant-based, but they contain honey, so they aren’t strictly vegan.
For More Product Information: Visit the Simply Chopped / No Gluten website at nogluteninc.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.
This is what bars should be like
Think of a date bar crossed with a granola bar and you’ve got the gist of these nearly homemade gluten-free goodies. I loved the Blueberry Cocoa and Pistachio & Almond flavors, which bordered on a treat. Two thumbs up for the wholesome ingredients and even using juice-sweetened dried berries without sulphites!
3 Comments
Thank you for your comments Eli and Carol! We welcome your thoughts, so please check out our Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/simplychopped. We are very excited about the review from Go Dairy Free! Warmest regards to you both, Angela and the Simply Chopped Team.
chewy and tasty
A peanut-friendly version of these would be big in my house!