Kind Bars: So Many Flavors, So Little Snacking Time

I recently reviewed the Kind Breakfast Bars and Kind Whole Fruit Bars, but lets not forget that delicious array of classic Kind Bars. In our home, these are the holy grail of snack bars.

Before we get started, I want to clear up some confusing issues on the dairy-free status of the classic Kind Bars. They do occasionally come out with a couple “yogurt” and/or “milk chocolate” flavors, and often, one or two of their caramel flavors contains milk. But they also make a caramel flavor that doesn’t contain milk. Also, some of the dairy-free Kind Bars I’ve purchased are Certified Kosher Pareve while some were Certified Kosher Dairy (made on equipment shared with dairy, but no dairy in the ingredients). However, the Kosher certification didn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason. For example, some of the dark chocolate varieties were actually Pareve, while some were Kosher Dairy. They seem to use different facilities or different lines for many of the bars. Definitely contact the company if you want specifics.

Kind Bar Tasting Notes: The Dairy-Free Varieties

Now, onto the tasting! Tony and I sampled a smattering of the “most popular” dairy-free Kind Bar flavors. Naturally, that included several dark chocolate-drizzled varieties. I’ve included details for each of them below, followed by a quick list of the remaining classic Kind Bars currently available.

Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt

The texture of these bars is boldly chunky. So chunky in fact, that you can even see holes in it. Not surprisingly, those whole nuts provide a good deal of crunch, but are bound together for a chewy finish. In terms of flavor, it had very assertive bites of sea salt, and was surprisingly low on the sweetness scale, but still pleasant. We thought it was tasty, fulfilling, and more like a low-sugar sweet snack than a dessert.

Ingredients: almonds, peanuts, chicory root fiber, honey, palm kernel oil, sugar, glucose syrup, rice flour, unsweetened chocolate, alkalized cocoa, sea salt, soy lecithin, natural flavor, cocoa butter. contains almonds, peanuts and soy. may contain tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 180 calories, 15g fat, 16g carbs, 7g fiber, 5g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 6g protein.*

Almond & Coconut

These were stickier and chewier than the Dark Chocolate varieties, and had prominent honey and coconut shard flavors. I truly enjoyed the slightly more homemade taste, and the chew that lets you savor all of the interesting notes in each bite. Despite being the first ingredient, the almonds tasted like more of an accent than a full-bodied star. To note, I’m not usually a fan of “low sodium” bars, but it worked with this flavor.

Ingredients: almonds, coconut, honey, glucose syrup, rice flour, soy lecithin, chicory root fiber, sugar, sea salt. contains almonds, coconut and soy. may contain peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 180 calories, 12g fat, 21g carbs, 2g fiber, 13g sugars (includes 8g added sugars), 3g protein.*

Blueberry Almond Pecan

This super-sticky bar is for true almond lovers. It has whole almonds throughout with pecans, crisp rice and sweet blueberries bound together with sweeteners like honey. It’s surprisingly sweet for being relatively low in sugar and flavorful enough without a load of sodium.

Ingredients: almonds, pecans, cashews, chicory root fiber, raisins, blueberries, honey, rice flour, glucose syrup, sugar, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, citric acid. contains almonds, pecans, cashews and soy. may contain peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 170 calories, 13g fat, 18g carbs, 5g fiber, 8g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 4g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew

These are quite sticky on the inside, like the other fruity bars, but the dark chocolate dunk and drizzle make them easier to handle. Despite the cashew name, big almond chunks are also ever-present. They’re complemented with big tender bites of dried cherry, and a small smattering of crispies. It isn’t my favorite, but mainly because I haven’t loved cherry and chocolate together lately. Nonetheless, it’s a good, solid, unique bar.

Ingredients: cashews, cherries, chicory root fiber, almonds, sugar, peanuts, honey, palm kernel oil, sugar, glucose syrup, cranberries, rice flour, raisins, unsweetened chocolate, alkalized cocoa, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, cocoa butter. contains cashews, almonds, peanuts and soy. may contain tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 160 calories, 10g fat, 22g carbs, 6g fiber, 11g sugars (includes 6g added sugars), 4g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Mocha Almond

When the Kind Bar folks say almond, they don’t mess around. Big whole almonds throughout make this bar a workout to eat. I’m not a coffee fan, so this will never be my go-to flavor. Even so, the java isn’t as in your face as some mocha bars tend to be. It’s notable and a little grainy from the bean. But overall the taste is mellow and not too sweet, for a very snackable bar. You almost wouldn’t guess it’s coated in chocolate.

Ingredients: almonds, chicory root fiber, palm kernel oil, sugar, honey, glucose syrup, unsweetened chocolate, alkalized cocoa, rice flour, cocoa nibs, coffee powder, soy lecithin, natural flavor, sea salt, cocoa butter. contains almonds and soy. may contain peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 170 calories, 15g fat, 16g carbs, 7g fiber, 5g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 5g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Almond & Coconut

I wanted to compare this flavor to an Almond Joy, but it’s so much fresher, chunkier, and far more wholesome than the popular candy bar. Each bite contains big pieces of almond, large shards of coconut, a sticky but perfectly sweet binder, and a pleasant semi-sweet dark chocolate coating. For Kind Bars, this one leans more toward the dessert side, but it is still well balanced in terms of sweet and savory.

Ingredients: almonds, coconut, honey, glucose syrup, palm kernel oil, chicory root fiber, sugar, unsweetened chocolate, alkalized cocoa, rice flour, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, cocoa butter. contains almonds, coconut and soy. may contain peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 180 calories, 12g fat, 21g carbs, 2g fiber, 13g sugars (includes 8g added sugars), 3g protein.*

Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt

The warm maple sort of smacked me in the face on first bite, but quickly mellowed into a lightly sweet bar with generous hits of sea salt. It is stickier than some of the others, but also a bit softer and easier to chew. This may be one of my favorites for its intriguing snack-like flavor and big whole pecans and almonds.

Ingredients: pecans, almonds, peanuts, chicory root fiber, honey, glucose syrup, rice flour, maple syrup, sea salt, natural flavor, soy lecithin, sugar. contains pecans, almonds, peanuts and soy. may contain tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 160 calories, 10g fat, 22g carbs, 6g fiber, 11g sugars (includes 6g added sugars), 4g protein.*

Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan

I’m really liking this flavor. Something about the warm underlying cinnamon, rich but earthy pecans and sweet dark chocolate is just so cohesive and harmonious. This could easily be my favorite of the chocolate-dipped varieties. Just add a sprinkling of coarse sea salt and I’d be swooning!

Ingredients: pecans, peanuts, almonds, chicory root fiber, cashews, honey, palm kernel oil, sugar, glucose syrup, rice flour, unsweetened chocolate, alkalized cocoa, cinnamon, soy lecithin, sea salt, natural flavor, cocoa butter. contains pecans, almonds, peanuts, cashews and soy. may contain tree nuts and sesame seeds.

Nutrition (per bar): 200 calories, 16g fat, 16g carbs, 7g fiber, 5g sugars (includes 4g added sugars), 5g protein.*

More Dairy-Free Flavors of Classic Kind Bars (Nut Bars)

• Extra Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
• Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate
• Cranberry Almond
• Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Nut
• Pomegranate Blueberry Pistachio
• Blueberry Vanilla Cashew
• Madagascar Vanilla Almond
• Dark Chocolate Almond Mint
• Almond & Apricot
• Fruit & Nut
• Raspberry Cashew Chia
• Apple Cinnamon Pecan
• Honey Roasted Nuts & Sea Salt
• Dark Chocolate Chili Almond
• Peanut Butter Strawberry

They also have seasonal flavors pop up often. In prior years, we’ve tried Cashew Ginger & Spice and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Spice (shown below).

At last check, the following varieties of Kind Bars CONTAINED MILK: Peanut Butter, Caramel Almond Pumpkin Spice, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt, and all Milk Chocolate varieties. Their flavors do change often, so read the labels carefully.

The Facts on Kind Bars (Dairy-Free Varieties)

Price: $1.29 per 1.4-ounce bar

Availability: Kind Bars are sold in most major grocery stores and natural food stores in the U.S. You can also order them online from Amazon and Vitacost.

Certifications: Some of the dairy-free Kind Bars are Certified Kosher Pareve and some are Certified Kosher D (for dairy equipment, not ingredients; see our Understanding Kosher Guide). See the packaging for batch certifications.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, the dairy-free Kind Bars are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian. They are not strictly vegan as they do contain honey.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Kind website at www.kindsnacks.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. 

Great bars but a question: How much caffeine?

Rated 5 out of 5

January 23, 2022

The Kind bars are great, the best of the bars like this. Always high quality.

Curious though if their dark chocolate and extra dark chocolate have caffeine and if so how much. Nothing on the label but if you are sensitive to caffeine wondering if these might not be a good idea before bedtime.

Dwayne B

Response from Go Dairy Free

Chocolate naturally has a small amount of caffeine. 1 ounce of dark chocolate has about 12mg of caffeine. That’s less than half the amount in a cup of green tea. These bars have much less than an ounce of chocolate (just a fraction of an ounce). I would guess there is maybe 2 or 3 milligrams in one of these bars.

Very helpful and informative

Rated 5 out of 5

April 16, 2021

I just started dairy-free eating and was thrilled to learn one of the two kind bars I had in my house was already dairy-free! I like having the list of the many flavors I can try.

Darlene Mnatzaganian

Delicious

Rated 5 out of 5

July 17, 2020

Really tasty full of goodness not naughty but really nice

Maria mollazadeh

A huge assortment of flavors

Rated 5 out of 5

February 13, 2020

Though known as their “classic” line, traditional Kind Bars now come in a huge assortment of flavors within three major categories: Fruit & Nut, Plus, and Nuts & Spices. Tony took to these bars years ago at a trade show where he needed a gluten-free snack, and they’ve become a go-to during travel for him ever since. They’re all rather chunky, sticky, and wholesome, but the flavor profiles and nutritional make-up of each bar varies a good bit. See our tasting notes for select dairy-free varieties in this post.

Alisa Fleming