9 MadeGood Granola Snacks Ranked

MadeGood is a brand that is all about producing wholesome, allergen-free snacks. The company, operated by three siblings, is committed to purity, inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability. Its granola snacks are made in a dedicated nut-free facility, using organic, certified gluten-free oats. These snacks are fortified with a proprietary blend of fruit and vegetable extracts to increase their nutrition.

These highly thoughtful snacks reflect an equally enlightened corporation. Not only is MadeGood a Certified B Corporation, which requires organizations to meet stringent social and environmental standards, but it is also a TRUE Zero Waste business. This program requires that 90% of the waste produced by a company is reused, recycled, composted, and recovered for use in nature or the economy.

These high standards made us even more critical when sampling the company's granola snacks. We set out to rank them from least to favorite, considering aroma, texture, and, most importantly, flavor. We must say that we had high expectations, and they delivered from beginning to end.

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Vanilla Drizzled Cookies & Creme Crunchy Oat Bites

The one consistent comment we had across the board with these snacks was that, for the most part, we could not taste the supplemental fruit and vegetable extracts, which quite frankly concerned us when we read they were added. A food manufacturer often attempts to make a product more nutrient-dense by fortifying it. This can backfire and give otherwise tasty products very off-putting aftertastes. This was not the case here.

At the bottom of our list of MadeGood bars were the Vanilla Drizzled Crunchy Oat Bites Cookies & Creme. Each package contains 120 calories, 6 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. These started well with a bold chocolate aroma that was quite pleasant. The texture of these is like little crispy and crunchy malt balls, which was fun but not granola-like.

The flavor is where we kind of lost interest. The oat bites were like cocoa powder bombs, with hints of bitterness and a strong rice aftertaste. They also had a slightly chalky texture that left a residue on our tongues. They weren't bad, but we were left wanting something more.

Birthday Cake Flavor Chocolate Drizzled Crunchy Oat Bites

Next to last on our list of MadeGood granola snacks were the Chocolate Drizzled Crunchy Oat Bites Birthday Cake Flavor. These were similar in texture to the Cookies & Cream variety but much crunchier. This gave them a bit more granola bar-like texture, which we preferred.

They had a strong chocolate aroma, with a hint of sweetness that wafted out of the bag after opening it. The flavor of these is slightly sweeter than some of the other varieties of MadeGood products. This is tempered by a good hit of salt that shines through. There is a faint amount of bitterness that either comes from the vegetable extracts or the fact that all the sprinkle-like bits are colored with natural dyes instead of artificial ones, including beet powder, purple sweet potato powder, and spirulina extract.

Each package of these bites contains 120 calories, 6 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. While we enjoyed these, they weren't as well executed as some of the other products we sampled.

Strawberry Granola Minis

Up next in our ranking is MadeGood's Granola Minis Strawberry. This snack was good, but it perplexed us slightly. The aroma began quite strawberry-forward but quickly yielded to cherry. We didn't understand why until we read there is cherry juice in the ingredients. This wasn't necessarily bad, but it did dilute the strawberry somewhat.

The texture of these bite-sized mini bars started crunchy and finished chewy. Their flavor was not particularly sweet, which we appreciated. We did feel that the oats overpowered the taste of the strawberry, which was more pronounced in the aroma. There was a slight aftertaste that we initially thought was vanilla. In hindsight, it was likely the apple juice and pieces listed in the ingredients.

Each pouch has 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 5 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. While we enjoyed these, strawberry was not the prominent flavor the way it should have been.

Mornings Chocolate Chip Soft Baked Oat Bar

The Chocolate Chip variety was our least favorite among the Mornings Soft Baked Oat Bars. This surprised us since we usually love chocolate. In this case, some of the other fruity flavors edged out this snack. The aroma was very date-forward. It almost reminded us of a Fig Newton at first sniff. The texture is soft but somewhat grainy, perhaps because of the chia seeds. The taste of this bar is sweet but not overly so. While you can taste the chocolate, it is less prominent than we would have liked.

We noted a hint of bitterness to this particular bar that lingered a touch. There was also a bit of a chalky residue that coated our tongue. It was not a deal breaker, but the primary reason we ranked this variety where we did. That said, with 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein, we most certainly would eat these bars again.

Mornings Cinnamon Bun Soft Baked Oat Bars

Next on our ranking is the Mornings Flavor Soft Baked Oat Bars Cinnamon Bun bars. Each bar has 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. These snacks have a marvelous cinnamon aroma, mimicking a cinnamon bun sans icing. The texture of this bar is soft and perhaps slightly on the dry side.

A vegan white chocolate is drizzled over the top of the bar that seeks to replace the icing on a cinnamon bun but doesn't necessarily taste like it. The bar itself has a notable date flavor that somewhat mutes the cinnamon. The sea salt acts as a juxtaposition to the sweetness of this bar, balancing it out quite nicely.

While a hint of residual bitterness lingers from this bar after eating it, it isn't aggressive and doesn't overwhelm you. All in all, this is a tasty snack. It just doesn't capture the essence of a cinnamon bun quite as well as we had hoped, which is why it landed in fifth place.

Mixed Berry Granola Bar

The Mixed Berry flavor Granola Bars from MadeGood are a more classic-style granola bar. They have a crisp texture and crunchiness, conferred by the gluten-free oats and brown rice crisps. They also have a hint of chew from raisins, cranberries, currants, and dried raspberries. Unlike some more well-known brands of granola bars, these are moist and don't crumble, which we welcome.

The aroma of this bar is quite berry-forward and has a hint of a floral earthiness from the agave syrup. The flavor of this bar is not overly sweet and quite oat-forward. While you taste the berries, they aren't the primary flavor in these bars. We might have enjoyed a more distinct berry profile.

Like the other bars, we appreciated the hint of salt, tempering the sweetness, and the fact that you got the added nutrition from the vegetable extracts without any lingering vegetable flavor. These were solid granola bars that we enjoyed. At just 100 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein per bar, they are a snack you can feel good about.

Chocolate Chip Granola Bar

The Chocolate Chip variety of classic MadeGood Granola Bars ranked in third place. Each bar has 100 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. These are also more moist than traditional granola bars but slightly firmer than the mixed berry variety. They were still nice and chewy but had a hint of crunch that was quite satisfying.

The aroma of these bars is very chocolatey and less redolent with the agave syrup. The syrup comes through slightly in the flavor but isn't too sweet. Interestingly, the chocolate may be the star in the smell department but is less pronounced in the taste. The oats shine through initially, with just a hint of bitterness juxtaposed with a bite of salt. The chocolate pops out toward the end and lingers in the aftertaste.

This granola bar is quite a roller coaster of a sensory experience with myriad flavors and textures to titillate your taste buds. The only reason it didn't rank higher was that we wanted a hint of more chocolate to permeate the taste department. That said, we'd give these a solid A grade.

Chocolate Drizzled Birthday Cake Flavor Granola Bar

Our second favorite MadeGood snack was the Chocolate Drizzled Granola Bars Birthday Cake Flavor. Each bar has 110 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. We mentioned earlier that we love chocolate but were missing a consistent chocolate presence throughout the taste experience. We finally got that with this bar.

From the moment you open the packaging, chocolate is the star. This bar is also visually appealing, with the bright, naturally dyed sprinkles generously dotted throughout. The texture is slightly crunchy, with a moist chewiness that is spot on.

The flavor of this bar finally screams chocolate. While you can taste the oats and a hint of bitterness from the natural dyes, the pervasive flavor profile is chocolate-forward. The bar is perfectly balanced in aroma, texture, flavor, and fun to hit us in our happy spot. We give this a solid A grade.

Mornings Blueberry Soft Baked Oat Bar

Our best in show goes to the MadeGood Flavor Mornings Soft Baked Oat Bars Blueberry variety. This was not even a close contest, which surprised us because we usually prefer traditional granola bars in terms of texture and are chocaholics. That said, this bar was executed to perfection.

If you love blueberries, you will love this bar. The aroma of fresh berries clobbers you over the head from the first sniff after opening the packaging. The texture of this bar is of the soft, chewy variety rather than crunchy. It is perfectly moist and has zero residual chalkiness or grittiness. The flavor is simple, delicate, and yet somehow complex. The tartness of the blueberry is perfectly balanced by ample sweetness.

These snacks contain 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Like some of the other bars, they are also loaded with nutrients thanks to the fruit and vegetable extracts with significant percentages of vitamins D, A, E, and thiamin. Overall, this bar gets an enthusiastic A+ from us.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.