I Tried All the New Protein Pop-Tarts—Here’s How They Compare to the Originals

If you’ve been noticing a prominent uptick in high-protein alternatives to your favorite snacks, your observation would be valid. Not too long ago, we found out Pop-Tarts was joining the party and dropping its very own line of protein pastries that included three of its most recognizable flavors.

Protein is an important part of daily nutrition, and while putting protein into something doesn’t automatically make it healthy, it does help bring some much-needed protein into our diets. Especially for those looking for a protein-packed breakfast. So as a chronic gym-goer and overall Pop-Tarts enthusiast, I was positively thrilled to hear the news.

I was given the honorable opportunity to try the brand-new protein flavors as part of their retail rollout. Here’s how they compare to the original flavors they’re inspired by.

Pop-Tarts Protein Slammin’ Strawberry vs. Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry

Don’t come at me for this: Strawberry is my least favorite of the flavor bunch. I’m sorry, it had to be said. I grew up as a Wild Berry lover, but sadly, that option isn’t available yet. That being said, I may have been slightly biased going into this taste test. But I assure you, my mind was open.

Overall, I noticed that all the original flavors were much sweeter than their protein counterparts. However, with Slammin’ Strawberry, I could taste an underlying beat of chalky bitterness. If you’ve had a protein bar before, you may know the kind of chalky texture I’m talking about. It still tasted like strawberry, and the frosting still had a good presence. The pastry outside tasted identical. However, the sugary element of the filling that makes Pop-Tarts so special is quietly subdued, so just keep that in mind should you decide to pick up a box.

Pop-Tarts Protein Boostin’ Brown Sugar Cinnamon vs. Pop-Tarts Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon

Moving on, the Boostin’ Brown Sugar Cinnamon tasted much better to me. While the chalky bitterness was still kind of lingering after the initial bite, I couldn’t find much of a difference between the two after a few good chomps. Brown Sugar Cinnamon was the flavor that best represented my high school days. It was the flavor that was available in our cafeteria in the mornings, so I remember it fondly. While I’m not as crazy about the non-fruit flavors of Pop-Tarts, this one sits pretty high up the chain. It’s not too sweet and the brown sugar doesn’t overwhelm, although I’m usually only able to eat one of the two pastries. The Boostin’ Brown Sugar Cinnamon was my second favorite of the protein-infused flavors.

Pop-Tarts Protein Bumpin’ Blueberry vs. Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry

I’ve grown to love all things blueberry. When I was younger, I couldn’t stand the taste, but now I pop them in my mouth by the handful! Next to Wild Berry, Frosted Blueberry is my favorite Pop-Tart flavor. And, as luck would have it, I found the least taste difference between the Bumpin’ Blueberry and the original. Honestly, I found almost no difference at all. The best way to describe the slight change in flavor is that the protein pastries have a bit of a darker taste. Not as bright and sweet, which is usually how protein-added snacks end up tasting 99% of the time. I’d absolutely buy a box of these for myself for a quick on-the-go munch!

Related:

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• This Is The Frosting I’ll Be Using for All My Holiday Baking