In September of last year I reviewed a new natural protein bar company called Low Kalz. The brand expanded from small snack-size bars to big paleo breakfast muffins available through Etsy, and they sent me a pack of each flavor to sample. The two flavors they turned into muffins just so happened to be my favorites – Banana Chocolate and Tropical Blueberry. As with the bars the muffins are preservative free and made with few ingredients, most notably almond flour, bananas, and eggs.

Banana and chocolate are a wonderful match, and it’s no surprise that what worked in the bar also works in the muffin. The taste is almost identical to the bar I had last year so I’m going to quote myself on the description. “The flavor is sharp and sweet with an authentic banana presence that finishes with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Even though there’s no apple listed in the ingredients I also get a bit of apple-esque acidity that pokes through in the general fruity sweetness. The chocolate chips add a nice semi-sweet pop of contrast, and as someone who’s always loved banana and chocolate together the combo really works for me.” In the bigger muffin format the cinnamon really jumps out, and the sweet and spicy combination is really great.

I also found that the Tropical Blueberry was dialed in almost exactly as I remember as well, so I will quote myself again! “Immediately I get hit with huge tangy orange aroma and flavor that positively jumps out of the package. The blueberries make me think of muffins and my mind shifts to a wonderful blueberry citrus scone I’ve had in the past, channeling that flavor-memory in the best way.  It’s tangy and tart, but unlike cranberries, the blueberries add a nice extra burst of sweetness that work really wonderfully with the bold citrus notes.” This flavor profile, which was initially good in a bar, is GREAT in a muffin. There are tons of blueberries and the citrus notes are huge. Blueberries work so well in muffin’s that I would eat this in lieu of a regular all purpose flour muffin even if dietary impact wasn’t a factor.

The game changer here is the size and texture. The smaller Low Kalz bars had a bit of a problem staying together, and these muffins hold up very well. They’re towering and dense with tons of moisture and big pops of flavor. Keep in mind the overall texture is very different than your average gluten-filled muffin, and the usual fluffiness is replaced with a moist dense interior. I don’t find it to be off putting but it could be odd for someone not accustomed to things made with almond flour. The sweetness is on point, and I’m happy to say the price is very on point as well. A pack of 4 muffins will cost you about $8 with free shipping, and at $2 per muffin, for approximately 200 calories and 20 grams of carbs, there is no way you can go wrong. The only thing that would make these muffins better is if they had a bigger hit of protein, but you can’t win ‘em all.

I do want to point out, though, that there is a major discrepancy with the labeling. The nutrition states that each muffin is a serving, with 4 per container weighing 80 grams, but the muffins are huge, and each weigh over 150 grams, meaning each muffin is actually two servings. The math still works out to be very favorable for people watching their carbohydrate intake, but Low Kalz need to be cautious when publishing facts for customers who are largely heath conscious.

Rating: 9/10

Found at: Etsy

Nutrition for 80g, or half a muffin:

Banana Chocolate: 90 cal – 6g fat – 10mg sodium – 8g carbs – 2g fiber – 3g sugar – 3g protein

Tropical Blueberry: 110 cal – 6g fat – 10mg sodium – 12g carb – 2g fiber – 7g sugar – 3g protein