Olive oil has been branching out lately. Once content to hang around pasta, salad dressing, and a good loaf of bread, it’s since made its way into coffee, ice cream, cakes, and plenty of places that could quite reasonably raise eyebrows.

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So, what’s next? Protein bars, it seems.

B.T.R. Nation has teamed up with Greek olive oil brand Kosterina to launch a limited-edition Lemon Olive Oil Cake PROTEIN+ Bar. And yes, there is real extra virgin olive oil in there.

The new bar is supposed to channel a slice of lemon olive oil cake, except this version has 15 grams of plant protein and comes in a wrapper you can throw into your gym bag. Dessert is now ready to work out with you.

Made With Real EVOO

The limited-edition bar is made with Kosterina Organic Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil, along with cashew butter, pea protein, lemon, honey, and vanilla.

B.T.R. Nation describes the texture as soft and nut-buttery rather than chewy, while the flavor takes its cues from lemon olive oil cake. The brand says it’s bright and citrusy with the richer flavor of olive oil underneath.

Each bar packs 15 grams of plant-based protein and 7 grams of fiber, with no added refined sugar. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and contains no sugar alcohols or stevia.

And while extra virgin olive oil isn’t the first ingredient I’d expect to see when flipping over a protein bar, it makes more sense once you get past the gym-snack packaging. Olive oil cakes have been around for a very long time, and lemon and olive oil are already well acquainted. B.T.R. Nation has just added pea protein and invited them to the gym.

Are Olive Oil Snacks About To Become A Thing?

We’ve already watched olive oil creep into foods and drinks that don’t traditionally come with a bottle of EVOO sitting nearby.

Starbucks launched its Oleato line of olive oil-infused coffee in 2023. Olive oil on vanilla ice cream has become its own sweet-and-savory dessert combination. And olive oil cakes have been enjoying plenty of attention too.

Now there’s an olive oil protein bar.

I’m not saying your snack cupboard is about to fill up with olive oil granola bars, cookies, and whatever else brands can drizzle it into. But we’ve seen stranger ingredients suddenly become the food trend of the year.

The Lemon Olive Oil Cake PROTEIN+ Bar is available now from B.T.R. Nation and Kosterina as a limited-edition release. A 12-pack costs $44.99, which works out to about $3.75 per bar.

Will olive oil protein bars become the next big thing? No idea. But if we’re eating EVOO-flavored everything this time next year, I would like it noted that the protein bars tried to warn us.