PowerBar Energize Muffin Powder Mix

Energize Muffin Powder Mix is a tasty alternative method for pre-ride carbohydrate loading from PowerBar, but the texture leaves a little to be desired.

PowerBar has bolstered its energy source options for cyclists with this muffin mix, which is designed to give users a cake-like carbohydrate source for before and, it says, during exercise.

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So, how does it work? Incredibly simply, actually: all you need is a shaker, and you're good to go. Included in the box are the muffin cups you need and three powder sachets that need mixing with 80ml of water. Pour that thick mix into the cups, and bake for 17 minutes (or microwave for 40 seconds). Really, very easy indeed.

Bake Off enthusiasts will probably mock at this point, and they might be justified. While it's called a 'muffin mix', and creates muffin-like structures, the texture is slightly damp and sticky, rather than light and fluffy. The ingredients list includes flour and raising agent (read: baking powder) as well as a mix of maltodextrin and fructose for your carbohydrate source, so does have a structure that at least partly resembles a traditional muffin mix, but they're not doppelgangers for real muffins in terms of texture – so aren't too appealing as a regular snack source.

You can try to whip them up in a bowl at the mixing stage to inject some extra air into them, but the mixture isn't particularly good at retaining that air, thanks to its simple water-based nature. What you can do, though, is add your own ingredients – nuts, seeds and dried fruit are all suitable – so you can boost the textural interest this way, as well as add to the nutritional profile.

Where they differ from normal muffins is in their nutritional focus, perhaps unsurprisingly. Unlike your usual café muffins, you'll find only 0.7g of fat per muffin, with 22g of carbohydrate (or which 11g are sugars) for energy stocking. That's far less fat than any usual muffin generally available. As a result, the nutrition is more specific for cyclists' needs, and to be honest that's what really matters in a world dominated by carb-based processed energy bars, gel products and drinks.

In reality, they do seem to give a good energy boost, and are extremely tasty in the chocolate flavour on test (they're also available in caramel-vanilla). The mixture is super sweet, and after baking retains that sweetness. I found it a little counter-intuitive to eat a chocolate muffin before a ride to load up, but I can't deny its effectiveness, parallel with consuming an energy bar before a ride, or indeed a jam sandwich.

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One area they can't beat wrapped bars and gels is in portability. While PowerBar claims the muffins are also suitable for use during rides, I can't see how you'll be able to make them last. You certainly couldn't carry a normal muffin in your back pocket, and the same applies here, especially with the slightly gooey texture – you're just going to end up with a brown mess in your back pocket.

They also won't last as long in general in your cake tin/bread bin, the giveaway being the 'finished muffins are stable for approx. 2 days and can be frozen' sentence on the side of the box. Freezing them seems slightly pointless – just make what you need, when you need. And, in any case, when you defrost them they naturally don't come back as structurally strong as they were when fresh.

Out of a box, I can get 12 decent sized muffins (four per sachet; around 30g of carbs), and given the cost of £9.99 for a box, including the cups, works out at around 83p per serving – which to be honest is pretty good value when you consider that energy bars of a similar content can be anything up to £2 per bar.

As a result, as a pre-ride alternative snack, PowerBar's muffins are a good carbohydrate source and not crazily expensive. They taste great, but won't last particularly long once made, and the slightly sticky texture won't appeal to baking aficionados. And, because you can't easily transport them for use during a ride, their window of usefulness is slightly limited compared to claims.

Still, we're talking about an alternative energy source here, and for that they certainly deliver.

Verdict

Carbohydrate-filled, tasty and novel, but not really suitable for on the road