Under the microscope: the Pumpkin Spice creatine bar

Ingredient by ingredient

We're still following one of our own rules: short lists you can actually read. It has dates, almonds, gluten-free oats, pea protein isolate, walnuts, creatine monohydrate, chicory root fibre, pumpkin, cinnamon and natural flavouring. It's worth understanding what each one is doing in there.

• Dates: the base of the bar and its only source of sweetness. They're what give it that dense, chewy texture and what let the bar go without added sugars. The sugars declared per bar come from here, not from added sugar.
• Almonds and walnuts: fat, texture and the toasted note that balances the sweetness of the date. The walnuts are this edition's signature.
• Gluten-free oats: structure and slower-releasing carbohydrate. It's oats processed on a gluten-free line, which is why the bar can be declared gluten-free without ambiguity.
• Pea protein isolate: the source of the 8g of protein. We chose pea isolate over whey for two reasons: it keeps the bar 100% plant-based, and an isolate carries fewer residual carbohydrates than a concentrate, which leaves more room for the real ingredients.
• Creatine monohydrate: 3g per bar, worked into the bar itself. It's the most studied form of creatine and the one European law recognises. It doesn't come in a separate sachet or as a powder on the side: it's inside the bar, the way you already know it from us.
• Chicory root fibre: this is what brings the fibre to the product. It also works on texture, giving body without adding sugar.
• Pumpkin and cinnamon: the autumn profile we kept promising.

Functionally, they're equivalent. Same creatine, same dose, same protein, same price. If you eat one bar a day, you can switch without adjusting anything.

3g of creatine — the magic number

3g per bar isn't a number picked at random. It's exactly the daily threshold European law requires before you can talk about creatine's effect on physical performance.

Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 authorises a single claim for creatine, and it comes with an explicit condition of use: the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3g. Below that, the claim cannot be made.

In practice, that means one bar a day. Not half a bar, not one every other day. It also means there's no talk of loading phases here; for the authorised effect, what counts is consistent daily intake.

Nutritional values

Frequently asked questions

Does the Pumpkin Spice bar taste of pumpkin?

Not the way you're imagining. The profile is warm spice, with the pumpkin giving body and a soft earthy base note. It's closer to a cinnamon cake than to a bowl of pumpkin soup.

How much creatine is in the Pumpkin Spice bar?

3g of creatine monohydrate per 50g bar, worked into the bar itself. It's the same amount as in the other two CORIAL creatine bars.

Can I swap my usual bar for this one?

Yes, with no adjustment at all. Same creatine, same dose, same protein, same price. It's a straight swap.

Is the bar vegan?

It is. The protein isolate is from peas and there are no ingredients of animal origin. It's also gluten-free, with oats processed on a gluten-free line.

Is it any use if I don't train?

The authorised creatine claim refers to adults performing high-intensity exercise, so that's the context where it makes most sense. As a snack, it's still a date and almond bar with 8g of protein and a high fibre content.

Will it come back next year?

It's an autumn edition, so it leaves the catalogue when the season ends. If it returns, it will be at the same time of year.