How to use Phoenix Bars: high calorie bars eaten whole, in pieces or as porridge

In this guide

Written by James Frost, founder of Flaming Phoenix. Updated October 2026.

Quick answer: There are three ways to eat a Phoenix Bar: straight from the wrapper, broken into pieces and eaten over a few hours, or crumbled into hot water or warm milk and stirred into a porridge. Each carries up to 557 calories in a compact, lightweight 120g bar, so it is often easier to eat one in stages.

This page is the practical manual for Phoenix Bars: what is in each flavour, the three ways to eat them, how much and how often for long days, how to use them when appetite is low, and how to store them. The trade-off is price: at £5.25 a bar they cost more per calorie than a supermarket flapjack, and they are built for situations where weight, space or appetite is the limit. Between meals, they also work as high calorie bars for weight gain. They are sold in 21 countries, and I pack every order myself in London.

What is in a Phoenix Bar?

Every Phoenix Bar is an oat-based bar of 120g, made in the UK, with up to 557 calories, up to 66g of carbohydrate and 18 to 19g of protein, which makes it a source of protein. The table shows each flavour, per bar, as printed on the product page in October 2026.

FlavourCaloriesCarbohydrateProtein
Cherry Bakewell55760g18g
Vanilla55266g18g
Chocolate53362g19g
Ginger53165g18g
Salted Caramel52964g18g
Apple & Cinnamon52966g18g

The main ingredients in every flavour are gluten-free rolled oats (26% to 32% of the recipe), glucose syrup, sugar, coconut oil, soy protein isolate, pea protein crisps, rapeseed oil, gluten-free oat flour and glycerine, plus each flavour's own additions: almonds and cherry flavouring in Cherry Bakewell, dark chocolate drops and cocoa in Chocolate, dried apple pieces and cinnamon in Apple & Cinnamon, ground ginger in Ginger and sea salt in Salted Caramel. All six are vegan and gluten-free. Allergens: soy in every flavour, almonds in Cherry Bakewell, and sulphites in Vanilla and Apple & Cinnamon; the label also says they may contain nuts, eggs, sesame, peanuts and milk.

Three ways to eat a Phoenix Bar

Whole, straight from the wrapper

The simplest way: unwrap it and eat it, as a breakfast before a long day or a meal on the move. It is soft and dense, so a sip of water between bites helps. At up to 557 calories it is a lot of food in one go, which is why many people prefer the next method.

In pieces, over a few hours

Break or cut the bar into pieces and eat one at a time. Halves, thirds or sixths all work; a sixth is about 20g and carries 10 to 11g of carbohydrate. Derrick McCourt, who used them as his breakfast every day of the Marathon des Sables, worked out his own rhythm: "Found that if I cut it in half and took half before starting and then nibbled another quarter each subsequent hour that staved off hunger." Keep the pieces in the wrapper or a small bag so they are easy to reach.

As a porridge

Crumble the bar into a mug or bowl, add hot water or warm milk a little at a time and stir until it breaks down, then leave it a minute and add more liquid if you like it thinner. Milk makes a richer porridge; water is what you will have on a trail or in a tent. Maria Roberts tried it at a multi-day ultra: "I used tepid water to break it down and it didn't take long to turn into a kind of porridge." She found it thick and noted she could simply add more water. Paul Blinstone, at the Marathon des Sables, broke a bar into a bag the night before, added a little water, let it soak overnight and added a little more water in the morning. My guide to high calorie porridge has other ways to make a bowl go further.

How many should you eat, and how often?

For long efforts, plan by carbohydrate per hour. Asker Jeukendrup's review in Sports Medicine (2014) suggests up to about 60g of carbohydrate an hour for efforts of 2 to 3 hours and about 90g an hour for ultra-endurance events, from a mix of carbohydrate sources, with lower amounts when the pace is easy. A whole bar carries up to 66g, so even one bar an hour sits at the lower end for an ultra, and on long efforts it makes sense to pair pieces of bar with drinks, gels or other food.

The table shows common ways customers have described using them, with the carbohydrate worked out from the bar's label (up to 66g per bar).

SituationHowCarbohydrate
Long run, ride or hike of a few hoursBreak into six pieces; one piece every 20 to 30 minutesAbout 10 to 11g a piece, 20 to 33g an hour
Ultra or 24-hour eventCut into thirds; one third every 20 minutes (one customer's method on the Grand Union Canal Race)Up to 66g an hour
Multi-day event breakfastA whole bar as porridgeUp to 66g
Day walk lunchHalf a barUp to 33g
Low-appetite day at homeA few small pieces between meals, or half a bar as porridgeNo target; whatever is comfortable

For race-specific plans, see my guides to the best foods for ultra running and the best energy bars for expeditions.

Using them when appetite is low

When appetite is limited, nothing has to be eaten in one sitting. Leave a bar within reach and break off a small piece when you feel like it, or make half a bar into a soft porridge with warm milk, which takes almost no chewing. If you feel full after a few mouthfuls, my guide to why you get full so fast explains how to time drinks and meals around it.

How should you store and carry them?

Store them somewhere cool and dry, in their wrappers. Shelf life is up to two years from production (Cherry Bakewell up to 12 months), and the date on the wrapper is a best before date. GOV.UK explains that after a best before date food is usually safe to eat but may not be of the same quality. In a pack, keep them in an outside pocket or hip belt so you can eat without stopping. Customers have eaten them on a South Pole expedition at minus 45°C and through the Marathon des Sables; the experience in your own conditions is the one to trust, so try them in training first.

What does a pack cost?

Every bundle is priced at £5.25 a bar, with no bundle discount, and orders are hand-packed and posted within 1 working day. The table shows the mixed packs on the product page.

BundleBarsFlavoursPrice
Short-Term Bundle6One of each£31.50
Starter Bundle12Two of each£63
Essential Bundle18Three of each£94.50
Complete Bundle36Six of each£189

Frequently asked questions

Do Phoenix Bars need cooking?

No. They are ready to eat from the wrapper. The porridge method only needs hot water or warm milk stirred in, and some customers use cold or tepid water when they have no stove. There is nothing to heat on a hob, which helps on a trail and on days when cooking smells put you off food.

Can you eat a whole Phoenix Bar in one go?

Yes. Some people have one as a breakfast before a long day. It is up to 557 calories, which is a lot of food at once, so many find it easier to eat in pieces over a couple of hours or to make it into porridge. Drink some water alongside, because the bar is dense.

Can Phoenix Bars help with weight gain?

They can add calories between meals without a bigger plate. The NHS suggests adults trying to gain weight add around 300 to 500 extra calories a day and eat smaller meals more often with snacks between them. Half a bar is about 265 to 279 calories and a whole bar 529 to 557. My guide to the best energy bars for weight gain compares the options, and how to gain weight covers the wider plan.

Are Phoenix Bars vegan and gluten-free?

Yes, all six flavours are vegan and made with gluten-free oats. Check the allergens: every flavour contains soy, Cherry Bakewell contains almonds, and Vanilla and Apple & Cinnamon contain sulphites. The label also says they may contain nuts, eggs, sesame, peanuts and milk, so read the label carefully if you have a food allergy.

How often can Phoenix Bars be eaten?

They are a food, so there is no fixed limit; use them as part of a varied diet. On long days customers have eaten two or three (one runner had three over a 22-mile run), while on a normal day one bar, or part of one between meals, is usually enough. If you are unsure what suits your situation, email me.

Sources: nutrition and ingredients from the Phoenix Bars product page (October 2026); Jeukendrup, A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise, Sports Medicine (2014); GOV.UK, best before and use-by dates; NHS, healthy ways to gain weight.

Buy Phoenix Bars

A mountaineer on a snowy summit holding up a Phoenix Bar

Big calories. Small bar.

Up to 557 calories in a compact, lightweight bar of only 120g, with up to 66g of carbs and 19g of protein. Eat it whole, break it into pieces over a few hours, or stir it into hot water or warm milk for porridge.

Easy to eat, easy to digest and not sickly sweet. Customers have eaten them at -45°C and through the heat of the Marathon des Sables, and they keep for up to 2 years, so they work on a mountain, on a night shift, or at home on days when eating enough feels hard.

  • 557 calories in only 120g (529 to 557 by flavour)
  • 4.6 calories per gram
  • 66g carbs per bar (up to)
  • 19g protein per bar (up to)
Choose a bundle
4.9 from 391 reviewsHand-packed and posted within 1 working day
See all bundles and flavours