FØRTE launches 10-gram protein frozen bars in Texas Costco stores

FØRTE put its Chocolate Fudge natural chocolate flavored frozen bars into select Costco Texas warehouses on June 18, betting 10 grams of protein and just eight ingredients can win more than one impulse buy. Each bar carries 20% of the daily value for protein, 11 grams of carbs, premium dual protein and none of the usual sweetener crutches, with no erythritol, allulose, stevia or artificial sweeteners. The company also says the format delivers 3.64 grams of protein per fluid ounce, one of the higher protein densities in the category.

Texas is a serious proving ground for a warehouse launch. Costco lists 45 warehouses in the state, and its new-locations page shows Mansfield, Texas, as a coming-soon site for August 2026, underscoring that the market is still expanding while FØRTE is on shelf. That gives Forte Foods a wide regional footprint to test whether a protein frozen bar can move beyond the gym cooler and earn a place in a value-driven freezer set where shoppers read the box as closely as they taste it.

The timing lines up with a frozen aisle that is already leaning harder into protein. Mintel pegs the U.S. ice cream and frozen novelties market at just over $19 billion, says 85% of consumers agree ice cream feels fun, and finds that 52% of ice cream buyers alternate between full-calorie and better-for-you options. Conagra Brands, in its 2026 Future of Frozen Food report, says protein-packed meals are one of the key forces driving growth in the U.S. frozen aisle and sizes the U.S. frozen food market at $93.5 billion.

FØRTE is not entering that space alone, but it is pushing the protein bar farther up the indulgence ladder than some familiar warehouse competitors. Costco lists Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars Cookies n’ Cream at 90 calories and 5 grams of protein per bar, which shows how established the better-for-you frozen treat lane already is and how aggressively FØRTE is trying to differentiate on protein content. Forte Foods says additional Costco regions and grocery retailers are coming in fall 2026, turning the Texas run into the first stage of a broader rollout rather than a one-off shelf drop.