Built Brands Teams With the Minions for Movie Tie-In Protein Puff Bars

Built Brands, the company behind Built Bar and the marshmallow-textured Built Puff, has launched a limited-edition collaboration with the Despicable Me franchise's upcoming film, Minions & Monsters. The tie-in includes two Built Puff products: a Minions-branded reskin of the existing Banana Cream Pie flavor, and a brand-new Mystery Flavor that the company won't fully reveal.

Built describes the Mystery Flavor only as sweet and crisp with a nostalgic "throwback-worthy" taste and it's challenging fans to guess. The product's ingredient list points to candy pieces with citric, phosphoric, and malic acids, suggesting something tart and candy-like rather than a straightforward dessert flavor. Both products keep the standard Built Puff build: a soft, airy center similar to marshmallow, a chocolatey coating, and roughly 15 to 17 grams of protein from a collagen and whey blend.

The collaboration is available now at Built's online store, with the branded Banana Cream Pie and Mystery Flavor sold in four-bar packs for $10 each, or together in a 12-piece variety box for $29.99 that includes six of each. Minions & Monsters arrives in theaters July 1, putting the launch about a month ahead of the film's release.

This is a notable shift in how Built markets itself. The brand has built its catalog mostly on classic dessert and candy flavor names like churro, s'mores, cookie dough, and peanut butter cup rather than licensed entertainment tie-ins. Partnering with a major theatrical release is a different play, trading on a blockbuster's marketing muscle and timing rather than flavor nostalgia alone. The Minions franchise in particular skews toward families and younger audiences, which widens Built's reach beyond the gym-and-macros crowd that typically buys protein bars.

The Mystery Flavor mechanic is the smart part. Withholding the flavor turns a routine product drop into a low-cost engagement campaign where fans guess, post, and debate, generating social buzz that a normal flavor launch wouldn't. It's a tactic snack and candy brands use often, and applying it to a high-protein bar is an easy way for Built to stand out in a crowded category.

The collab reflects how thoroughly protein has crossed into mainstream snack territory. A Minions movie tie-in is the kind of licensing deal you'd expect on cereal, fruit snacks, or candy and not a protein bar. Built slotting itself into that world signals that high-protein products are now competing for the same shelf space, the same impulse buys, and the same pop-culture moments as traditional treats.

It also fits a packed stretch of entertainment-driven food collaborations in 2026, from Dr. Squatch's The Boys soap to a wave of branded snack tie-ins timed to summer releases. For Built, the bet is that aligning with a family blockbuster can introduce its products to consumers who wouldn't normally browse the protein aisle — and that a little mystery is enough to get people talking.