Cereal Bars
Seriously delicious and easy! These 3 ingredient cereal bars are so easy to make, taste like your favorite cereal plus a healthy caramel and your favorite add-ins!
Today, I’m showing you how to make cereal bars without marshmallows that happen to be healthy and super easy to make.
Why? Well, who doesn’t love cereal and sweet bar-shaped treats? 🙂 I find that these bars are so easy to whip up and even easier to pack as an easy snack to go.
You can easily customize this cereal bar recipe with your favorite cereal, be it Honey O’s or a keto fave like Catalina Crunch.
Cereal Bar Ingredients
All you need are 3 simple ingredients to make these cereal bars: peanut butter, maple syrup, and cereal.
- Peanut Butter – swap with almond butter, cashew butter, or a seed butter.
- Maple Syrup – Honey would work too.
- Cereal – I loved using whole wheat Cheerios in this recipe, but feel free to use your fave cereal, as long as it doesn’t have too much coating (some with cinnamon sugar coatings can make the bars crumbly.)
- Optional: you can top your cereal bars with dried fruit, chocolate chips, or seeds.
In the mood for more bars? Try my Peanut Butter Granola Bars, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Frozen Yogurt Bars.
What is a Cereal Bar?
A cereal bar is a breakfast meal or snack that’s made with a base of cereal held together by a sweetener. It can include add-ins like fruit, nuts, and seeds.
If you’re looking for another no bake snack you can easily customize, try my Energy Balls {11 Ways!} and this deliciously chewy Granola Bars Recipe.
Are Cereal Bars Healthy?
Cereal bars can be healthy, depending on the ingredients that the bars are made with.
If you make cereal bars with marshmallows, candies, and loads of chocolate dip, then they might not be considered the healthiest.
But if you make this with today’s ingredients: simple peanut butter, maple syrup, and a healthier cereal, then they’re healthy.
How to Make Cereal Bars
I love taking you through, step-by-step with photos and simple instructions. That way, you’ll have no trouble making this simple cereal bars recipe.
Remember to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact instructions and measurements.
First, line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper—either will do.
Then, go to the freezer and make sure there is space for this pan. You’ll need it later on; for now, put the pan on the counter at room temperature.
Now, let’s get started on the sticky, sweet mixture that holds the cereal bars together!
Add peanut butter and maple syrup to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
Then, heat in 20-second increments until warm and fragrant.
Grab your favorite cereal and add it to the bowl.
You’ll stir and fold it all together to create the sticky cereal bar mixture.
You’re done once all cereal pieces are fully coated in the sweet mixture.
Setting your bowl of cereal bar mixture over the lined baking pan, carefully transfer the mixture into the pan.
Then, smooth the mixture into an even and tightly-packed mixture.
Optionally, you can press toppings into the tops of the bars.
I chose chopped freeze-dried raspberries and white chocolate chips (so yummy!).
Chill cereal bars in the freezer for 1 hour, then slice into 16 squares. Enjoy!
Tools You Need
- Sharp knife
- 8-inch square baking pan
- Parchment paper or wax paper
- Heatproof mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons and cups
You might also like my Vegan Breakfast Bars, homemade Crunch Bars, and reader-favorite Nut Bars.
Thank You
As always, thank you so much for stopping by and enjoying these recipe adventures with me! Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below. ‘Til next time…
Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️
Our Favorite
Snack Recipes
Cereal Bars
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
These 3 ingredient cereal bars are so easy to make, taste like your favorite cereal deliciously sweetened plus your favorite add-ins!
Ingredients
Tools Needed
-
- 8-inch square baking pan
-
- Unbleached parchment paper or wax paper
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or other nut butter (try homemade cashew butter)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 cups cereal of choice – I used cheerios
Optional Topping
- 2–3 tablespoons toppings – try chocolate chips, freeze-dried fruit, etc.
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or wax paper. Clear some space in the freezer for this pan—you’ll need it later. Set pan aside at room temperature.
- Whisk nut butter and maple syrup together in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 20-second increments until warm and fragrant. Whisk in between heating increments.
- Add cereal of choice to the sticky nut butter mixture. Stir and fold until well mixed.
- Pour cereal bar mixture into lined pan. Press firmly into a tightly-packed, even layer. If using, press Optional Toppings into the tops of bars.
- Chill cereal bars in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and slice into 16 bars. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer—the bars will set over the first day. Storing notes below.
Notes
Storing Instructions: Store cereal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bars are best the first 3 days.
Freezing Instructions: Store cereal bars in a freezer-friendly container for 1-2 months.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: Snacks, Breakfast
- Method: No Bake
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More Breakfast Recipes
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Easy and so delicious! My grandkids love them. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Woohoo! You’re so sweet to make these for your grandkids. So happy they like them!
Um, yes please to this treat!
Yeah! 🙌
These bars are stunning! They can easily make any day so special. Thank you!
You’re absolutely welcome, Mahy!
My grandkids are going to love making these with me this weekend when they come to visit. Thanks for an awesome recipe to do with them.
Aww, you sound like such a sweet grandma. I hope they really enjoy it! 😊
They were the perfect on-the-go snack and so tasty. The combination of crunchy cereal and sweet binding was just perfect.
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear it!
Wow, this is something that we can prepare for breakfast especially when you have kids. they will surely love this, thank you for sharing.
Totally! It’s such and easy gran-n-go breakfast for those busy mornings. 🙂