3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars
Peanut butter cheerio bars are a great no bake afternoon snack made with a few simple ingredients. This easy recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and easy to customize.
These cereal bars are made out of pantry ingredients and use a similar method to dairy free brown butter rice krispie treats.
No bake peanut butter cheerio bars are crunchy, salty, and naturally sweetened (no corn syrup), making them a healthier sweet treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. Plus the protein in the peanut butter and cereal helps make them more satiating.
Ingredients
- Creamy peanut butter – choose a natural peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. You can also use crunchy peanut butter for even more texture.
- Honey – use raw and unfiltered local honey if possible.
- Plain cheerios – the neutral flavor of the cereal pairs nicely with the sweet and salty ingredients.
How to Make Peanut Butter and Cheerio Bars
Step 1. Grease an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2. Add the peanut butter and honey to a large pot over medium heat. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined and warmed through (it only takes a minute). Remove from the heat and stir in the crispy cereal until just combined.
Step 3. Use a rubber spatula to press mixture into the prepared pan. Let the peanut butter treats chill for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
Step 4. Run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the peanut butter bars until they come out. Transfer the block to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into your desired number of squares.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this cereal bar recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No honey? – use maple syrup instead.
- No peanut butter? – sub almond butter or cashew butter instead.
- No plain Cheerios? – use a different cereal such as Honey Nut Cheerios, Rice Chex, Rice Krispies, etc.
- Make it nut-free – use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead for a school snack.
- Make it gluten-free – many brands use wheat starch in their cheerios. The General Mills cheerios and Nature’s Path Organic’s Whole O’s are both gluten free.
- Add-ins – mini chocolate chips, a chopped dark chocolate bar, melted chocolate on top of the bars, mini marshmallows, flaky sea salt, coconut flakes, freeze-dried fruit, etc.
How to Store
Store these no bake bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
More Snack Recipes
- Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
- Frozen Yogurt Granola Bars With Fruit
- Tropical Trail Mix
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup raw honey local if possible
- 4 cups plain cheerios
Instructions
- Grease an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add the peanut butter and honey to a large pot over medium heat. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined and warmed through (it only takes a minute). Remove from the heat and stir in the crispy cereal until just combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to press mixture into the prepared pan. Let the peanut butter treats chill for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
- Run an offset spatula or butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the peanut butter bars until they come out. Transfer the block to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into your desired number of squares.