The title of this recipe should technically be called “3 ingredient CHEERIOS bars” because I don’t know if you could even make this with any other kind of cereal. It’s kind of like how Rice Krispies cereal dominates that other type of treat.
Lucky for me, because of my two-year old who has outgrown snacking on the plain variety of Cheerios, I am left with an abundant supply of them!
In fact, out of sheer necessity to not be wasteful, I couldn’t hold myself back from making these once I knew they were a thing…and then I got a little confused when mine didn’t hold together as nicely as other people’s pictures depicted. I’m here to tell you the truth my friends.
They actually DO hold together, but they aren’t as firm and compact as say the aforementioned rice krispies treats.
When made correctly and allowed ample time in the fridge to harden, they’re solid enough to cut into bar shapes, BUT they do start to crumble apart as they sit for a while and come to room temperature. They’re a no-bake recipe and I find this happens with lots of other no-bake recipes as well. You just gotta accept it and still enjoy them for what they are.
But there’s no need to fret my pet because as simple as this recipe already is, I give you all my extra tips for successfully making these delightful little 3 Ingredient Cereal Bars in EPISODE 13 of BITS + PIECES COOKING SHOW, SEASON 5! If you’ve been enjoying all these snacks this season, let me know because it’s coming to a close soon with only 2 more episodes left! Watch our latest VIDEO BELOW:
I seriously can’t believe that these cereal bars hold together AND taste good with just 3 ingredients! But come on, I guess you can’t really go wrong with anything made with peanut butter and honey!
They’re a fantastic snack to keep on hand in the fridge, especially for those emergency hangry moments. In fact, I find myself making them often these days, as a real-life resourceful way of getting rid of our plethora of plain Cheerios.
It’s to the point where I think we’re reliant on them being in our fridge in a little tupperware, so when our supply is down, we’re not quite sure what to snack on anymore!
They’re also great for breakfast, especially as a grab-it-and-go type of thing, because they’re absolutely PERFECT with coffee, but I need to reiterate the crumbling apart thing as they come to room temperature, so I wouldn’t say they travel well. Just grab and eat it immediately if you want to avoid chasing after rogue peanut butter coated Cheerios in your car!
Are these toddler-friendly? They could be, but my 2-year old doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so he’s not into them…YET. But I think they’d definitely be kid-friendly and a wholesome after-school snack.
We tend to snack on them during our filming days when we can’t really stop to eat (ironic I know…especially because we are usually filming food), so I can vouch for you that they are good to have on hand.
Once you master the method, try adding in some extra mix-ins of your choice. I actually enjoy making these with a splash of vanilla…but I just realized they’d probably be good with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt to balance out the sweetness, or made with crunchy peanut butter for added crunch.
Now I’m glad to have all these extra Cheerios to burn through because I know I can whip up a hearty, healthy-ish snack on the fly whenever the mood strikes. And it’s a great recipe to keep in my back pocket for when Lincoln’s older and constantly asking me, “can I have a snack?”
3 Ingredient Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 ½ cups plain Cheerios
Instructions
- Line a 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. It helps to lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray in order to have the parchment paper stick better. Place cereal in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or just until the mixture is well combined and ribbony.
- Add peanut butter mixture to dry cereal and stir until completely coated. Then firmly and evenly press into the lined pan using the back of a measuring cup or bottom of a small bowl.
- Refrigerate bars for at least one hour, or even up to overnight. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more success you will have with cutting them into bars without crumbling.
- Cut into any size bars you like. I chose to cut mine in 16 pieces.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS:
8×8 Baking Dish:
Parchment Paper:
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