Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars feature whole grain toasted oat cereal, chopped nuts, peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey for no-bake breakfast bars that also make a tasty snack!

We've been getting A LOT of rain in Texas lately. So yesterday, when we were all cooped up in the house, I made a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (poor hubby was sick) and a pan of these Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars for upcoming breakfasts this week. The kids had asked me to make granola bars but I was plumb out of oats. I did, however, have an extra box of "Toasty Os" in the pantry, the organic version of Cheerios available at our local grocery store. And so I pondered whether substituting cereal for oats would work in my favorite Chewy No-Bake Granola Bar recipe.

And sure enough, it did! These peanut butter and and honey cereal bars were such a hit, in fact, that I decided to share them on the blog today.

Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars Tips

But first I made 'em a couple more times to get them juuuust right for y'all. And here's what I figured out:

1. Be sure to use regular coconut oil -- as in, the kind that solidifies when it's cool and melts when it's warm. When these bars are refrigerated, the coconut oil hardens and helps hold everything together. So the "liquid coconut oil" available these days (that stays liquid) won't cut it. As an aside, "liquid coconut oil" is manufactured -- not natural. It's stripped of the key ingredient that makes coconut oil so healthy in the first place...so I'd stick with the real stuff anyway. 😉
   
2. Try to use a natural, unsweetened (or low-sugar) peanut butter. And use a plain oat Os cereal, not the sweetened honey-nut variety. The honey in these bars helps hold them together, but it also makes them plenty sweet without additional sugar from another source.
3. When you melt together the peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey, make sure it's nice and smooth. Then remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the cereal and nuts. If the mixture is too warm and runny, it may slide right off your Os and sink to the bottom of the pan. If it's slightly cooled and thickened, it will stick to the cereal better.
   
4. These bars must be refrigerated for multiple hours (preferably overnight) before you slice them. They are rather delicate (no marshmallows or corn syrup here). So they will fall apart during slicing if not allowed to fully set. On the other hand, once the bars are completely chilled, they may be a bit difficult to cut. That means it's okay to let them sit on the counter for just a few minutes before slicing. Use a sharp knife to slice them into bars and use a thin spatula (like an offset spatula) to carefully loosen them from the bottom of the pan.
5. These cereal bars make a fabulous breakfast or eat-at-home snack, but unfortunately, they aren't ideal as a portable snack. They need to be stored in the refrigerator, since at room temperature, they become melty and start to fall apart.

Don't let the above list of dos and don'ts intimidate you, though. These Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars are actually super simple to make!

Customize Them!

It's also easy to customize them by swapping in your favorite nut butter (or non-nut butter) and/or type of nut.

My family loves cashews and I already had a big tub of them on hand.

But one day soon I'm going to try this recipe with almond butter and toasted almonds.

Or even a nut-free version like sunflower seed butter and dried cranberries would be tasty!

Well, the thunder's a-rumbling so I suppose I better get off the computer.

Stay dry (those of you getting rain)!

Stay warm (those of you getting snow)!

Or, you know, try not to gloat (those of you enjoying warmth and sunshine). 😉

And sooner than later, I hope you enjoy these Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars as a yummy, different way to eat your morning cereal!

More Breakfast Bars & Snack Bars

• Oats & Honey Granola Bars
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
• Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
• Copycat KIND Bars

Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars

Whole grain toasted oat cereal, chopped nuts, peanut butter, coconut oil, and honey combine for no-bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars that also make a tasty snack!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 1 day day

Total Time: 1 day day 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Calories: 290kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or your favorite nut butter
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 5 cups toasted oat "O"s cereal, such as Cheerios
• 1 ½ cups nuts, such as cashews, peanuts, or toasted & chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
• In a large pot set over medium-low heat, melt together nut butter, honey, and coconut oil, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from stove and allow to cool for a few minutes until it thickens up just a bit (which will allow it to stick to the cereal). Carefully stir in cereal and nuts until well-coated.
• Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Spread into an even layer and press down with the back of a spatula or hands. Refrigerate for several hours (preferably overnight) until completely set. Use a large, sharp knife to slice into squares or bars (I like to cut 4 rows of 4 bars each) and remove from pan with the help of a thin spatula. Store cereal bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with wax paper separating the layers.

Notes

• Be sure to use regular coconut oil (the kind that solidifies when it's cool and melts when it's warm). When these bars are refrigerated, the coconut oil hardens and helps hold everything together.
• Try to use a natural, unsweetened (or low-sugar) peanut butter, and use a plain oat Os cereal (not the sweetened, honey-nut variety). The honey in these bars helps hold them together, but it also makes them plenty sweet without additional sugar from another source.
• These bars must be refrigerated for multiple hours (preferably overnight) before you slice them. They are rather delicate (no marshmallows or corn syrup here), so they will fall apart during slicing if not allowed to fully set. On the other hand, once the bars are completely chilled, they may be a bit difficult to cut, so let them sit on the counter for just a few minutes before slicing. Use a sharp knife to slice them into bars and use a thin spatula (like an offset spatula) to carefully loosen them from the bottom of the pan.
• Since these bars need to be stored in the refrigerator, they aren't ideal as a portable snack.

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg

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