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!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings bars

Calories 290kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

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.

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