Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (2024)

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byArman Liew

updated on Sep 10, 2023

106comments

5from 551 votes

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These homemade cereal bars need just 3 ingredients to make and taste better than anything store-bought! A healthy and kid-friendly snack.

Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (2)

Stop buying expensive pre-packaged cereal bars and make your own with this simple cereal bars recipe! It’s better than anything store-bought and so much healthier for you.

They make a healthy alternative to packaged snack bars. They take seconds to make and are seriously delicious!

Table of Contents
  1. Why this recipe works
  2. Ingredients needed
  3. How to make cereal bars
  4. Tips to make the best recipe
  5. Recipe variations
  6. Storage instructions
  7. More healthy snack recipes to try
  8. Frequently asked questions
  9. Cereal Bars (Recipe Card)

Why this recipe works

These bars may look impressive, but honestly, they are so simple to whop up.

  • Just 3 ingredients. Cereal, a sticky sweetener, and nut butter are all you’ll need.
  • Diet friendly. Easily make this gluten-free, vegan, and/or lower sugar.
  • Ready in 5 minutes. All you do is mix it up, transfer it into a pan, and wait for it to set.
  • Easy to customize. Change up the cereal, add flavor extracts, and use other nuts or seed butter: the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients needed

These cheerio bars are so easy; besides the cereal and syrup, there isn’t much else needed to make. Here is what you’ll need:

  • Cereal. Any crispy cereal works, including Cheerios, special K cereal, or even rice crispies.
  • Maple syrup. Binds everything together and adds some sweetness.
  • Almond butter. Smooth almond butter with no added sugar or salt.

How to make cereal bars

Homemade cereal bars are easy to make: just ensure you have a large enough bowl to mix everything in.

  1. Prep the ingredients: Add the cereal into a large mixing bowl. Next, add the maple syrup and almond butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds, or until the peanut butter has melted.
  2. Make the bars: Add the syrup/almond butter mixture to the mixing bowl with cereal and mix until combined.
  3. Set, slice, and serve: Transfer the cereal bar mixture to a lined pan and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or until it has firmed up. Once firm, slice them into bars.
Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (3)

Tips to make the best recipe

  • Use a crispy cereal. No one wants soggy or soft cereal bars, so make sure you start with fresh and crisp cereal. Check the expiration date and discard any crushed pieces.
  • Avoid overmixing. Similar to the earlier point about crispy cereal, another reason why the cereal could soften is due to overmixing. Prevent this by mixing everything together slowly and just until the cereal is mixed in.
  • Use a sharp knife. Always use a sharp knife when cutting these into bars to prevent them from crumbling or falling apart.
  • Line the pan. Even for non-stick pans, I always line them. It makes clean up a breeze and keeps everything in place.

Recipe variations

The beauty of this cereal bar recipe is just how easy it is to customize with other ingredients or even add some fun ones into them. Here is what we’ve tried:

Make it almond-free. If you can’t tolerate almonds or are allergic, switch it out for peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.

Lower the sugar. Swap out the maple syrup for sugar free maple syrup or sugar free honey.

Keep it gluten-free. Use a celiac-friendly cereal like Gluten Free Cheerios.

Add mix-ins. Chocolate chips, raisins, and toasted coconut flakes are all great additions.

Storage instructions

To store: Avoid keeping these bars stored at room temperature as they are prone to becoming soggy. Instead, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to two weeks.

To freeze: Place the bars in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (4)

More healthy snack recipes to try

  • Granola bars
  • Protein bars
  • Protein balls
  • Fruit leather

Frequently asked questions

Are cereal bars healthy for you?

Homemade cereal bars are much healthier than store-bought or packaged bars. They contain considerably less sugar, less fat, and fewer ingredients. They are also more cost-effective, too.

What cereal bars are good for diabetics?

Dependant on the individual, a general rule of thumb for choosing a cereal bar for diabetics would be ones that include healthy fats, fiber, and no added sugar.

Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (5)

Cereal Bars

5 from 551 votes

These homemade cereal bars need just 3 ingredients to make and taste better than anything store-bought! A healthy and kid-friendly snack.

Servings: 6 Bars

Prep: 1 minute min

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 6 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups cereal gluten free, if needed
  • 6 tablespoons almond butter can substitute for peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
  • 6 tablespoon maple syrup can substitute for honey or agave nectar

Instructions

  • Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl, add your dry cereal and set aside.

  • In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt almond butter with your maple syrup and then pour the mixture into the crispy rice cereal and mix well.

  • Pour mixture into the lined baking tray and press firmly into place. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Notes

TO STORE: Avoid keeping these bars stored at room temperature as they are prone to becoming soggy. Instead, place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to two weeks.

TO FREEZE: Place the bars in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 9gPotassium: 3mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 3mgNET CARBS: 17g

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Cereal Bars - Easy 3 Ingredient Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

How do you make cereal bars stick together? ›

Honey – Along with the nut butter, it helps all these ingredients stick together! I love its warm amber flavor in this recipe. Vanilla extract – It amps up the bars' warm flavor.

What are cereal bars made of? ›

The best cereal bar ingredients

Here's what you need to make the easy breakfast recipe: dry cereal of choice, liquid sweetener, nut or seed butter, and optional salt and protein powder. Agave, honey, or brown rice syrup all do well in this recipe.

What does a cereal bar contain? ›

Whole grain WHEAT flour (29.9%), glucose syrup, sugar, skimmed MILK powder, invert sugar syrup, sunflower oil, humectant: glycerol, MILK chocolate (5.2%) (sugar, skimmed MILK powder, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, MILK fat, emulsifiers: SOYA lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate; flavouring), whole grain OAT (4.3%), ...

Are cereal bars healthy? ›

Although breakfast bars, biscuits and milkshake drinks may have healthy ingredients like wholegrain cereals and milk, they often contain added sugar too, sometimes in large amounts. And although convenient, they can be an expensive option.

What is the best binder for granola bars? ›

Chia seeds are often praised for their binding powers. In fact, they secure ingredients so well that they can even be used as an egg replacer. Adding just a spoonful of chia seeds to your favorite granola bar recipe will make a huge difference in its texture.

What can I use as glue for granola bars? ›

While the oats and nuts bake, you can make the sticky glue that holds our bars together. You'll melt butter, honey, and brown sugar in a saucepan and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Mix this sticky mixture with the toasted oats and nuts.

How long do homemade cereal bars last? ›

Now, to answer the question at hand: "how long do homemade granola bars last?" It's important that we dive into a few different factors. In general, most homemade granola bar recipes will last up to a week when stored in an airtight container.

Do cereal bars fill you up? ›

Cereal bars

If you are choosing a cereal bar, look for ingredients like nuts and oats, which will be a more filling choice and have more fibre than ones based on puffed rice or other refined cereals.

What is the difference between a cereal bar and a granola bar? ›

Don't confuse granola bars with breakfast or cereal bars. Granola bars are typically made from whole grains; breakfast bars are typically made with refined grain and look like a smooth pastry. Few granola bars are high in fiber, and some have more sugar than one serving of cereal.

What is the best cereal bar to eat? ›

  • Kashi Grain Free Coconut Almond Chewy Granola Bar.
  • Bob's Red Mill Peanut Butter Coconut & Oats Bob's Bar.
  • EPIC Beef Apple Bacon Bar.
  • 88 Acres Blueberry Lemon Seed + Oat Bar.
  • Kind Breakfast Protein Almond Butter Bar.
  • Super Team Everything Bagel Bar.
  • Clif Nut Butter Bar Chocolate and Peanut Butter.
  • Evolve Almond Cherry Fuel Bar.
Aug 9, 2023

Are cereal bars OK for breakfast? ›

Cereal bars are usually a healthier alternative to chocolate bars. However, they are still a sweet snack and you should take the time to choose the right one. Because of their unhealthy levels of sugar and carbs, cereal bars aren't actually an ideal breakfast; they're more of a sweet treat alternative.

What are cereal bars good for? ›

Cereal Bars, Ranked. Walker, runner or climber; pretty much everyone snacks on bars. They are a convenient way of getting both fast and slow release energy: you don't have to think about them, they should be easy to eat without stopping, and you can throw them into a pack and forget they're there till you need them.

What's the healthiest cereal ever? ›

This article will cover the 14 healthiest cereals you can eat.
  • Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereals. ...
  • Nature's Path Organics Superfood Cereals. ...
  • Barbara's Shredded Wheat Cereal. ...
  • Arrowhead Mills Spelt Flakes. ...
  • Cauliflower “oatmeal” ...
  • DIY peanut butter puffs cereal. ...
  • Love Grown Original Power O's. ...
  • DIY flax chia cereal.

What cereal bars are healthy? ›

  • Kellogg's Frosties Breakfast Cereal Bars 6x20g. ...
  • Go Ahead Apple Fruit & Oat Bakes Snack Bars Multipack 6x35g. ...
  • Go Ahead Apple Fruit Slices Biscuit Snack Bar 43g. ...
  • Go Ahead Fruit & Oat Bakes Strawberry Biscuit Bars 6x35g. ...
  • Go Ahead Yoghurt Breaks Forest Fruit Snack Bars 4x35.5g.

What is the least unhealthy cereal? ›

Shredded whole wheat cereal

Shredded whole wheat cereal with low-fat milk is the best choice of conventional breakfast cereals, because it doesn't contain any added sugar or salt, and is high in fibre.

What ingredient makes granola stick together? ›

Add an egg white.

The whites act as a kind of glue that binds the ingredients together. To ensure that the egg whites coat all the ingredients, I beat them with a whisk until foamy and increased in volume, which makes it much easier to fold into the granola.

Why is my granola not sticking together? ›

Make sure that whichever granola recipe you use, it calls for some liquid, typically oil of some kind (I recommend olive oil for a subtle earthy, floral flavor, or melted unrefined coconut oil for subtly coconutty flavor). The liquid will help the chia seeds to gel, ensuring the granola sticks together.

Why are my bars crumbly? ›

We suspect that if the bars are crumbling then they may have become a little over-baked. The oven temperature of 130c/250F is quite low so the bars should not really take on too much colour.

How do you soften granola bars? ›

General Mills told Bloomer that eaters could try warming the bars up in the microwave to soften them first (but take them out of the package first). This seems to work, according to one test video, but it turned out the tester preferred the taste of the crunchy, crumbly version to the less messy one.

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