Store bought cereal bars and granola bars certainly have their place in our snack cabinet, but homemade peanut butter cheerio bars are superior in my opinion. You can use any cereal but I love me some Cheerios. I use the good old original version with minimal added sugar and 4 grams of fiber per serving. Honey will give it plenty of sweetness, and peanut butter is the perfect binder.
What makes a good snack? I like to incorporate a source of carbohydrate like cereal, fruit, or crackers for energy and brain power! Then to make it more filling and satisfying, I add a protein or fat, like peanut butter, cheese, Greek yogurt, or hummus.
You could stop at just those three ingredients for peanut butter cheerio bars but I like to add hemp hearts and chia seeds. These two ingredients will add more protein, fiber, and healthy fat. A few extra ingredients to make a more filling and nutrient dense snack.
If you have a peanut allergy, I highly suggest either using wow butter or sunbutter for these cereal bars. You can use any nut butter. So go with what you like. Feel like meal prepping a big batch? Store them in the freezer until you’re ready to eat!
Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or desired nut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 cups Cheerios or desired cereal
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- In a medium pot, combine peanut butter and honey over medium heat until melted.
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
- Press into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper.
- Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.
- Store in air tight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Looking for more back to school snack ideas? Check out our blog 20 Energizing Back to School Snacks your Kids will Love!
An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.
