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 to make cereal bars stick together? ›

Butter, honey, and brown sugar: Make up the base of our bars and help the ingredients stay together. To make this honey-free, you can substitute brown rice syrup or golden syrup (these tend to work better than maple syrup since they are sticky like honey).

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 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? ›

INGREDIENTS: Wholegrain cereals (whole oats (30%), wholewheat ), sultanas (14%), sweetened dried cranberries (9%) (cranberries, pineapple syrup, pineapple juice concentrate), glucose syrup, cereal crispies ( wholewheat flour, rice flour, sugar, malted barley flour, malted wheat flour, salt, rapeseed oil, emulsifier { ...

What is a good 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.

How do you keep homemade granola bars from falling apart? ›

If your granola bars are falling apart or seem too crumbly, here are a few tips. Make sure you use honey or another sticky sweetener such as maple syrup in the liquid part of the recipe; this recipe calls for honey. This will help bind together the ingredients and keep that signature bar shape.

What is one of the unhealthiest cereal? ›

11 Unhealthiest Cereals You Can Buy
  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch. ...
  • Froot Loops. ...
  • Cap'n Crunch. ...
  • Honey Nut Cheerios. ...
  • Cocoa Pebbles. ...
  • Raisin Bran Cereal. ...
  • Corn Pops. blue bowl filled with corn pops - Fatihhoca/Getty Images. ...
  • Apple Jacks. Bowl of Apple Jacks cereal - Pamela_d_mcadams/Getty Images.
May 12, 2024

What is the healthiest cereal of all time? ›

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.

How long do homemade cereal bars last? ›

Once you slice the bars, cover the pan and store it in the fridge, or transfer the bars to an airtight container. I recommend storing them with a sheet of parchment paper between layers so that the bars don't stick together. They'll keep for up to a week in the fridge, but you can also freeze them for up to 2 months.

What cereal can 1 year olds have? ›

Typically yes, babies can have cereal, especially cereals that are made specifically for infants. These include iron-fortified rice, oat, or other multigrain-based cereals that are widely available at most grocery stores. Older babies may be able to eat some whole grain cold breakfast cereals, like Cheerios.

Can I eat cereal bars on a diet? ›

The issue is that lots of us don't realise that some cereal bars can be similarly high in sugar and fat – because we don't think of them in the same way as chocolate, we may be tempted to reach for them more often than we should. It's fine to enjoy cereal bars as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Why are cereal bars so expensive? ›

They're pricey but that's because they're made with more expensive butter and sugar over glucose syrup and palm oil.

Can diabetics eat cereal? ›

The best kinds of cereal to eat if you have diabetes are typically those with a low-to-medium GI. It's also best to eat a cereal made from whole grains rather than refined grains. Options may include: wheat bran cereals.

How to get homemade granola bars to stay together? ›

Honey - this helps everything stick together! Agave nectar will also work but I love making homemade granola bars with honey! Brown Sugar - more flavorful that white sugar!! Vanilla - you could also use chocolate extract if you prefer.

Why won't my granola bars stick together? ›

Don't over measure your oats, nuts, and add-in's. If you measure the dry ingredients too generously the granola bars won't stick together because they won't be enough liquid ingredients to “glue” them together.

What helps granola stick together? ›

Clumpy Granola Method: Add Whole Wheat and Almond Flour

First, it adds a combo of whole wheat flour and almond flour (or almond meal), which act as a binder to hold the oat mixture together.

What will cause cereal to be sticky and gummy? ›

The cooked wheat needs to be allowed up to 24 hours to temper before shredding. It's during this time that the moisture equilibrates and firms up from starch retrogradation. If there is insufficient tempering, the shreds will come out gummy, sticky, and crooked.

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