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My homemade cereal bars need just 3 wholesome ingredients to make and taste better than anything store-bought! They make a healthy and delicious snack.
Love easy snack recipes? Try my fruit leather, peanut butter oatmeal balls, veggie chips, and kettle corn next.
It’s no secret that I love to make my family homemade snacks, especially because I know what goes in them and honestly, they are cheaper too (hello, cost of living crisis!).
My homemade cereal bars are one of our weekly staples, and they taste exactly like a packaged cereal bar, minus the laundry list of ingredients, excess calories, excess sugars (yes, plural!), and butter.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Just 3 ingredients. Cereal, a sticky sweetener, and nut butter are all you’ll need.
- Diet friendly. My recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and can easily be made dairy-free, too.
- It’s ready in 5 minutes. All you do is mix it up, transfer it to a pan, and wait for it to set.
- It’s easy to customize. You can change up the cereal, add flavor extracts, and use other nuts or seed butter—the possibilities are endless!
★★★★★ REVIEW
“I made these bars with Cheerios, American Dream Peanut Butter Cheesecake, peanut butter, and Maple Syrup. Simple and Delicious” – Molly
Ingredients needed
- Cereal. Any crispy cereal works, including Cheerios, special K cereal, or even rice krispies. I like to look for ones that are made with whole grains and have added vitamins and fiber to them.
- Maple syrup. Binds everything together and adds some sweetness. You can also use honey or brown rice syrup, but you’ll likely need to add a little extra cereal to prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Almond butter. Smooth almond butter with no added sugar or salt.
How to make cereal bars
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the bars. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and stir until fully combined.
Step 2- Set and slice. 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.
Arman’s recipe tips
- 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.
- 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 with parchment paper. It makes cleanup a breeze and keeps everything in place.
- If you want some extra protein, make my protein cereal bars instead.
Variations
The beauty of this cereal bar recipe is just how easy it is to customize it with other ingredients or even add some fun ones to it. 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, white chocolate chips, peanuts, raisins, cranberries, freeze-dried strawberries, and toasted coconut flakes are all great additions.
- Drizzle with some melted chocolate for that extra dose of deliciousness.
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 fridge. 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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
More healthy snack bars
3-Ingredient Cereal Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cereal cheerios or any crispy cereal of choice
- 6 tablespoons almond butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey or brown rice syrup * see notes
Instructions
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your cereal, almond butter, and maple syrup and mix until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and press firmly into place. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Once firm, slice into bars.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated November 2022, updated and republished July 2024
Can’t wait to try these. In the recipe you say line a baking tray? What size baking tray do you suggest? 8X8 ?
Hi Sally! I sometimes use 8 x 8 or even bigger- Depends on how thick and chewy you want the bars 🙂
These are a tasty snack and love the short ingredient list, too! 🙂
🙂 Thank you, Joanne! We can enjoy our coconut flour on the side!
I eat cereal as dessert too. Theres been a couple times recently I had it as breakfast…and that’s because I was super lazy.
WHAT?! Poor eggs!
What a terrific recipe – I was just looking at 5-ingredient ones on TV and this tops those!
Cheers, thanks Lynn!
does the T stand for Table Spoon or Teaspoon or What ?
Hi there, it stands for tablespoon 🙂
Turn the cereal dust into cereal milk it the most amazing malty flavoured milk in the world don’t not do it grammar is my forte btw
Oh yes! Mohina, I’ve got a fun recipe to share soon!
Such a simple recipe and much healthier than any store bought version! I can’t wait to try these!
Right? Thank you!
Neil will save all his cereal bits and then mix them in a bowl with PB and whatever other nonsense he finds. It’s actually pretty delicious….as I’m sure these are!
Neil is actually a certified legend.
Oh my! Here’s to hoping I win the mixer! A few years ago I have my kitchen aide away to someone who had a dream to start baking cupcakes out of her home for a business but didn’t have a mixer. I gave her mine and didn’t think I’d miss mine bc I have a hand mixer. Boy was I wrong! I really miss mine and they are way too expensive to buy a new one! ?
Great! Thanks Emili, good luck!
I HATE wasting food, which is why I’m devastated when I see that something in my fridge is expired! 🙁 BUT, I never waste cereal. I tried your bars and I thought they were awesome! So delicious and sweet–I’m totally reminiscing the Froot Loops and Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars now!
You, my friend, can make one massive sweet potato and stuff it with everything! 😀
Mmmmm nothing better than some pb cereal bars! Love how simple and easy the ingredients are!
Thank you, Kerri!
Ha, I actually just bought a box of cereal (paleo granola – you’d approve!) purely to put on top of my yoghurts, protein puddings etc. I love the texture!
Oh geebuz. Please tell me it didn’t taste like cardboard!
Definitely not! I’ve bought it four or five times and it’s great, although a little expensive. This is the one: https://www.musclefood.com/high-protein-snacks-1/breakfast-cereals/cocoa-hazelnut-paleo-granola.html You should recreate it for me!
I’m actually creating one for my book! 🙂
Hello new lunchbox staple! I can’t get over how quick these are to make, I am constantly craving rice krispy treats but it’s so hard to find ones not made with beef gelatine. Thanks for another awesome recipe and WIAW Arman. I hate wasting food, I won’t throw anything away unless it is mouldy. In all honesty, I tend to eat more cereal dry out of the box than in any other medium (including the dust at the bottom), I do use it as an ice cream and yogurt topping occasionally though.
OH wow- Aubrey, try this recipe out- I make it twice a week to snack on, SO good! https://thebigmansworld.com/2015/09/23/healthy-3-ingredient-rice-crispy-treats/
If you want a protein packed option, here is one- https://thebigmansworld.com/2015/12/03/healthy-4-ingredient-cake-batter-rice-crispy-treats/
OOH, I love cereal bars. I would love to make these. I love to use up ingredients. Using God’s resources is wonderful!
🙂 Thanks Emily!
I use cornflakes to make cereal bars because the have the texture of a butterfinger when you mix them with peanut butter and maple syrup. I don’t eat that much cereal really, but if I have a handful left I usually just mix it into my oatmeal or something. Great easy recipe Arman!
That’s a great idea! Thanks Ellie!