Crunchy, chewy, nutty — these easy three-ingredient no-bake cereal bars are a family favourite. They come together in minutes with pantry staples and are perfect for snacking or lunchboxes.
Cooking with Amelia
You may remember Amelia from our homemade gluten-free playdough cooking day. She’s grown a lot since then: still fond of princesses and purple, but now also into hockey, skiing and chapter books like Harry Potter. Most of all, she loves helping in the kitchen.
When Amelia and her mom (my cousin) visited, we spent a few days cooking together. We tried several recipes and these no-bake cereal bars were one of our favourites — a simple peanut butter and honey treat that satisfies the sweetest cravings.
This recipe is ideal for cooking with kids — mixing and pressing the bars is hands-on and bowl-licking is encouraged. The basic method is straightforward: warm peanut butter and honey together, toss with O-shaped cereal (think Cheerios or a certified gluten-free substitute), then press into a pan or mini muffin tins for individual bites. Amelia finished ours with a sprinkle of colourful candy-coated sunflower seeds.
Peanut butter and honey have been a comforting flavour combo for me since childhood — from crackers topped with peanut butter and honey to quick rice cake lunches in university and during busy teaching years. That simple sweet-savory pairing still hits the spot.
Yes, these are a sweet treat — and sometimes a sweet treat is exactly what we need.
Are you a peanut butter and honey fan too?
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3 Ingredient, No-Bake Cereal Bars
Margaret Bose Johnson
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10 mins
1 hr
1 hr 10 mins
Ingredients
- 3 cups (85 g) O-shaped oat breakfast cereal — like Cheerios or a certified gluten-free substitute
- ½ cup (125 g) peanut butter
- ½ cup (170 g) honey
- optional: ½ cup roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, creasing the paper to fit neatly into the corners. Alternatively, place mini cupcake liners into 24 wells of a mini muffin tin.
- Measure the cereal into a mixing bowl and add the peanuts if using. Set aside.
- Combine the peanut butter and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat slightly and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Pour the hot peanut butter-honey mixture over the cereal, scraping the saucepan clean with a spatula. Stir thoroughly so all the cereal is evenly coated.
- Transfer the sticky cereal mixture to the prepared pan and press it down with the back of a large spoon until the top is smooth. For minis, use two teaspoons to fill and press the mixture into liners.
- Chill the bars or minis for at least one hour before cutting or removing from the pan.
- Lift the slab from the pan using the parchment paper and cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife. Yields 16 squares or about 24 mini bites.
Notes
Nut free: To make these safe for nut-free schools, substitute peanut butter with a toasted soy butter such as No Nuts brand. Replace peanuts with toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you still want a crunchy addition.
Vegan: Use golden syrup or brown rice syrup instead of honey.
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Guten Appetit!
For more simple, kid-friendly cooking projects, see the ‘Cooking With Kids’ series.
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