• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
freebie! download my top 8 dessert recipe ebook

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Erin Lives Whole

Healthy Eats + Delicious Treats

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Dessert
      • Soup
      • Sides
      • Drinks
      • Snacks
      • Sauces & Dips
    • Dessert Type
      • Bars & Balls
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Candy
      • Cookies
      • Frozen
      • Pie & Cobbler
      • Other
    • Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • Nut-Free
      • Paleo Friendly
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Method
      • 30 Minute or Less
      • Air Fryer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • Meal Prep
      • No Bake
      • One Pot/Pan
      • Oven
      • Stove Top
    • Season
      • Fall
      • Holiday
      • Winter
      • Spring
      • Summer
    • Recipe Filter
    • All Recipes
  • Ebooks
  • Shop
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • Subscribe to receive latest recipes

    Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

  • Browse by Diet
    • Gluten-Free
    • Dairy-Free
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo Friendly
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch & Dinner
  • Drinks
  • Snacks
  • Dessert
  • Appetizers
Home By Meal Breakfast

Healthy Cereal Bars

★★★★★ 24 Reviews Recipe Print
gf df
By: Erin8/7/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

healthy peanut butter cereal bars
healthy peanut butter cereal bars

Healthy Cereal Bars are made with fluffy cereal, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate chips. They’re chewy, delicious, and perfect for eating as a grab-and-go morning meal!

stack of cereal bars

A tasty morning bite

I’m not a huge breakfast gal, but I also have a love for chocolate that’s like no other. If I want to stay on my breakfast game and start my day feeling fueled and ready to tackle what life throws at me, having a chocolate breakfast at my disposal is key.

I was tired of the savory egg-based breakfasts and decided to go after what I really wanted – chocolate! I wound up creating these healthy cereal bars that are sort of like granola bars, but better. They don’t contain the gross ingredients present in so many granola bar brands, and they do pretty well when it comes to nutrition!

If you like chocolate, you’ll like these breakfast bars. Eat them as morning fuel or as a snack between meals for a satisfying bite! I like to whip up a batch and keep them in my freezer for enjoying in mornings or whenever a craving hits.

cereal bars in baking dish

What’s a cereal bar?

A cereal bar is just what it sounds like. It’s a yummy bar made with cereal and chocolatey ingredients that’s perfect for grabbing as a quick breakfast! It’s essentially a granola bar that’s acceptable to eat first thing in the AM when you’re running out the door. These tasty bars are totally kid friendly, but adults will definitely love them too.

Ingredients used to make healthy cereal bars

These healthy breakfast bars are made with a handful of yummy, kid (and adult)-approved ingredients. Start with a cereal, and then grab your favorite peanut butter, some honey, and a few other items. Nothing questionable here – you’re going to love everything that’s included!

  • Cereal*
  • Natural peanut butter
  • Honey
  • Coconut oil
  • Salt**
  • Vanilla
  • Chocolate chips melted with 1 tsp coconut oil

*I used One Degree Organics Sprouted Honey O’s, but you can use puffeed rice, cheerios, or any somewhat puffed cereal.

**Add salt only if peanut butter is unsalted.

cereal bars

Tools used to make this recipe

You’ll need a small list of kitchen tools for this recipe. Grab a large mixing bowl, a sauce pan, a baking dish, and a stirring utensil, and let’s get started!

For measuring, you’ll need the following sizes: 1 tsp, 1/4 tsp, 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make healthy cereal bars

Healthy cereal bars are a no-bake treat made by melting ingredients on the stove and mixing them with the fluffy cereal. It’s an easy recipe that should require 15 minutes or less of prep time!

Pour the cereal into a large mixing bowl.

Next, add the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil, and salt to a sauce pan. Heat over medium until everything is warmed through, about two minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the vanilla.

Then, pour the mix over the top of the cereal and mix until everything is very well coated.

Press the coated cereal into an 8×8 pan VERY tightly. Wet your hand and press down until it is compacted completely.

Drizzled melted chocolate over the top and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour before eating.

Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting, and enjoy!

Keep stored in the freezer.

cereal bars

A healthier granola bar alternative

After hearing the words “cereal bar,” people are often surprised that these don’t contain granola! As it turns out, cereal works quite well when mixed with ingredients like chocolate and coconut oil, much like granola itself. It mixes and binds together to create chewy pull-apart style treats.

Apart from the cereal, another thing that sets this recipe apart is the fact that it’s made with healthier ingredients. Everything was chosen to provide as much nutrition as possible. You’ll see many healthy alternatives to common granola bar ingredients!

Natural peanut butter
I keep it as natural as possible with my nut butter, always. Processed versions are filled with chemicals and preservatives, two things I like to stay away from. The more natural, the better!

Honey
Honey is a wonderful alternative to granulated sugar! It’s perfectly sweet and fulfills my all-natural guidelines. I recommend using this in any baked good that you make!

Coconut oil
Like with honey, coconut oil is a direct swap that I use in place of vegetable or canola oil. It is more nutritious and is a better healthy fat option. Plus, it helps give the chocolate in this recipe the perfect consistency!

Try these breakfast recipes next

Need more breakfast ideas? Here are some of my favorites! Try the chocolate peanut butter granola for another sweet morning meal!

  • Egg Muffin Cups Four Ways
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
  • Healthy Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
  • Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes
close up of cereal with honey
stack of cereal bars
★★★★★ 5 from 24 reviews

Healthy Cereal Bars

Healthy Cereal Bars are made with fluffy cereal, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate chips. They’re chewy, delicious, and perfect for eating as a grab-and-go morning meal!

Prep: 10Cook: 30Total: 40 minutes
Yield 12 bars 1x
Print Pin it Rate

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cereal (I used One Degree Organics sprouted honey o’s but you could used puffed rice, cheerios, or any somewhat puffed cereal!)
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/4 tsp salt if peanut butter isn’t salted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted with 1 tsp coconut oil.

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, pour in cereal. 
  2. In a saucepan, add peanut butter, honey, coconut oil and salt. Heat over medium until warmed through, about two minutes.
  3. Turn off heat and add vanilla.
  4. Pour over top of cereal and mix until very well coated.
  5. Press into 8×8 pan, VERY tightly. Wet your hand and press down until compacted completely.
  6. Drizzle melted chocolate overtop and place in freezer for at least 1 hour before eating.
  7. Store in freezer. Let sit at room temp for 5 minutes before cutting.
Author: Erin MorrisseyCategory: dessertMethod: no-bakeCuisine: American
stack of cereal bars

Did you make this?

Leave a comment below and tag @erinliveswhole on social media!

erinliveswhole

There may be affiliate links in this post! By purchasing a product I recommend, I may receive a small compensation. However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use myself. Thank you for supporting Erin Lives Whole, it helps keep this blog afloat 🙂

You May Also Like...

  • healthier smores bars
    Healthy S'mores Bars
  • lemon bar with powdered sugar
    Healthy Lemon Bars (Gluten-Free)
  • Healthy Peanut Butter Crisp Bars
  • chocolate granola in bowl with milk
    Healthy Chocolate Granola Recipe
chocolate chip cookies
free ebook

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

download now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Previous Post
Next Post

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love seeing what you made!

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Jenny says

    Posted on 1/20 at 4:22 pm

    I never thought something this simple would be so tasty. I am high key addicted to these.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/21 at 8:56 pm

      Hi Jenny, so happy you loved them! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    Posted on 1/15 at 11:57 am

    These are so easy & so delicious! For the cereal, I used Nature’s Path Sunrise Crunchy Vanilla, which was a great choice. Loving this sweet treat!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/17 at 8:44 pm

      Hi Sarah, so glad you loved them! 🙂

      Reply
  3. melissa says

    Posted on 11/13 at 9:57 am

    Easy to eat for breakfast, snack or dessert. Can be a little messy, but worth it for how good these taste!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 11/14 at 7:56 pm

      Hi Melissa, so happy you loved them! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Carter Blum says

    Posted on 8/8 at 3:58 pm

    Could you freeze these for leftovers?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/8 at 4:04 pm

      Hi Carter, yes of course. Just put in an airtight container!

      Reply
  5. Becca says

    Posted on 3/16 at 2:37 pm

    Loved these! So stinkin’ easy and delicious! I microwaved instead of stovetop because I was feeling extra lazy and they turned out fine. I measured the chocolate chips with my heart which I wouldn’t really recommend because it felt like a little too much chocolate for a breakfast bar, so I’d suggest following the recipe measurements.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 3/17 at 2:50 pm

      Hi Becca, so happy you loved them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Autumn says

    Posted on 1/3 at 7:25 pm

    Could the coconut oil be subbed for another oil?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 1/4 at 4:18 pm

      Hi Autumn, yep that should be fine. Let me know what you use and how the bars come out!!

      Reply
  7. Annie says

    Posted on 6/13 at 12:27 pm

    These bars are addicting! I have made them four times in the past week. They freeze really well and are the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/13 at 2:09 pm

      Hi Annie, I am thrilled you love them so much!

      Reply
  8. Nicole S says

    Posted on 6/13 at 11:04 am

    I had to make these again because they were requested! These cereal bars are so easy yet so delicious. They are great to bring to parties, camping and kids love them!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 6/13 at 1:46 pm

      Hi Nicole, so glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  9. Maggie Reiff says

    Posted on 4/16 at 2:54 pm

    Love this recipe. I also sub whatever cereal I have on hand (especially if its one I’ve left open and going a little stale…oops)! I love toping these with flaky sea seal, highly recommend!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/16 at 5:40 pm

      Hi Maggie, so glad you liked them and great idea!!

      Reply
  10. Kristin says

    Posted on 4/11 at 11:33 pm

    These bars were so good, and don’t require any baking. Win win in my book! I’ll definitely be making these again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/12 at 8:43 pm

      Hi Kristin, so glad you loved them so much!

      Reply
  11. Gabby says

    Posted on 4/11 at 8:54 pm

    I make these all the time for my family and everyone loves them! Couldn’t recommend more if you want an easy and delicious snack.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 4/12 at 8:33 pm

      Hi Gabby, so happy you loved them!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

erin in front of a building

Hey there!

I’m Erin. Creator of Erin Lives Whole, a food blog with delicious and easy healthy recipes that will leave you feeling good. We’ve got everything from wholesome baked goods to comforting savory dishes. I can’t wait to see what you whip up! Read More...

grocery lists

Shop My Grocery Downloads

Do you head to the grocery store and feel overwhelmed with all of the options? Well, I've created FIVE downloadable and printable grocery lists from five different and popular grocery stores. All of my absolute must haves from Whole Foods, Target, a regular grocer, Trader Joe's, and Costco!

Shop Now

Popular Posts

chickpea brownie on a tray

Chickpea Brownies

bite out of healthy cookie dough ball

Healthy Cookie Dough Balls

cauliflower wings on plate

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

pouring syrup on stack of oatmeal blender pancakes

Oatmeal Blender Pancakes

chocolate chip cookies

get my free top 8 desserts ebook!

A dessert lover’s heaven – six healthier sweet treats all made with six ingredients or less!

Download Now

Join my newsletter for latest recipes!

Trending Recipes

avocado corn salad

Avocado Corn Salad

cilantro lime shrimp on plate

Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Coconut Cauliflower Rice

paleo cookie skillet with ice cream

Healthy Cookie Skillet

banana bread muffin on a rack

Paleo Banana Bread Muffins

Featured On

good housekeeping logo
parade logo
feed feed logo
business insider logo
everyday health logo
country living logo
bar desserts
truffles
bar desserts
bar desserts
muffins
vanilla birthday cake with chocolate icing

Get latest updates To your inbox!

Back to Top
© 2023 Erin Lives Whole
  • Privacy Policy
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled