Description
Homemade Cereal Bars bring comfort and nostalgia to breakfast tables with their simple yet delightful mix of wholesome ingredients. Sweet grains and honey create a perfect morning treat that connects you to childhood memories while satisfying hunger with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients:
- 3 cups (75 g) cereal (cheerios, puffed rice, or granola)
- ½ cup (120 g) nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter for nut-free)
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) honey or maple syrup
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Nutritional Boosters:
- ¼ cup (40 g) mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (30 g) dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, or chopped apricots)
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) chia seeds or flaxseeds for extra nutrition
Instructions
- Prepare a baking surface by lining a rectangular dish with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage with slight overhang for easy removal.
- Gather dry components including oats, seeds, nuts, and dried fruits into a spacious mixing vessel, blending thoroughly to create a uniform mixture.
- Create a warm binding liquid by gently heating nut butter, honey, milk, and vanilla extract in a compact saucepan, stirring consistently until the mixture transforms into a silky, integrated emulsion.
- Pour the heated liquid over the dry ingredients, using a robust folding technique to ensure comprehensive coating of every oat and additional ingredient.
- Transfer the moistened mixture into the prepared baking dish, applying firm, even pressure with a flexible spatula to compact the ingredients into a consistent layer.
- Chill the assembled mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, allowing the bars to solidify and develop structural integrity.
- After setting, extract the consolidated mixture from the refrigerator and utilize the parchment paper edges to lift the entire block onto a cutting surface.
- Slice the consolidated block into uniform rectangles or squares, maintaining consistent sizing for aesthetic and practical serving purposes.
- Preserve the crafted bars in an hermetic container, selecting room temperature storage for short-term preservation or refrigeration for extended freshness.
Notes
- Customize your bars by swapping out nuts and dried fruits to match personal taste preferences or dietary needs.
- Experiment with different nut butters like almond or sunflower seed butter for unique flavor profiles and alternative protein sources.
- Add dark chocolate chips or cocoa powder for a decadent twist that boosts antioxidant content and satisfies sweet cravings.
- Consider toasting oats and nuts beforehand to enhance their natural nutty flavors and create a deeper, more complex taste experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Snacks, Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 183
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg