These yummy peanut butter Cheerio bars have just three ingredients: honey, peanut butter, and Cheerios oat cereal. They make a great healthy snack for kids of all ages. Perfect for mid-afternoon or midnight munching, In a pinch, these bars would be a fairly good breakfast on the go.
We don't have any kids at home anymore—heck, even all six grandkids are nearly grown—but they still pop in, and sometimes they need a ride, so I always try to have some snacks on hand for them. We like snacks as much as they do, and these peanut butter Cheerio bars are a treat I don't have to feel guilty about.
The best thing about peanut butter Cheerios bars is that they taste good. They are chewy, gooey, crunchy, and pretty darn wonderful without added sugar! Try to use local honey for this recipe.
Local honey can help reduce seasonal allergies. Consuming small amounts of local pollen in honey may help build immunity to local allergens. The jury is still out on this, but some people find it helpful.
Local honey is often fresher and less processed than mass-produced honey and honey products in the grocery store. That means it's more likely to retain its natural enzymes, antioxidants, and other beneficial properties.
The second best thing is they're ridiculously easy to make. Who-needs-grandma-easy.
Gather the ingredients and spray a square baking pan, either eight by eight or nine by nine, with non-stick spray. Then, line it with parchment or good old waxed paper, as I did here.
The best tip I can give you when you make these yummy treats is this. Non-stick cooking spray like Pam is your friend. Spray your measuring cups, and the peanut butter and honey will slide right out.
Spray a microwave-safe bowl with non-stick spray. I love using my Pampered Chef batter bowls for a job like this. They have handles and are so easy to use.
Put the peanut butter and honey in the bowl and zap it in the microwave for thirty seconds. That should be enough to make it easy to stir them together. Spray the spoon, too!
Now add the Cheerios. I used a store brand of the cereal, and it worked fine!
Now pour the sticky mixture into the pan you have lined, and with your fingers or a rubber spatula you have sprayed, pat the mixture evenly into the pan.
Here comes the hard part. You need to refrigerate the peanut butter Cheerio bars for at least an hour to let them cool and get firm enough to cut. I know it's hard to wait.
When the bars are cool, cut them into serving pieces of the size you choose. I cut my eight-inch square pan into sixteen bars, each about two inches square. Confession! I ate two of them immediately before I even took a picture! In a word, they are irresistible!
Since this recipe does not contain sugar or corn syrup, the bars should be kept in the refrigerator, where they will stay firm. This recipe makes a small batch; if you like them as much as we do, they won't be in the refrigerator for long! You could easily double the batch size and make a thirteen-by-nine-inch panful.
You could use crunchy peanut butter or chopped peanuts for even more crunch. You might even want to add mini chocolate chips!
These yummy peanut butter Cheerio bars have much less sugar than most snacks. Because you make them at home, you know exactly what's in them, and you can be confident there are no weird chemicals or preservatives.
Some people have expressed concerns about Cheerios containing trace amounts of glyphosate, but most regulatory agencies consider these levels safe. However, if this is a matter of concern, organic oat cereals like Cheerios are widely available.
A quick and easy healthy snack made with just three ingredients: honey, peanut butter, and Cheerios cereal.
You can use Cheerios to make other quick and tasty snacks! Next time you have a snack attack, try these Hot-Buttered Cheerios or Cinnamon Sugar-Fried Cheerios!
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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