Cheerios Cereal Bars

by Sabrina Snyder

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42 Comments

5 from 4 votes
16
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
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These Cheerios Cereal Bars make a great on-the-go breakfast! Perfect for snacking, lunchboxes, and summer treats kids of all ages will love!

These no-bake cereal bars are just as easy and gooey as Rice Krispies Treats but with some extra crunch! The perfect Snack Recipe for kids of all ages that doubles as breakfast on the go! For a cruchy peanut snack, make my Peanut Butter Corn Flake Bars!

Sabrina’s Cheerios Cereal Bars

Marshmallow cereal bars of all kinds have been around a while and are one of those classic snacks that never get old. For over 80 years, kids and adults of all ages have loved these sticky gooey chewy no-bake treats. This recipe is a wholesome, wholegrain take on the krispies treat using another well loved classic, Cheerios.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Cheerios Cereal Bars Recipe

These Cheerios Cereal Bars make a great on-the-go breakfast! Perfect for snacking, lunchboxes, and summer treats kids of all ages will love!
Yield 16
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Cereal Bars in stack 4x3
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 ounces marshmallows
  • 6 cups Cheerios cereal

Instructions

  • In a dutch oven melt the butter on medium heat then add in the marshmallows and mix until completely melted.
  • Mix in the Cheerios until completely coated.
  • Press the mixture into a 9×13-inch pan and let cool completely before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 325IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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About This Recipe

What sets this recipe apart is that this a cereal bar recipe without peanut butter. Don’t get me wrong, peanut butter is delicious, but these cereal bars are meant to have classic krispies treat flavors. Plus, leaving out the peanut butter keeps them lower in fat and cholesterol. Don’t let the whole bag of marshmallows fool you, these cereal bars are actually pretty healthy snacks. At about 100 calories, low fat, and no added sugar in the cereal, these are a snack or breakfast you can feel good about. You don’t have to share your secret, let the kids devour them thinking they are getting a sugary treat!

Can This be Made Ahead of Time?

These cereal bars can be made ahead of time for easy potluck or cookout snacks. They don’t need to be refrigerated so they travel well and make perfect snacks for road trips and camping. Since Cheerios are gluten-free and this cereal bar recipe is made without peanut butter, they are also allergy-friendly bake sale treats!

How to Store

  • Serve: These cereal bars are best at room temperature, stored covered in plastic wrap or in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
  • Store: You don’t want to refrigerate marshmallow cereal bars, they won’t be fresh or crunchy. Instead, keep them in an airtight container layered with parchment paper at room temperature.
  • Freeze: You can keep cereal bars in the freezer for up to 6 weeks in an airtight container. Bring cereal bars to room temperature before serving.

Frequent Questions

What kind of marshmallows should I use for treats?

You can use any size marshmallows you like, whether mini or large marshmallows. Some people like to use marshmallow creme but your end result will have a different, softer texture. If you like that, go ahead and use them.

Can I melt the butter and marshmallows in the microwave?

I do not recommend using the microwave to melt your marshmallow mixture as the marshmallows might expand and make a big mess.

Variations

  • Chocolate: Indulge your sweet tooth by spreading the top with Chocolate Ganache. Allow the ganache to set, refrigerating for 30 minutes if the weather is too warm, before cutting. Another idea is once you stir the cereal into the marshmallow mixture, cool for 5 minutes then fold in your favorite chocolate chips. Don’t stir too much (the chocolate will start melting), and press into the pan. Top with more chocolate chips.
  • Marshmallows: Reserve 1 cup of mini marshmallows and fold into the cereal mixture about 5 minutes after mixing, then press into the pan.
  • Nuts: Give your cereal bars some protein by mixing in 1 cup chopped peanuts, cashews, or slivered almonds with the cereal.
  • Dried Fruit: Fold chopped dried fruit into your cereal bars like dried strawberries, blueberries, bananas, or apples.
  • Cheerios Flavors: Swap out the classic Cheerios for other flavors like Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, or Chocolate Cheerios.
  • Cereal: Don’t stop at Cheerios! Use other classic cereals like Raisin Bran, Rice Chex, Grape Nuts, or Special K Flakes instead.
  • Peanut Butter and Honey: Instead of the butter and marshmallows, use honey and creamy peanut butter. Melt ¾ cup creamy peanut butter with ½ cup honey. Toss 3 cups cheerios in the warm honey mixture and press into a pan. Cut into squares when cooled.

More Cereal Bars to Try

Cheerios Bars 3-image collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

    1. Serve: These cereal bars are best at room temperature, stored covered in plastic wrap or in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
      Store: You don’t want to refrigerate marshmallow cereal bars like Cheerios Bars, they won’t be fresh or crunchy. Instead, keep them in an airtight container layered with parchment paper at room temperature.
      Freeze: You can keep Cheerios Cereal Bars in the freezer for up to 6 weeks in an airtight container. Bring Cereal Bars to room temperature before serving.

      Reply

    1. HOW TO STORE CHEERIOS CEREAL BARS

      These cereal bars are best at room temperature, stored covered in plastic wrap or in a sealed container for up to 4 days.

      You don’t want to refrigerate marshmallow cereal bars like Cheerios Bars, they won’t be fresh or crunchy. Instead, keep them in an airtight container layered with parchment paper at room temperature.

      You can keep Cheerios Cereal Bars in the freezer for up to 6 weeks in an airtight container. Bring Cereal Bars to room temperature before serving.

      Reply

  25. This recipe is almost too good and too easy to be true! But everyone loved these and they’re definitely going to be featured at our next birthday party!

    Reply

  26. We usually just make rice crispy bars, but this looks like a great alternative. My kids love cheerios too.

    Reply

  27. I am certainly trying these Cheerios bars tomorrow. Need to keep kids entertained and it is so fun creating with them something in the kitchen:)

    Reply

  28. These bars look so delicious! I love, love, love Cheeriossssss, although they’re a bit hard to find here. I’ll definitely try this recipe when I manage to get myself a box

    Reply