Cheerio Cereal Bars
Cheerio Cereal Bars are a fun treat that’s perfect for after-school. You can’t go wrong with Cheerios, marshmallows, candy, and chocolate!
Cheerio Cereal Bars are quick to make and an easy snack to dive into, so you can keep them on hand whenever you need a treat or something to bring to the party! Grab the Cheerios, mini marshmallows, candy pieces, chocolate, and butter to make sweet, crunchy bars everyone loves to devour.
Cheerio Cheer
There is nothing better than mixing up a bowl of honey nut Cheerios with marshmallows and topping it with candy and chocolate and letting it set, all without turning on my oven. There’s not much measuring or mixing involved, so I can have fun making this with the kids instead of worrying about managing too many things at once. Good times with the kids and getting to bite into a sweet, crunchy treat is hands down the best part of my week!
Ultimate Candy Cookie Bars are seriously loaded with every treat you can think of and if you’re looking for something a little lighter, check out Light Chocolate Peanut Bars– they’re full of nutritional goodies!
Other Recipes to Serve with Cheerio Cereal Bars
- German Chocolate Cookie Bars are decadent treats filled with chocolate, caramel, pecans, and coconut that are so addictive you’ll be making them again and again!
- Great for parties or to make hanging out with the family more festive, Cherry Limeade is a winner for every occasion.
Ingredients
Cereal: For this recipe, you will need Honey Nut Cheerios or any flavor of Cheerios you prefer, even regular ones.
Sweets: Mini marshmallows, candy such as M&M’s, Heath pieces, Reece’s Pieces, etc., chocolate chips, and white chocolate melting wafers are needed for these bars. You can even grab holiday-themed M&Ms to make these cereal bars more festive.
Butter: You will need butter or margarine to make these bars.
How to Make Cheerio Cereal bars
STEP ONE: Grease a 9×13 pan with non-stick spray and set aside. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and marshmallows and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir until the mix is smooth. Add the Cheerios and mix to coat well.
STEP TWO: With buttered hands, gently press the Cheerio marshmallow mix into the prepared pan evenly. Sprinkle the candy and chocolate chips over the top.
STEP THREE: Melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave until melted, then drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Refrigerate the bars for 1 hour, cut them into bars, and serve.
Tips for Success
- Grease your hands with butter before pressing the cereal into the pan to keep the mix from sticking to you. You also don’t want to press the bars into the pan too firmly, as this will make the bars tough and compact.
- Add the candies and chocolate chips to the bars while the Cheerios are still warm so that everything sticks well to the bars.
- You can drizzle the melted chocolate wafers over the bars before or after you add the candy. However, you want to do it!
- Store these bars in an airtight container for up to 7 days on the counter or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Are Cheerio Cereal Bars gluten-free?
Cheerios and other brands that make Cheerio-type cereals are made of oats and will indicate on the front of the package if they are gluten-free. Not all brands are gluten-free, even though they are all made from oats, because the cereal was not made in a gluten-free facility. But the Cheerios brand has the gluten-free label right on the front of its box.
The other main item to check on are the marshmallows, which will also indicate if they were made in a gluten-free facility. That way, you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination. Overall, this is one super easy recipe to make that’s gluten-free!
What kind of substitutions can I make to this recipe?
Cheerio Cereal Bars are so versatile that you can make as many changes as there are days in the week! First, you can use any Cheerios you want – plain, honey nut, chocolate, peanut butter, or berry flavored.
From there, you can tailor what candies you choose to add and even include dried fruit. If you only have big marshmallows, just cut them into smaller pieces rather than buying a bag of mini marshmallows.
When it comes to chocolate chips, choose milk chocolate or semi-sweet for indulgent bars or to balance the sweetness, try using dark chocolate chips. Have you seen the white chocolate Funfetti or unicorn chocolate chips by chance? These cereal bars are completely customizable to what you and your family love!
More quick treats to satisfy that sweet tooth!
- S’mores Cereal Bars
- Leprechaun Snack Mix
- Berry Chocolate Magic Bars
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Bars
- No Bake Cookie Dough Bars
Cheerio Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 5 cups Honey Nut Cheerios (about 6 ounces)
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup candies (M&Ms, Heath, etc.)
- ½ cup white chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- Coat the inside of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the marshmallows and butter. Place in the microwave and heat for 2 minutes, and then stir. Heat in 30-second intervals as needed until smooth.
- Pour the Cheerios into the bowl and stir until coated. Pour the Cheerio mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Grease your hands and use them to press the cereal into the pan in an even layer. (Don't press too hard though. You don't want to make the bars super dense.) Sprinkle the chocolate chips and candies over the Cheerios.
- Pour the white chocolate wafers into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each heating, until melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the bars.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour until set. Then slice into bars and serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze the cereal bars for up to 3 months.
Notes
- M&Ms were used for the “candy” for nutrition calculation purposes.
- If you’re using larger candy, like Snickers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I recommend chopping them into smaller pieces before topping the bars.
