How to Make Breakfast Quick with Homemade Cereal Bars

I decided to make these honey-oat no-bake homemade cereal bars because my kids are obsessed with ‘Papa’s cereal’. Somewhere along the way, Honey Bunches of Oats became known as Papa’s cereal in our house. It’s pretty darn cute when they ask for it, but I hate when they eat it because the tiny little flakes and oats end up all over the floor and them. I often find little flakes in my daughter’s hair. It’s a totally healthy snack, but I just hate how messy it is, so I decided to create this homemade cereal bars recipe as a great alternative to giving them loose cereal.

This recipe is so easy! You don’t have to bake them and they don’t require any major cooking skills. All you need is a medium-sized sauce pan and a 9 x 13 inch pan. The best part about granola bar recipes is the versatility you have to create whatever you like. If you don’t like the cereal I chose, you can sub it another option like corn flakes. Or if you hate almonds, you can add peanuts or keep it nut-free. Are you not a big fan of peanut butter? Then you can double-up on the honey.  Seriously, the granola bar recipe options are endless.  Here’s a no-bake energy bites recipe and a chocolate chip granola bar recipe, in case you’re looking.

I hope you’ll give this no-bake peanut butter oat cereal bars recipe a try! I’d also love to hear what you think, so drop me a comment or shoot me an email!

No Bake Homemade Cereal Bars Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups flaky breakfast cereal (I used Honey Bunches of Oats)
1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cereal, rolled oats, almonds, and coconut.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey, brown sugar and salt to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir until well combined. Press the mixture into a lightly greased, 9×13 inch baking pan (a lightly greased sheet of wax paper works well for this step). Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. For longer storage, wrap