5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars
on Mar 24, 2021
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Need something for a picnic or party? Or just need treats stashed in the freezer for a chocolate craving ’emergency’? These 5-ingredient peanut butter Cheerio bars take mere minutes to make. And no, they aren’t just for kids!
Not just for kids and… ingredients
When I asked Mr. Scrummy to taste test these peanut butter Cheerio bars, he said: “They’re good, but aren’t they a kids’ thing?”
Er, nope. I’ve certainly never yet met an adult who turned one down.
And why would they? Just look at the list of ingredients:
- Cheerios cereal: I like to use the ones made of wheat, oats and rice, but whichever type you like.
- melted butter: I like salted which I think adds something to the final taste, but unsalted is just fine too.
- peanut butter: I use natural and crunchy, but again, your favourite brand is fine.
- melted marshmallows: Pink, white or pink AND white are fine.
Leftover marshmallows? You’re in luck! I wrote this list of 74 easy marshmallow recipes.
- melted chocolate: I always prefer dark chocolate, but milk or even white is fine too.
All the melty things. Nothing to argue with there. Essentially this is a 5-ingredient recipe.
Other than the fact that they’re
- buttery
- subtly chewy
- very satisfyingly crispy
- peanut buttery
- sweet but not too sweet
- altogether delicious
what I particularly like about these peanut butter Cheerio treats is that they take mere minutes to make.
These make a perfect little lunchbox, picnic or party treat. They’re also a grab-one-every-time-you-open-the-fridge sort of thing, which could be a problem.
How do you make them?
You’re just a few very quick and simple steps away from peanut butter Cheerio treats heaven:
Step 1: Melt butter, peanut butter and marshmallows in a saucepan over a gentle heat. No need to add more sugar, or corn syrup or even honey for that matter. They’re sweet enough with just the marshmallows!
Step 2: Stir through huge amounts of Cheerios, then press into a big pan WITH WET FINGERS (this part is highly advised if you want to avoid a terribly sticky situation!).
Step 3: Melt chocolate and spread over the top, then pop in a cool place to set.
Step 4: Cut into bars and try to eat just one before stashing the rest away in the freezer!
Helen’s Top Tips
- The biggest advice I have for you is to make sure you melt the butter, peanut butter and marshmallows ON A LOW HEAT. If you heat them too vigorously, the caramel will be too sticky. You want to end up with softly chewy crispy treats, not a trip to the dentist with a broken tooth!
- As mentioned above, when you press the Cheerios down into the pan, use slightly wet fingers to stop the mixture sticking. Work quickly and confidently and all will be well!
- You might not need as much chocolate as you think. I put just 200 grams or 7 ounces of chocolate on the top of my peanut butter bars. There may be only a thin layer of chocolate on the top, but some of it oozes into the gaps on the top of the bars. When you bite into your delicious crispy peanut butter marshmallow treats, some bites are surprisingly more chocolaty than others. Yum!
More things to know (FAQs)
Yes, yes, yes! In fact I like to store these chocolate peanut butter Cheerio bars in the freezer in Ziplock bags. They don’t exactly freeze, but they stay nice and crispy and chewy this way.
If they’re a little too chewy when you first take them out of the freezer, just wait a few minutes before devouring. I usually can’t wait, but this is my official advice!
If you don’t put them in the freezer, they last well for a couple of days in an airtight container. After this they’ll still taste good, but the Cheerios will start to go a little soft.
Cheerios recipes can easily be gluten free. Just check the type of Cheerios you use. Also check that the marshmallows you use are gluten free – some are, but others aren’t.
Variations
I love these Cheerio treats exactly as they are, but there might just be ways to make them even yummier.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Add chopped chunks of your favourite chocolate bars/candy e.g. Snickers, peanut butter cups, M&Ms.
- Replace around half a cup of the Cheerios with a combination of nuts, coconut and/or dried fruit.
- Replace the milk chocolate on top with white chocolate.
- Try replacing the Cheerios with another kind cereal such as Rice Krispies or Cornflakes.
- Adapt for the occasion. Put Cadbury mini eggs on the top for the perfect chocolate Easter treats. Blue or pink sprinkles for a baby shower. Crushed candy canes for Christmas. You get the idea!
More crispy treats
- I hope you give these cornflake bars with peanut butter a try, too!
- If you love these, you’ll also like these chocolate covered rice krispie bars.
- This one’s for peanut butter lovers – 6 ingredient no-bake peanut butter crunch bars! They taste like a cross between Reese’s peanut butter cups and rice krispie treats.
Addictive Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces butter, (about 3 tablespoons)
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 10 ounces marshmallows
- 6 cups Cheerios, (use 5 cups if using UK cups)
- 7 ounces chocolate, milk or dark
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with baking paper.
- Melt the butter, peanut butter and marshmallows together slowly on a low heat.2 ounces butter, ½ cup peanut butter, 10 ounces marshmallows
- Combine with a wooden spoon, then stir in the Cheerios.6 cups Cheerios
- Press the mixture into the pan with damp hands to stop the mixture sticking.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 90 seconds, then pour over the Cheerio mixture, spreading right to the edges.7 ounces chocolate
- Let the Cheerio bars set in a cool place for a while (the fridge is fine), then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or freeze in Ziploc bags.
I want to make these but I can’t stand marshmallows. Would the recipe still work if I eliminated them or would that mess up the way they hold together?
Hello Timothy! Unfortunately I don’t think this particular recipe would work without marshmallows without drastically changing the recipe. However… I do have a similar recipe on the site called peanut butter crunch bars that you might like instead. They are more peanut buttery but very delicious. Do let me know if you try them 🙂
I did make this, but added a slight bit more PB and butter. Instead of melting chocolate over it I sprinkled 1/2 C chocolate chips on it as well as tinÿ sprinkled tart candies such as nerds. my family eat with their eyes eyes as this made the dessert esthetically appealing. Thanks for your recipe it looks good that way too.
I always love to hear how people ‘make a recipe their own’ and I love the sound of this prettier version of the recipe. Thank you so much for the feedback, and for letting me know how you adapted the bars. I hope they become a family favorite! I make these often when I need a ‘finger food’ dessert for everyone to grab!
Followed the recipe exactly.
These are ok, but I still prefer the Rice Krispie ones.
Did you make the rice krispie bars from my blog, Fran? (I just updated that!) Thanks for the feedback – I really appreciate it!
I have made this recipe MANY times & it’s a family favorite. Instead of melting the chocolate on top, I add in Peanut Butter M&Ms before spreading in the pan. Less messy to eat. I’ve used many flavors of Cheerios –the chocolate/peanut butter flavors are great. If I’m out of Cheerios, I’ve added Rice Krispies or Rice Chex.
Hello Marcy! Thank you so much for letting me know! I love that it’s become a family favorite, and I’ll try your idea of adding M&Ms next time I make them. Now if only I could get my hands on peanut butter M&Ms here in Australia!
I placed about 1 cup of chocolate chips on parchment paper lined glass pan in oven that had been preheated to 350 F. I just let the chips melt a little. I did not spread them but poured the warm Cheerios peanut butter marshmallow mixture on top of the partially melted chocolate chips. I used a non stick induction pot/pan on low #2 heat with lid to melt my mixture. It was easy to pour out in globs over the chocolate chips. My husband got to early ant residual sticky mixture from the pan. So! The chocolate is on the bottom instead of an icing/topping.
Oh wow, I love the sound of your version, Cyndy! I’m glad the hubby got to lick the bowl, and thank you for letting me know how you went with the recipe 🙂
I found this recipe when searching for a way to use stale Cheerios. The recipe was very easy for me and had a delicious outcome. I especially appreciated the advice to heat the stove mixture GENTLY, so that it doesn’t turn into teeth-breaking toffee. I now realize that that’s exactly what happened the last (and final) time that I made a similar cereal bar recipe!
I agree with another comment about stopping the microwave more often and stirring to prevent burning. I start with maybe 30 seconds, stir, then maybe 20 seconds, stir…
My hubby likes Peanut Butter on crackers but not mixed into foods. (Can you believe that he doesn’t like peanut butter frosting?!) Since the PB is mild in this recipe, he enjoyed these treats!
Thank you so much for this interesting and helpful review, Carol! The tips will help others, and I love that you had a better result with this recipe than the last time you made something similar. The peanut butter flavor is quite mild, so glad that suited your family too. No, I do not believe it’s possible to not like peanut butter frosting! I have a recipe or two using that as well so maybe best to avoid those 😉 I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, Carol. Thank you again and nice to ‘meet’ you!
I made this recipe using Honey Nut Cheerios. It was very yummy. Thanks for the recipe!
If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer a few suggestions.
1) I initially used a cup (8oz) of dark chocolate chips but needed to use more as it didn’t cover as much as the recipe said.
2) Adding in the instructions about stopping to stir the chocolate chips so they don’t burn would be good.
3) 90 second on high wasn’t long enough to melt the chips.
Again, thank you!
Hello Amanda, so happy these turned out well for you, and thank you so much for the helpful suggestions. I’ll add them as notes to the recipe 🙂
Can I use 1 cup peanut butter to make more flavorful? I liked the recipe, but my daughter was disappointed the peanut butter wasn’t a stronger flavor. I like that it’s a simple recipe and don’t really want to switch to the “corn syrup and sugar” version (which does have 1 cup peanut butter) (oddly enough, versions with honey or maple syrup usually only use 1/2 cup as well!). If I use more peanut butter, any idea if I need to use more butter or less marshmallows?
Hi Kimberly! I haven’t tried adding more pb, but I think you could get away with increasing the amount a little without it really impacting the consistency too much. The other thing I sometimes do is add a few peanuts into the mix, and of course that adds more peanut-y flavor and also crunch!
Recipe calls for ‘dark’ but then it’s blank
Hi Renee! Does it say ‘7 ounces of chocolate, milk or dark? I’m just wondering if there was an ad covering it or something? I seem to be able to read all the ingredients.
Hello, Helen
I haven’t made the receipe yet, but was just wondering how long these rice crispy treats can be in the freezer for before they go bad?
Thanks,
Val
Hi Val! I don’t know exactly how long they’d be OK for, but I think it’s quite a long time! We’ve got some in the freezer right now that have been in there for at least a couple of months and they are still absolutely fine. I’d say you’re safe with 3 months!
How long do they last when you take them out of the freezer? Can I take them on a hike with me?
Hi Tori! Oh yes, definitely! They are just a bit harder when just out of the freezer, that’s all. Enjoy the hike!
We seemed to have an overabundance of cheerios in our pantry (pandemic over-stocking by keen shopping husband), so I looked around for an easy recipe and found this one. I made it last night. The result was intensely yummy! Thank you! Next, it’ll be the easy magic lemon pudding. Cheers. Sue from Canada.
Hi Sue! Thank you so much for reporting back! We love these too. I have to hide them from my toddler in the freezer though! I hope you enjoy the lemon pudding too. Do you like chocolate? If so you HAVE to try the 6-ingredient Swedish chocolate cake. It’s an absolute winner too!
Can i use cornflakes?
Thanks
Hi Lisa! Yes, go for it!!! 🙂
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. I melted my sticky stuff in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 1/2 minutes. My family loved them. We’ve made 3 batches!
Hi Jessica! Great idea to melt all the stickyness in the microwave. Now why didn’t I think of that?!
My kids really enjoyed these, thank you! I used plain cheerios because that was all that we had on hand. Turned out perfectly.
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! It’s totally fine to use any kind of Cheerios you happen to have! 🙂
Okay, this might be my new favourite way of eating Cheerios! These look SO good!
That’s 2 of us then, Marsha – yay!
I was so excited to find this quick easy recipe! And the best part? I had all the ingredients on hand to make these scrumptious PB Cheerio bars. Mmmm….I just wish I doubled the recipe!
Next time, triple it! So glad you enjoyed them!