Peanut Butter Fudge Cereal Bars
A thick, crunchy, ultra-peanut buttery cereal bar that's topped with a swirl of chocolate. These bars are gluten-free and vegan friendly, too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter the kind that's just peanuts and salt
- 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups oat-o cereal like plain cheerios or any other unsweetened/barely sweet cereal you love
- 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- 1. Line an 8x4" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 2. Put all ingredients except cereal and cocoa into a bowl and stir to combine. Scoop out 1/2 cup of the peanut butter mixture and set it aside. This will become the chocolate topping.
- 3. Stir in cereal, mixing well to coat every piece in peanut butter. Scoop cereal mixture into prepared pan, and use a spoon to press down firmly until you've formed a thick, compressed layer.
- 4. Pour the remaining peanut butter mixture back into the empty bowl, and add cocoa powder. Stir, then pour over the pan of cereal, spreading it out to the edges. For the pictures, I reserved 1 Tablespoon of the 1/2 cup of peanut butter to dollop and swirl on top after I poured on the chocolate.
- 5. Transfer the pan to the fridge for at least an hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes, until bars have hardened. Slice into 8 and serve; store leftover bars in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
These bars keep their shape best when chilled. I do not recommend leaving these at room temperature for more than 15-20 minutes, or they will start to soften too much and will fall apart when you pick them up. Chilled, they are perfectly fudgy, crunchy, and hold together extremely well.
Adapted from my Chocolate Peanut Butter Freezer Fudge