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These bars kind of make me feel like a kid again.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Not that I was ever a big Cheerios eater, but I did love those Cheerio breakfast bars with the “milk” in the middle that was really just pure sugar.

They were really more like a dessert, which is probably why I never actually had them for breakfast.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

I was so close to trying to recreate those bars, and maybe someday I will, but I kind of wanted something a little lighter.

Something still sweet and crunchy, but somewhat healthy too.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Enter these super simple, eight ingredient bars (yes, ingredients that you can actually pronounce). Unlike almost all the store-bought snack bars that have about a bazillion ingredients that you cannot even read, or at least I can’t.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the best reader, but I mean come on? Some of those words have to have been made up by a chemist. Thiamine mononitrate, disodium inosinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, do we really want to put that in our bodies? I know I sometimes post some seriously indulgent food around here, but at least I know what the heck is in it. That’s better than the unknown any day.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

These bars are still sweet, but not overly so. They’re perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert. Well, dessert for normal people, but around here these little guys are a snack. It’s pretty much always chocolate around here when it comes to dessert. If by chance I make a non-chocolate dessert, that only means it will most likely need to be served with a side of chocolate.

Speaking of chocolate, can I just say that I am so excited for Easter? Because I am. The other day my brain just started throwing out Easter treats like crazy. I am praying all the ideas work, but if they do, oh man! Chocolate sweets galore. Let’s hope all goes well.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

The one thing about these bars is that if you leave them in a warmish area the honey tends to get a little melty and the bars come undone. If you want to avoid this, try keeping them in fridge. I did not have any problems with my first batch because I cooked them just right, but I undercooked the second batch and they were a little loose. So just make sure to cook them properly and don’t freak if the honey bubbles up over the Cheerios while baking because it’s totally a good thing.

Oh, and if they do end up crumbling a bit. These are milk’s best friend.

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 12 Bars
Calories Per Serving: 165 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Add the cheerios and cashews to a large mixing bowl.
  • In a microwave safe bowl add the honey, coconut oil and brown sugar. Microwave the mixture on 30 seconds interval, stirring until melted and smooth. This took me about 1 minute. Once the honey mixture is melted and easily pourable stir in the baking soda, salt and vanilla. Pour the honey mixture over the cheerios and toss well. Pour the cheerios out into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the top of the bars are golden brown. This mixture may bubble up a bit, but this is fine.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, about 2-4 hours before cutting into bars. Once cool cut in bars and wrap in plastic wrap for easy snacking. If bars end up crumbling use as you would cereal or granola.

Notes

*If left in a warm place the bars will melt and crumble. I recommend keeping these in very cool and dry place.
View Recipe Comments

Honey Nut Cheerio Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Ok, so maybe milk’s best friend is a warm chocolate chip cookie, but these could easily come in second.

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Comments

  1. Mine also burned, so I put them in an 8×8, brought the temp down to 325 and cooked for 20 and still got a lot of burned cheerios with a bitter taste. I, like someone else tried using Honey Nut Cheerios as I had them already – would you bet that is the issue? Is it the coating already on them burning?

    1. Hi Heather,
      So very sorry to hear this recipe did not work for you. Unfortunately, my guess the issue is coming from the already Honey Nut Cheerios. I would use the original next time. I hope this helps! xT

  2. 1 star
    I had been looking for something like a “breakfast” bar for some time and stumbled across this at the same time while have a ton of honey nut cheerios leftover. I was so excited! I just finished this and it turned out terrible, sadly. They are burnt therefore taste like that. I would not recommend this receipt unless it’s redone and maybe consider a lower temp and shorter time. Huge waste of product too.

    1. Hi Lisa,
      Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear they burned. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe or anything that I can help with? Please let me know! xx

      1. Thanks. No, I didn’t adjust anything. I would recommend trying this at a lower temp and for a shorter amount of time. I had to soak my dish in water in order to get everything out. :(. Oh well, good lesson learned. Thank you for the other recommendations!! L

  3. 5 stars
    Mine were totally burnt on the bottom after the 25 minutes. I don’t get it, the tops were way way way darker than these photos, and the bottoms were completely singed. There must be something different in how she made the ones in the photos. Don’t recommend this recipe as written.

    1. Oh no I’m so sorry about that Stella! IS there anything in the recipe you did differently? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan

  4. Like the commenters above, my bars were very dark/almost burnt around the 15-20 minute mark. I haven’t tried them yet, but I’m sure they’ll taste fine. Next time I try them though, I’ll keep a closer eye on them and maybe not cook them as long or at a lower temp!

  5. I just made these today and mine also got very, very dark after about 15 minutes, I think I took mine out at about 20 minutes and I also think they got maybe a little burnt (they still tasted ok though). Are you sure you only put 4 cups of cheerios in yours? It seemed like another cup would’ve been better. Mine were much, much darker than yours look. I used raw honey, maybe that made a difference?

    1. Hi! That could have made a difference, but maybe try tenting the pan with foil if they start getting too golden. Also, I am sure adding another cup of cheerios would be fine if you think the batch needs it. Let me know if you have any other questions and sorry for the trouble!

      Tieghan

  6. Just made these. Mine were a dark, dark brown after 25 minutes. I think they might have burned a bit. They were definitely really hard to cut into bars as well. Do you know how long these will last in the fridge?

    1. Hmm, sorry yours got a little burnt. They will last at least a week, but I have kept mine for 2. Hope you love them!

  7. Hello Tieghan, just found you on Pinterest and saw you’re from Summit County (as am I). I’m enjoying your recipes and photos. I’m wondering if these might make great snack bars for carrying while hiking? (Usually doesn’t get REALLY hot up high.) I’ll try them – my Grands will be happy when they visit. Good luck to you! PS Like your Mom, I’m drawn to anything chocolate, so may have to drizzle some on top!

    1. Thanks so much, Barb!! These bars will be great for hiking, but know that they are very crumbly. Although, that drizzle of chocolate will help them stay together!
      Thanks again!