These chocolate peanut butter cereal bars are a delightful mix of chewy, crunchy, and chocolaty goodness that’s hard to resist!
If you love chocolate and peanut butter together, these bars are for you! With layers of chewy oats, crisp cereal, creamy peanut butter, and a decadent chocolate topping, each bite is a perfect blend of textures and flavors. They’re easy to make, satisfyingly sweet, and great for feeding a crowd. Whether you’re whipping up a treat for a party or just want a fun dessert for yourself, these bars are sure to be a hit!
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
- Quick and simple. Basic ingredients and easy steps make these bars a breeze to whip up.
- Perfect flavor combo. Chocolate, peanut butter, and a touch of crunch make each bite irresistible.
- Great for sharing. This recipe makes a generous batch that’s perfect for parties, potlucks, or gift-giving.
- No mixer needed. Just a few bowls and a microwave for melting, so cleanup is simple!
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the crust:
- Quick oats – Quick oats provide that chewy texture without overpowering the bars with large oat pieces, which is perfect for this layered dessert. Regular oats can work but may change the texture slightly. Learn more: Rolled Oats vs Quick Oats
- Dark brown sugar – The molasses in dark brown sugar adds a richer depth of flavor. Light brown sugar works too, though it’ll be a bit milder in taste. Learn more: Light vs Dark Brown Sugar
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight for accuracy, or use the spoon and level method to avoid packing in too much flour, which could affect the texture. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Unsalted butter – Melted butter brings the layers together beautifully. Let it cool slightly before mixing to avoid any egg curdling.
- Egg – Bringing the egg to room temperature helps it incorporate smoothly, which makes for a better crust texture.
For the filling:
- Light corn syrup – This helps bind the peanut butter and sugar mixture for the cereal layer, adding a slight gloss and chewiness. For an alternative, try honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, or golden syrup. Any of these substitutes should work well, though the flavor and texture may vary slightly with each.
- Granulated sugar – Balances the sweetness in the peanut butter layer and complements the dark brown sugar.
- Peanut butter – Use regular, shelf-stable peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy). Natural varieties, while tasty, can separate and result in a crumbly texture.
- Crisp rice cereal – This classic cereal layer adds a wonderful crunch. Rice Krispies are a popular choice here, but any crisp rice cereal should work.
For the topping:
- Semisweet chocolate chips – You’ll melt this with the peanut butter chips to create an effortless topping for these bars. Choose a good-quality brand for the best flavor.
- Peanut butter baking chips – Adds more peanut butter flavor, creating a delicious pairing with the chocolate.
- Chopped nuts – Pecans, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, or hazelnuts all work well here. Toasting the nuts adds depth to their flavor and a bit of extra crunch. Learn more: How to Toast Nuts
- Toffee bits – These bring a sweet, buttery crunch to the bars. Use plain or chocolate-covered bits depending on your preference.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan. You can first line the pan with parchment paper if you prefer.
- Bake the crust. Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, butter, and egg. Press into the pan and bake 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Make the peanut butter filling. Heat the sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup in the microwave until melted and smooth. Stir in the cereal, then spread over the crust.
- Make the topping. Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips together. Spread evenly over the bars, and top with nuts and toffee.
- Cool. Let the bars cool and the filling set before cutting into bars.
Tips for Success
- Use parchment for easy removal. Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easy to lift the bars out for cutting. Just be sure to leave a bit of overhang on the sides to grab.
- Cool the butter. Let the melted butter cool slightly before mixing it into the crust ingredients. Adding it too hot can start cooking the egg and change the crust’s texture.
- Be patient with the crust. It may seem like there’s not enough mixture to cover the entire bottom of the pan, but keep working—it will! The layer will be thin but should reach edge to edge.
- Press the layers firmly. For a well-structured bar, press each layer (the crust and cereal layers) firmly into the pan. This helps keep the bars from crumbling when you slice them.
- Work quickly with the cereal layer. Once you mix the cereal with the warm peanut butter mixture, spread it over the crust immediately, as it can firm up fast.
- Melt the baking chips gently. Microwave the chips at half power and stir every 30 seconds to avoid overheating. This method prevents the chocolate from seizing and keeps the texture smooth.
- Cool completely before cutting. For cleaner cuts, let the bars cool completely before slicing. If you’re short on time, you can refrigerate them briefly. This helps set the chocolate layer for neat, even squares.
Variations
- Nutty swap. Try crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy for an extra bit of texture. You could also experiment with almond butter or cashew butter for a different flavor profile.
- Sweet and salty. Sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt over the chocolate-peanut butter layer after spreading it on. The salty kick pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of the bars.
- Butterscotch. Substitute butterscotch baking chips for the peanut butter chips in the topping for a fun flavor change.
- Nut-free. Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter and omit the chopped nuts. This variation is great for those with nut allergies while still delivering that satisfying crunch.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you’re stacking the bars, place a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking.
- Refrigerator: For longer storage, keep the bars in the refrigerator. This can help them stay fresh for up to a week. The chocolate layer may become firm, so let the bars sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for a softer texture.
- Freezer: These bars also freeze well! Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with parchment between layers. They’ll keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or so at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy.
More Cereal Bar Recipes
Get the Recipe:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Yield
48 bars
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Total Time
37 minutes
Peanut Butter, Chocolate, and Oat Cereal Bars are a simple, delicious, sweet, crunchy treat. A breeze to make!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (160g) quick-cooking oats
- 3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (236ml) light corn syrup
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (255g) creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups (112g) crisp rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
- 12 ounces (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 10 ounces (283g) peanut butter chips
- 1 cup (approximately 120g) chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup (80g) toffee bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 15"x 10" jellyroll pan. If you like, line the pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper.
- Combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, butter, and egg. Transfer to the prepared pan. Press firmly and evenly onto the bottom of the pan.
- Bake 12 minutes. Then, set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Place the corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir every 30 seconds.
- Stir in the cereal. Transfer the mixture to the crust. Working quickly, spread evenly and press firmly over the crust.
- Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at half power in 30-second increments until the chips melt when stirred. Stir until smooth and blended.
- Spread evenly over the cereal layer. Sprinkle with the nuts and toffee bits.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
Recipe adapted from MyRecipes.
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
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11 Comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars”
These look great. It’s nice when they have a bit of energy value too since there is SO much sweet being eaten during the holidays. I feel less like a sugar pimp when I can give back something that might keep them going longer with some cereal or PB or something added. HA.
This is totally how I want to eat my cereal!
I love easy cookies and bars like these. Especially when chocolate is involved!
Oats in a krispie treat? It’s practically healthy!
THESE BARS–all things yumminess. omg
YUM. Want want want!
Just drooling over ALL THE PERFECT THINGS in these bars.
I don’t even butter my bread; I consider that cooking.
Katherine Cebrian
*drool* These are going to be my new favorite dessert ever!!
These look fab! Is there a substitute I could use for the corn syrup?
Gina, you might try golden syrup or honey.