• Tweet

• Tweet

You knew I wasn’t going to be able to make just one recipe, didn’t you?   In my defense, it’s not like you guys have been helping.  You’re not all choosing the same recipe and making it easy.    Everybody wants to see something different, so I’ve decided to make several of the recipes from the Cheerios website. (For details, be sure to check out our Cheerios/$25 American Express Gift Card Giveaway.)

Tonight, I was blessed to be able to take a meal to a family from church who just had a new baby girl.  It was the perfect chance to try out this first recipe and take it to them for dessert.  Which of course means that I doubled it, so we could have some here at the house, too.  I also didn’t have any raisins, so I left them out and added more peanuts.  No surprise, right?  Who ever expected me not to “change up” a recipe, just a little.  The results were delicious, though.  You won’t be disappointed.  Here’s the link to the original  recipe and what follows is what I actually did.

Printable Version of Recipe

…..

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

…..

• 5 cups Chocolate Cheerios
• 1½ cups salted peanuts
• 2 cups corn syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 (12 oz) bag of chocolate chips

Prepare your baking pan first, because once you get this cooking, you don’t have time to stop and do it.  I used my half-sheet cake pan (Is it 16×12?  I don’t remember and it’s ALL the way downstairs.  I’ll check it for you in the morning.    ) for this doubled recipe.  You could also use two 9×13 pans.  Lightly grease your pan and set aside.

Measure the Cheerios and peanuts into a large mixing bowl.  Stir together and then set aside.

Measure the corn syrup, brown sugar and white sugar into a saucepan.

Stir the sugars and syrup together and start to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil.

Once syrup reaches a boil, remove it from the heat.

Stir the peanut butter into the hot syrup.

Quickly pour the syrup over the Cheerios and peanuts in the mixing bowl.  Stir until the cereal and nuts are evenly coated.  You want to work quickly, so it doesn’t set up on you before you get it into the pan.

Spread the cereal/syrup mixture into your prepared pan, patting down evenly as you go.

While your cereal bars begin to cool, pour the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe container and melt on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds, so they don’t scorch.

Spread the melted chocolate over the cereal bars and refrigerate at least 15 minutes, so chocolate and bars have time to set up.  You should really be much more delicate than me and drizzle the chocolate carefully, so you can make the bars look beautiful!

There’s absolutely no excuse for this gratuitous close-up.  I just like it.    I think it’s the creamy chocolate that gets me.

These are SO simple and turned out absolutely delicious.  They are chewy, from the caramely boiled syrup, with a nice contrast of texture from the cereal and peanuts, plus the salty/sweet taste.  And of course, the main event — chocolate.  How can you go wrong?  Definitely try this at home!  I recommend it highly; and the ecstatic cries of joy from your tastebuds will drown out the chiding from your waistline, so go for it.  You can always do a lap or two on the treadmill, right?  Enjoy!

Printable Version of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars Recipe

…..
…..

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday, Grocery Cart Challenge , and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.