PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES CEREAL BARS

VEGAN | GLUTEN FREE | DAIRY FREE

SUMMERTIME INSPIRED
PEANUT BUTTER S'MORES CEREAL BARS

Picture this… it’s a warm summer night, you’re sitting around a campfire with good friends and good music… what’s the one food you’re craving?…S’mores of course!

I think most of us can agree that s’mores are just one of those iconic summertime treats that will stand the test of time! With that in mind, I had to recreate this fan favorite with these Peanut Butter S’mores Cereal Bars!

These sweet treats are vegan, gluten free and made with wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about! When creating these bars, I aimed to keep that decadent s’mores flavor with the dynamic duo of chocolate and marshmallows BUT I also wanted to mix up the traditional graham cracker by creating a peanut butter cereal bar as the base!

So think of these as a mash-up between some of my childhood favorites…peanut butter cups, classic s’mores and rice krispies treats…need I say more?!

THE RECIPE

Yields 9 servings

prep time: 20 minutes // Broil time: 5 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients:

2 Cups Plain Puffed Brown Rice Cereal
1 1/2 Cups Plain Puffed Millet Cereal
1 Cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Coconut Oil, melted
1 Cup Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips
2/3 Cup Vegan Mini Marshmallows

method:

Turn on your oven’s broil setting to low. Prepare an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, add brown rice cereal and millet cereal and mix until they are fully integrated together.
In a second medium sized bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients over the combined cereals and mix together until fully combined and mixture is sticky.
Transfer the mixture into the baking pan and push down with a rubber spatula until the cereal mixture is evenly spread in the pan.
In a small bowl, add your coconut oil and chocolate chips. Microwave in 20 second intervals, mixing in between, until the chocolate is fully melted.
Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal bar mixture and spread the chocolate, in an even layer, over the whole surface.
Add your mini marshmallows on top of the chocolate layer (and some extra puffed millet like I did, if desired!)
Transfer your pan into the oven to broil for 5 minutes to lightly toast the marshmallows!
Wait until your bars are fully cooled before cutting. (I chose to refrigerate mine for a bit first for easier slicing!)
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months!

recipe notes:

Broiling your s’mores bars is optional here! If you’d prefer this to be a “no-bake” recipe, simply transfer your baking pan into the refrigerator after adding your marshmallows on top and wait for the chocolate to fully harden before slicing.