4 Ingredient Milk & Cereal Bars + a review of Cheerios Protein {& a GIVEAWAY!}

Today is a joyous day here at Milk & Cereal.
Today’s post features one of my most favorite foods: CEREAL!

I’d be lying if I said that I don’t wake up every morning excited for breakfast.

I’m even oftentimes excited for breakfast already when I go to bed at night.

I’d also be lying if I said that cereal isn’t a frequent meal of mine when Rob is out of town.
There’s nothing wrong with that though, right? Right.

For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to make my own cereal bars; I don’t know why it’s taken me so long! I knew they’d be easy enough to make, but all the recipes I’ve seen have lacked a very important component: milk! If I’m going to make a bar to replace my morning (or afternoon or evening) bowl of cereal, it needs to have all the components (calcium included). A little Google search provided me with some ideas of ingredients that would add calcium to the bars. Dry milk powder seemed to be the most obvious (and is the option I chose), but some nondairy possibilities (from this article) include molasses, almonds, sesame seeds, oranges, and seaweed (not the most appetizing breakfast food, in my opinion, but worth mentioning for those who like it).

These bars are so easy to whip up, and they make a great on-the-go breakfast or snack! Want to know what makes them even better? They’re packed with protein thanks to the new Cheerios Protein, so they’ll help keep you full longer! I recently started a new job and found myself getting hungry before it was time for my lunch break, but starting my day with Cheerios Protein has really helped tide me over. 🙂 Plus, it has plenty of fiber, vitamins, & minerals, and all the other healthy nutrients about the Cheerios you know and love. WIN!

The new job has also forced me to get up a bit earlier than before, so I welcome any opportunities to slumber a little longer. When I have these cereal bars on hand for breakfast, I can hit the snooze button a couple times knowing breakfast will be quick and easy. WIN #2.

Now, when it comes to cereal, I abide by a fairly strict sugar code. I make sure to buy only cereals with less than 10 grams per serving (3/4 c.). At first glance, I was disappointed to see that these delicious Cheerios broke my rule; HOWEVER, a second glance revealed a larger serving size than all the other cereals I frequently buy. (P.S. Any cereal with a serving size larger than 3/4 cup scores bonus points in my book. Seriously, my belly cannot thrive on a mere 3/4 cup!) So when I did the math and compared the ratio, Cheerios Protein checked out. WIN #3.

Let’s review, shall we? The new Cheerios Protein filled me up until lunchtime, offered a quick meal to allow for some extra sleep-in time, and tasted perfectly sweet & delicious without venturing into dessert territory. I tried two flavors: Oats & Honey and Cinnamon Almond. To be honest, I couldn’t even decide which one I liked better and ended up mixing both flavors into the cereal bars. It was love at first bite.

If you think you love cereal more than I do, I’d say it’s not possible. But if you love it almost as much as I do and would like to taste the fabulous Cheerios Protein for yourself, you’re in luck! That’s right; it’s GIVEAWAY time! Cheerios was generous enough to share a box with one hungry reader. To enter, simply leave a comment with your Twitter username and why you’d like to try Cheerios Protein. A winner will be selected at random.

To delve further into what Cheerios Protein brings to the table, get the scoop here and here!

Now, onto the recipe for 4 Ingredient Milk & Cereal Bars!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter (homemade does not work best in this recipe)
• 1/2 c. honey (preferable raw, local, organic)
• 1/4 c. nonfat dry milk powder*
• 3 3/4 c. Cheerios Protein (I used half Honey & Oats and half Cinnamon Almond.)

*For dairy free bars, omit the dry milk powder or use one of the calcium suggestions above (molasses, almonds, oranges, etc.).

Instructions:

1. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish with wax paper or parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the honey to near boiling. When it’s warm, whisk in the dry milk powder (if using) one tablespoon at a time, incorporating fully after each addition.
3. Once all the dry milk powder is incorporated, turn the stove off, and remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
4. In a large bowl, combine the Cheerios with the honey and peanut butter mixture.
5. Spread the cereal in the lined 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. Wet your hands, then press the cereal down to compact it a bit.
6. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator, cut into bars, and enjoy!
7. Recipe yields 12 1×3.5 inch bars, but you can cut them into whatever size/shape you like! I left these bars at room temp all day while camping, but they should technically be refrigerated since they contain milk. (No need to worry about refrigeration if you omit the milk.)

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a PetraGram. Rob and I just celebrated three years of marriage, and we spent it camping with Petra in a “tent cabin” in Minnesota.

Look how cute! The “tent cabin” was essentially a tall tent with wooden floor and walls. The roof was canvas, and there was no water or electricity in it– just two wooden platforms for our foam sleeping pads and blankets. (Check out Ruttger’s Pine Mountain Resort, if you’re in the area, for these adorable tent cabins! I highly recommend the campground. 🙂 ) We all enjoyed a relaxing weekend admiring God’s good Creation. We brought these cereal bars with us, too, so there was no need to worry about bringing bowls or milk for breakfast. It was just perfect!

This is slightly belated, but I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July!
And don’t forget to enter to win a free box of Cheerios Protein! 😀

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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