Healthy No Bake Cereal Bars (Nut Free)

June 13, 2021

These Healthy No Bake Cereal Bars are not only nut free and can be made gluten free, but they’re easy to make, delicious, and low in added sugar. The perfect no bake snack that’s actually filling! Plus, kids will love them!

Nut Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Vegan

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by SunButter. Thanks for supporting the brands that make the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog possible.

One recipe request I receive all the time is for healthy snacks. I know snack time can be overwhelming…

How much should you eat?
What should you eat?
When should snack time be?

To be honest, snack time doesn’t have to be all that difficult. We often overcomplicate it in our society.

Big brands sell you snack time as a time for empty calories… but those often don’t fill you up and leave you looking for more 30 minutes later.

Diet culture has you munching on a measly apple.

A slightly smarter diet will tell you to pair that apple with a cheese stick or some peanut butter to hold you over.

But I find none of these options work. When I really want a snack, I need something with a bit more of a crunch that feels a little heavier in my stomach… something actually filling and satisfying.

And that’s how these nut free cereal bars were born…

These Nut Free Cereal Bars are…

easy to make
delicious
filling
perfect for food prep
packed with healthy fats, protein and carbs
great for school

I’ve seen all sorts of cereal bars on the internet, but they either 1) contain peanut butter or 2) have so much honey in them they’re way too sweet.

I like to think this recipe is somewhere in the middle. Yes, it contains some added sugar from the SunButter and honey. BUT, it’s balanced so well by the saltiness of the pretzels. Nutritionally speaking, these bars are chock full of healthy fats and carbs to be more balanced.

Ingredients to Make Nut Free No Bake Cereal Bars

You’ll need 6 ingredients, plus an optional 7^th, to make these cereal bars:

Pretzels
Cereal
Shredded coconut
Crunchy SunButter
Coconut Oil
Honey

Of course, you can’t go wrong with the optional chocolate drizzle on top!

But Chelsey, pretzels and cereal aren’t healthy…

Here’s the thing about food and nutrition. Not everything you eat must be the 100% most nutritious meal of the day. In fact, I’d say that if you’re constantly striving to ALWAYS eat the food with the most nutrients – fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants – that that’s NOT healthy.

But I’d also argue that these cereal bars ARE a healthy snack. Just because it’s not the highest fiber snack doesn’t mean it’s not nutritious.

This snack is a good balance of carbs and healthy fats.

Pretzels are mostly carbs. Your body needs carbs for energy every single day. Your brain alone requires at least 130 grams of carbs per day.

Cereal is also carbs, but contains some fiber, vitamins and minerals. I chose a toasted O’s oat cereal because it’s made with whole grains to boost the fiber content, keeping you full longer. If you wanted to boost the fiber even more you could use a high fiber cereal.

Shredded coconut provides mostly fat. Fat is digested the slowest of any nutrient, so it will help you stay full. That’s key when you’re thinking about a snack.

Crunchy SunButter adds even more texture to these bars. I purposefully didn’t use a smooth version (although you could) because I love the extra crunch of sunflower seeds in here. Of course, SunButter is fully of healthy fats, minimal protein, and even some fiber. Plus, sunflower seeds are full of vitamin E and selenium.

Coconut oil and honey both help these bars stick together. Without them, they’re a crumbly mess!

Simple Ingredient Swaps You Can Use

This recipe is pretty forgiving… meaning you can swap out several of the ingredients without drastically changing the recipe.

No pretzels or want to make these gluten free? Use more cereal.

Don’t like toasted O’s cereal? Try puffed corn cereal.

Don’t have honey? Try maple syrup?

You can also use any oil you have, but I prefer coconut oil because it hardens when cold. It’s another secret that helps these bars stick together.

How to make No Bake Cereal Bars

This one-bowl recipe is super simple to make. First, mix together your SunButter, coconut oil, and honey until combined. Use some oomph for a uniform consistency. Then, add the dry ingredients (pretzels, cereal, shredded coconut). Mix everything together and then you have to mold them.

In a parchment paper-lined 8×8 pan, add the cereal and SunButter mixture. Take another piece of parchment paper and press down on top. You want to press hard to remove all of the extra space as possible. Don’t worry about smushing the cereal too much – it’s ok!

Then freeze the bars for at least 30 minutes. This helps them “set.”

When they’re done, you can add a chocolate drizzle and cut them up.

Tips for Cutting No Bake Cereal Bars

I’m not going to lie… sometimes these bars are hard to cut into perfect bars. But I think the beauty is in the imperfect… so let them crumble!

I used a bread knife and a sawing motion to cut them.