I’ve made these twice this summer, and both times were met with resounding success. The best part about these bars is that they take almost no time to put together and are infinitely versatile. My mother has Celiac disease, a condition that prevents her from eating anything with gluten in it. This basically means that anything with wheat in it is off the menu, unless she’s got a hankering for a good case of nausea and the runs (in my experience, she has never desired this).
But as I was saying, these bars are really flexible. When I make them for my mum I keep the same ratios of ingredients, but sub in cornflakes for raisin bran and add cranberries and white chocolate chips. A very different taste, but still a delicious, gluten-free treat.
O starry night...
I’m sure you’ve noticed from the photos that technically what I’ve made isn’t a “bar”. In fact, it looks more like a tart than a cereal bar. This is because I made them for a friend’s birthday and I wanted to make them seem more “cakeish”. So, cue the round cake tin and a bit of chocolate icing piped around the edge. It really looks like you put a bit of effort in them! We’ll just let them think that. ;)
I first came across the recipe on the label of a jar of Kraft peanut butter. Since then I have heard of many variations on these bars, but all start with the same three basic ingredients: peanut butter, corn/golden syrup, and a type of breakfast cereal.
So, without further ado, my version Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Bars!
Easy Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Ingredients
3 cups raisin bran (or other cereal like shreddies or cornflakes)
¾ – 1 cup chocolate covered raisins (or dried cranberries/chocolate chips)
2/3 cup peanut butter
¾ cup corn/golden syrup
approx 1 oz of chocolate, melted
Directions
1. Line an 8†square pan with tin foil. Combine in a large, microwave-safe bowl peanut butter and corn syrup. Heat in the microwave for approximately 1 min 30 sec, then stir until the peanut butter is melted and smooth.
2. Add the raisin bran and mix until the cereal is thoroughly coated with the peanut butter mixture. Add the chocolate covered raisins and mix until they are evenly distributed. Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, heating it for short 20-30 sec intervals and stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t burn. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour. Cut into squares of desired size (I cut around 18).
Enjoy!