Homemade Protein Cereal Bars

Protein cereal bars, the way they SHOULD be.

I recently got my hands on Cinnamon Toast Crunch Protein Bars, as well as Golden Grahams Protein Bars. When I say I’ve never been more excited to try a snack in my life, I mean it.

If you want to see me try them in real-time, you can see my review here: 

But allow me to summarize these protein bars for you: they were awful.

I LOVE cereal. So much. But these high-protein versions tasted absolutely nothing like the cereal I know and love.

After trying these protein bars, I vowed to create my own versions of cereal protein bars the way they SHOULD taste, and my friends, I’m so excited to bring these to you.

We’re going to make two different types of protein cereal bars: classic milk n’ cereal using Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and s’mores using Golden Grahams:

These bars are SO good.

Now, I’ll be honest and say that the nutrition is not as impressive as a typical protein bar. The protein is a little bit lower and the sugar is higher than most bars, but that’s because I wanted these to be authentic cereal bars.

These shouldn’t taste like protein; they should just be delicious! I want these to transport you right back into childhood.

Each bar is 185 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 31g Carbs (17g Sugar), and 11g Protein.

As a treat, that’s really not bad at all! While I’d love to be able to bring the sugar down a bit for ya, we’re using authentic cereal and marshmallows as the base, so there’s really not much we can do there.

But don’t worry- it is totally worth it.

 

How to make protein cereal bars

Let’s walk through the process of making these bars step-by-step to make things easy for you.

While we’re making 2 different flavors, the process of making the bars exactly the same no matter which route you go.

Step 1: Melt marshmallows and butter

Add marshmallows and butter to a large pot and let them melt over low heat.

Continuously stir to prevent burning until it is completely melted down without any lumps…

Step 2: Fold in a scoop of vanilla protein powder

We’re going to add a scoop of protein powder into the melted marshmallow mixture and fold it in. This is going to create a very thick sauce.

Step 3: Fold the cereal in

It’s going to be very thick, but keep folding the cereal with your spatula until it is all completely covered by the marshmallow mixture.

Step 4: Add your cereal to a baking dish

Lightly spray a baking dish and dump the cereal right into it. To make these bars, we are using a 9x13in baking dish, but there’s notes in the next section about using an 8x8in pan instead.

Spread the cereal to the edges as much as possible using your spatula (you can lightly wet the spatula with cold water if it is too sticky). As you can see, there are going to be some gaps, and it’s going to look like there isn’t enough cereal…

At this stage, I simply used my hands to take some cereal off of thicker areas and added them to fill in the gaps.

It doesn’t need to look totally perfect: we’re making a filling and layering 2 pieces of the bars, so any gaps won’t even be noticable.

When you’re done, it should cover the majority of the dish:

Let this sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes to allow it to harden.

Step 5: Make the protein filling

Whether you’re going with the chocolate or milk filling, the process is the same. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add milk one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick but spreadable frosting.

Use your silicone spatula to spread it over the top of the entire batch:

Let this sit for another 30 minutes to allow the frosting to solidify.

Step 6: Slice and assemble

At this stage, the bars will be completely solidified and ready to cut. You can use a butter knife to cut the bars into as many as you’d like to make!

If you plan to make 8 protein cereal bars, cut the batch into 16 total (this batch pictured was only 14 total).

Once cut, sandwich them together so the frosting sits in the middle.

Now they’re ready to eat!

The frosting shouldn’t be too soft, but if it is, you can throw these into the fridge for a little bit to help them solidify.

I don’t mind the small gap in the center, but if you’re a perfectionist, you can squeeze ’em down to make them a bit more uniform.

Step 7 (Optional): Top with chocolate drizzle

To help make these look even prettier, I lined the bars up on parchment paper, melted down some chocolate, and drizzled it over the top.

I didn’t measure the exact amount I used, and this is certainly not necessary, but it helps them look even prettier!

Just melt down chocolate in the microwave and use a spoon to drizzle right over the top of the protein cereal bars.

 

Making these protein cereal bars without the frosting

When I made a second batch of these bars, I made them in an 8x8in pan instead (like I use for my famous Protein Brownies) to make thicker bars.

Using a small pan makes it much easier to add the cereal because you don’t need to spread it nearly as much, but you lose the ability to create the sandwich frosting layer in the center.

If you follow the recipe exactly as is, you can then cut these into 8 thicker bars:

These taste just like Rice Krispies Treats!

Without the frosting, each bar drops down to 150 Calories, but only 5g of Protein.

If you’re looking for a simple treat and don’t need a ton of protein, this is the way to go!

If you make these smaller bars and still want to add the frosting, you can still spread it right on the top. These protein cereal bars aren’t as neat and tidy with the frosting right on the top, but it’s certainly easier.

 

Making substitutions for these protein cereal bars

There are not a lot of ingredients to this recipe, so let me break down possible substitutions for reach.

I always recommend following the recipe as closely as possible, if you can help it.

The Protein Powder

I used PEScience vanilla protein powder in this recipe, which has been my go-to protein for a long time now. It’s a blend of whey & casein protein, and the addition of casein makes for a very smooth, frosting-like consistency. Quest is another brand I can highly recommend as it is also a blend!

Here are some common substitutions:

• Whey Protein: Whey is very sticky on its own, so the final product may not be as ideal. It will definitely work in the bars, since those are sticky anyway. For the frosting, it may not be as smooth of a frosting, unfortunately. Worth a try if it’s all you have, though!
• Casein Protein: A casein protein powder should work very well in this recipe, especially for the frosting.
• Vegan Protein: I don’t know if a vegan protein powder will work as well, because they tend to be extremely absorbent- that will change the ratios needed for this recipe. If you need a vegan version of protein cereal bars, I recommend checking out these bars from Armon at The Big Man’s World.

The Cereal

You can use ANY cereal you’d like in this recipe! The amount should generally stay the same, but you may find wanting to use slightly more or slightly less depending on the cereal. Rice Krispies, for example, are much smaller and you may find needing a bit more.

Protein hack: Use a high-protein cereal like Magic Spoon to up the protein in these cereal bars even more! Fun fact: you can use the code “cheatday” to get free shipping on any Magic Spoon order ?

Marshmallows & Butter

I use mini marshmallows in this recipe, but you can use any marshmallows you have- mini marshmallows are just the easiest to melt down! If you have fluff, you can definitely use that as well.

For the butter, I use a “butter spread” made by Country Crock, because it is only 50 calories per tablespoon (vs butter that has 100 calories per tablespoon). You can use any butter or butter substitute you want here- it’s just to help melt down those marshmallows. Regular butter, coconut oil, margarine, etc, should all work fine, especially because it’s a pretty small amount.

 

How to store protein cereal bars

If you’re making a batch of these protein cereal bars, odds are that you aren’t going to eat them all in one day.

These are best eaten the same day, but they will keep fresh for a few days.

The first time I made these bars, I sealed them in an airtight container and left them on the counter, and they got way too soft. The cereal lost its crunch and turned pretty stale!

For best results, store these in the fridge. I actually just stored them uncovered on a plate, and they were great for 2 days (I ate them all after 2 days, so I can’t speak to any time beyond that). The frosting will dry out a tad, but not to the point where it’s hard. If you find it hardening too much, you can cover the bars. I just didn’t want to risk it due to my first run getting too soft when covered.

These bars don’t need refrigeration and can sit out at room temperature for a day or two with no problem. Just don’t completely cover them, because the added moisture from the frosting gets locked there and leads to soggy cereal. Bleh.

Storage tip: You can mix your frosting and store it in a separate container, then spread it over the leftover bars before eating! If you go the route of making these bars in an 8x8in pan to make thicker bars, that strategy works out great.

 

Okay, let’s make some protein cereal bars! If you make these bars, I’d love to see those creations! Tag me on Instagram so I can see ’em.

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