This is a sponsored post with compensation received from Annie’s. As always, all opinions are my own.
Homemade Milk and Cereal Bars made with Annie’s Cocoa Bunnies Cereal are an easy, kid-friendly grab-and-go breakfast. They are chewy, sweet, simple to prepare, and easy to customize with your favorite cereal, nut butter, and dried fruit.
Milk and Cereal Bars
Back-to-school mornings can feel hectic, especially when everyone needs breakfast, lunches, snacks, shoes, backpacks, and a little encouragement to get out the door on time. Between school schedules and after-school activities like sports and dance, having a few easy breakfast ideas ready can make the morning routine much smoother.
These homemade milk and cereal bars are one of those simple recipes that can help busy families start the day with less stress. They are easy to make ahead, portable, and fun for kids to eat. Instead of trying to sit everyone down for a full breakfast on an especially busy morning, you can have these bars ready to grab on the way out the door.
For this recipe, I used Annie’s Cocoa Bunnies Cereal, which gives the bars a chocolatey flavor and a fun texture. My kids also enjoy the Berry Bunnies flavor, and either one works well here. The bunny shapes make the cereal especially cute, and the finished bars feel a little more special than a regular bowl of cereal.
These cereal breakfast bars are also a great option because they are flexible. You can keep the recipe close to the version below, or you can adjust it based on what your family likes. Annie’s Cocoa Bunnies pair nicely with peanut butter, almond butter, or chocolate hazelnut butter. Berry Bunnies are delicious with almond butter and dried berries. You can also add dried fruit for extra flavor and texture, or leave it out if your kids prefer a simpler bar.
Along with cereal, Annie’s snacks are easy to pack for school lunches and snack time. Cheddar Bunnies, White Cheddar Bunnies, Bunny Grahams, and yogurt are all simple options that fit well into lunch boxes. They are convenient for school days, road trips, and busy afternoons when everyone needs something quick.
Annie’s Homegrown products are available at Whole Foods Market in a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, including cereal, mac and cheese, yogurt, crackers, fruit snacks, soups, frozen foods, baking ingredients, condiments, and sauces. The original sponsored promotion also included a Whole Foods savings offer on Annie’s products, with full details listed near the end of this post.
Now, back to the recipe. These homemade milk and cereal bars are chewy, lightly sweet, and coated with a yogurt-based “milk” topping that gives them the classic cereal-and-milk idea in bar form. The hardest part is waiting for the bars to chill and dry before eating them.
Ground flaxseed helps bind the bars and gives them a firmer texture. If you do not have any on hand, you can omit it, but the bars may be a little softer and gooier. If that happens, let them sit longer so the honey has more time to firm up. For best results, press the mixture firmly into the pan before freezing, then allow the yogurt coating to dry overnight.
Whether you make them for school mornings, lunch boxes, after-school snacks, or meal prep, this milk and cereal bars recipe is a fun way to turn a favorite breakfast into a convenient homemade treat.
Milk and Cereal Bars Recipe
Milk and Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Annie’s Cocoa Bunnies or Berry Bunnies Cereal divided
- 2 cups oatmeal
- 1 cup ground flaxseed
- ½ cup nut butter peanut, almond, or hazelnut
- ½ cup honey
- Optional: ½ cup dried fruit
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the milk coating
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups cereal, oatmeal, ground flaxseed, dried fruit, and salt. Stir well, then set aside.
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Add the nut butter and honey to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds to soften, then stir until smooth. Add vanilla and stir again.
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Pour the honey mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir until all ingredients are evenly combined.
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Line a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish with wax paper. Add the cereal mixture and press it firmly and evenly into the dish. Place a second piece of wax paper on top to help press it down. Freeze for 2 hours.
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To make the milk coating, whisk together Greek yogurt and powdered sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Add vanilla and whisk again.
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When the cereal mixture is firm, remove it from the pan and cut it into bars.
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Spread the yogurt coating over each bar. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup cereal.
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Allow the bars to dry overnight before serving or storing.
*Offer valid 7/26/17–8/22/17 or while supplies last. $15 worth of participating Annie’s products had to be purchased in a single transaction at Whole Foods in-store to receive a $5 discount instantly at checkout. Discount could not be combined with other offers or discounts. Net purchase determined after all discounts, offers, and coupons. No rain checks.
