These paleo chocolate covered cereal bars are made with Lovebird cereal, almond butter, sweetened with honey and topped with dark chocolate. They are a great paleo dessert recipe, loved by kids and adults.
Remember those chocolate peanut butter cereal bars from childhood? Growing up, my mom made them every Christmas. We called them Special K Bars...because, well they were made with Special K Cereal.
Those cereal bars were my absolute FAVORITE holiday treat. Pretty sure I could have eaten an entire batch in one sitting!
Anyway, these paleo Chocolate Covered Cereal Bars are a much healthier version. Just as addictive, but made with wholesome ingredients that are gut friendly and some-what nutritious.
Why You'll Love these Paleo Cereal Bars
These healthy cereal bars are:
- made with almond butter instead of peanut butter
- sweetened with honey (made without corn syrup)
- made with paleo friendly cereal
- grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free
- no bake and easy to make
I've wanted to put a recipe like this on my blog for quite some time, but there just weren't any paleo cereals (besides granola...lots of paleo granola on the market).
Now, don't get paleo confused with grain free. There are many grain free cereals popping up. However, most of them contain legumes/beans so they aren't technically paleo. That doesn't mean they aren't healthier, but they do not fit the true definition of "paleo".
Lovebird Cereal
FINALLY, a paleo cereal has launched! Lovebird Cereal is completely grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free, legume free AND plant based! (The unsweetened is vegan, but the flavored varieties contain honey as a sweetener.) Not only that, but it tastes amazing. This is literally the best paleo cereal to buy!
Lovebird's cereal is basically paleo cheerios - crunchy little donut-shaped cereal made with paleo ingredients, low in sugar, crunchy and delicious.
Flavors & Ingredients
It comes in four flavors: unsweetened, cinnamon, cacao and honey. All are delicious, but the honey is my favorite (and what was used in this recipe).
This grain free cereal is made with: cassava flour, coconut flour, coconut oil and sea salt. The cinnamon, cacao and honey flavors have a few extra ingredients. But, as you can see, the recipe list is top notch!
Cost
One thing to note: this cereal IS expensive. This is a small, new company that's just starting out and providing high quality products (all organic ingredients) at the best price that they can. Do I think it's worth the cost? Absolutely! And 20% of their profits are being donated to fight pediatric cancer. You can learn more here.
That being said, I understand that some people cannot afford to buy paleo cereal. I have a Lovebird cereal discount code available: bakeitpaleo, which will take 10% off your purchase. But, any type of cereal will work as a substitute for this recipe.
Ingredients in Chocolate Covered Cereal Bars
Now, back to this almond butter cereal bar recipe!
These paleo cereal bars are made with just a few simple ingredients. Here's what you need:
- almond butter (unsalted, unsweetened, drippy)
- honey
- coconut oil
- vanilla extract
- salt
- paleo approved cereal (I used Lovebird Honey Cereal)
- dark chocolate
While conventional cereal bar recipes contain peanut butter (hello Special K Bars), my recipe calls for almond butter. Any nut or seed butter will work as a replacement. To make these nut free cereal bars, I recommend sunflower seed butter.
Rather than corn syrup, my recipe calls for honey. Maple syrup may be used instead, but honey has a thicker, more viscous texture that works better for this particular recipe (IMO).
The purpose of the coconut oil is to help keep these no bake cereal bars firm at room temperature. Grass fed butter or non-hydrogenated shortening should work in it's place, but have not been tested.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Cereal Bars
These cereal bars are super easy to make - no baking necessary.
First, line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil or parchment (I think foil works better).
Make the Bars
Place the almond butter, coconut oil, honey, vanilla and salt in a small sauce pan. Heat on low, stirring frequently, until the coconut oil is fully melted.
Then, turn off the stove and add in the cereal. Stir with a spatula until the cereal is fully coated in the almond butter mixture.
Firmly press the coated cereal into the lined baking pan. Place the bars in the freezer while you melt the chocolate.
Make the Chocolate Topping
Place the dark chocolate in a small sauce pan. Melt over the stove top on low heat, stirring frequently. Once fully melted, add in the almond butter. This extra almond butter makes the chocolate topping softer and easier to cut into.
Next, grab the bars from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate on top. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate to the sides, covering the entire top of the cereal bars.
Place the bars in the fridge or freezer to set. (I placed them in the fridge overnight before cutting.)
Storage
This paleo cereal bar recipe is best kept in the fridge. However, they will stay firm at room temperature, so can be served at a party or social gathering. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer and let them thaw a few minutes before eating.
My entire family thoroughly enjoyed this recipe! I made it multiple times and the whole batch got eaten within 2 days each time. No regrets! We hope you love it too.
Frequently asked Questions
Lovebird grain free cereal is currently available on their website and in many grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Sprouts and Fred Meyers. You can also find it on Amazon.
Yes! You can get 15% off your purchase of Lovebird cereal by using my discount code "bakeitpaleo".
I consider cereal bars more of a treat. However, with the right ingredients they can be considered a healthy dessert...like my version. Since this cereal bar recipe contains wholesome ingredients that are minimally processed, made without refined sugar and free of vegetable oils I consider this a healthy dessert.
More Paleo Dessert Bars
For more simple, no bake paleo dessert bars, check out these favorites from my site:
Enjoy!
PrintPaleo Chocolate Covered Cereal Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8" x 8" pan 1x
Description
These Paleo Chocolate Covered Cereal Bars are a healthy, kid friendly Paleo dessert option. They are grain free, dairy free, sweetened with honey and made with Lovebird cereal.
Ingredients
Cereal Bars
- ½ cup almond butter (unsweetened, unsalted)
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups Paleo Cereal*
Chocolate Topping
- 6 oz dark chocolate
- 3 Tbsp almond butter
Instructions
- Line an 8" x 8" baking pan with foil or parchment paper, set aside.
- For the Cereal Bars: In a small sauce pan, combine almond butter, honey, coconut oil, vanilla and salt. Set on the stove top, over low heat, until the coconut oil has fully melted.
- Turn off the stove and add in cereal. Stir with a spatula until the cereal is fully coated in the almond butter mixture.
- Firmly press the coated cereal into the lined baking pan. Place the bars in the freezer while you melt the chocolate topping.
- For the Chocolate Topping: In a small sauce pan, melt chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Once fully melted, add in the almond butter. Stir until smooth.
- Grab the bars from the freezer. Pour the melted chocolate over the bars. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate over the bars, coating the entire surface.
- Place the bars in your fridge or freezer to set. (I let them sit in the fridge overnight.)
- Cut and Serve: Remove the bars from the pan and use a large, sharp knife to cut the bars into 16 equal pieces.
- Storage: Cereal bars are best stored in the fridge up to two weeks.
Notes
*I used Lovebird Honey Cereal. Use the code "bakeitpaleo" for a 15% discount.
Katie
These paleo vegan cereal bars are loved by me and my family. We hope you enjoy them too!
Susan
Super easy to put together and enjoyed by all! Will definitely be making them again.
Katie
So glad you liked them! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂