Easy Kid Friendly Valentine's Inspired Cereal Bar

This six ingredient Easy Kid Friendly Valentine's Inspired Cereal Bar recipe is the perfect activity to celebrate the holiday. Get festive and prepare this simple treat filled with your favorite cereal, mini marshmallows, peanut butter, white chocolate and Valentine's themed sprinkles!

Looking for more kid friendly treats to make? Try Toddler Friendly Zucchini Pancakes, Mini Donut Cookies or Toddler Mango Strawberry Popsicles.

WHY DO WE CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY?

We celebrate Valentine's Day every February 14th across the the world for the name of St. Valentine. In detail, this love inspired holiday dates back to ancient Rome tradition! The Catholic Church recognizes three different saints who may have been the "hero of love" behind this fun holiday.

In detail, it is believed that Saint Valentine went against Emperor Claudius II orders to outlaw marriage for young men. He defied the law and would secretly marry young lovers in secret. While we may never know the true story, it is inspiring to know that true love was at the root of this special holiday!

EASY KID FRIENDLY VALENTINE'S INSPIRED CEREAL BAR

Kids are the ultimate snacker, because of this, I've gotten creative with fun and healthy snacks. My picky two year old has a mind of her own for now so getting her to eat can be tricky. With the option to omit a few ingredients depending on dietary needs, you'll make this simple and tasty treat many times!

This recipe is perfect for toddlers and kids to create. With a little supervision utilizing the stove to melt the butter and marshmallows, your kids can make this treat on their own! In either case, this valentine's inspired cereal bar can be enjoyed by all.

I'd love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest!

INGREDIENTS IN THE CEREAL BAR

This recipe calls for just a handful of household ingredients paired with festive Valentine's sprinkles! It's important to note, these bars require a cooling period and are no bake treats! As has been noted, omit any ingredients that do not fit your dietary needs.

• Toasted, Crispy Rice Cereal
• Mini Marshmallows
• Unsalted Butter
• Peanut Butter
• White Chocolate Chips
• Sprinkles
• Cooking Oil (for melting the chocolate)

HOW TO MAKE EASY VALENTINE'S INSPIRED CEREAL BAR

This recipe is easy to make hence the suggestion to make it a kid friendly project! With a little adult supervision over the stove, these treats can be made in less than thirty minutes.

First, in a large pot on medium heat, melt one stick of butter. Next, pour in the mini marshmallows stirring constantly until smooth and melted. At the time the marshmallows are melting, quickly prep the peanut butter by scooping it into a microwave safe bowl and warming it for thirty seconds. In detail, this helps the stirring process when the remaining ingredients are added.

Third, remove the melted butter and marshmallow mixture from the stove. Then, add the remaining ingredients to the pot except the white chocolate, oil and sprinkles. To put it another way, add the cereal and peanut butter to the butter and marshmallow mixture.

FINAL STEP BEFORE COOLING!

Finally, stir until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture forms into a ball. At this instant, place the cereal mixture into a greased baking pan. It's important to realize you are not done with the recipe just yet. To be sure the bars are shaped and packed beautifully, use clear wrap to place over the mixture in the dish. Begin pushing down with one or two hands on the mixture until it is even and flat all around.

Lastly, allow the cereal bar mixture to cool which takes about thirty minutes. In the meantime, clear your work station, clean the dishes and begin prepping the white chocolate and sprinkles!

PREPARING THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

First, in a microwave safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and oil. Begin microwaving in fifteen second intervals and stirring. It usually takes two to three times to melt the chocolate until smooth. It's important to realize that the chocolate chips will not fully melt during this process and should melt as you stir it!

Until now, you should've microwaved your chocolate chips at least twice, stirred the chocolate during each microwave session and the chocolate will be melted. In either case, have a little extra oil on hand and up ¼ teaspoon as needed until chocolate is smooth and runny for pouring.

POURING THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING & ADDING SPRINKLES

For the most part, we are at the final stages of this easy recipe. As mentioned, the "hardest" part is allowing the cereal mixture to cool in the baking dish. Now that the cereal mixture has had time to cool, the chocolate should be warm, runny and ready to pour!

At this instant, remove the clear wrap from the cereal mixture and place the baking dish in a position that's easiest for you to pour the chocolate sauce evenly. Begin by slowly pouring the chocolate sauce in the middle of the cereal mixture. At the same time, evenly spread the chocolate sauce over the mixture and use a flat utensil like a spatula to help evenly disperse the sauce.

NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE SPRINKLES!

After the chocolate has been spread evenly over the cereal mixture, it's time to spread the sprinkles! To start, take a small handful of your decorative sprinkles and spread them thinly over the cereal mixture in the baking dish. To be sure the sprinkles are placed in an orderly fashion, spread the sprinkles thinly and slowly add more sprinkles to fill in the gaps.

Finally, allow the chocolate to cool over the cereal mixture for thirty minutes to one hour on the counter. To put it another way, to speed up this process, place the dish in the refrigerator covered for twenty to thirty minutes until the chocolate has hardened and sprinkles have set.

If you have any leftovers, which I doubt you will, wrap the bars individually in clear wrap and store in a dry area. Will last fresh for 2-3 days!

Enjoy reading my blog post and would like to connect? I'd love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest!

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS OR HELPFUL TIPS MAKING THE CEREAL BARS?

Yes! This recipe is quite versatile and can be easily altered based on your dietary needs or items you have on hand.

• Make sure to lightly oil the baking dish before placing the cereal mixture. This ensures for easy removal of the bars when ready to consume!
• The size of the baking dish can very. It's important to realize, the smaller the baking dish, the thicker/taller the bars will be. The bigger the pan, like a 9x13, the bars will be smaller and not as thick. I used a small baking dish that was 10 x 6 x 2.125 in size as I wanted slightly thicker bars. This created 6 huge bars using my recipe!
• Omit the peanut butter if you have a nut allergy, the bars are still equally delicious!
• Any flavor chocolate chip will work, this recipe does not have to strictly use white chocolate.
• Use any cereal you have on hand! Toasted O's or grain like cereals will work just as good!
• Get festive with the sprinkles!
• Mini marshmallows or large marshmallows will work.