These cuties woke up the kid in me.
Happy Thursday, folks! Ahhh, I love these little dudes I’m sharing today. Not that I don’t love all my recipe children evenly.
But, cereal is a weakness of mine. A few handfuls serve as my pre-run snack almost every day, or a quick afternoon boost when I need something to nibble but don’t know what, or a thorough embellishment on top of morning yogurt bowls. Specifically, Honey Nut Cheerios (or Trader Joes’ equivalent, which I kinda like better) have stolen my heart and my tummy in recent months.
Because it’s summer and because I’m constantly craving cold treats nowadays, incorporating a box of cereal into these Chocolate Drizzled Honey Nut Ice Cream Bars seemed a no-brainer. Not to mention, I oft have an embarrassing amount of peanut butter in my cabinet due to fiendish BOGO-seeking behaviors.
These adorable treats are simple and scrumptious, sweet, salty, and chocolatey. A double Cheerio layer encases lots of vanilla ice cream, and a finishing drizzle of melted chocolate adds a nice little pop at the end. Most of the prep time is from freezing, so you can break this recipe down into manageable steps that can be stretched over a few days if you need extra time.
By the end, you’ll have in your freezer a nice little crunchy snack to enjoy the whole season!
Cheerio!
First, we’re gonna prep our two Cheerio layers, which requires two 9 x 9 inch baking pans. Line these with parchment paper, leaving enough to overhang the sides.
Then, microwave your peanut butter and honey in a heatproof bowl until melted. Stir to combine, then whisk in some vanilla extract.
Dump a metric fuckton of Cheerios into a large bowl (or your Dutch oven, if you’re me). Pour the peanut butter mixture into the cereal and, using a large mixing spoons (or your clean hands, if you’re me), fold the cereal and the nut stuff together thoroughly, ensuring every nook and cranny is properly coated.
Divide the Cheerio mixture in half, as evenly as you can. You can weigh the shit if you’re feeling mega precise, but I just eyeball it. Press from edge to edge in each baking pan. I use the flat part of a measuring cup to really pack the goodies in and even out the layers. Hell, enlist your fingers, too, if you’re sanitary and not serving to some corporate executives or some crap.
On second thought, maybe you should stick it to the big man by rubbing your fingers all over the cereal. I won’t tell.
Anyway. Freeze the layers for about 20 minutes to set.
Cream of the Ice
Toward the end of the Cheerios freezer time, pull out your quart of ice cream and let it thaw significantly. The ice cream should be easily spreadable and melting, though not fully liquified.
I like to use a scoop to distribute the ice cream, but you can just wing it too by haphazardly dumping the stuff over one of the Cheerio layers. Whichever method you use, make sure the ice cream is spread fairly evenly overtop.
Peel the second layer from the parchment and firmly press atop the ice cream. Cover the pan with foil and freeze at least 6 hours. I prefer letting them chill overnight for the best texture and most workability.
The next day, pull the block of goodness from the pan and carefully slice into 16 bars. Or 12, if you want bigger bars. I use my big ole chef’s knife. Some the Cheerios will likely crumble off – that’s okay! You can generally just stick those suckers back into their nooks. Or just eat them.
Place the sliced bars onto a sheet pan lined with parchment. Heat some chocolate chips in the microwave until melted, then drizzle over the bars. Freeze again for a bit to solidify the ice cream again, maybe 20 minutes or so depending on how long they’ve been sitting out.
And that’s that! You’ve got yourself some damn good desserts to nibble on these hot as balls days.
What brand of peanut butter? I use any no-stir natural peanut butter I have. Jif, Peter Pan, Skippy, whatever. I find the texture much better than a stir variety.
Peanut butter alternative? For allergy-friendlier prep, you can try almond butter, sunflower butter, or even cashew butter.
Honey alternative? Maple syrup works nicely too!
Cereal alternative? Any type of Cheerio-like cereal works well, but I think Honey Nut has the best flavor. You can also try Rice Krispies, as I did in my Strawberry Cocoa Krispie Ice Cream Bars.
Cheers and enjoy!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Chill out, homeskillet:
No Churn Midnight Munchies Ice Cream
Homemade Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches
No Churn Cookie Dough Ice Cream
chocolate drizzled honey nut ice cream bars
Ingredients
- 6 cups Honey Nut cheerios
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line two 9 x 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter and honey for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, heating an additional 10-20 seconds if needed to liquify. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the Cheerios into a very large and in charge bowl. Dump in the peanut butter mixture and, using a wooden spoon, fold the cereal and peanut butter blend until everything is fully coated. The mix will be very sticky!
- Divide the cereal into the two prepared cake pans. Use a flat, firm surface (like the bottom of a glass or measuring cup) to firmly spread the cereal from corner to corner, packing it well into a single, relatively even layer. Freeze the layers for 20 minutes.
- Set the ice cream on the counter for 8-10 minutes to soften significantly – it should be melting.
- Remove the Cheerio layers from the freezer. Using a spatula, spread the ice cream overtop one of the layers, smoothing it from edge to edge. This will get messy! Peel the second layer of Cheerios from the parchment and firmly press over the ice cream. Cover the tray with foil and freeze at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Microwave the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl for 45-60 seconds, until melted.
- When the bars are properly frozen, remove from the freezer. Use a large, sharp chef's knife to slice into 16 bars. Set onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle the chocolate over each bar, as much or as little as you please! Freeze 10-15 minutes to firm up. Then ENJOY!
