No Bake Gingerbread Cereal Bars

It’s no secret that we love our nut butters so last month when I heard that Wild Friends had new seasonal nut butters out I had to jump on it and order some and I’m so glad I did! I didn’t even have the jars in the house for 24 hours before 2 were empty! No I didn’t just sit there and eat it with a spoon, well ok we tried it with a spoon but then I had to whip up some recipes. I had a few things on my idea list and some of our favorite recipes I wanted to tweak and play with and knowing we wouldn’t have a kitchen for a month, more like 2, while remodeling the kitchen, whole main level, as well as a bathroom and other updates throughout the house I wanted to have some holiday treats in the freezer or ones I could whip up without using the oven or a lot of kitchen supplies. I was also hoping to stock up as we aren’t big on eating out, well on a regular basis or fast food anyways, unless on vacation which even then it is more nicer restaurants and not fast food or take-out. Only problem is I didn’t realize that this process would be taking longer than planned and that there would be full weeks without a kitchen at all!! Yes I said no kitchen and actually next week will be hopefully the last week without it! So not only are we 2 weeks longer than I planned with no kitchen but with the wood flooring they required the whole main level to be cleared of everything including the refrigerator! Now this is a funny story, well I have to have humor because well… what else can I do? We have a very large fridge that doesn’t fit through a normal door and the only way to get it in or out of the house is through french patio doors on our deck. No Minnesota in December can mean a dusting of snow to feet, sub zero temps, and just unpredictable weather. Getting a fridge our the door what do we do? Not like we can get it down both sets of stairs, around the house to the front to put it in the garage. So my plan I guess just hope there isn’t a lot of snow or shovel the deck, move the fridge out there, and wrap it with blankets or plastic or something and hope that it’s ok. Then run out as soon as the floor is done for a major restock grocery haul! The espresso machine somewhere and a cooler in the garage with a few staples.
Ok so bake to these bars! So quick and easy a child can, and did, make them! Just mix maple syrup and gingerbread peanut butter together and stir in crush bran cereal, or a gluten free flake cereal! Press into a pan and set in the freezer to set! These are kind of like a crunchy granola bar, like the hard oat ones. If you want a chewier bar don’t worry I have another version I will post next week!! Enjoy one with coffee or a steamer, pack one in a lunch, or enjoy one as a snack! Not having a kitchen isn’t going to stop me from having holiday treats! I’ll be crashing kitchens of friends and family I don’t have my kitchen back next week but I’m dreaming of baking like crazy in my updated kitchen next week!

No Bake Gingerbread Cereal Bars
8×8 pan, 9-16 bars
8c bran flakes (used Trader Joe’s Bran Flakes)
1/2c Wild Friends Gingerbread Peanut Butter, or can play around with other flavors
1/3c maple syrup (Costco Organic Maple Syrup)

Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside. Crush bran flakes, to about the texture of oatmeal. In a large bowl (unless using a food processor) mix peanut butter and syrup, stir in cereal until it is all coated. If using a food processor mix peanut butter and oatmeal, add cereal and pulse until combine and just comes together. Press mixture into parchment paper lined pan. You want to really press it in there. I like to place a sheet of parchment paper on top and really press it down. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to set. Cut into bars and enjoy!
No Bake Gingerbread Cereal Bars are a perfect snack for all your wild adventures! @2wildfriends #SweatPink Share on X