- Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro or Large Pot
- Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula
- 8x8-Inch Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Sharp Knife
These Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars are so easy to make and they taste absolutely amazing. The best part? They take about ten minutes from start to finish using just a handful of simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Think of these as cereal treats with a fun s'more-inspired twist. The cinnamon sugar coating on the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal gives every bite a warm, toasty sweetness, and the gooey marshmallows hold everything together into a perfectly chewy, crunchy bar. Stirring in extra whole marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed peanuts at the end takes them over the top.
You can make these in a large pot on the stove, in your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, or in the Possible Cooker Pro on Sear/Sauté. However you make them, the whole family is going to love them. They are a fantastic portable snack, perfect for a lunch box, and great for any time you want an easy no-bake treat.
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Suggested Kitchen Tools for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
- Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro or large pot
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- 8x8-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
Ingredients & Substitutions
This cereal bar recipe uses just a few main ingredients and comes together incredibly fast.
Butter
Used in Recipe: Two tablespoons of salted or unsalted butter to combine with the melted marshmallow mixture.
What it Does: Butter coats the bottom of the pot and helps the marshmallows melt down into a smooth, glossy mixture that binds everything together once it cools.
Substitutions: Salted or unsalted butter both work well here. If you use unsalted butter and the bars taste a little too sweet, a small pinch of salt stirred in with the marshmallows can help balance things out.
Mini Marshmallows
Used in Recipe: Mini marshmallows are used two ways: 4 oz (2 cups) are melted with the butter to create the base, and an additional 1 cup of mini marshmallows is stirred in at the end to stay mostly whole.
What it Does: The melted marshmallow mixture is the glue that holds these bars together and gives them their classic chewy texture. The whole marshmallows folded in at the end create gooey pockets throughout every bar, which is what gives them that s'more feel.
Substitutions: Large marshmallows can be used for the melted portion. Just cut them into smaller pieces before adding to the pot so they melt evenly. Marshmallow fluff can also work in a pinch, though the texture may be a little different. For the marshmallows stirred in at the end, mini marshmallows are the better choice since they tuck into the bars more naturally, but you can also cut larger marshmallows into smaller pieces.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
Used in Recipe: Six ounces (about 4 cups) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal makes up the base of the bars.
What it Does: The cereal provides structure, crunch, and that signature cinnamon sugar flavor that makes these bars so irresistible. The coating on each piece also adds to the overall sweetness of the finished bar.
Substitutions: This is where you can really have fun. Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, or Cocoa Puffs all work beautifully with the exact same method for a completely different treat. Just keep the amount the same: 6 oz or 4 cups, whatever favorite cereal you choose.
Chocolate Chips
Used in Recipe: A quarter cup of chocolate chips stirred into the cereal mixture just before pressing everything into the pan. I use dark chocolate chips to balance out the sweetness, but semi sweet will work, too.
What it Does: The chocolate chips add rich pockets of flavor and are a big part of the s'more-inspired twist. They soften slightly from the residual heat but stay mostly intact, giving you little bursts of chocolate in every bite.
Substitutions: White chocolate chips are a great swap for a sweeter, creamier variation. Milk chocolate chips will also work, but will increase the sweetness quite a bit. You can also skip the chocolate chips entirely and these are still a delicious easy crispy treat on their own.
Peanuts (Optional)
Used in Recipe: About a quarter cup of whole peanuts, crushed, stirred into the cereal mixture as an optional mix-in.
What it Does: These bars are quite sweet, and the salt from the crushed peanuts does a wonderful job of balancing everything out. They also add a little extra crunch and make every bite more satisfying.
Substitutions: This ingredient is completely optional. If you have a peanut allergy or simply do not enjoy peanuts, leave them out. Crushed pretzels or roasted sunflower seeds can provide a similar salty crunch if you still want that balance.
How to Make Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
From start to finish, these bars take about ten minutes of active time and then just need 1 to 2 hours to set up at room temperature. Here is everything you need to know!
Mise En Place
- Line your 8x8-inch pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Rub the inside of the pan and especially the corners with the butter wrapper to help hold the parchment paper in place.
- Measure out 4 oz (2 cups) of mini marshmallows for melting and set aside an additional 1 cup of mini marshmallows to stir in at the end.
- Measure out 6 oz (4 cups) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
- If using peanuts, place ¼ cup of whole peanuts in a zip-top bag and crush them with a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy pan. You will end up with a couple of tablespoons of crushed peanuts.
- Measure out ¼ cup of chocolate chips and set aside.
Melt the Butter and Marshmallows
Set your Possible Cooker Pro to Sear/Sauté on High and let it start preheating. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and let it get about 50% melted before adding the marshmallows. Once the butter is partially melted, add the 4 oz (2 cups) of mini marshmallows. Stir constantly until the marshmallows and butter combine into a completely smooth mixture with no lumps remaining.
Quick Tip
Stir constantly once the marshmallows go in. Walking away for even a minute can result in scorched marshmallows that will taste bitter and ruin the batch. Keep it moving and you will have a perfectly smooth, glossy mixture every time.
Add the Cereal
Once you have a smooth melted marshmallow mixture, pour in all 6 oz (4 cups) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Stir until every piece of cereal is fully coated, then turn off the appliance and remove the pot from the heat. Keep stirring as the cereal mixture cools down slightly before adding the mix-ins.
Stir in the Mix-Ins
Let the cereal mixture cool for a minute or two off the heat before adding the remaining ingredients. Stir in the 1 cup of mini marshmallows and the crushed peanuts (if using) first. Then add the ¼ cup of chocolate chips and give everything a quick stir to distribute them without letting them melt completely into the mixture.
Quick Tip
Add the chocolate chips last and work quickly. The residual heat in the cereal mixture will soften them a little, but moving fast keeps those chocolate pockets intact rather than melting everything into one uniform color throughout the bar.
Press Into the Pan and Let Set
Transfer the cereal mixture immediately into your parchment-lined pan. Use a spoon to scrape every last bit out of the pot. Place a second piece of parchment paper on top and press everything down firmly with your hands into an even, compact layer. The more you press, the better these bars will hold together when you cut them.
Let the bars sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours until fully set. If you want to speed things up, pop the pan into the refrigerator for about 30 to 45 minutes. Once set, lift the parchment straight out of the pan and cut into squares. I like to cut them on the smaller side, about 1½ to 2 inches, since they are quite sweet and rich. Make them whatever size works for you!
Serve & Enjoy!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi Possible Cooker Pro or Large Pot
- Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula
- 8x8-Inch Baking Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted save the wrapper to help hold the parchment paper in the pan
- 4 oz mini marshmallows about 2 cups; for melting
- 6 oz Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal about 4 cups
- 1 cup mini marshmallows stirred in at the end to stay mostly whole
- ¼ cup chocolate chips semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips all work
- ¼ cup peanuts, whole then crushed optional; crush in a zip-top bag with a meat tenderizer; yields about 2 tablespoons crushed
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Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper. Use the butter wrapper rubbed along the inside of the pan and especially into the corners to help hold the parchment in place. If using peanuts, place ¼ cup of whole peanuts in a zip-top bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a heavy pan.
- Set the Possible Cooker Pro to Sear/Sauté on High and allow it to preheat. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and let it get about 50% melted before adding the marshmallows.2 tablespoon butter, salted or unsalted
- Add the 4 oz (2 cups) of mini marshmallows to the partially melted butter. Stir constantly until the butter and marshmallows combine into a completely smooth, glossy mixture with no lumps remaining. Do not walk away; constant stirring prevents scorching.4 oz mini marshmallows
- Pour in all 6 oz (4 cups) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Stir until every piece is fully coated in the marshmallow mixture. Turn off the appliance and remove the pot from the heat. Keep stirring as the mixture cools slightly.6 oz Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
- Let the cereal mixture cool for 1 to 2 minutes off the heat. Stir in the 1 cup of mini marshmallows and the crushed peanuts (if using). Then add the ¼ cup of chocolate chips and give everything a quick stir to distribute without fully melting the chips.1 cup mini marshmallows, ¼ cup chocolate chips, ¼ cup peanuts, whole then crushed
- Transfer the mixture immediately into the parchment-lined pan. Scrape out every bit from the pot. Place a second piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly with your hands into an even, compact layer. The more you compress the mixture, the better the bars will hold together.
- Let the bars set at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes for a quicker set. Once fully firm, lift the parchment out of the pan, peel back the sides, and cut into squares. Cut into approximately 1½ to 2-inch squares for smaller, richer pieces, or larger if preferred.
Notes
• Use the butter wrapper to rub the inside of the pan before laying in the parchment paper. It helps the parchment stay put, especially in the corners.
• Measure out all mix-ins before you start cooking. Once the marshmallows are melted, things move fast.
• If using peanuts, crush them in advance in a zip-top bag with a meat tenderizer. A quarter cup of whole peanuts yields about 2 tablespoons crushed. COOKING TIPS
• Stir constantly once the marshmallows go in. Scorched marshmallows taste bitter and will ruin the batch.
• Let the cereal mixture cool for 1 to 2 minutes off the heat before adding the mix-ins. This keeps the extra marshmallows mostly whole and the chocolate chips from melting completely.
• Add the chocolate chips last and work quickly so they stay as intact pockets rather than melting into the entire batch.
• Press the mixture firmly into the pan using a second piece of parchment on top. The more you compact it, the better the bars hold together when cut. NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on typical ingredient values and standard portion sizes. Actual nutritional content may vary significantly depending on specific brands used, ingredient substitutions, preparation methods, portion sizes, and individual cooking techniques. For precise nutritional information tailored to your specific ingredients and preparation, please consult with a registered dietitian or use laboratory analysis. This information should not be used for medical nutrition therapy or to manage medical conditions without professional guidance.
Nutrition
Alternate Cooking Instructions
- Stovetop in a large pot: Set the burner to medium-low heat and melt the butter. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until completely smooth. Remove from the heat and follow the recipe from there.
- Any appliance with a sauté function: Use the Sauté setting on your Ninja Foodi or any other appliance exactly as you would the Possible Cooker Pro.
Variations
- Try a different cereal: Use Fruity Pebbles, Froot Loops, or any other favorite breakfast cereal in place of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Keep the amount the same and the method stays identical.
- White chocolate chips: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips for a sweeter, creamier variation. You can also drizzle melted white chocolate over the finished bars after they have set for a pretty finishing touch.
- Make a larger batch: Double all the ingredients and press the mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. The method stays exactly the same and is a great option when you need more bars for a crowd.
- Keep it simple: Skip the chocolate chips and peanuts entirely and let the Cinnamon Toast Crunch and gooey marshmallows shine on their own for a more classic crispy treat.
More Easy Treats You'll Love
If these Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars hit the spot, you're going to love these. Each one is just as easy to make and perfect for when you need a quick treat that everyone will fight over.
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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