Homemade Crunch Bars with Just 5 Ingredients – No Baking Required!

If you’ve been craving a sweet, crunchy snack that’s quick, simple, and completely homemade, these Homemade Crunch Bars are exactly what you need. With only five ingredients and no baking required, you can whip up a batch in under 15 minutes that’s perfect for snacks, lunchboxes, or even a quick dessert. The best part? You control exactly what goes into them—no preservatives, no mystery additives, just delicious homemade goodness.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, you’ll need just 5 simple ingredients:

Crisped rice cereal – 2 cups
- Provides the light, crunchy base. You can use regular or gluten-free rice cereal.
Nut butter – ½ cup
- Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter all work beautifully. It adds flavor, richness, and binds everything together.
Honey – ¼ cup
- Acts as a natural sweetener and binder. Maple syrup works as a vegan alternative.
Chocolate chips – ½ cup
- For that irresistible chocolatey layer or drizzle. Dark, milk, or even white chocolate works.
Optional mix-ins – ¼ cup
- Mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, or dried fruits can be added for extra flavor and texture.

Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Prepare Your Pan

Line an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the sides. This makes it easy to lift the bars out once they’re set.

Step 2: Melt the Binding Ingredients

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the nut butter and honey. Stir continuously until smooth and fully blended. This should take about 2–3 minutes. Be careful not to overheat—just enough to combine them nicely.

Step 3: Mix in the Cereal

Remove the saucepan from heat. Quickly add the crisped rice cereal to the nut butter-honey mixture. Gently fold it in with a spatula until every piece is coated evenly. If you’re adding optional mix-ins, fold them in now.