Strawberry Peanut Butter Cheerios Bars

Combine wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter (1 cup), honey (1 cup) and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon) until completely smooth. If you’re having trouble mixing, add these ingredients to a small saucepan and heat over medium low. Stir constantly until warmed and combined.

Add dry ingredients: Once the wet ingredients are smooth, add the Cheerios (1 8.9 ounce box) to the bowl. Next, take the bag of freeze-dried strawberries (1 1.2-ounce bag) and crush the bottom half. You want to create some crumbs while leaving some of the pieces larger. Open the bag and reserve about 1/4 cup for the top, then dump the rest into the bowl. Use a large spoon to mix everything together until all the Cheerios are coated in the PB honey mixture.

Press into pan: Line a 9×13 casserole dish with parchment paper, using chip clips on the sides of the dish to secure the paper. Pour the coated cereal mixture into the dish and spread it out into an even layer. Next, place another piece of parchment paper over the top of the cereal and use your hands or another hard flat surface to press the mixture firmly into the pan. You want to hear the Cheerios crunching! Take a break and place the reserved freeze-dried strawberries on top, then continue to press everything down. Pay special attention to the sides and press them down with your fingertips.

Chill and serve: After the mixture if firmly pressed into the pan, leave the top parchment paper on as a cover and put the pan in the fridge so the bars can chill for at least 1 hour before cutting. This will harden them a bit and help them stick together. Once chilled, transfer the whole thing from the casserole dish to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into 15 bars (2 cuts lengthwise and 4 cuts widthwise). Store leftover bars covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer tightly wrapped for up to 3 months for best quality.