Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal

Love cereal? Love chocolate + peanut butter? Then you’re going to love this chocolate peanut butter cereal!

Making your own cereal might sound wild, but it’s actually pretty easy and healthier than most of the stuff you can find at the supermarket.

I’m not new to making cereal, having previously made cinnamon cereal. But even though I love cinnamon, I wanted a chocolate version. And let’s be real, chocolate isn’t complete without peanut butter as it’s hands down the best combo ever!

While this recipe is clearly inspired by Reese’s Puffs, keep in mind this homemade version doesn’t have the same light, puffed texture (that’s pretty much impossible without special equipment). Instead, the cereals are more like tiny crunchy cookies! And honestly, it’s a bonus point as this allows them to stay crispy even longer in milk!

⭐️ Why You’ll Love It

The perfect combo.

Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. So, turning that combo into cereal? It’s pretty much a dream come true! At least for me.

The chocolate cereal has a deep cocoa flavor, while the peanut butter version packs a double dose of peanut flavor, with both peanut butter AND powdered peanut butter incorporated into the batter!

Extra crunchy. No more soggy cereal!

These cereals are much crunchier than your regular puffed ones, so they stay crisp in milk longer. No more rushing to finish your bowl before the cereal turns soggy.

When it comes to texture, I would say it falls somewhere between a gingersnap cookie and Cookie Crisp cereal. So they are kind of like tiny crunchy cookies!

Simple to make.

Besides the powdered peanut butter, which can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets, all the other ingredients are pantry staples!

The process is also easy and can be prepared with kids in just a few minutes! You start with one batter and split it into two equal parts. Add the cocoa powder to one bowl and mix the peanut butter and powdered peanut butter into the other. Then, pipe small bites and bake until crispy!

🥜 What You’ll Need

Flour

Regular all-purpose flour makes the base of this recipe, providing structure and preventing the cereals from crumbling.

Substitute: You may be able to use whole-wheat flour, but you’ll have to use a little less than 1 cup, as it tends to absorb more liquid. Regarding a gluten-free version, I haven’t tested yet using a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, but I believe it should work just fine!

Sugar

To sweeten the cereal, you will need granulated white sugar. I use a total of 1/3 cup for one batch, which gives it a sweetness similar to most European cereals. If you are used to American brands, just know that this homemade version is a bit less sweet.

Alternative: You can use coconut sugar as a refined sugar-free alternative.

Baking powder and baking soda

To allow the cereals to puff and crisp up.

Oil

Not a whole lot, just a tablespoon to allow the cereal to crisp up during baking. Try using a neutral oil such as canola, sunflower, or grapeseed oil.

Peanut butter

For the peanut cereal, I rely on two ingredients: natural peanut butter and powdered peanut butter.

Why use powdered peanut butter? Through testing, I discovered that to achieve a rich peanut flavor, you need to add a significant amount of peanut butter. The issue is that adding a large amount of peanut butter results in cereal that is less crunchy and higher in calories. Powdered peanut butter solves that! It contains less fat, and since it’s in powdered form, it doesn’t significantly affect the texture of the cereal. Plus, it’s high in protein!

Brand recommendation: I like to use PB2, but other brands will also work. Just stay away from the cheap alternatives. I’ve tried, and some barely have any peanut flavor.

Substitute: With that being said, you can still use only peanut butter and omit the powdered peanut butter if you want. To do so, after dividing the base batter between two bowls, add 1/4 cup of peanut butter to one of them. That’s all! You won’t have to use powdered peanut butter or add extra liquid. It won’t be as peanutty but still quite good.

Cocoa powder

And finally, for the chocolate cereal, you will need unsweetened cocoa powder. I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but natural cocoa powder will also work. Just keep in mind the cereal will turn out lighter in color.

🥣 How to Make It

1. Mix the dry ingredients. To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until combined.

2. Add the wet ingredients. Next, pour in the plant-based milk and oil, and mix again using a wooden spoon or spatula until the batter forms a thick and smooth consistency (it should resemble a thick pancake batter).

3. Divide the batter. Divide the batter in half between two bowls.
4. Make the peanut butter version. In one of the bowls, add the powdered peanut butter, peanut butter, and the two tablespoons of milk. Mix until well combined, but avoid overmixing. Set aside.
5. Make the chocolate version. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and mix until combined.

Just a heads-up!

Keep in mind that the batters will have slightly different textures. The chocolate batter will be a bit runnier, while the peanut version will be thicker and stickier. That’s completely normal. Do not try to add more milk to the peanut batter, or your cereal will turn soft.

6. Pipe the cereal. Transfer the peanut butter batter to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch (0.6 cm) round tip and do the same with the chocolate batter. You should have two piping bags, one filled with the peanut butter batter and the other with the chocolate batter.
   Working with one batter at a time, hold the piping bag vertically, close to the baking sheet, and pipe small ¼-inch balls, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between each ball. Use a wet knife to cut off the batter after piping each ball. Once you’ve finished piping the peanut butter cereal, continue with the chocolate one.

7. Bake. Pop the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on the size of your cereals. Remove the cereal from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before transferring it to a jar.

🥛 What to Serve Them With

Just like most cereals, you can serve these with cold or warm milk, like hazelnut milk or even better: peanut milk! They also go well with vegan yogurt, or you can use them as a topping for vanilla ice cream!

They will stay crunchy in cold milk for up to 6 minutes. After that, they will start to get soggy.

💬 FAQ

These cereals are not too sweet, and so delicious with a bowl of fresh nut milk! They are extra crunchy, super chocolatey, and packed with peanut flavor!

🧇 More Breakfast Recipes

Homemade Buckwheat Flakes

Perfect Vegan Waffles (Light & Crispy!)

Vegan Banana Pancakes

The Best Vegan Crepes

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Note: This recipe was first released in August 2016 and updated with new process shots and detailed instructions in July 2025. You can see the older photos below.