In only 5 ingredients you can enjoy the great taste of cereal and get your cookie fix with these chocolate Chex cookie bites.
Chocolate Chex Cookie Bites are for those moments when you can’t decide whether or not you want a bowl of cereal or a chocolate chip cookie. Paired with a glass of milk and you essentially have a bowl of cereal in cookie form. Their bite-sized shape makes portion control pretty easy— just don’t let your kids know where you store the extras, because I guarantee they’ll be gone in a day.
Not that I’m speaking from experience here… for the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of this post. FAST! If you’d like to read on about my inspiration for this recipe [my trip to General Mills HQ], keep reading from this point!
Recipe Inspiration for Chocolate Chex Cookie Bites
Earlier this month I attended a Big G blogger experience in Minneapolis, MN, at the General Mills headquarters. “Big G” refers to the General Mills cereals including Cheerios, Chex, Kix, Wheaties, and more. When the invite for the blogger experience was extended, making the trip was a no-brainer for me. I’m pretty sure Joey would have happily tagged along if I let him.
We are a BIG cereal eating family— from snacks to breakfast, to snacks again, we have more than one Big G cereal in our house. But, like all foods, there are some better-for-you cereals that I’d recommend choosing over others. Having said that, I was thrilled to learn more about my toddler’s favorite food: cereal.
Big G Blogger Experience
From cereal processing and food labeling to food photography and cooking in the Betty Crocker kitchens, my 1.5 day experience at General Mills was nothing short of AWESOME! And so informative… here are some new-to-me facts about Big G cereals:
- General Mills has a commitment to those who eat their cereals— which is about 90% of households in the U.S.
- What’s so stellar about their cereals? They’ve increased the whole grain, fiber, and vitamin [specifically calcium and vitamin D] content of their cereals while reducing sugar and sodium
- Big G research and development teams partner with nutritionists, working to reduce sugar without affecting the great taste of their cereals
- The upside to eating cereal? Children who eat cereal are more likely to get the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D they need everyday [from milk and the fortification of the cereal]
- From Oats to O’s-a really cool, informative video about how one of the most popular Big G cereals, Cheerios, is made
- General Mills has a whole INSTITUTE dedicated improving not only the healthfulness of their products but improving the health and well-being of consumers … the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition
Photo Recap of the Big G Blogger Experience
Not pictured: a crazy, deliciously fun dinner at Travail restaurant in Minneapolis. Just click the link. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
I was joined by an all-star group of other health-minded bloggers, including:
Lindsay from www.theleangreenbean.com
Jess from www.keepingitrealfood.com
Ann & Lesley from www.mymenupal.com
Abigail from www.thesoulofhealth.com
Danielle from www.foodconfidence.com
Brittany from www.eatingbirdfood.com
Lisa from www.snackgirl.com
Not only was it a pleasure getting to know these ladies, but they also enhanced my learning considerably by asking the tough questions. Remember: I am a cereal eater and honestly didn’t think twice about choosing or recommending cereals like Cheerios or Chex. But their questions about sugar and nutrient fortification had me do some deep thinking about my stance on cereal.
Did my view change? No. I feel confident in the strides General Mills is taking to reduce sugar and “processed” ingredients in their cereals. But I needed the gut-check and appreciate the science behind the product and message. So thank you to the Big G and Bell Institute of Nutrition and Health teams.
Not only for providing me with an inside look at your day-to-day but for reassuring my family and me that you have our best interest in mind when you make that itty, bitty Cheerio.
Joey says, “Stop typing MOM… it’s Chocolate Chex Cookie Bites time!”
Note: All expenses, food, and accommodations for my trip to General Mills were paid for. I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own— and seconded by my cereal-loving toddler!
- 1 cup of old fashioned oats
- 1 cup of Chocolate Chex
- 1 medium-sized banana, ripe
- 1 egg
- ½ cup of chocolate chips
- Preheat your oven to 350. Add the oats and cereal into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the oats and cereal are ground, about 15-20 seconds. .
- Add the banana and egg to the cereal mixture and pulse until the consistency of the mixture is similar to that of cookie dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Use a small cookie scoop to form into bite-sized bites. Place on a baking sheet once formed.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.
wow, sounds like QUITE a fun experience!! I can’t wait to try these out and will definitely be pinning to my healthy snacks pinterest board!
Thanks friend!!
My mom would LOVE these bites!
Once you have one bite you can’t stop!!
What a fun trip and great group of bloggers and RDs you were with! I always love seeing first hand the work companies do and seeing te behind the scenes. Thanks for sharing. And the recipe looks great, but what can I use in place of banana? 😉
Hahahaha!!!! Peanut butter!! Or applesauce!
I loved reading about your trip, and I must admit that I’m a bit jealous! Cooking in the Betty Crocker kitchen must have been so cool. Great post!
I didn’t want to leave… And still would like to be transported back for more recipe development. Thanks Natalie!!
Everyone is doing gluten free. I am cheering for banana free.
Lol I knew you would!!
Hi Katie – these look so yummy, I am anxious to try! With Mackenzie’s egg allergy I’m wondering if there’s a substitute you would recommend? She can eat baked goods so perhaps baking it for ten minutes would be ok, but I’m always looking for other ideas just in case! I’ll still try a batch for myself at least, haha 😉
I think because they are baked they are definitely ok for allergies. You could do a no bake version and add peanut butter as the binding agent!