“O” Cookies!
For most people, the “O” in these “O” Cookies will stand for the type of cereal used to make them. But for me, the “O” stands for obsessed, because that is what everyone in my family has become since I started making these cookies.
Starting from the time my kids had them as one of their very first finger foods, Trader Joe’s O’s have remained a household favorite. Between Chloe scarfing dry fistfuls of it every morning for breakfast and Kenya slurping it down with rice milk by the bowlful, we go through a lot of O’s each week. In an effort to make food exciting for kids, I’m always trying to take ingredients they love and feature them in recipes they’ll hopefully adore even more.
This is my healthy take on the cereal bars you can buy at the grocery, but I used “O” cereal and decided to mold them into a cookie shape instead of a bar. These aren’t exactly a tough sell no matter what shape you make them into, but I find going with cookies adds to the fun visual appeal. Not to mention I sometimes feel like I could serve my kids drywall for breakfast and simply by calling it a cookie would increase its chances of being consumed tenfold.
No matter whether you decide to make cookies, bars or balls, have fun making them and be careful, they’re totally addictive. “Oh” yeah!!
“O” Cookies! (Makes 30 Cookies)
1/2 Cup Nut Butter (almond, peanut or sunflower)
1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
4 Cups O’s Cereal (you can use whatever “O”-type cereal you like: Cheerios, Trader Joe’s O’s, etc.)
1. Place the nut butter and rice syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and warm for 2 minutes or until it becomes smooth and combined.
2. Place the cereal in a bowl.
3. Pour the warm nut butter/rice syrup mixture into the bowl with the cereal and stir to combine.
4. Shape into cookies (I used a mini ice cream scooper to scoop out each portion, but you could also use a tablespoon). You can also place the mixture into a 9 x 9 inch ungreased pan, pat down and then cut into bars. As the O’s mixture cools, it will harden.
5. Serve.
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Can I use Agave Syrup in place of Rice Syrup?
Oooooh, yes, will agave work? I want to make these right now!
how about using raw honey or maple syrup? much better than agave or “rice syrup”
Unfortunately, Agave and Honey would not work because rice syrup has a sticky tacky texture and a neutral flavor that they do not. Also, rice syrup allows the mixture to stick together and it would not work well with agave and honey.
How about corn syrup? I still can’t find agave syrup here in Mexico City.
Have you looked for Rice Syrup? It should be at your local whole foods or any health foods store.
where do you get rice syrup? any grocery store? is it better for you than corn syrup (i hope)?
thanks!
You can find Rice Syrup at Whole Foods or any health food’s store. Yes it is so much better than corn syrup!
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I tried to use agave and my bars just fell apart while eating them. I’ll try this again using the rice syrup. Everyone loved it!
Yes, you need to use rice syrup because of its tacky consistency and it will help the bars stay together. I’m glad everyone loves them!
Just made these with the kids and they are a huge hit! We used 1 tsp. of organic vanilla extract which gave it a really nice flavor! Thanks so much and keep those yummy recipes coming!
What might have I screwed up with this simple recipe? I did them in a pan and flattened them hoping to cut them into little bars. It never firmed up and just all broke apart. I used the rice syrup as called for. Maybe it was the brand of O’s I used.
What kind of nut butter did you use?
Loved them!
Anyone tried freezing these? Will they freeze okay?
We haven’t tried freezing them since they are gone after a day or two but if you try it let me know!
I made them with brown rice syrup and sunflower butter but they never really firmed up. They stayed together enough to eat them and were very tasty. I’m just wondering how firm yours got?
When the cool down, they firm up. You can always put them in a baking dish and let it cool and cut them into bars for a faster route!
can i use a soy butter for these. Our allergist told us not to give our daughter any nuts until she is a little older since she already has other allergies. i love your blog! thanks.
I have not tried it with soy butter and I have never tasted soy butter but you can. If the soy butter is not sweet as the sunflower butter, I would put a little more honey or agave in the mixture to bring out a sweetness. Let me know how it goes!
I warmed the almond butter and brown rice syrup in a large glass bowl in the microwave, and then added 5 cups of Kashi Honey Puffs. You’re so right, they’re totally addictive! Thanks for the recipe.
We have natural peanut butter as opposed to the other kind…you think this will still work okay?
Yes! I used organic
Will this work with organic molasses? The only place that I found that sells rice syrup has a small jar for $9 bucks and using molasses would make it so much more inexpensive.
I am going to try this recipe today! I finally found organic rice syrup at my local Safeway. (Canada)
Would it be okay to use a microwave to combine the nut butter and rice syrup? I’m doing it with a classroom and don’t have access to a stovetop.
Yes, just watch it and stir between heating time.
Hmmm, you know I made it exactly like the recipe says… put it in a pan hoping to cut it into bars and I had the same results as a few others :-/ it’s been in the fridge for about 2 hours now and I can cut it but when I try to pick up the pieces I cut it just falls apart
I used Brown Rice Syrup and Sunflower butter. I’m thinking the problem was the sunflower butter… it was pretty thin, I could stir it easily straight from the jar. I think reg. PB would be better since it’s firmer.
Might try it one more time.
Also I made them with apple cinnamon cheerios (cause that’s what I had) and the taste GREAT!!! Yum, the cinnamon is a nice addition!!
Just wanted to share that my son isn’t wild about “O’s”, so I made this with puffed rice instead and HUGE HIT! Thank you!
I’ve been struggling with the healthy food thing with my two kiddos (who are both currently on hunger strikes!) when a friend told me about your site. I can’t thank you enough for all of your work and wonderfully creative (& yummy!) ideas! While my two aren’t eating at the moment, their parents certinaly are enjoying every recipe we try.
One thing I found in making the “o” cookes (which I absolutely love!) – if you opt to shape these by hand, it helps to keep your hands damp with water to prevent a “o-cookie” mitt from forming
I made these today with Dark Chocolate Almond Butter for an extra special treat. They are FABULOUS!!!
I really want to try these but all I have on hand is corn syrup, Will it work??
I personally do not use corn syrup and have not tried it. It should have the same consistency as rice syrup. Do you have a health food store near you?
Can anyone attest to whether freezing these will work? They’re delicious but my kiddo won’t eat these all before they go stale! (How long do they keep, what’s the best way to keep them fresh longest – does putting them in the fridge help?) I made the ones with rice krispy-esque cereal and they went stale before we could finish them. Maybe individually wrapping them in plastic or parchment or something? Thoughts?
Hmm – freezing would actually make them stale when you defrost. So weird that it becomes stale when you finish making them. I would use a different brand just to test it out again.
HELP! I live in Bosnia and can’t find rice syrup anywhere. We aren’t allowed to ship any glass and I can’t find rice syrup in a plastic bottle. Any ideas of what I might be able to use as a substitute? Thanks!
Unfortunately, you would have to use rice syrup because of the its consistency.
I wonder if you could email a company and ask them to package it in a plastic container?
I too made them & they stay together long enough to eat but then fall apart. I first tried to amke the bars but that was a disaster. They didn’t hold at all. So I tried to ball them up in my hand to make balls as in the picture & that was better but still fall apart. I used brown rice syrup & organic p.b. If there is somthing I am missing please let me know.
Did you let them cool? Try using less O’s if you still have problems with it.
We freeze our’s.. they work great frozen.. nice crunchy chewy effect
I made these tonight & My husband & his friends were in the kitchen bugging me, I added some dark chocolate shavings to them & they are so good!
I just made these and used the “Rice Crispy Treat” method my husband used as a kid. I heated the syrup and almond butter in a large pot, stirring to combine until smooth. It reaches a stage where it sticks together, and does not spread along the bottom of the pan, as it did before it was fully heated and combined. Then I turned off the heat and added the cereal, stirring quickly to combine (it is a nice workout for your arms, if you switch off). Then I patted it into a pan sprayed with coconut oil (so it will come out when cut). I chose the pan because the mixture is quite hot to touch for long, but it could make perfect balls, too. Turned out perfect for me. Thanks for the recipe! I have a lot of “O’s” to use up.
As for other sweetener options…since I have made molasses candy, before, I think you could use it in this recipe. It might take a couple of experiments to get it right, though. You will need to heat the molasses until it thickens, maybe to thread or soft ball stage, and then stir in the nut butter, and then the cereal. I am sure it would require more molasses than rice syrup because you will be cooking it down, which would then increase your cost–not to mention the time and attention.
The first time I made these, I tried substituting the rice syrup with maple syrup (not one for one), but the “Os” didn’t stick together well. Today, I’m trying with rice syrup, making bars instead of cookies, and I hope it works. I’m taking them to a party tonight!
i made two batches today
#1~I love how fast these can be made.
#2~ I made them both with O’s and GF and both were awesome.
I didnt have rice syrup so I ued ricemellow which is rice syrup with air basically like fluff
I increased the rice syrup amount to about 1 cup of the rice mellow (since its mostly air. I used a GF cereal that was ball shaped. They didnt stick together so well. Next time I will use 3.5 cups of GF cereal so that they are coated better.
I used the O’s for the second batch. Oh my yummy. my new automatic go to for quick afternoon snack choice.
yesterday we made the dutch baby and tomorrow fruit and seed bars. Thank you so much for the amazing recipes
thanksgiving day crafts…
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I made these for my 16 month old and they turned out great! I used brown rice syrup and almond butter and made them into bars instead of cookies. Thanks for the recipe!