I used to be obsessed with rice crispy squares when I was younger. That gooey texture from the marshmallows and the crispy rice. Loaded with sugar, how could you really go wrong? Well, friends, I’ve created vegan rice crispy treats that are a little healthier, but still have that crunch and are absolutely delicious.
For more gluten free treats try these vegan cookie dough bites or these chewy blueberry vegan granola bars.
are Rice Krispies gluten free?
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies are actually not gluten free. I assumed because they are made of rice they would be gluten free. But one of the other ingredients in the cereal is malt syrup (comes from barley) which is not gluten free. But luckily there are other crispy rice alternatives out there, so you can still enjoy these healthy rice crispy treats.
I used Nature’s Path Rice Puffs for this recipe as I found time in the freezer made the puffs crunchy enough for my liking. The only thing with Nature’s Path Rice Puffs is if you are celiac they are not labelled gluten-free meaning there is probably cross-contamination in the processing of the rice. So, great alternatives for these vegan rice crispy treats (if you are celiac) would be Nature’s Path Crispy Rice or One Degree Brown Rice Crisps Cereal.
here are a few reasons why I love these vegan rice crispy treats, so listen up!
- These healthy rice crispy treats are so quick to make. You guys should know by now I’m a big fan of quick snacks to make during the week. The weekends are for meals that need extra love and time. These squares take about 10 minutes to prepare and then need about 1- 1 1/2 hours in the freezer to set. But to prepare them, it is so quick. You could easily make them after a busy day at the office.
- While testing these, I am completely guilty of eating most of these all by myself. When there are gluten free treats in the freezer, Adam usually has no idea they are there unless I offer him one. So usually what happens is Adam has 1 and I have 8…I mean I’m not complaining. These rice puff squares are highly addictive and will have you making frequent visits to the freezer.
- I love that you can make substitutions with this recipe if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand. These gluten free rice crispy treats call for 1/4 cup brown rice syrup and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. If you don’t have brown rice syrup, you can use all maple syrup. Option to replace the cashew butter for this recipe with any nut butter. And lastly, as I mentioned above if you are celiac, the rice puffs are not certified gluten free. Substitute the rice puffs with alternative crispy rice such as Nature’s Path’s Crispy Rice or One Degree cereal and they will still produce yummy healthy rice crispy treats.
Bite into these vegan rice crispy treats and let the nostalgia and memories from your childhood flow through you. The crispy rice, nutty and creamy filling and the chocolate drizzle on top are completely to die for. 10 minutes to make, 1 hour to wait and a week to try and make them last. The rice puff squares don’t last that long in my home, but that is simply the sign of good food, right?!
vegan rice crispy treats
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (for greasing the pan)
- 3.5 cups crispy rice ( I used Nature’s Path brand)
- 1/4 cup brown rice syrup
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate
- sprinkle of sea salt
Instructions
- Grease an 8×8 pan with the 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Add 3.5 cups of rice puffs to a food processor. Pulse a few times to break the puffs into small pieces. You don’t want the puffs to be too fine. But I found when making these smaller pieces are better. Pulse for 10 seconds 2-3 times.
- Add the puffs, nut butter, sweetener, vanilla, and chia seeds to a bowl. Mix thoroughly until the mixture sticks together. You may need to use your hands to fully incorporate the mixture.
- Pour the puff mixture into your greased pan. Using the back of a metal spoon or a metal measuring cup and your hands, press firmly down of the mixture. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Prepare the chocolate drizzle with 10 minutes left in the freezing time.
- Add the coconut oil and the chocolate to a saucepan and place over low heat. Stir while the chocolate melts. Take the puff squares out of the freezer. Remove from the pan and cut into 9 squares. Place the squares on a cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch excess chocolate. Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the squares. Place back in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
- Store the rice crispy treats in the freezer.
Notes
- You can use 1/2 cup of maple syrup and leave out the brown rice syrup. I found the brown rice syrup just adds a little extra stickiness to hold the bars together.
- Any nut butter should work here, it may just alter the taste. Note, I’ve only tested with cashew butter.
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