Growing up, I used to be a professional Rice Crispy Treat baker. I’d dump butter in a pot, add a bag of marshmallows, rice crisp, and vanilla.
Spread into a pan.
Stuff in face.
Totally gourmet.
Sticky, sweet, crunchy…and easy enough for a child to make. I still remember sticking the gooey cereal covered spoon straight into my mouth to ‘taste test’, leaving marshmallow whiskers all over my cheeks. I made them so many times, I memorized the complex and highly detailed gourmet recipe off the side of the cereal box. Like I said, total pro.
Each December, I showcased my skills by making Christmas-themed Rice Crispy Treats, complete with red and green rice crispies and a dusting of red and green sprinkles on top. They were the hit of every class party, the talk of the town, and they matched my Christmas sweater and scrunchie so well.
These Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats are an equally gourmet version (read: no bake) of my loved childhood treats. However, unlike the original, this recipe is made without marshmallows, but I promise you won’t miss them!
To make these treats, I used my No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies recipe for inspiration- one of the most popular recipes on the blog.
I put on my apron, rolled up my sleeves, and got to work. After 15 exhausting minutes, I had treats whipped up for a special someone.
Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats
Yield
12 squares
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
15 minutes
Total time
These rice crisp treats are absolutely divine! I love to use my Maple-Cinnamon Superseed Almond Butter in these for a great flavour, but store-bought natural almond butter will also work in a pinch.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) brown rice syrup*
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Maple-Cinnamon Superseed Almond Butter**
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) non-dairy butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups (115 g) gluten-free rice crisp cereal
For the chocolate topping:
- 1/3 cup (65 g) non-dairy chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) coconut oil
- Unsweetened shredded coconut, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Prepare an 8 inch by 8 inch square pan, by lining it with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.
- In a large pot over low-medium heat, add the brown rice syrup, almond butter, butter, maple syrup, and salt. Stir well until super smooth and heated through. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Stir in the rice crisp cereal until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop into pan and spread out evenly. Press down with lightly wet fingers or roll flat with pastry roller. Place in freezer to set for 5 minutes while you make the chocolate topping.
- In a small pot or double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil over low heat. Once 2/3 of the chips are melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth.
- Remove the pan from freezer and drizzle or spread with melted chocolate mixture. Sprinkle with coconut and place in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Slice into squares. Bars will hold their shape quite well at room temperature, but you can store in the fridge to ensure the chocolate stays solid. Leftovers can be wrapped and stored in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Tip:
- * Brown rice syrup is used in this recipe because it is a great binder. I don't recommend using another liquid sweetener.
- ** Feel free to swap the almond butter for store-bought natural peanut butter or almond butter, if desired.
- Make it soy-free: Use soy-free vegan chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand. Also use soy-free vegan butter, such as Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Oh man did this recipe bring back the memories!
You can either drizzle on the chocolate as shown below, or spread it out evenly covering the entire surface, depending on how much chocolate you want. I used 1/4 cup chocolate chips and it was the perfect amount to drizzle. Use 1/2 cup chips if you want to cover the entire surface.
I had to use so much restraint not to eat all of them! Eric also raved about them and was quite jealous when he found out that they weren’t for him. :)
Did you do any baking or cooking as a child? What was your favourite thing to make?
Just made these and they were AMAZING! So quick and easy to make! Definitely a new staple in my house!
Thanks for the recipe! I found them far too sweet, so will definitely cut down on the brown rice syrup next time. Would also recommend adding in a pinch of salt to the rice cereal mixture – I think that would provide a bit more depth of flavor.
I make these for any party when I need to throw together a quick dessert. I even made them for my birthday. They’re always a huge crowd-pleaser and when I tell everyone that they are made without marshmallows, they are pleasantly surprised. People like it when foods they like can be made healthy but still taste good. Keep up the good work! :D
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I’m devastated! I made these 2 days ago and they are delicious! But I left them out at room temperature, uncovered, and now it looks like they have colonies of bacteria growing on them! Please tell me that you’ve seen this before and it’s just salt or sugar crystallizing or something!?!?
Eek! Sorry to hear that. :( I havent had that happen but I tend to pop them in the freezer to store.
Thanks Angela, will do that in the future. That or not resist the temptation to eat them all in one sitting! Question/suggestion for you. Would love to see what nut-free snack ideas you had for kids lunches to bring to school. So many great recipes out there but a lot have some kind of nut included…. Thanks!!
oh, maybe I should add that they have the chocolate coating spread over the top….(and I used corn syrup as a binder…)
Way too much vanilla extract for my liking, but thanks for sharing :) I’ll try again with less vanilla :)
I have made this recipe so many times now, I absolutely love it! I found it when I was looking to make a lovely sweet treat for my sister’s bday and because she is vegan, it sounded perfect! Now I find myself making it all the time. Thanks so much for sharing your brilliant recipe!
Siobhan x
Such a great recipe! I’ve made it twice now, both times using natural peanut butter in place of the almond butter and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips spread over the top. Just like the Scotcheroos I used to make back in the day, except healthier.
This recipe looks delish! I get most of my recipes from this site, having turned vegan only a year ago. I am still learning! I have noticed you use a lot of coconut oil in your recipes. I have figured out how to substitute quite a bit, but I can’t figure out the coconut oil! Since I have to be really careful with saturated fats, I asked my doctor about using coconut oil. She said it was very controversial, and she really didn’t know except it is a saturated fat and if I can avoid using it, then I should. Is there anything else I can substitute for the coconut oil? And if not, what TYPE of coconut oil should I use since the local grocery store carries several types..
Thank you for your help!
I’d love help on this substitution too as I and my daughter are VERY allergic to coconut.
These rice treats are outstanding! I’ve made them twice already and my college daughter loves them. I think I found a new treat to bring/send her in college. Thanks, Angela!
Just made these. Super easy to make and ready so fast!! I didn’t have rice crisp so I subbed with puffed millet that I had and was looking to use up. So tasty!
Just made these as I wanted to make a treat for the kids but, unusually, couldn’t be bothered to bake. Oh wow! They are simply divine. To any Brits, like me, out there, they are exactly like the Toffee Crisps of our childhood, but in a healthier format!!!
just made these for my friend’s bridal shower! they were such a hit, so was your book! thank you :)
Aww that’s great thank you! :)
Angela, thank you so much for the the rice krispy treats they were awesome! We omitted the chocolate on top as my daughter is on an elimination diet for gut health but they did not even need it. You’re site is so helpful to a mom like me with the allergies and or sensitivities that the whole family has I can’t even tell you the blessing you have bestowed with your cooking. Happy new year to you and your beautiful family!
Warmly melanie
Hey Melanie, Oh thank you so much for your sweet note! I’m so happy this recipe was a hit. I make them without the chocolate topping all the time too (my 3 year old Adriana doesn’t like chocolate very much, lol). I hope 2018 is off to a great start for you and your family! Thanks for reading. :)
Hi! I would like to make these? But I am not able to find the Brown rice syrup. Is there an alternative for it? Also can you store these at room temp? Or are they stored in the fridge ?
Hey there, The brown rice syrup really helps the treats stick together. If you use another liquid sweetener it’ll likely fall apart (but probably still taste great). Hope this helps!
Hi. Vegan butter is not affordable at my place is there anything else that I can sub it with (vegan)?
Hey Sara, You can probably sub with coconut oil or you may even be able to just leave it out all together. Hope this helps!
Hi Angela,
Thanks so much for the recipe! I had never had Rice crispy treats in my life. And in my country its tough to find a box of Rice crisp cereal, and even harder to find healthy Rice crispies.
But I found it and Made your recipe with homemade almond butter and they are realy delicious! I make a lot of your recipes ( i’ve got both of your books) and every single recipe I made ( mostly for omnivores) , was a big hit! Thanks for all of your efforts and great recipes! Greetings from the Netherlands ;)
Hey Dorien, Thank you so much for the recipe and cookbook love! I’m so happy you found the rice crisp to make these (and loved them to boot!).
The link to the maple cinnamon almond butter is broken and I can’t find the recipe when I search the other site. :(
Hey Lori, I’m so sorry the link isn’t working for you…I just tried it and it appears to be working now. Do you mind trying this link and letting me know?
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/03/13/maple-cinnamon-almond-butter-with-hemp-flax-and-chia-seed/
do you think it will work with sesame seed butter (tahini)?
Hey Hadar, Oh good question…I’m not sure. I think it would if you love the flavour (the flavour will be prominent since there’s so much used).