These vegan Rice Krispie Treats are made with healthy ingredients! If you want to enjoy some homemade Rice Krispie Treats with no marshmallows and no peanut butter, you’ve come to the right place.
Yes, you can make vegan rice Krispie treats and make them with much healthier alternative ingredients! And I have the easy recipe for you 😍
Rice krispie treats have been a childhood favorite for decades. We all remember them growing up, don’t we? A classic cookie treat that’s fun for kids, easy to make, and loved by all.
However, the original recipe is made with butter and marshmallows. If they are vegan, they are made with margarine and vegan marshmallows.
What makes these healthy Rice Krispie Treats different?
I’m here to show you how to make Krispie treats without vegan butter, without vegan margarine, and without vegan marshmallows!
Crazy talk?
Nope. Recipe magic!
See, when I developed this recipe, vegan marshmallows were just coming on to the vegan market. They weren’t available in many stores or online.
I wanted to create a recipe using more common pantry staples. Plus, I knew I could make vegan rice krispie treats just a little healthier than with margarine and vegan marshmallows!
In eat, drink & be vegan, I created two vegan recipes of rice krispie treats. The first version was more ‘traditional’, using vegan marshmallows. Then, another using macadamia butter.
Later, when creating recipes for Plant-Powered Families, I created a nut-free version of this krispie treats recipe (now my favorite)!
Today, I’m sharing both the nut-free and original versions of my rice krispie treats.
In this video, I show you how to make the original version using macadamia nut butter.
Macadamia nut butter is ahhhmazing, but can be difficult to find. So, if you cannot get your hands on it, try a raw cashew butter.
Or, just go with the version, below. The treats hold together even better and have become my favorite version!
Enjoy the treats! x Dreena
Healthy Rice Krispie Treats (vegan & gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut butter (not oil, see note) OR 1/2 cup macadamia nut butter (see note)
- 1/2 cup brown rice syrup or coconut nectar, see note
- 3 tbsp unrefined sugar can reduce or omit, to taste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups natural brown rice crisp cereal
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-in (20×20-cm) pan with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan on low-medium heat, combine coconut butter or macadamia butter, syrup, sugar, (agar if using macadamia nut butter), salt, and vanilla.
- Stir continually as mixture heats is fully dissolved (reduce heat if mixture starts bubbling).
- Remove from heat and stir in cereal, making sure to fully incorporate with nut butter mixture.
- Transfer mixture to pan and press in evenly (use an edge of parchment paper to press without sticking).
- Refrigerate to cool completely, then cut into squares. Makes 16 squares.
Notes
- Macadamia Note: If you don’t need these nut-free, use macadamia nut butter or raw cashew butter. If using nut butter, it’s helpful to add 1/4 tsp agar powder with the mixture before adding the cereal.
- Use coconut butter, not oil.
- Brown Rice Syrup Note: Don’t substitute with maple syrup! I get this question all the time. It’s not thick and sticky enough. If you need to substitute, only use a thick coconut nectar.
tah says
Can I substitute corn syrup for the brown rice syrup? Also, I don’t have coconut butter but have some sweetened shredded coconut and was thinking about putting that in the food processor to make coconut butter. Thoughts?
Dreena Burton says
Hi Tah, I don’t see why not. Corn syrup has a similar texture. I don’t like using too much corn products (corn syrup not usually organic and I don’t do well with non-organic corn), but if you can use it, will work just fine. And yep, you can make your own coconut butter! I have the specifics in on how to do so, it’s connected to the recipe, sorry not on the site. But you can google to find that online as well. Enjoy!
Justin says
Great recipe! Thanks Dreena! I made a double batch of the macadamia version and they turned out great! Reminds me of the original ones from my childhood. Very moorish and I ate a whole row in one sitting
Dreena Burton says
Thanks Justin, so glad you loved them – thanks for the feedback and shining rating!
Domenica says
Hi Dreena,
Thank you for the recipe. Do you think subbing date syrup for the brown rice syrup would work?
I love your recipes btw❤️
Dreena Burton says
Hi Domenica, I’d love to say yes, but it’s generally not as thick and that’s what’s needed for this recipe. If you have another thick sweetener, the texture of brown rice syrup, that will work. Otherwise the squares tend to crumble.
Mehar Singh says
Wow! this looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it at home!
Jenean says
What a great recipe!!
Dreena says
thank you Jenean
Conne says
I just followed your Healthy Rice Krispie Treat recipe. They are the best I’ve ever tasted!! They came out perfect! Thank you soooo much for posting this recipe. I have a lot of food allergies, so have not been able to have treats like this in forever it seems.
Dreena Burton says
Hi Conne, thank yo uso much for the glowing review, and sharing your feedback for others.